As teachers, we often assume that doodling in class is “bad,” indicating that students aren’t listening to the material being taught. However, for visual learners, doodling can be that extra nudge that helps them in memorizing the material. Doodling as a memory strategy is not only effective, it helps some students focus, calm themselves, and turn verbal-linguistic information into non-linguistic information. In order to make that transfer from text to visual, students must understand the content. Given that one can’t doodle about what’s learned unless one understands it, doodling as a memory strategy can also be an effective formative assessment.

Even if they make up their answer on the spot, it STILL is effective in supporting recall of the information that was taught.

By taking what can be seen as a negative and turning it around into a positive, by encouraging doodling as a memory strategy, you gain the trust of your students, especially those that learn differently. By working with the student’s strengths, you enhance learning and memory on multiple levels. Create a win-win situation!

This video tutorial for Sketchnotes explains the concept well.

Related resources:

• What are Sketchnotes?
• What to Do to Help Students Improve Focus
• A Dozen Commonsense Strategies to Maintain Focus, Attention, And Enhance Learning in the Classroom!

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The culture of blame is demotivating

We live in a culture of blame. Everything is someone else’s fault. This idea is reinforced by television, media, and what we see in the news. Frivolous lawsuits, high insurance rates; everything is someone else’s fault. One of the things that kids struggle with is taking ownership for their own behavior.

Why is this a problem? Because if I don’t believe that I am responsible for my own behavior, then I can’t change it. If I believe that you did something to me and that made me do something else: You made me mad; you made me do it – then I have given you the power and control.

Motivation means finding our personal power

If I don’t feel like I have any control, then I can’t be motivated. Why would I be motivated if I don’t have a choice? I can’t do anything because you have the control; it’s your fault. I’m powerless. We’re seeing this attitude become more and more prevalent in schools. Not every student displays this mindset, but it’s definitely an issue that I’ve seen and experienced as I work in classrooms across the country.

You can motivate your students by helping them to understand the power of owning their behavior. If motivation is about personal power, then when we blame, and give away our power, it affects our motivation level. But, when we own our behavior and say, “Okay, I own my reaction; I own what I do about it; I own how I take charge, then I own it.” We are motivated because we have the power to affect our circumstances.

Ownership and personal power equals Motivation

When I was younger, before I understood my own personal power, I would say, “You made me mad,” because, back then, that’s what I knew. But as I learned more about these concepts, luckily before my kids were born, I started changing the language in my house, then I changed it in my classroom: “No, I didn’t make you mad, I may have triggered your anger, I may have pushed your buttons, but you’re the one in control of you. I didn’t make you do anything.”

Ownership. Because if I own it, then I have control, I have personal power. If I have personal power I’m going to be more motivated.

For more on how to motivate students, take a look at How to Motivate Students and Increase Personal Power!

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1. Students do not believe they can succeed even if they try.
2. Students do not feel they have any control over their life choices.
3. Students have a need to avoid failure.

Change Negative Mindsets: Be a Mind Detective

I was teaching high school and working with struggling learners. Many of my students were unmotivated, felt defeated, or believed they were stupid. So, I tried some teaching strategies I learned from a book titled Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Tamar E. Chansky, Ph.D. It is, by far, the most practical, common-sense solutions book available written in lay person’s language on the topic of OCD. The author uses analogies, both verbal and visual, to help the reader understand how to approach the issue successfully.

For example, one analogy compares OCD thoughts to junk mail. Chansky suggests teaching youth to examine their thoughts. If their thoughts are negative, then they should label the thoughts as junk mail, or as something else the child could relate to. Having taught bullying prevention for several years at that point in time, I taught youth to label negative self-talk as “bullying thoughts.” I encouraged them to look at their thoughts by suggesting that they “Be a mind detective.”

I explained, “You’ve got thoughts going through your head. As a detective, determine: Are those thoughts negative? Are they positive? Are they telling you good things about yourself or bad things about yourself? What are they telling you? If they’re telling you bad things about yourself, tell them to stop it. You are the one in control of your thoughts. You’re the detective. When the detective tells you, ‘They’re saying these bad things,’ you tell those thoughts, ‘No! No more.’ Instead, choose thinking that is positive, that helps you to feel smart and powerful.”

Use positive self-talk.

