Redding School District

Using Classroom Materials

Many of the materials students use during the day or period – books, scissors, paper, art supplies, and games – are kept for shared use in cabinets or on bookshelves. In order for these materials to be used and maintained properly and to prevent the

Determine your policy for using classroom materials

Some teachers prefer to have each student get his or her own materials. Others prefer to have classroom monitors distribute and collect materials. Depending on the activities, you may want to use both strategies and choose the one best suited for each activity. The following guidelines will help you implement each strategy:

Baskets for each team or area. Many teachers organize the materials needed within team baskets. Each basket can be prepared each afternoon for the next day’s activities. This can be done by the teacher after school or by a student at the end of each day. The students should be taught to not touch any of the items within a basket until they are allowed to retrieve that item when needed during the lesson. This method allows for an easy return of those materials at the end of each lesson or day as well. Do not allow students to go to recess or home until all the baskets are returned to the same condition as they were at the beginning of the lesson or day.
Students take and return their own materials. If you want to have students borrow and return materials on their own, you need to answer these questions: 1. When can students get materials? Some teachers set up specific times such as the beginning of the period or the end of the day. Other teachers allow students to use materials only when necessary to work on an identified project. Students should never be allowed to disturb instruction with trips to and away from storage areas. 2. How are materials returned? Students need to return materials at a time when they will not disrupt the class. Materials should also be put back the way they were found.
Student helpers distribute and collect materials. Many teachers assign students the job of distributing and collecting materials. If students need books from the shelves, three or four monitors gather the books and pass them out. If an art project requires scissors, the helpers place a can of scissors at each table area.

Preventive Management Strategies

Label and Organize – the better organized your classroom is, the easier it will be for students to use and return materials appropriately:

Label storage bins with words (or with pictures for younger students).
Place frequently used books on convenient, easy-to-reach shelves.
Put papers into bins rather than stacking them on shelves.
Store scissors, markers, and so forth inside cabinets.
Have a check-out system for your classroom library.

Color Code Frequently Used Materials – For frequently used materials such as scissors, markers, and crayons, consider color coding them for use by small groups. For example, one group will always use the red set, and another group will always use the blue set. Since students will use the same set of materials day after day, they may take better care of them.

Give Instructions Before Passing Our Materials – Give all preliminary instructions and answer any questions before you pass out materials. Students find it difficult to concentrate on new information when they have distracting materials in front of them. Establish a “hands off materials, stop, and listen” signal for any instructions or guidance you may need to give once materials are distributed.

Make Sure Students Know How to Use Scissors – Most students know how to carry and use scissors safely, but it is still a good idea to review and demonstrate scissors safety. Review the safest way to hold scissors while walking (pointed end inside the palm) and to sue scissors at a desk (set scissors down when they are not in use; do not wave them around).

Keep Classroom Library Organized – Establish a system to keep your classroom library organized as students check out and return books. One way to do this is to have students decorate and write their names on strips of poster board (4 X 12 inches each) that are the laminated for sturdiness. When students select a book from the classroom library, they leave their personalized strip as a marker. When returning a book, students find where it belongs on the shelf by locating their marker. Then they remove the marker and replace it with the book. This also helps you locate any books that are missing from the library. The personalized strips can be stored in a small box or wall envelopes.

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Library Checkout Idea

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Team Baskets

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Team Material Centers