Chair Pockets, Toolkits, and Activity Charts

Isn't it a fabulous feeling to implement a simple idea and find that it is truly a time-saver in the classroom?  Or to find an inexpensive product that makes an ingenious organizer?  These are a few of my favorite ideas that are simple and inexpensive to implement, yet they yield great rewards when it comes to keeping things well-managed and well-organized.

First up, chair pockets!  I got this idea from http://www.frugalteacher.com/p/my-classroom.html.  She uses stretchable book covers as pockets on the backs of students' chairs.  Genius!  Gone are the days of loose items floating around in desks!  Learning tools now have a home in the chair pocket!  My students are allowed to keep an independent reading book and their learning "toolkit" (more on that below) in the pocket on the back of their chair.  This has really helped to maintain order inside of the desks by providing an easily accessible place for these extra items.

Toolkit:  Each student's learning toolkit is stored in a quart-sized bag and contains items that we use mainly for math or spelling activities: a dry erase marker, a sock (for an eraser), a box of crayons, a glue stick, a set of the current week's spelling word cards, and a set of alphabet letter tiles (copied on card stock and cut out).  A few more items will be added to the toolkit as we go through the year (multiplication Wrap-Ups, digit cards for math, etc.).  These items come in handy for independent activities, too.  Keep reading . . .

Mini Pocket Charts:  The Target Dollar Spot often has these mini pocket charts.  At first I wondered what I would do with them because as much as I love pocket charts, it's usually the larger ones that I find myself using.  I have found that the mini charts are great for posting the currently available enrichment activities for my students.  I try to swap out the activities fairly often to keep them aligned with our current units of study.  The charts make easy references for the students to know what their daily choices are, and the charts are posted near supply stations for easy access.  The students' toolkits (above) also contain supplies which are often used for independent enrichment activities.

That's all for now!  Thanks for stopping by!