Grades Poster

Here is a poster I have near my student mailboxes.  It explicitly shows my grading scale. 

Also, make note that a "check plus" is not the highest homework grade in my class.  A perfect score on homework is a "plus."  This system allows me to represent the full spectrum of grades (A through F) for short homework assignments. 

I find that this poster helps all of my students accurately judge their work.  It eliminates questions and confusion.  I even find myself referring to it when converting percentages to letter grades.

Bookmarks

Do you ever use a paper cutter to trim projects?  Are you left with tons of strips of colored paper? Put them to use as bookmarks!

I have a cardboard box sitting near the classroom library that I constantly fill with pre-made and recycled bookmarks.  My students are free to take as many as they need. 

One of my library rules is to use a bookmark (instead of folding over page corners!) and this box is just the right size to hold hundreds of bookmarks.

What a great way to recycle simple paper scraps into something useful!

I Need to Use the Bathroom!

Here is my bathroom sign-out system:

This station is near my student tracker board so that as students sign-out, they can show it on the board. The sign-out station includes a cup of pens to use, a digital clock (so my students don't stand in the middle of the room trying to read the wall clock), sign-out charts for boys and girls, and even nurse passes.

I made simple charts within word documents so students record what times they leave and return to the classroom.  In addition to logging where students are, the charts help me figure out who may be missing math lessons every day to go to the bathroom!   More than a few times, I have used these charts to determine students who are anxious about a particular subject or time of day.

One of the many sneaky ways teachers figure things out . . .