I use pop-cycle sticks with the kids name on them to draw names to answer questions. This keeps them on their toes because they could be called at any time share their knowledge. (okay, okay, I'll admit it. I sometimes tweak my level of questioning depending on whose name I call.) I really liked this system, but the problem I had was I didn't have anywhere to put the sticks of the kids I had already called. If I put them back in the cup I used, I would call them again before their classmates had a chance to be called on. If I laid them down, I would have to go back and gather them from the various places I set them down as I moved around the room. At last, those Crystal Light container came to my rescue.
I taped two containers together using colored electrical tape to go with my color coded homeroom system. I cut a hole in one of the lids and wrote "Have Been Drawn" on the lid. When I pull a stick and call on a kiddo, I put it in the have been drawn side. When the side I am drawing from is empty and the lidded side is full, I move the lid to the empty container, and I'm ready to go again with one side full of sticks ready to be drawn. This has worked great for me, and helps me to be sure I have called on everyone.
So tell me. What containers do you save and how have you used them? Please tell me I'm not the only one that
Amy- I planning to feature you this Friday for my Followers Feature! Thanks for signing up. Will you email me at
ReplyDeletethinkingofteaching(AT)gmail(DOT)com so I can send you a button?
Thanks, Beth
Thinking of Teaching
I have so many containers of every shape, size, color, design, you name it! It's getting a little out of hand. You are not alone!
ReplyDeleteSara :)
Smiling In Second Grade
So glad I'm not the only one Sara! My favorite are my hexagonal prism snickers containers from Sams. The kids put coupons in them for my Friday prize drawing. Thanks so much for following my blog! I'm on my way to check yours out. Amy
ReplyDeleteWow, that sounds so simple and efficient, what a great idea! I wish I had cool containers like those :(
ReplyDeleteWhat I do have is the entire top shelf of my closet covered in cereal boxes, (for books or files), baskets of those big pinecones that are great for crafts, bins of popsicle sticks that I washed and saved all summer, stacks of egg cartons, and an assortment of plastic containers that I'm pretty sure are going to be super useful as paint trays, plus some random scrap lumber in my garage that I imagine I'll be able to make shelves with when I actually have a classroom.
So, nope you're not alone. ;)
Oh, this is genius! I lay mine down, too, and I occasionally find sticks that weren't put back. Oops! I was thinking of doing an empty can with a toilet paper roll inside to hold either the ones I did or didn't draw, but I like this so much better because I use the larger tongue depressor sticks like you. Guess I need to start drinking Crystal Light!
ReplyDeleteDiane
Fifth in the Middle
Thank you so much Diane. I love how you decorated them! I really liked your post about it. Thanks for linking back to me. I really appreciate it! Amy
DeleteI use popsicle sticks too and I use those little buckets you can find in the dollar section at Target. They are exactly alike so I just put a green round sticker on one and a pink round sticker on the other - at the top... I just folded it over so I can see it no matter which way the bucket is turned. I just remember that pinks are the ones to be called on and greens are the ones already called on. I also (we're talking kindergarten here) have trained them to know that if they are not sitting nicely when I pull their stick I will put it back and pick another. Works like a charm!
ReplyDeleteLisa