Rockin' Resources I Couldn't Live Without!

Kelley over at Teacher Idea Factory is hosting a linky party for us to share our favorite resources!

Here are 5 of my favorites...

BrainPopJr. 

Oh my goodness. We didn't have this at my last school and I'm honestly not sure how I lived without it. The videos are the perfect length- long enough to give great background information, but short enough that it doesn't take up my whole lesson and the students don't lose focus. (Oh, and they LOVE them, too!)

If you haven't checked it out, go and watch a few of the free videos. 

Google Docs

I love how many teachers offer freebies on Google Docs- because it's easy for me to organize most of them all in one place! I also have a copy of my resume saved here so that I can access it anywhere!

Super Teacher Worksheets

My favorite site for free worksheets has started charging, but I still found it worth the investment. This is a great place for me to find homework practice, or an assessment after a lesson. They have a great selection of holiday activities and worksheets, too!

DropBox

If you haven't used it before, sign up using this link (and we'll each get a little more free storage!). Basically, when you install DropBox on a computer, it works like a flash drive that you never have to move. I save something to DropBox at home, and it's automatically uploaded to my computer at school. It worked SO well when I had an iPad, too. I can even access my files from any computer at dropbox.com. So convenient!

Nicky Folders

If you haven't ever had these, I highly recommend them! Our school orders them in bulk for every teacher to use as a homework folder. They are plastic, with a sleeve in the front. (I printed _____'s Homework Folder on dollar store printer paper with cute frogs around the edges and slid it inside.) The plastic holds up SO well, and they come printed with "Keep at Home" and "Return to School." 

I also posted some Teacher Must Haves a couple of months ago! 

Make sure you link up with Teacher Idea Factory and share the resources YOU couldn't live without!

Easy, Organized Center Storage

Whew! The end of the year is CRAZY. I have some new followers, and I am excited to check out your blogs... but that just isn't happening right now with all of the things to be done at the end of the year! I promise- I will check them out when I can!

I am not a naturally organized person, as I've told you before. When I started downloading freebies from other teaching blogs, I needed a way to keep track of them all. Literacy center storage, especially, was a challenge.

Here's my solution for storing centers and keeping centers organized!

First of all, if it's something I'm looking at at home, I save it to either Google Docs or pin it to Pinterest (follow me here) so I can find it easily again at school.

(Would anyone have an interest in hearing how I organize my Google Docs?)

Once I print it, I laminate everything including the recording sheet, if there is one. Laminating the original helps me keep kids from using it, and it helps it hold up to (hopefully) years of copying. I can actually still run it through the automatic feed on our copier!

The cover sheet, if there is one, goes on the front of a manila folder. Eventually, I would love to laminate my folders, too, and just cut a slit for the opening with an X-acto knife, but it hasn't happened yet! Maybe this summer?

If there is a directions sheet (separate from the cover), like this free possessive nouns sort from Pitner's Potpourri, it goes on the back of the folder.

Inside, I put the laminated recording sheet and enough copies for my class (with a couple of extras because someone inevitably loses theirs or accidentally does it twice...)

All pieces go inside, too. Usually, I try to put small pieces in a Ziploc bag. Otherwise, they tend to get mixed in with the papers.

(Isn't this an adorable free nouns, verbs, adjectives sort from Tales of a Teacherista?)

Since the little claspy things don't especially hold up well, I don't bother using them.

Once the center is ready, I just store the envelope. Right now, I'm using a plastic filebox and they just stick out of the top. This worked this year, as I was a new teacher just starting to print/laminate all these wonderful freebies. I need to come up with a better solution for next year, though, especially so I can sort them into different topics/ holidays. I could just get more of fileboxes, but I'm open to other suggestions!

Because so many of my math centers are just one page games with no extra pieces (except for dice and counters), those centers are put into a binder and kept in plastic page protectors until I need them.

When it's time to use a center, I just pull out the manila envelope, copy the recording sheet if it's not already done, and stick the folder in the cheap plastic basket at that center spot. If students will need dice or counters, they know where to go and get them in the classroom. I keep them in little cups for easy storage!

I love storing centers in these envelopes because everything is already together and easy to move around the room. The students know that everything they need is in the folder, and everything goes back in the folder when they are done.

How do you store all your center materials? I am always looking for center organization tips! :)