Idea Swap

Fresh ideas for every classroom, from teachers like you!

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Supply Bin
I place a supply bin on each table that contains whiteboard markers, glue sticks, and other supplies. Students are responsible for keeping their own containers tidy, which gives them a sense of achievement and keeps our classroom clean. —Marissa Ochoa, Scholastic Teacher Advisor

Library With Guided-Reading-Level Baskets
We follow Fountas and Pinnell’s guided reading levels in my classroom. I keep it simple and organize my classroom library alphabetically so the kids are able to find “just right” books on their levels. —Elizabeth Kennedy, New York, NY

Finished/Unfinished Trays
I have two trays in the front of the room labeled “Finished Work” and “Unfinished Work.” When students first arrive in the morning, they put their completed homework into the “Finished Work” box. All drafts in need of corrections, notices that are to be distributed before dismissal, and so on are placed in the “Unfinished” box and then passed out at the end of the day. 
—Nanette Avery, Miami, FL

Jungle Fun
It’s a wild month in my K–4 classroom as we explore the African rainforest and savannah. The best part of all is our Rumble in the Jungle play that we proudly present for our families and school. It includes information, poems, and songs that we have learned about Africa. Everyone participates in making the scenery, animal costumes, and decorations. We are all sad to have this month end. —Nancy Arena, Brookfield, WI

Math Cart
During math rotation, I use a cart to store the supplies, manipulatives, and math tools used for a particular unit. Students have access to calculators, templates, dice, and more. Since the cart is on wheels, it is easy to move from one center to
the next. —Marissa Ochoa

Character Counts Quilt
Our school promotes good character with our Character Counts Program. Students research a person they believe demonstrates good character and represents a hero, then make a quilt block with their hero’s portrait and descriptive character traits. We combine the blocks to make four large Hero Quilts, which we then display in our school foyer. This project reinforces our social studies curriculum and also teaches trustworthiness and respect.  —Jane Williams, Independence, OH

Fortune Cookie Fables
During the school year, my class reads different fables from around the world, then students have the chance to write their own. This assignment is a bit sweeter than most; before we begin, I give each student a fortune cookie. I then encourage them to write a fable using the fortune from their cookie as the moral. It’s lots of fun, and kids love to eat in class! —Nanette Avery

Classroom Caretakers
To keep my classroom organized, I assign every one of my students a special job. There’s a “librarian,” who makes sure our class’s books are in their proper bins, the “eraser,” who wipes the board clean, and the “super sanitizers,” who make sure there are no leftover messes. We switch jobs every week to keep the tasks exciting, but everyone is always doing something to help!
—Allison Wiesel, Highland Park, NJ
      
The Great American Melting Pot
The theme for our third-grade social studies curriculum is Building Community. One of the topics I really enjoy is having the students learn about their ancestors who left their countries to build communities here in the United States. The Schoolhouse Rock video “The Great American Melting Pot” is used as a springboard. After viewing it and singing along, the students interview parents and grandparents to learn about the country or countries of their ancestors. They share the results of the interviews with the other students and place the reports in our own “Melting Pot,” which is essentially a big, black cauldron I purchased at a Halloween store. After depositing the paper, each student pulls out a small American flag to symbolize the “melting” of nationalities into being American. —Marilyn Ruzick, Cincinnati, OH

Watch-for-It Wednesdays
Every teacher has difficulty getting homework papers, permission slips, and PTA notices from school to home and back. Our school solved this problem by creating Watch-for-It Wednesdays ­folders, which are large brown envelopes with the child’s name at the top. In it go all of the children’s work, PTA notices, and office information. The parents empty the envelope each Wednesday and send the envelope back to school on Thursday. Parents love this system—teachers do, too—because it establishes a helpful routine and prevents a paperwork pileup! Folders with pockets also work; just mark one pocket to indicate what action forms need (e.g., signed, filled out, replied to, and/or returned to school). —Mary Rose, Longwood, FL

Stained Glass
Here’s a simple and inexpensive idea to add a touch of class to your art center. In a small bowl, mix two parts water to one part glue. Stir in glitter for an extra sparkle. Provide small, cut-up squares of colored tissue paper to students. Then, select and copy a seasonal design with minimal details and bold lines, and have students add layers of tissue paper. Paint the glue mixture over the top. Once dried, the tissue will blend into fridge-worthy “stained glass” masterpieces! —Jennifer Capps, York, SC

Books, Books Everywhere
In my classroom, we have a lot of books! The books I have set aside for students are sorted by topic and are often supplemented with library books. This system works well for my class, mainly because I make sure to teach the kids how to take care of materials, whether they be books, pencils and paper, or Legos.  —Jeremy Brunaccioni, Gill, MA

Character Trait Trinkets
In the beginning of the year, I teach character education by focusing on values like respect, work ethic, trust, sharing, and flexibility. To help internalize these values, I give each student a small object, like a pipe cleaner to represent flexibility, or a sharpened pencil for work ethic. Then, as a class assignment or extra credit, I ask students to use this object in a story that illustrates the character trait. Students are proud to share their stories with their classmates.   —Elizabeth Peterson, Amesbury, MA

Paper Pea Pods
If you have minimal space to plant a class garden, try making paper pea pods instead! My class recycled paper from old telephone books. After running the pages through the paper shredder, we soaked them in warm water with torn pieces of green construction paper. When the paper softened, we blended it, then poured the pulp onto a screen to drain off the water. Roll some of the paper into balls, to make the peas. And mold some of the paper to the side of a football, to make the shape of a pea pod. Once the paper dries, remove it from the football, then glue the paper peas to the inside of the pod.
—Jeremy Brunaccioni

Interactive Journals
Interactive Journals are a great way to track students’ growth in writing. I have my students write in their journals about a particular lesson learned, a book they’re reading, or an observation they’ve made. Then I follow up with a written response, offering encouraging words and comments on their thoughts. I typically ask a question at the end of my response to keep the dialogue going. They write an entry back to me, and our written conversation continues. If you have English language learners in your class, this process is a helpful gauge of their development. —Andrea Spillett, Scholastic Teacher Advisor 

What Do High Achievers Need?
What Do High Achievers Need?

Schools With the Global Ed Knack
According to Vivien Stewart, vice president for education for the Asia Society, the future of our country lies in the success of international trade. Take a look at how schools are approaching the issue of global education.

Policies & Practices: Midyear Motivation
Kneas believes the middle of the school year is the perfect time for a new teacher to rekindle the spirit of his/her classroom program. First year teachers, use these ideas for avoiding winter doldrums. They address classroom management, curriculum development, professional growth, and parent relations.