Hi there! I'm entering my third year in 3rd grade this year and I wanted to get some ideas on how to organize and collect school supplies on the first day. I've tried two different methods so far, and I wanted to know if anyone has any other input. Thanks!!!!
I don't like that part of the first day. I have all of my kids take supplies out one at a time (as I call them out). I make labels with enough of each students name for the supplies I want labeled. I also decided last year to print out the subject names for their folders. We spend about 20 minutes? getting everyone's supplies put away. (I let them know this is the worst, most boring part of the day.) I choose a student from each group to pick up community supplies. I usually stack these on a table and I put them away during a break. Some of my kids don't have their supplies until the following week so I keep some basic supplies on hand. I follow this up with another getting to know you activity.
I have kids and parents do this at Meet the Teacher (a few days before school starts). Then there is only usually 1 or 2 kids that have supplies on the first day.
in 3rd you could play a guessing game. Who has the supply that rhymes with barkers or write a supply name on board mixed up - they have to unscramble. or This supply has 4 letters, begins with a 'g' and is sticky..... You could still have captains take the group's supplies to where you want them.
I have the children put their supplies in a specified area. I'll show one child where everything goes and they show the next. I've/we've got it all put away before lunch.
skittleroo-- I love your idea of making a game out of it. I do the night before students meet the teacher and bring in supplies. But your idea made me try and think of a scavenger hunt idea for that night as well.
thank you so much for posting this because i always wonder too! i usually let my kids keep everything except for the pencils. those i would collect and make a big stash.
I make a list of items the students will need. When the students first come into the classroom, I have them put their backpacks and supplies in a designated area. When the time comes to get out supplies, I tell the students that there are certain supplies they will use in class this year and those supplies have been provided for them, but that they may use their own supplies if they brought them. At that point I begin handing out things the students will need. For example, I say, "Ok, you will need two folders. I have two folders for everyone. If you brought your own folder, please let me know." At this point, I'll hand out folders to each student who needs them and tell them where to put the folders. Next, I might say, "You will also need pencils and erasers. I have two pencils for each student. Please let me know if you have pencils to use." I'll continue this until I've covered the whole list. At that point, I'll ask if students have other supplies. If they have extra supplies, I'll explain that they should take them home and use them at home or bring them in when their other supplies get used up.
Yuck! My least favorite part of the first day! I have begun to have the kids and parents come in the day before for a meet and greet and to see the room. They also bring in their materials. I have bins set out and they put them in the appropriate one or in their cubby or locker. Makes the first day a little more do-able. Atleast for me.
I have students take out what they will need in their cubbies (5 pencils, folders, one glue stick, etc.). Then, I collect all the extra pencils, glue sticks, etc. in a large zip-topped bag labled with the child's name. I keep the extra supplies in a box so they don't clutter student cubbies.
My first year, I did the school supply thing after lunch and from what I remember it was a tad too chaotic for my liking. I just had everyone take everything out and I tried passing out labels, explain what goes where, and I passed out sharpies to have kids label things that weren't labeled. YIKES!! LOL It was WAY too crazy. Last year, I was fortunate to find an older post on here that explained the paper grocery bag system where the kids just put everything in the bag and then you have the kids work on an activity while you call kids to check off their supplies. (Or you could check it all after school..I opted NOT to do that.) It was a VERY organized way to do this but it took almost two and a half hours to get it all done. I started on it but then my assistant worked through lunch to get it done. YIKES!!! AGAIN!!! lol I'm not sure what to do this year!!!! ARRGGHH!! All of the ideas and comments have been great! Let's keep them rolling!
I collect all but 2 of the yellow pencils and store them in a container to hand out as needed.... I have students open one pack of paper and divide it among there 6 folders. The rest is collected and stored in the cabinet. There are trays around the room with notebook paper when a student needs some. Highlighters: students bring 2 yellow highlighters, one is stored in a container to hand out as highlighters get lost, broken, or dry out. Students art supplies are kept in art boxes. Pencil top erasers...students bring a package, keep 1 for each of their pencils. The remaining ones we pour into a container that is kept in a cabinet. I keep a small handful in another container and students ask to get one out as needed. I think if you leave their pencils, highlighters, etc. in their desks, they get lost. Supplies would run out by Christmas.
Many of my students bring their supplies in on meet the teacher night. I do things a little differently. I do organizational binders with my kids and we spend a little bit of time putting them together. I've done where I provide folders and we put it together at open house, but it just didn't work. At open house, I have them put everything in their cubby except for their art box. While the kids are working on the beginning of the year time capsules, I call up a table at a time to my kidney table to assemble their binder. We label the folders, I put a label on their response and math journals, and get their binders ready to go! My biggest challenge has always been dry erase markers. They bring in two, and I would collect one, but somehow there is always a couple kids who don't put the lid on correctly and dry out marker after marker from the extra box. This year, I'm going to put labels on both. The one they keep in their box and their one for the extra bin. If their marker runs out before Christmas, they'll have to use paper and pencil. I'll give everyone their second marker after winter break. I typically don't collect pencils, because for teacher appreciation week, I typically get a HUGE container of pencils. I don't put these out the kids to just grab, they have to ask me, so they don't run out as fast. The only thing I really collect for community use is notebook paper and Kleenex. I have extras of things like folders, binders, pencil pouches, crayons, etc if a student doesn't have supplies.
