Hello all!!
Can I just say that I am SO excited to be blogging again tonight! I feel like the craziness from the beginning of the year is finally starting to settle down and I’m hoping that means I can get back into the swing of things on my computer!
I was talking with some other fabulous teachers not too long ago that mentioned reading my blog and honestly I am so touched by that! I am thrilled to share the things I do in my classroom on this blog and it is amazing that it has the ability to reach teachers all over the world! It means so much to me to be part of such a great community of passionate educators. This is the best job ever!
Don’t you just love when you make a little change that has a huge impact?
That is how I feel about our new table caddies this year!
Ever since Maria posted about these pretty-colored table caddies last summer, I have been desperately wanting them! Of course I was too late last summer and they were all sold out, so I had to wait this summer (and cross my fingers that they would have them again!) to finally get my hands on some!
I knew that I wanted to try these out in the middle of my teams this year, and I was on the lookout for the perfect cups to put inside.
Then I came across these at Ikea:
I honestly don’t think I could’ve found something more perfect!! The cups matched my tubs exactly!
Each of my students has their own cup that they can keep some of their things in that they use every day. This has really helped cut down the piles of things that is usually in that little pencil dip towards the front of their desks.
They keep the following items in their cups:
* 3 sharpened pencils
*1 eraser
*1 correcting marker
* 1 highlighter
Over time they try to start collecting other things in their cups/caddies (bookmarks, flashcards, random pieces of paper), but I have really been trying to enforce that the cups and caddies are only for the items mentioned above! All other items are in their pencil cases (not piled in the front of their desks!). I feel like this has helped their desks look a lot neater and the items they need are always right within reach (and aren’t getting lost in their desks)!
I have my tables arranged so that my students are in teams of 4.
I only have 5 table teams right now, so the pink caddy is in a safe hiding spot, but I’m sure it will make an appearance sometime this year!
Last year my teams had numbers, but I didn’t have any visuals, so I was always getting the teams mixed up. I am loving the colored caddies this year because now the teams go by color names and it is so easy to just look at a team and see what color they are by the caddy in the middle of their team!
I also created some new team point labels to help keep the points more organized-looking on the board!
We have been loving our table caddies this year and they definitely brighten up their tables!!
Hope you are all having a great week!
Thanks again for taking the time to read my blog!
I appreciate all of you! 馃檪
This is such a great idea 馃檪 Color coding the tables is smart and the bright colors look great!!
Elizabeth
Fun in Room 4B
Hi Molly, I just started to follow your blog, wow, it is so amazing and full of such great ideas. I am training to be a teacher and found your site when looking for helpful blogs for my Comm Arts class. We are using the Daily 5 as our textbook so it is so great to see how you put their ideas into practice in your classroom. I even bought the bright pink pencil sharpener. What do you do about pencil sharpening, before class? or at a designated time during the day, when I have worked in different classrooms it can be such a time waster for the kids. Also, do you keep your kids in the same groups all year? I love it that you have their desks set up in groups already, such a time saver. Love love love your blog! Bonnie in Montana
So pretty!!
The colors makes me happy! I also use those cups in my caddies… they hold glue, highlighters/red pens, and scissors! My kiddos keep their slider crayon boxes in the caddies, too 馃檪
鉂eri
A Cupcake for the Teacher
I need the table point chalk board labels! Very cute!
What a great idea! I had something similar last year but my cups were just all wrong and kept tipping over in the caddies – looks like I might need to pay a visit to IKEA instead!
Casey
Lifelong Learners in Prep
I cannot find these on michaels.com! Do you think they still make them? I really like them.
I've been looming in stores this summer too! I have not seen them. 馃檨
I've been looming in stores this summer too! I have not seen them. 馃檨
Hi Crystal and Fanta!!
They usually come out around back to school time! I remember seeing them online and being disappointed that I couldn't find them in stores, but sure enough when all the back to school stuff came out, they got them in stock again!! Hope you guys are able to find them!
Molly
Are you selling your Table Points on TPT, I can't find it on there anywhere 馃檨
Hi! Where can I get your Team Points printables?
Thanks!!
Hi, I can’t find these table caddies anywhere! Any suggestions as to where to look?
I’ve purchased mine from Michaels and Lakeshore, but Target has them too during back-to-school season!
Where can I get this printable! It wasn’t on your TPT store 馃檨
Hi Molly!
I LOVE your team points labels. I looked at your TPT store and they are not available there. Can you tell me how to get them?
Thanks!
In love with this organization! Do you know the exact name of the IKEA cups? Sometimes you can IKEA items on Amazon. Thanks!
Thank you!! I don’t know what they are called! Sorry!