Lamination is a great way to keep school supplies looking good and lasting for years. It can, however, be expensive and time consuming. Since some schools have a budget or place limits on how many items teachers can laminate, teachers need to choose wisely regarding lamination. Here are some general laminating dos and don’ts for the classroom.
Laminating Do’s
Bulletin Board Letters
Letters and other items that will be used over and over again on bulletin board displays should definitely be laminated. Having a collection of laminated bulletin board letters and cutouts and accents in different colors and sizes will save time and money for years to come.
Substitute Folders
Every teacher needs a sturdy substitute folder that contains general information for the classroom. Laminate individual pages and place them in a binder or folder. The folder may even be laminated, depending on the size and the thickness.
Student Name Tags
Whether the kids wear the name tags or they’re located on a desk or a locker, these items will receive a lot of wear and tear. Name tags can be created out of something as simple as plain index cards and then decorated by each student. Laminating the cards will provide an individualized name tag that will last for several months.
Posters
Favorite posters that we like to use year after year should be laminated. This is a particularly good idea for posters that are placed at lower levels on the wall where little hands often touch them.
Laminating Don’ts
Laminated items normally can’t be recycled. If any item is likely to be recycled at a later date it’s a good idea not to laminate it.
Items that Will Only be Used Once
Considering the time and cost of lamination, it’s not wise to laminate items that will only be used one time.
Things that Will be Cut
Depending on where the items will be cut, the lamination may easily open and pull apart.
Laminating is a great tool that can ultimately save us time and money. It’s a good idea, however, to be consciously aware of what items should and should not be laminated.
So tell us – what do you like to laminate in your classroom?
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