There are some tips/tricks that I found helpful, and I wanted to share....
1. FREE BINS. The lids from boxes of copy machine paper can make great bins, and they are FREE. My classroom had table this year (instead of desks), which made storage solutions a must. I used one lid on each table for unfinished work. I used another lid for seat work packets. It was easier to put bins on each table, so that students only had to sort through 4-6 papers instead of 16-18 with a whole class bin.
2. SEAT WORK. I like to start my day off with morning seat work (those 5-10 minutes help me greet students and complete attendance ). Each day, student complete a short worksheet with either the grammar concept we are learning, spelling rule, or sight words. I also have math seat work that the students complete after recess. It helps them transition. Each day, I write a number on the board. Students complete the activities on their seat work sheet according to the day of the week. This helps to review basic concepts that need constant practice, like place value, even and odd numbers, tallies, number sentences, fact families, multiples of 10, spelling numbers, etc...
3. PAGE PROTECTORS. Page protectors are my best friend. I am not a fan of killing trees by wasting paper. Instead, I use page protectors to turn any worksheet into a reusable resource. I especially find them useful in math. I have math bins for when students finish work. My math bins include playing cards, dominoes, shapes, time, money, measurement, and partner games. I fill each of those bins with activities for students to practice math concepts. I use page protectors, to that students can use a dry erase marker, and then wipe it off when they are done.
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