Five for Friday - Some of My Favorite Things

Another school week is now at a close.  Where is this school year going?

I decided to dedicate this week's Five for Friday to some of my favorite things this school year. Some of the things are brand new for me while others are things that I have tried but am only following through with this year.  Happy Five for Friday!  

1

Birthday Cups - I always mean to do something for my students on their birthdays.  Good intentions do not always indicate follow through.  This year, I thought ahead and made a birthday cup for my students during the summer.  I am glad that I did, because the first day of school was a birthday for one of my students!        

             

2

Computer Center - We are lucky enough to have a classroom set of computers in our classrooms.  As nice as it may be, it is sometimes a hassle to pull them all out.  I didn't feel that I used them as much as I could.

This year I took one of my center tables and dedicated it solely as a computer table.  We have 5 computers set up.  I have a power strip in the middle complete with chargers always ready to go.  The computer table is used everyday in reading and math during center time.  I use my computers more this year than ever before because of this.

3

Homework Binder - Every time a student does not complete homework, we record it in the homework binder complete with their excuse.  This is a great record for me to use with parents and students.  It's definitely worth the couple minutes each day to fill it out.  My goal is to get them to fill in the sheets themselves.  For now, I fill out the sheets with them in front of me.

   

4

Construction Paper Reminders - In the past, I have used these reminders for my students.  The only problem was I would use them once in a while, and then forget to ever use them again.  This year, the reminders are used all the time.  They really work!

5

Pencils on Chairs - This is just one of my all time favorites.  I get sick and tired of 1 or 2 students that just cannot hold on to a pencil to save their lives.  (Seriously, how can you use a pencil 1 minute and lose it the next?)  For these students, I tie a fat pencil to their chairs.  The fat pencils only need to be sharpened once or twice a week.  I learned the hard way years ago to tie them to the chairs.  It is much easier to take the chair to the pencil sharpener than the desk!