Tried It Tuesday Post It Fun

We're finally getting back into the groove after the invasion of the polar vortex. Lessons are actually progressing. We've completed projects, and we've begun new ones. Er, what's that you say? Snow? Hunh? Not again!

We are once AGAIN under a Winter Storm Warning... this time for SNOW (not cold) and LOTS of it! We can expect upwards of a foot by Wednesday afternoon so you know what that means... ANOTHER snow day is in the future. SIGH!

What's a teacher to do? Join Holly from Fourth Grade Flipper for her Tried It Tuesday linky and just blog on!

This week I tried something I had seen on the internet BBD (before blogging days), thought was cool, but never attempted: 

I printed on Post-It Notes. 

I wanted to try SCATTER with my eighth graders. We've been working on nonfiction text structures (description, question/answer, compare/contrast, problem/solution, sequence, cause/effect) and it was time for some group practice. I purchased a set of really nice task cards for this skill on TpT from Teaching with a Mountain View. I planned on scattering the cards around the room, assigning a particular structure to a small group, then sending them off to label all the cards with their structure with a small post-it note. At first I was planning on having the students write the structure on the post-its themselves... too messy, too inconsistent... I can't stand things that aren't uniform! Then I was going to write on all the post-its... too time-consuming, too tedious... I say work smarter, not harder! And I did.

I remembered seeing the webpage about printing on post-its and set off in search... a template, it said... I needed a template. Of course, the website had templates, but not for the size post-it I wanted to use. So, off to TpT I went, of course! A quick search found this product... FREE!

I quickly downloaded the file and read the directions. In no time at all I was in business.

First load the template page with post-its. On your computer type the information in each box.

Run the template page through your printer being sure to feed the adhesive side in first.

Out comes your perfectly printed post -its ready to use!

Searching the room for task cards and determining the nonfiction text structure on each.

A printed post-it in place.

I have to say that my eighth graders were impressed with my post-its. Several asked where I got them. At first they thought they had come with the task cards. When they found out I made them, they asked if I'd teach them how to do it also... Science Fair is coming up and the kiddos want to use the printed post-its for their display boards. Looks like a mini-computer lesson is on the books for later in the week... AFTER the snow day, perhaps!

Don't forget to visit Holly at Fourth Grade Flipper to see what other bloggers have tried this Tuesday. There are always great ideas each week. Also don't forget to join Jessica and Rosie for their GREAT giveaway of favorite things continuing through the end of the week. Just click on the graphic below to enter for a chance to win a whole array of teaching products and MORE.

Be sure also to stop by Magic, Mistakes, and Mayhem to join Serena for her birthday celebration giveaway. She's got a wonderful prize package waiting for you.

Happy Teaching,

Angela

The Teacher's Desk 6