Submitted by Tami Mangusso, Aurora, Colorado
Idea posted July 29, 2004
Keeping track of student materials can be tricky. I use 20 craft sticks per student for rhythm notation and organize these in 30 separate bags. However, at first I didn't take clean-up into consideration. At the end of the lesson, some students ended up with 40 sticks in their bags, while others ended up with only five. I tried having the students count the sticks as they picked them up, but we still had problems. Now I use numbers, and every student has a corresponding number. On the bags, I put the number using an address label (which I made on the computer), and I wrote the number on all the sticks. This can be time consuming, but it is well worth it in the end. Students know that they should only pick up sticks with their number on them. Also, if we find a stick on the floor, I know which bag it belongs to.
For things I cannot put a label on (or a label won't stay on), I tell the students how many of each thing they should have, using a checklist on the board (usually on a poster board). Students make sure that they have the correct amount by looking on the checklist. If they have too many or not enough of any item, they go to the "extra stuff" tub. The tub makes it easy because students aren't running around yelling and bothering others with their problem. They can quietly walk over to the tub and get the materials they need on their own.