Positive thinking is significantly related to youths’ engagement, self-confidence, imagination, and optimism in the learning process. (Hong, Lin, & Lawrenz, 2012) It is not very different from visualizing success. You are changing your thinking. You think it; you feel it; you do it. I have done a lot of research on this type of reprogramming our thoughts, gaining much from the works of Dr. Albert Ellis (Ellis, 2007).

Not everybody subscribes to that psychology, but I do because it works. There’s a significant body of research behind it as well as hundreds of years of spiritual teaching out of the Eastern philosophies. I realize that it is controversial in some religious circles and respect people’s right to differ. I, however, cannot remain silent on something that has yielded concrete, positive results and thus freed people from emotional pain.

The best way to combat these negative beliefs and behaviors is to use teaching strategies that engage learners and support their experience of success in the classroom. That said, these strategies will work with most of your students, yet may not work with all of them.

Teach Students to Learn How They Learn to Find the Road to Success

Students who feel they are not capable of more need to get their power back. Yes, maybe the teacher gave a hard test. Maybe they did not study, or did not study enough. Or, maybe they need to think about how they learn, and not always try to do things the way somebody else says they should do them. Maybe they do their homework, but maybe they also do a little extra the way they like to do it.

That is a hard sell for some children. My son used to say, “My teacher says write it out three times in cursive, so that’s what I have to do,” even though he did not learn that way.

Why should he write it out three times in cursive and fail the test every week? By the fifth week, do you think my son was motivated to write it out three times in cursive? Do you think homework was something he looked forward to? No, not spelling or vocabulary homework. Was it helping him? No!

So, I came up with a compromise.

“Okay, how about you write it two times in cursive, just as the teacher wants, and I’ll negotiate with your teacher to allow you to draw the word the third time.” So, the third time, we printed the word on a flashcard, added a picture that represented the word and color-coded the word. We practiced five cards a day for the week before the test, just five of them at a time.

Every single time he made flashcards, color-coded with a visual image, and practiced a little bit every day, he aced the test. Finally, I stopped getting involved because he was doing it on his own.

And then one week I saw an ‘F’ on his test. I asked, “Honey, what happened?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did you do your flashcards?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Well, I was doing so good. I thought it was easy, I did not think I needed to do it anymore.”

Every single time he chose not to use the strategy, he failed the test. Eventually, he figured out that he needed to honor the way he learned.

My son was one of those children who did not want any strategies that were different from what the teachers required and the other children were doing. In college, he still did not want to stand out as a different learner; however, he knew that to succeed, he would have to sort out a way to use his strategies discreetly. He knew how he learned, and he used it sometimes, but he would not tell anyone he was using a different strategy. That was fine. “I don’t learn from the teacher,” he said. “I go to class and I sit there to look good. I’m just in the chair so they count me when they take attendance, then, after class I get together with other kids in my class, or with the teacher’s assistant.”

In high school honors classes, he did not learn anything from his teachers. He will tell you that straight out, because they all lectured, except for his chemistry class. That lady let them blow things up – he loved that chemistry teacher! So, how did he succeed in honors and Advanced Placement classes? He went to a local coffee shop with his friends, or to somebody’s house, and they taught each other.

My son learns best by peer tutoring, watching tutorial videos, and hands-on experiences. My daughter uses a variety of visual study strategies and loves to teach her friends as well. She would broadcast what she was doing to succeed; but my son is private. They are different children.

Tell students, “Choose how you learn. Learn how you learn, and choose to learn how you learn!” So many children know how they learn and won’t do it because they don’t want to look different.

Teaching Strategies that Foster Empowerment and Motivation

In a study by J. Nichols titled Empowerment and Relationships: A classroom model to enhance student motivation, the initial findings indicate that a classroom environment which is based on positive social relationships, while encouraging student empowerment, may be the first step toward improving student motivation and achievement. She describes a classroom environment that not only attends to the social and emotional needs of students, but also to learner-centered teaching as a critical factor (Nichols, 2006).

Learner-centered instruction is differentiated instruction. It is instruction that honors how students learn, utilizes teaching models that increase student engagement and thereby increases motivation and success.

Following are some simple, effective, easy-to-implement teaching strategies for engaging learners and differentiating instruction. Again, if you choose to teach using these strategies, teach students that the strategies that work for them are their strategies to use the rest of their lives. This is the essence of personalized learning.

