Storage and organization is something we all consider when purchasing supplies for a new school year. Keeping supplies clean, unbroken, and in their proper place might not always be possible, but classroom caddies can certainly help to make things a little easier. Check out these 6 creative ways to use colorful caddies and keep your classroom supplies in order this year.
6 Ideas for Using Caddies in the Classroom
One for Each Student Group
Whether you name your student groups by color, continent, number, or character trait, a caddy for each group will help to give students a sense of responsibility in keeping their supplies in order. Not only will having their own team supplies for projects give you a chance to see who takes care of supplies, but there’s a chance for you to reward student groups who haven’t lost any items by the end of each month.
One for Each Subject of the Day
Whether you’re teaching math, science, geography or language studies, you are bound to need different tools for the class. Caddies can be a great way to organize tools for each part of the day, and to make sure that supplies are kept organized and in good condition by only being used for specific lessons.
Caddies for Specific Classroom Games
Do you like to play games while teaching your students? Whiteboard activities, Bingo, puzzles, dice games, popsicle stick activities and other games with many parts and pieces all can be kept in a caddy and stacked on a shelf when not in use. Not only will it be an easy way to collect and organize all the pieces, but you’ll have them ready to grab and go when you need them.
Calming Caddy for Sensory Overload Tools
We’ve all seen students with a short fuse, or those who become overwhelmed when there’s too much going on. A calming caddy is a great way to have help ready for a student who needs a little more assistance when it comes to calming down. This caddy should be located in a secluded part of the room, away from the usual commotion and can be full of calming items like play dough, stress balls, squishy balls, and a small notepad with crayons to express feelings.
Student Rewards Caddy
While we don’t want to hand out rewards for students left and right, it can be nice to have a few small reward options in a special student reward caddy. Options for small rewards could be things like stickers, pencil cap erasers, extra credit coupons, free/late homework pass, or a piece of candy. Think of small items your students can earn, and even consider having two caddies with smaller prizes in one and cooler prizes in the other for bigger achievements.
Teacher Tools Caddy
Caddies are great for students, but can help keep teacher tools organized too! Make a crafty caddy for all your fun scissors and colored markers, or a laminating caddy for your lamination tools. There are tons of great ways to use caddies in the classroom to keep you and your students organized and ready to take on a great school year.
