Numbered Jerseys and Popsicle Sticks
Managing the Classroom with Ease and Fairness (Virtual Tour)
Stage of Literacy Development:
Stage 1: Beginning LiteracyStage 2: Consolidation / Fluency
Stage 3: Literacy for Growth
Ages:
5-12
Grade Range:
K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6thFood Groups:
Primary: Classroom Tips Secondary: Motivation for Literacy
Transcript
I like to be a very organized teacher. I find the more organized I am, the smoother the class runs and the more organized the students are. So I have several classroom organization strategies and they're all based on being able to treat the students equitably and fairly. To my left, youll see our student jerseys. At the beginning of the year, I number the students 1 to 28 alphabetically. I do this before I have even met the students. I then on the first day of school, give them a blank jersey, I assign them their number, and I have them decorate it however they want to. We then post them in the classroom and this order from 1 to 28 serves as an organizational tool for the rest of the year. When they line up before and after class, before and after recess, any time that there is a transition from our class to another room, they line up in this order. We practice it for the first several days of school to ensure that they know exactly who theyre behind and who theyre in front of and we use it all year long. This means that any time the students have to line up, theres no question, or fussing, or arguments about who stands where. Everybody knows where they should be. It also helps me group the class. I could say even numbers on one side, odds numbers on the other. Or I could say, numbers 1 to 5, can you go and do a task for me. Or I could say, numbers 1 to 10, can you have this ready before recess. The students know that they always have to be in their numerical order and they never question my judgment when Im choosing numbers because they know that the numbers were assigned alphabetically and not based on any judgments.
Related References
Activity Objective
The goal of Numbered Jerseys and Popsicle Sticks: Managing the Classroom with Ease and Fairness (Virtual Tour) is to show a fun way to help students and teachers stay organized. Students are assigned a Jersey number at the beginning of the year, which they color and then post on the wall. The class uses these numbers for determining a sequential order for various activities and to allow for quick and easy transitions. A jar of popsicle sticks with students names on them also provides a useful management tool for selecting students equitably for activities or for helping around the classroom.
Quick Tips
Additional Comments:
- For younger students especially, its a good idea to post their assigned numbers around eye level to ensure they are accessible and easy to read. - You can assign students new numbers at any time if you feel that some students dont work well together or if you would like a change in routine.
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