Strategies That Support Success:

1. Chunking – Chunk tasks for students so that they approach their learning challenges a piece at a time. Students who struggle in the classroom are best served by breaking assignments into manageable parts, with manageable deadlines, that focus on success. Chunking does not require teachers to reduce rigor. Imagine that you must clean a very messy, seven-room house. If you were to chunk the task of cleaning the house, you might tackle one room at a time, or first declutter, one room at a time, and then dust on another day. On the third day, you might wash and polish floors, then wash and clean the rugs. Eventually, if these tasks are spread out over a period of time, the house will be impeccably clean. Essentially, this is the same approach as chunking assignments in the classroom. Each chunk, completed well, is a success to be celebrated.
2. Offer choices in academic assignments – Can our students and schools make the grade but still offer students some choices? No matter how strict your school-district mandates are, we must ask: Are there choices we can offer? Because choices empower, motivate, and foster critical thinking (Brooks & Young, 2011; Flowerday & Schraw, 2000; Simmons & Page, 2010). Offer students choices as often as possible to allow them to exercise control in their lives. Too often, students feel they have no control over their success or their emotions. They blame others for their failure, or attribute their success to good luck rather than their hard work and ability, or they blame themselves, using the excuse that they are stupid. When students have choices, they must exercise control to make decisions. Once they make a decision, it is critical that they accept the consequences of those decisions. They own it, for good or for bad.
3. Ask students what went right – Focus on what the student has learned from an exercise or an assignment as opposed to what went wrong. Most importantly, encourage students to think beyond the grade and to understand that mistakes are an opportunity for learning. Recently, I observed a teacher handing back assignments and highlighting how many points the student had improved from the previous assignment. Students cheered for each other, acknowledging everyone who made gains. If there were students who did not make gains, that was handled discreetly because I never heard a negative number called out. It was exciting to see students and teachers celebrating even small successes. I used to think positive thinking was “fluff.” I am not a touchy-feely kind of person, so I pooh-poohed it. But the research shows that, biologically, positive thinking literally builds neural connections in your brain. You are actually firing off neurons and dendrites that are releasing dopamine (Shohamy & Adcock, 2010), noradrenaline and other brain chemicals which, in fact, support successful learning. Negative self-talk releases too much cortisol, which is a stress hormone, and increased levels of cortisol impair working memory (Oei, Everaerd, Elzinga, Van Well, & Bermond, 2006). This is not psychological. It is biological.
4. Create opportunities for students to exhibit their strengths – When assigning students to groups in a high school biology class, the teachers asked for five volunteers who could draw well. Three students quickly stood up. The teachers announced again that they needed five and asked for the rest of the class to share who they felt was good at art. Students quickly named two additional students. Each of those students was then assigned to a separate group. Now, each group had an artist to work with on the project. The teachers then went on to ask for excellent internet researchers. Five students quickly stood up. Those five students were assigned to five separate groups. Now each group had an artist and a researcher. Student individual strengths were celebrated so even students who may not have been outstanding biologists had an opportunity to focus on their success and how it contributed to the team.
5. Students need personal goals – Ask students about their goals and frequently show the connection between what they are learning in the classroom to their personal goals. Be ready to answer the question, “Why do I need this?” rather than share careers that may be meaningless to specific students, try to find examples from a wide spectrum of interests and career paths so that students might see the possibilities and the light that is meaningful to them. (Hallenbeck & Fleming, 2011)
6. Energize your class – Infuse your classroom with short musical energy breaks once or twice during a class period. Set a timer for 90 seconds, and crank up some Vivaldi, Mozart, or other Baroque period pieces that play at about 60 beats per minute. Then, have students stand, stretch, move, clap, stomp, or dance to the music. If you want to take that up a level, create an “I can do it!” chant to the beat of the music. (Brewer, 1995)
7. Teach students how to learn – Allow students opportunities to study the way that they learn instead of the way you learn or way the teacher’s manual dictates. Some students learn by writing what they hear. Some students learn by drawing pictures and labeling what they hear. Some write best from a traditional outline. Some write best if they start with a graphic organizer. Some work best standing or sitting on a Pilates ball. Some prefer the traditional desk and chair. Some memorize better by singing their notes. Some need to repeat what they have learned over and over again in a chant. Avoid forcing all students to learn the same way at the same time and at the same pace. There’s no faster way to demotivate students than to fail to recognize their individuality.

