I received so much positive feedback from last month’s “Hacks and Tips” post that I’m going to make it a goal to get more posts like that up. Below are three more hacks I use around my room.
Hack 1: Those IKEA shelves again … use them to store your large posters and anchor charts. I wanted to get as much off the floor as possible in my supply closet. So I decided to use the IKEA picture/book shelves to store my posters and anchor charts. I also bought mini bungee cords to help secure the posters. You can see that it helps keep my closet tidy and clear.
Hack 2: Cut composition notebooks in half for a custom size. This hack has been floating around in teacher world for a while now. Purchase composition notebooks (any notebook with a cardboard-type cover and spine). I found my adorable patterned notebooks in the Office Depot clearance area. Use a table saw to cut them in half. Some hardware stores will do this for you as well.
I recently fell in love with how Anna DiGilio uses these half-sized notebooks for her math journals. She uses them for word problems from her Guided Math program. I decided to have my students use them as their scrap paper when working on math problems. I love having their problem-solving attempts stored in one place. I conveniently store them atop our math center storage unit.
Hack 3: Store yard sticks and meter sticks on 3M hooks with binder rings. This is another supply closet hack. After my first year of teaching, I knew I needed a quick, easy way to store and access yard and meter sticks. Now they’re tucked away on the left wall of my storage closet. I put them on a binder ring, then hang that on a 3M hook. You could even store these in your classroom so kids can access them on their own.
