TEACHERS: Our Top Pinterest Finds for Back to School

Want to see what we're LOVING for back-to-school on Pinterest? Many of you have been spending the summer gathering all kinds of fun ideas for the school year. We've been trolling the Pinterest boards, and here are some of our favorite finds. (NOTE: We've done our best to give credit to like these ideas back to their creators. Some affiliate links are included-read below to find out more!)

Choice Signs

First Grade Glitter and Giggles: Prevent the laundry-list of questions that follow directions for independent practice with these task cards. Laminate them, add a magnet to the back, and choose the ones appropriate to your lesson. Grab this FREE printable here.

White Board Markers

The Go To Teacher: We've all heard it. "My marker won't work!" "This one is dry!" "This marker doesn't have a lid!" I knew I'd struck gold when I saw this pin. Putting students' names on dry erase markers helps them find theirs, and also holds them accountable for it. You can print out names on Avery labels, cover them with a piece of packing tape, and then leave them in a bucket. It's genius, really.

Ticket Out the Door

Teach-A-Roo: We love using tickets out the door as closure activities, so we think using a board like this is a fantastic idea. It helps you quickly assess student learning and see who has completed the task. On top of that, students get to use post-it notes, and you all know how much I love those! Click here for the FREE Ticket Out the Door printable!

Name Tag Velcro

Elementary Organization: This whole blog has fantastic ideas, but this is the one that caught my eye. If your students are constantly ripping of their name tags from their desks, try securing them with velcro. This also makes it easy for students to move desks. This 15-foot strip of Velcro should be long enough to make 30 name tags, assuming you have 30 students and use 3 inches of tape on each side of the name tag.

Monthly Binders

Elementary Organization: While I was perusing the velcro name tags, I found this. It's a fantastic way of organizing smaller materials for just about anything by month. And more importantly, the binder covers and spines are just adorable. Visit TPT for the FREE spines and covers. I get all of my notebooks from Costco.

Mailbox Binder Clips

Teaching With Love and Laughter: As soon as you assign your students numbers, run copies of alphabetized lists, and set up your mailboxes in alphabetical order, you either get a new students or lose a current students. Isn't that how it always happens every year? Here's a great idea for labeling your mailboxes that can be rearranged easily if necessary. While you're at it, get a few extra binder clips and make a set for a teacher-friend down the hall. 

Notebook Folders

Science Notebooking: If you use any kind of active notebooks in your classroom, you know how often your students lose small pieces that they don't glue into their notebooks immediately. Envelopes come in so many different sizes and colors. I think it's a great idea to put one on the other side of the back cover for students to keep pieces that don't get glued in. My absolute favorite ones are these durable poly string envelopes because they are built to withstand messy and clumsy hands. 

Name Highlighting

Ladybug's Teacher Files: Do you get a lot of "no name" papers turned in? If so, try putting a cup with highlighters next to the area in which students turn in their work. Students have to highlight their name before they turn it in. Click here for the FREE printable!

Birthday Certificates

Erica Bohrer: Add a clear sleeve for each month to your teacher binder for birthday certificates. That way, you can assemble them all at one time so you're not scrambling at the last minute.

Parent Handbook Flipbooks

Just Reed: I absolutely love this flipbook. It includes all of the information that parents need, and it's fun and colorful! You can find the link to the printable here, which includes directions, 40 page titles, and perfectly spaced and customizable templates.

School Forms Checklist

Ginger Snaps: Here's a great parent resource for the first day of school. Send home an envelope with all of the forms that parents need to fill out and return to school, and attach a checklist on the front so that parents make sure they send all of it back. I couldn't find you a printable, but I found a link to the TPT store, which is amazing! She also has an amazing collection of pictures from her classroom. 

Lost and Extra Supplies Labels

Kindergarten Works: We all love it when students bring us treasures, but at some point, you just want your students to be able to figure out where things go and put them there. Grab these FREE lost and extra supply labels here, slap them on some buckets, and let the student responsibility begin.

Door Sign

Crib Tales Photography: I found this amazing classroom (or maybe school?) door, but I have no idea where the school is located. I think it's a fantastic idea to use something like this to remind students that they are responsible for their own choices.

Color-Coded Workbooks
A Cupcake For the Teacher: If your students have trouble finding their workbooks in their desks, this might be a solution for you! Grab a marker and swipe it across the sides of the book. Instead of asking students to take out their math workbooks (you know, one of the three that have the same color on the cover),

Too Loud App
iTunes: If the noise level in your classroom gets louder than you'd like, this might be a great app for you. It tracks noise and lets you know just how loud it gets. Turn it into a game and give students a target number.

Homework Checklist
MargD Teaching Posters: If you have a parent checking in homework, here's a great resource for you. You can easily see who has turned in homework, and you can keep these as a homework tracker throughout the year. Eliminate embarrassing charts hung in the classroom! Click here for the FREE printable.

Portable Work Box
Mrs. Walker's Frog-Tastic Website: This website has a great list of procedures to teach in the beginning of the year. I love the idea of having a place for students to turn in their work, especially for those that frequently forget to put their name on their paper. This box would also be easy to transport (lunch room, home, car, etc) if necessary. If you keep a running list of worksheets throughout the week, you can copy one for each student and check off what they've completed and turned in.

Sticky Note Holders
Next To Heaven: You know you've come across a great resource when you come across a resource that you wish you would have come up with yourself. I couldn't find any information on the blog, but I did locate a tutorial for you. Isn't your mind just spinning with ideas for these? Click here for the tutorial.

Common Core Notebooks
Sassy In Second: This is my FAVORITE new resource! I bought these for grades K-5, and I'm using them to organize all of my new common core materials. I'll share some information about how I'm using them soon. These packs come with resources that are great for both students and teachers. My favorite part of them is the standards that are formatted for Avery address labels. You can use them to relabel your worksheets, or as labels for filing folders. Click here to find these notebooks on TPT.

IEP Tracker
School Bells N Whistles: I can't seem to get a good picture of it (or a link to a blog), but this is a fabulous one-page IEP tracker for students. You can keep track of your students' accommodations and modifications all in one place. Click here for the FREE TPT download.

What are some of your favorite finds? Are you implementing new management strategies this year? What small changes have you made that make a BIG difference? We'd love to hear what's working for you!

AFFILIATE LINKS: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using this link. I purchased all of the items myself, and all of the opinions expressed here are my own.