Tips for the itinerant teacher, Part 3

I love to do hands on activities with my students which they can then take home and share with their parents. Whether it be making paper flowers, creating a drawing, or doing any other type of project, providing the necessary materials to your students can be a logistical challenge. Over the years I have found that relying on the classroom teacher's materials just doesn't work. So, I bring what I need with me. Here's how I get them around:
-I used to use the crayons and markers already in the classrooms for drawing and coloring activities, but so often found that there weren't enough crayons to go around or the markers were running out. Some of my activities require each and every student to have a particular color at the same time, and certain colors just seem to get eaten- brown, black, gray- and therefore aren't available. To solve this problem, I bought flat pencil bags at Walmart, enough for an entire class to use at the same time. Inside I have a set of crayons. I never have to worry about whether a color is available and my kiddos don't bicker over the crayon box. Note: I do regularly go through the crayon "pockets" to replace broken crayons or ones that got lost. Where do they go? :)
-If we are doing a project which requires scissors or glue, I stock the crayon pockets with these materials as well so every kid has the needed supplies.
-When doing a project which requires multiple parts (tissue paper, green pipe cleaner, name tag, for instance when making paper flowers), I create a set of the parts for each kid ahead of time and put each set in an envelope or plastic baggy. This makes it much easier and quicker to distribute materials.

Organization and prepping ahead of time are the keys for success. Teaching in other peoples' rooms can be a challenge, but being ready and organized makes it so much easier. Enjoy the remaining few days and weeks of summer!