Greetings upper elementary friends! I'm Kate from Kate's Classroom Cafe and I'm thrilled to be visiting All Things Upper Elementary as a guest blogger today.
I can usually think of at least ten more things I wish I had time to share with my students before they walk out the door each day. The pressure to keep pace with curricular goals, common core standards and looming test dates can make the day-to-day teaching routines seemingly jam-packed without a moment to spare. Time…I sometimes just wish there was more time to teach!
One time-saving tool that I use in my classroom is mailing labels. I make them in advance, keep them organized in folders in my file cabinet and seem to pull them out nearly every day. Here are some of the ways that I use them in my classroom:
1) Planner Reminder Labels
Don't forget your science project is due Friday! Please bring a new glue stick to class. You have missing assignments from when you were absent. These labels are very helpful for sending a quick message home with a student and I find that they really do help kids remember! It is a good idea to mention these to parents an open house so that they know to peek into their child's planner for important information. I keep whole sheets of them ready to go in my desk and have found them quite useful!
2) Rubric Labels
I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. Most of the grading I do is in science journals and for years I would print, cut and staple mini-rubrics into the composition notebooks. Printing on labels has saved me a ton of time! The downside is that the rubric is a bit smaller so it is not as detailed, but I find that posting a detailed version on the board works just fine.
3) QR Code Link Labels
Encourage students to review content at home using their smart phones and tablets. (These could also be used in class if iPads are available.) This particular label links students to an interactive website where they can practice completing food chains, which was a great way to reinforce the daily learning goal.
4) Explanation/Message Labels
A few years ago I decided to make labels for grading labs. I often write a lot of comments but found it frustrating to write the same phrases over and over. "Mass is the amount of matter in an object. Think carefully about how the mass changes during this experiment." If I wrote that one more time I was going to scream! Printing a sheet of labels will take me about 5 minutes, but it trims about an hour off my grading time. I've now started making message labels of other things that I want to make sure I communicate to students, such as my willingness to give the extra help or a reminder to resubmit a no name paper.
5) Label Tabs and Numbers for Notebooks
Label Tabs:
Address labels make neat tabs for notebooks. If you print on the left side of the label only, they can fold over and secure to any page. I love these because they make finding specific pages a breeze and can be made in any size needed. I haven't done these with my students though because folding them can be pretty tricky and would probably be difficult for my 6th graders.
One time-saving tool that I use in my classroom is mailing labels. I make them in advance, keep them organized in folders in my file cabinet and seem to pull them out nearly every day. Here are some of the ways that I use them in my classroom:
1) Planner Reminder Labels
Don't forget your science project is due Friday! Please bring a new glue stick to class. You have missing assignments from when you were absent. These labels are very helpful for sending a quick message home with a student and I find that they really do help kids remember! It is a good idea to mention these to parents an open house so that they know to peek into their child's planner for important information. I keep whole sheets of them ready to go in my desk and have found them quite useful!
2) Rubric Labels
I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. Most of the grading I do is in science journals and for years I would print, cut and staple mini-rubrics into the composition notebooks. Printing on labels has saved me a ton of time! The downside is that the rubric is a bit smaller so it is not as detailed, but I find that posting a detailed version on the board works just fine.
3) QR Code Link Labels
Encourage students to review content at home using their smart phones and tablets. (These could also be used in class if iPads are available.) This particular label links students to an interactive website where they can practice completing food chains, which was a great way to reinforce the daily learning goal.
4) Explanation/Message Labels
A few years ago I decided to make labels for grading labs. I often write a lot of comments but found it frustrating to write the same phrases over and over. "Mass is the amount of matter in an object. Think carefully about how the mass changes during this experiment." If I wrote that one more time I was going to scream! Printing a sheet of labels will take me about 5 minutes, but it trims about an hour off my grading time. I've now started making message labels of other things that I want to make sure I communicate to students, such as my willingness to give the extra help or a reminder to resubmit a no name paper.
5) Label Tabs and Numbers for Notebooks
Label Tabs:
Address labels make neat tabs for notebooks. If you print on the left side of the label only, they can fold over and secure to any page. I love these because they make finding specific pages a breeze and can be made in any size needed. I haven't done these with my students though because folding them can be pretty tricky and would probably be difficult for my 6th graders.
Notebook Numbers:
Here's a quick way to label all your student journals. Print 3 numbers on each label, trim and affix to the binding of each journal. Numbering the journals in alphabetical order can be helpful when making groups or organizing while grading. I suggest using clear tape over these labels, as they tend to not adhere well to the binding after repeated opening and closing.
I hope you find labels as helpful as I do! Here is a free page of planner reminder labels to help save you time in your classroom.
Thanks for stopping by All Things Upper Elementary. While you are out and about in blog land, please take a moment to visit me at:
http://katesclassroomcafe.blogspot.com
You can also find me on:
Happy Teaching!
Kate
