Anchor Chart Organization

I love using anchor charts to enhance learning within my classroom!

That being said, I feel that it is impossible to find space to hang them or store them when not in use! I also seem to make the biggest mess while creating them with students! Am I the only one that organizes them badly, makes spelling mistakes and ends up crossing out things to make changes? I sure hope not! 

I decided to make some changes to the way I made anchor charts last year. I would create the chart on my whiteboard so that students had a clean copy right away. During prep or after school I would copy the chart from the board nicely onto paper. 

I LOVE the big paper pads you can find at Target in the school supply section! They are smaller than some of the big paper charts and much heavier paper. I also think that the drawing pad is cheaper than chart paper at the teacher store! 

I  then created covers for each subject area, which I laminated, whole punched and put on binder rings. I would attach the newly made chart and hang them up on an open section of wall. When we were done with the chart I would rotate to a new chart or flip back to the cover.  

Check out the pictures of my anchor chart wall. It is currently showing the covers, but trust me that we displayed many different charts all year!

I was happy to find a place to display and store charts at the same time. I would have loved to keep more all around my room, but wall space was scarce. 

How do you create, display and store your classroom anchor charts?

Lunch Choice Station: Then & NOW!

My first year teaching, my three teaching partners all used lunch choice charts. I joined in because that's what you do when you are scrambling to put a classroom together in three days! However, I have used it ever since and thought it would be the perfect post to share with you...especially since it just got an overhaul!

I love my lunch choice chart! 

First, it keeps my classes student ID cards and Ziplock bags for lunch money organized and easy to find. It also makes my students accountable for making their choice right as they walk in the door every morning. Plus I can tell who is absent or who forgot to choose a lunch with just a quick glance!

Here is an example of my chart! 

 I put student names on the colored tickets, the Ziplock bags roll up and slide right behind the tickets and the short pocket in front holds their ID cards. When students enter my classroom their grab their ID card and check out the lunch choices for the day. They choose between the hot lunch choices or lunch from home by placing their card in the corresponding pocket on the easel. I also keep my lunch count envelope and lunch signs stored in this easel. The clear tub below holds lunch boxes so my students don't have to run into the hall before lunch to get their things.

It was the perfect setup for me and my students....until I moved...again! 

My new room doesn't have enough space for both the chart and the easel. I found a home for the easel and I know where I want the chart, but the section of brick wall right inside my door is too small for my go to pocket chart! SERIOUSLY!

So as the crazy teacher I am, I have been on the hunt for a new chart that is smaller, yet still holds about 35 pockets. However, after a long search, I am sure that the ideal chart I have conjured up in my mind doesn't exist! Does anyone else do this? You get a great idea in your mind...yet you can't make it happen!

Story of my life!

Anyway, I figured out the next best solution!
A HANGING JEWELRY ORGANIZER!

I found this adorable chevron jewelry organizer at TJ Maxx for $7.99! 

The organizer has 33 pockets on each side, however I will only be using one side. I added my typical tickets after trimming them down to fit into the smaller pockets. I love it because even though the pockets are smaller they puff out and hold everything I need! I can still fit the Ziplock lunch money bags if I fold them in half and the student IDs can go right in front of their ticket.

Adorable + cheap = PERFECT!Once I get into my classroom I will post a picture of my new lunch chart!

Here is the tag, just in case you want to find one at your own TJ Maxx, Marshalls, or Home Goods! 

Bulletin Board Letter Storage

If Pinterest isn't inspiration for all of us teacher to become better organized, I don't know what is! For the longest time I have been going back and forth with how to organize bulletin board letters. I usually end up popping out the letters I need and leave all the others attached to a mess of scraps. I would try to gather them up as neat as possible and put them in a gallon Ziplock bag and call that organization! Try organized chaos! I knew their had to be a better way so I took to Pinterest to check my options.

Who would have thought that the solution to my problem was as easy as a CD case! I jumped into my car and drove to Target. There weren't many options as most download music now, but I did find this one!

You could always find one pretty cheap on Amazon as well!

I of course loved it because it's PINK! I thought it would be easier to find in my room or buried in my desk! Once you have your case it's as simple as popping out all  the letters you have collected and organizing them into each pocket! Easy yes...but definitely boring and time consuming. I suggest popping out letters while mindless watching TV to wind down from the day! I love this idea because once the time consuming part is done you end up saving time using them in your classroom.