Walk Your Talk: Do not Feel Like a Failure If You Cannot Reach One Child

It is important to understand that, as teachers, we should not give up on using engaging strategies because there might be a few students on our roster who, no matter what we do to reach them, we cannot reach. Just as we need to help students focus on their success, we as educators, also need to focus on our successes and not give up because our efforts are not 100% successful. As a teacher mentor, I see, all too often, that teachers will give up because they focused on the one or two students in the classroom that they cannot reach. Do not fall into that trap.

References:

Brewer, C. B. (1995). Music and learning: Integrating music in the classroom. Retrieved April 1, 2013, from http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/strategies/topics/Arts in Education/brewer.htm

Brooks, C. F., & Young, S. L. (2011). Are Choice-Making Opportunities Needed in the Classroom ? Using Self- Determination Theory to Consider Student Motivation and Learner Empowerment. International Journal of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education, 23(1), 48–59.

Ellis, A. (2007). Overcoming Resistance: A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Integrated Approach (2nd ed.). New York, N.Y.: Springer Publishing Company.

Flowerday, T., & Schraw, G. (2000). Teacher beliefs about instructional choice: A phenomenological study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(4), 634–645. http://doi.org/10.1037//0022-0663.92.4.634

Hallenbeck, A., & Fleming, D. (2011). Don’t you want to do better?: Implementing a goal-setting intervention in an afterschool program. Afterschool Matters, 38–48.

Hong, Z. R., Lin, H.-S., & Lawrenz, F. P. (2012). Effects of an Integrated Science and Societal Implication Intervention on Promoting Adolescents’ Positive Thinking and Emotional Perceptions in Learning Science. International Journal of Science Education. http://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2011.623727

Nichols, J. D. (2006). Empowerment and relationships: A classroom model to enhance student motivation. Learning Environments Research, 9(2), 149–161. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-006-9006-8

Oei, N. Y. L., Everaerd, W. T. A. M., Elzinga, B. M., Van Well, S., & Bermond, B. (2006). Psychosocial stress impairs working memory at high loads: An association with cortisol levels and memory retrieval. Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 9(3), 133–141. http://doi.org/10.1080/10253890600965773

Shohamy, D., & Adcock, R. A. (2010). Dopamine and adaptive memory. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 14(10), 464–472. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2010.08.002

Simmons, A. M., & Page, M. (2010). Motivating Students through Power and Choice. English Journal, 100(1), 65–69.

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You may have heard of the Yacker Tracker. It’s a device that is shaped like a traffic light with green, red, and yellow lights that monitors the noise level in a room. When the noise level is acceptable, the green light illuminates. When the noise level rises, the yellow light turns on and the green light turns off. And when the noise level becomes unacceptable, the red light turns on.

What’s great about the Yacker Tracker is that you can set the decibel levels for green, yellow and red – important because one classroom’s “quiet” level is another classroom’s “loud.” (Think of a band room vs. a library.) It can also be operated manually using a remote control, in case the teacher needs to quickly signal a class to be quiet or to resume normal chatting.

I’ve seen this device used in cafeterias, where noise levels can rise to an intense level, but I’ve never heard of it being used in the classroom. When the teacher explained to me how the Yacker Tracker was used, it made sense. Noise level when attempting group work, or during some co-teaching implementations, is often raised as a significant concern among teachers I’ve worked with.

In what kinds of implementations would this device be useful?

General classroom noise: The buzz of conversation just before class begins, or during short breaks during the period, can quickly rise.
Co-teaching implementations: Split-session activities like One Review One Run Lab can generate plenty of noise from the less structured group, or when switching groups.
Noise-sensitive students: In classrooms with students who react negatively to excessive noise, the device can be set to keep overall noise to a comfortable level.
Noise awareness: Some children are not aware of the level of noise they are making; the device is a visual signal that improves their awareness and control.

Now, the Yacker Tracker is pricey, but teachers might be able to create low-cost or even no-cost visual cues that are similar and save their voice – and their sanity!

One idea is to use red, yellow and green paper and cut out large circles from each. Then, designate a section of the classroom wall or whiteboard that can be easily seen by the students. Explain to the students that the green circle is in place at the start of the class and will stay there as long as the noise level is acceptable. If it starts to rise noticeably, the teacher replaces it with the yellow circle as a warning, and the red signal if it’s too large.

