All those who love to micromanage, please raise your hand!
Oh, look at me waving both hands high into the air.
I’m really excited to put this into effect in the fall. I do assign kids to groups and centers during our literacy block, but there are times when there is opportunity for “choice” on their part. In my class there are two such opportunities that come to mind: Fun Friday and Indoor Recess.
To keep some sanity in the classroom, maintain peace and to be efficient, I limit the number of students in one activity/area and also limit the options.
First, I’ll explain how this works and then I’ll explain how I made it.
How it Works:
- Each child has a popsicle stick with his name on it.
- Each container will display a small card under the paperclip. The card will state the activity and the number of students who may participate.
- I will also have a slightly larger, colored card that I can slide underneath the original one to signal that the choice is at capacity and can no longer be selected.
How it is Made:
For months I’ve been looking at the new Crystal Lite containers and trying to determine a use for them. I finally had my lightbulb moment, sent an email to the parents of my students requesting them and had more than enough to do this project the next day. If you don't have the opportunity to ask for donations of these because it is summer then drink up. It is cool and refreshing after all. :)
Put a push pin through the plastic container.
Select paper to match your classroom color scheme or theme. Scrapbook paper is awesome for this. Cut the paper to fit around the container.
Slide a paperclip over the top of the paper.
Apply a stripe of hot glue to the back of the paper and attach it to the container.
Label sticks (details on the lil' cuties above coming soon).
I love how the push pin allows you to simply flip the container over to remove the sticks.
I bought the rafia at the Dollar Tree (it was a grass skirt) and the scrapbook paper was less than $1.00. Grand total for this project was under $3.00.
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