Storage and organization are 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.
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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 students take responsibility for 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 keep supplies organized and in good condition, used only 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 can all 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 support 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 left and right, it can be nice to have a few small options in a special student reward caddy. Options for small rewards could include stickers, pencil cap erasers, extra credit coupons, a free/late homework pass, or a piece of candy. Think of small items your students can earn, and consider having two caddies: one with smaller prizes and the other with cooler prizes 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 for a great school year.
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