For me, the kids don't bring too many things that they won't personally use. So they keep the folder, pencil box, and notebook in their desks. I collect the tissues, wipes, and pencils. The pencils are donated to the classroom and will be sharpened as needed. Same with the tissues and wipes (we clean our desks each week). What supplies do you have them bring in?
Wow. It seems like my grade level collects a LOT of supplies compared to the other posts. But here's the list: Community Supplies -notebook paper -kleenex -ziploc baggies -3x5 index cards -Clorox wipes -pencils Individual Supplies -1 One subject notebook -4 two-pocket folders (2 are for Friday and Homework folder, the other two are to replace those after winterbreak) -2 small boxes of markers, crayons, and colored pencils (again 1 of each is saved for after winterbreak) -2 erasers, 2 highlighters, 2 glue sticks (1 of each is saved) -1 ruler -1 pair of scissors I supply some other things like dry erase markers, correcting pens, and extra folders.
Ive posted my supply list (and what they'll need for other classes, we team in our fifth grade) on my website: http://mrskitchin.webs.com/supplies.htm I hate collecting supplies, I usually check off on the first day, who has what. I usually DONT mind if they forget some community supplies (like tissues, who has room to store 50 boxes of tissues?! I still have tons from 4 years ago!!) I check off on a class list sheet. Most of my kids do bring them on Open House day, I think Ill check off what they have when they come in that day, then Ill just have a few on the first day! I just hate having the mess of stuff everywhere! Im a pack rat, but Ive de-cluttered a TON in the past few years. We had stuff in our rooms from the 70s and other teachers were like "Oh why are you throwing out this reading book?! Its a good book!" Yeah, because it was from before I was born!
I actually just wrote a blog entry on this topic, but it isn't scheduled to post until Saturday so I'll cut and paste what I do here: Tips for Collecting Supplies on the First Day of School Despite having a slightly unhealthy love affair with shiny new school supplies (just typing those words makes me float off to a happy daydream involving pointy crayons that smell of Crayola newness and unsharpened pencils with perfect little erasers), I despise the chaos that they can evoke on the first day of school. If you have been teaching awhile you know what I mean. If you are new to the classroom this year, you will thank me for sparing you the headache. Here’s how it plays out: A classroom of kids enters wearing their spiffy new duds, modeling their stylish new haircut and sporting their brand-spanking new backpack full of the bounty you enlisted them to acquire via your annual “supply letter.” They are excited and they can’t wait to force upon you said backpack. Those who elected not to adhere to the list that specifically said 24 yellow, #2 pencils are especially excited to show off their collection of Mario Kart pencils with (gasp) scented erasers. Yeah, I get it. I’m not so far removed from my own brand-spanking new Trapper Keeper excitement days to have forgotten the glee it brings. But, as ring master of this circus it is important to have a plan. A good plan. The first day sets the tone and it is doubtful that you want that tone to be “crazed lunatic who breaks down on day one when the Rosearts, Sharpies and glue sticks start coming out. So I have a few options for you. I’ll start with the best one. Because it is the most efficient and organized way I know. Start by schmoozing with the teenage bagger at your local grocery store. If you can’t butter him up then just go straight to the head Honcho and play the teacher card with the store manager. However you go about it, you need to get a large paper grocery sack for each child in your class. If you aren’t in the business of begging for free goodies then just answer “paper” to the “paper or plastic” question for the next few weeks and you should be all set when school starts. Write their names in big, bold letters on the front of the bags and then place them on their desks. Make a copy of your supply list for each child and staple it to the back of the bag. Write their name on that as well. When the students arrive, instruct them to put all of their supplies into the bag on their desk quickly and silently, hang their backpack onto their chair and sit quietly. Collect the bags and put them out of the way. Go about your first day plans. Then after the kiddos are on their way home (or if you are lucky enough to have an aide or a student teacher she can do this), sort through the supplies. Use the checklist on the bag to make sure that everything is accounted for. If you are going to use community supplies then put them where you want them. If you are going to have them be responsible for their own supplies then print out a sheet of labels with each child’s name on it and stick them on. It is MUCH easier to accomplish the supply-sorting task when the kids are not there. It is even easier to accomplish this with help. My suggestion is to recruit a parent or a former student to come in and give you a hand.
Love, love, love it Iheartrecess! Most of the supplies in my classroom are community supplies. I do put student names on their individual scissors, but I keep them "communally" to prevent behavior issues (not a common thing, but I learned the hard way) and pass them out as needed. If a student has "special" pencils, crayons, etc., or their parent has written the student's name all over notebooks, I "reserve" those items specifically for those kiddos. Generally, I already have the desks stocked with the basics when the kids come in (enough crayons for table groups in the center of the group, etc.) on the first day, so they don't need their own. I have used "milk crate" type bins in the past for the items to be sorted into as the kiddos come in, but I really like the idea of the paper bags! I store all supplies and provide them as necessary. Remember of course, though that I teach first grade. Older students will want/need more autonomy.
