Organizing Student Supplies

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I love organization... but sometimes, when school starts and everything has to be done all at the same time, I end up settling for something that isn't my first choice.

I have tables for my students and I purchased one of those tubs from the Dollar Store for student supplies along with two smaller containers for crayons.  There weren't enough  compartments for all the supplies and it was a chore to keep clean.   At the end of the school year I put it on my Summer To Do List to come up with something better!

I am really excited with how this project turned out.  Hopefully, it will inspire you to get organized for the coming school year.  

First, here are some of the items you will need in order to get started  (I found everything at Walmart... except for the tickets- those I purchased from SchoolBox):

black tray-about $5

plastic freezer jars -about $4 for a pack of four

Tickets - about $5 for a pack (I use these for table rewards for following directions, using good manners, keeping supplies neat, etc. and at the end of the week the table with the most gets to pick a special treat such as candy, free time, or eating lunch in the room).

Maxwell House International Coffee containers 

Next, download the attachment below for the label patterns that I made to cover the coffee containers and more directions.

Crayon Label Directions

Download the blank template if you want to create your own covers.

Blank Template Cover

Here is a picture of how the crayon boxes turned out... love them and cannot wait until the kids come with their supplies to fill these up!!!  Is it sad to get this excited over...CRAYONS??!!??

Here is another view of the organizer.  I hope you are motivated to try this and please let me know how it goes!!

Sincerely,

P.S. I checked to see if all the links work with Google Docs.  If it doesn't look right, click file and download and it should appear normal in the pdf file.  Leave me a comment with your email address if you have any problems and I will send the files to you.

Classroom Photos

(posted last year...)
Wow!  This year is off to a great start!  Kindergarten has been a blast!  I love the kids and the activities!  We go non-stop from beginning to end but I am loving every minute!  I have loved checking out all the blogs to see the great ideas!  Here are my classroom photos!  

This is my small group area.  I meet with kids here for Reading, Math, Writing, and also for art projects.  

This is a shot of our Morning Meeting area.  Our school purchased the alphabet rugs for us this year!  They are gorgeous!

This is our Writing/Art Center area.  Our Word Wall is up and ready and waiting for some words...:).

This is the Listening Center.

The Computer Center is right across from Listening.  

The Book Center has been popular this year.  It is great to stretch out on our alphabet carpet with a good book and a friend!

Our  Homeliving area is constantly in use during Free Choice Centers.  

Our Games and Puzzles Center stays busy too.  

The Art Easel Center can fit two but we have been squeezing in four with smaller sized paper.  The kids have loved creating pictures here.

Our comfy couch is another spot to share a good book with a friend, or two!

This is our cabinet space right by the front door and cubbies.  

Another shot of front door area and our para pros desk.  The white stackable drawers hole lots of our supplies like, glue sticks, crayons, markers, highlighters, rulers, glue bottles, dry erase markers and such.

Here is shot of the book bag area.  I have more stackable 3-drawers filled with craft materials.  (Ooops, my Zoo Phonics letter S is down...)  

This is the front of the class.  The table on the left is for our Social Studies/Science center.  The one on the right is our Math center.  

Another angled shot of Math Center and Computer Center.

Our Birthday shelf and months of the year.

Classroom seating.  Each table has a laminated poster taped to the middle.  We have an owl, butterfly, fish, and frog table!

One more shot of the Morning Meeting area.  My desk is behind that and the door to the bathroom and connecting classroom.

Storage area behind my desk.  Desk was too messy to photograph!  

Materials storage for daily teaching.  This is one of the ideas shared with me by my new team and I love it!  One box for each day plus a box labeled "Next Week".  As the para prepares materials, she places them in the next week box and then I move them into the days for the coming week.  I love this idea.  Initially, I was just going to use the daily boxes behind my desk but there was not enough room to store all the materials.  So I use both and feel SO organized.

Well, that is all I have for now.  As soon as I add/finish up more things in the room I will add more pics.  Please click on the photo below to go back and see more great room pictures...