Show Us How You Use It: Popsicle Sticks

Summer is the time to relax and recharge for teachers.  It's also the time where teachers are looking at renovating and revamping.  Most teachers I know are fantastic at looking at something and thinking "How could I repurpose that for my classroom?"  Or, they look at it and say "I could use this to {insert management/organization piece}!!!  I am a genius!  This will be going on Pinterest later!"  No matter what category you fall into we want to see how you use every day objects in different ways in the classroom.

Each week, we'll be posting a series of ideas on different household objects.  We'll post a new linky each week so if you're a blogger, share your post on this week's topic (popsicle sticks) and link up. If you aren't, we'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below.  We'll be sharing ideas for things like clothespins, aluminum cans, and paint strips.

The idea I'm going to share with you is not a new one, but I'm hoping that my tweaks on it will give new ideas to a person or two.

I use popsicle sitcks as name calling sticks.  I put a piece of washi tape on one end and write the students' names on the stick.  I put them in a cup either washi side up or washi side down.  Then after the student has been called, the washi goes the opposite direction.  This helps me to make sure everyone has a chance before someone gets a second chance.

I've also used popsicle sticks with my whole class reward system.  You can read more about it by clicking the image below.  

Basically, every time my class gets a compliment from me or a staff member in the building, they get to add a letter on our reward board.  I draw a name stick to choose who gets to pick out the letter from the bag.  I've recently added that green colored stick as a wild card.  If I draw that stick, the student's stick that I draw out next gets to choose the reward to do that day, even if they haven't filled up all the letters.

Check back in throughout the week to see other great ideas from our bloggers!  Don't forget to link up with your idea below.

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