What tools or techniques do you use in your classroom to manage noise? Leave your ideas in the comments below!

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When new initiatives run into problems in our classrooms, we tend to go back to old ways. But sometimes, if we stick to something we believe in, by going through the problem solving process, your students can learn unexpected lessons. This story from Darcy Salvadore (@drcyslvdr or https://www.facebook.com/darcy.salvadore/timeline?lst=1469544636%3A1234687062%3A1551557003) illustrates the value of this approach: http://ow.ly/5c3a30nONPw

As technology and work continue to evolve, now more than ever, we need to teach our students creativity, flexibility and a willingness to adapt to change. John Spencer (@spencerideas or follow on Facebook) offers wonderful ideas to help your students start thinking outside the box: http://ow.ly/brCl30nOOg2

To help our students to be nimble in an ever changing economy, we also need to stay flexible in how we teach in our classrooms. Cory Orlando (@CoriOrlando1 or follow on Facebook) reminds us that not every student is the same, therefore we should be flexible in our teaching strategy:
http://ow.ly/s1FB30nOOtm

What are some of your favorite articles or resources that help students prepare for the real world? Leave your comments below!

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There are some very common scenarios that make changing a classroom setup difficult:

• Class scheduling, such as a different teacher coming in to use the room immediately after the period ends, can make it tough to shift desks out of position with time left to actually teach.
• Actual size of the classroom is too small or too strangely shaped to regroup the desks.
• Technology in the classroom – especially if it has been installed a little at a time, over several years – can get in the way of shifting the desks around effectively.
• Science lab tables are often fixed firmly to the floor and can’t be moved.
• Classrooms are absolutely crowded with desks to accommodate large numbers of students, making it difficult to move anything around.

So, what can co-teachers do in these situations to change the classroom setup so that they can try a new co-teaching implementation?

First, don’t let a classroom’s odd geography get you down. Collaborate with your co-teacher to plan out ways to work with the space as best as you can. Can you stack extra chairs and tables safely out of the way? Can you leave the desks in place and instead shift the students around the room? Is there an unused classroom nearby where you can take half the class for the co-teaching implementation? Can you incorporate standing stations so that more students can collaborate around a table Bed risers can raise any four-legged table. To ensure safety, be sure that the table is steady.

1. Draw out a desk grouping on graph paper*, taking into account the dimensions of the classroom and the number of desks in it.
2. Come up with 2 to 3 versions of possible desk arrangements. Compare them with your co-teacher’s ideas until you both agree on 2 to 3 designs for alternate seating charts.
3. Put each seating chart/arrangement on a separate piece of paper and color-code each diagram.

Now, you can quickly decide on which seating arrangement to use on a particular day and share that with your co-teacher, who has the same color-coded arrangement to refer to. Depending on the class, you can even hang a copy of the day’s desk arrangement next to the door and then you can ask students to help rearrange the desks according to the visual reference chart. Something like, “Hey, look at the charts by the door. We’re going to be using the blue chart setup today. Would you help us out by arranging the desks in that pattern?”

This doesn’t work for all classes, of course. It may be best for grades 5 thru 12, and that also can vary depending on the abilities of the students in your class. Still, having a few “set” classroom configurations and asking students to help with setup not only saves co-teachers time and effort but also can increase the enthusiasm and engagement of students, too. Kinesthetic learners may show up early for class just so they have the chance to help move desks around.

Try out a few different desk configurations. If a setup doesn’t work or is too complicated and time-consuming, throw it out and try another one. Keep experimenting until you find an implementation and class setup that works best for you. Good luck!

* Can’t draw, or having trouble getting the classroom dimensions right? IKEA has a free online Room Planner tool that allows you to put in a room’s length, width and height, door and window locations, and custom “objects” that can be scaled to the size of the classroom desks. Jordan’s, another furniture store, offers a similar tool. While these were developed to sell furniture to people, they can be really useful in translating the real dimensions of a classroom to an 8.5×11-inch sheet of paper.

After you try these ideas, I’d LOVE IT if you’d post photos of your classroom configurations in the comments section or email them to me so I can add them to this post!

Here’s Susan with more insights about dealing with Over-crowded classrooms:

Explore even more tips, tools, and resources for collaboration at TheHowofCo-teaching.com!

