Thrifty Thursday- 12th Edition
Thrifty Thursday
Each week I bring to you helpful tips to become a more effective educator on the Always A Lesson fan page on Facebook. (Give it a quick like by clicking here!) I decided to start grouping my social media posts into a blog post incase you might have missed anything.
Time to get caught up:
- Take broken eraser pieces, attach them to a pencil tip, allow students to practice writing sight words on their desk tops!
- Use the back of old printed lesson plans as work space for math practice!
- Collect old remote controls from the community. They are a great tool for tactile math practice!
- A sunny window makes for an effective, interactive tracing center!
- Save paper by scanning your practice worksheets into technology apps for students to access on their own devices.
- Collect gently used (and clean!) fast food cups to use for math centers (ie. dice games, manipulatives organizer, etc.)
- Rubber bands make for great reminders. If you have a chatty kid, provide them a rubber band and each time they talk out of turn, they lightly snap the bracelet. This physical reminder helps them self regulate their behavior instead of you having to enforce consequences. (They won’t do it hard enough to hurt themselves, i promise!) Eventually, they’ll grow out of the need for rubber band reminders!
- When you are cutting out laminated instructional materials, keep the long strips and use for student bookmarks!
- Shop garage sales and thrift stores for old game boards. The game pieces make for great math manipulatives!
- Plastic sunglasses from your local dollar store make for fun “reading glasses” as kiddos decode new vocabulary.
Stay tuned for the next edition coming out in a few weeks!
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About the author, Gretchen
I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.