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Here are some cool ideas to make your school year go a little easier.

STORAGE

Toothbrush holders work as great impromptu storage devices.

A clear plastic shoe bag can be used to store all kinds of small things, such as calculators, markers, erasers and more.

Use a tackle box to store markers, highlighters and other supplies.

Oriental Trading sells a range of classroom storage solutions online. Really Good Stuff sells a lot of, well, really good stuff like teacher supplies.

CLEANING

Use a child’s sock to clean off a dry erase board! A student can place the sock over their hand and clean the board easily.

Make arts and crafts cleanup a little easier by giving each student a masking tape bracelet, with the sticky side out. The students can quickly pick up tiny paper scraps using the bracelet.  

Post a picture next to each area of the classroom (like the supply storage) showing how it should look when it’s clean, so students have a visual reference.

CRAFTS

Wikki Stix are affordable tools/toys that provide the opportunity for kinesthetic experiences and help teach fine motor skills.

TECHNOLOGY

So many software options are available these days to address common teaching strategies like timing lessons or helping students create audio or video assignments. Here are a few great ones, as suggested by Jeffery Sullivan.

Online Timers – Online-stopwatch.com has an on-screen timer. PC Chrono can be downloaded and installed so that it runs offline.

Creativity – MakeBeliefs Comix helps kids create their very own comic strip. Witty Comics uses pre-set templates to place images and words to create an impromptu comic. RealWorld Paint is a free image creation tool that can be downloaded and installed.

Activities – MarvelHQ has an Activities section that offers mazes, puzzles and games. Smithsonian History Explorer is a great resource with lesson plans and activities for students covering U.S. history.

Learning – Audiobooks can help challenged readers keep up with the classroom material. Sites like LibriVox, Loyal Owl and ThoughtAudio offer free audiobooks. Also, Storyline Online has an online streaming video program featuring famous actors reading aloud from children’s books.

These are just a few teaching strategies and resources that can help in the classroom. Welcome back!

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Occupational therapists might recommend a therapy disk or cushion for these kids, because what they really need is just enough movement to keep them calm. A less expensive solution, that accomplishes the same goal for many kids, is a simple dollar store beach ball. Just blow it up with only a few breaths of air and place it on the student’s chair. Your student will be able to wiggle just enough to keep them calm and focused.

After presenting a workshop in Farmington, NH, where I talked about this idea, I was contacted by Sarah Manter, one of the teachers who attended my program, with a question. Sarah asked if I had any ideas to deal with the squeaking noises that some of her secondary students were making when sitting on the balls.

I offered a few suggestions involving carpet squares, and skid stoppers used for rugs, but Sarah had a much more “real life” solution. Sarah said, “I kind of put it back on them. I explained that there was a difference between a little squeaking with motion and purposely trying to make “farting” noises. Some [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][students] decided they didn’t care for them at all. A lot of them have opted to use them as back cushions instead.”

The great thing about Sarah’s response is that it validates a belief that I also share in my programs. Most students, when given the ground rules and the choice, will make the choice that works best for them, and you.

Another idea that I share in my programs is the use of pliable plastic bracelets, either the “Livestrong” style or spiral bracelets for kids whose sensory needs require them to have something to do with their hands. Sarah also tried this strategy with good effect. She described her experience; “The most popular thing is actually the stretchy key chain bracelets. One parent messaged me that it worked so well, she went out and bought some for home. The problem is, they like them so much, they honestly forget they’re wearing them and walk away with them. Now I’m down to 9 in my classroom. I think I might need a sign at my door like at the butterfly house at the zoo. “STOP! Check to see if you have stretchy bracelets on your person!”

It’s always great to hear from real teachers sharing their experiences with these great strategies and ideas. Thanks to Sarah for taking the time to share these stories with me so that I can share them with you!

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This group of Do-It-Yourself classroom organization ideas can be used in almost any classroom…

Money Saving DIY’s for the Classroom

There are 35 great ideas here that cost zero to just a few dollars and a bit of your time. Some of these ideas are ingenious. Now, I’m not sure the post office would appreciate the USPS box ideas, but, they are creative and practical and you can apply the ideas in a number of ways.

Then, there’s more ideas in the comments section.

This Money Saving DIY’s for the Classroom article is worth a few minutes of your time, I promise you!

Have fun creating!

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