How to Easily Store Your Classroom Rulers with FREE Download

Let's talk classroom rulers. They are so needed and yet always seem to break. I find them slung onto a counter, on the floor, in the trash broken into pieces, etc. I have seen a few ways to store them. One being a Chips can(which is a great idea!) or in a tall jar. I do not have time to paint over a label and have not had much luck with the can withstanding more than a year of handling. I needed a plastic container long enough for the rulers to lay flat. In the past, I've put them diagonally in a plastic tub but I can't get the lid to shut all the way and only so many will fit!

I finally found the perfect solution!!

A PLASTIC CEREAL CONTAINER

Mind blown. It is PERFECT!!

I found my plastic container at Walmart. Here is a link to a similar one on Amazon.(Affiliate link)
Be sure when buying that you look at the dimensions. It needs to be more than 12 inches so your rulers will stand up straight! The one linked above is 13 inches tall.

What I LOVE about this container:

• It is tall enough for the ruler to completely fit in the container straight up.
• I have over 30 rulers in this!
• There is a flip top for students to easily open and get one out. 
• The rulers just slide back in once students are finished. 
• There is an easy grip on the side so you can carry it around to hand out rulers. 
• It fits perfectly on a shelf and looks tidy.
• I can easily throw it in the dishwasher if it gets dirty.

I made a label to go on the outside that can be seen from across the room. It can be stored with the label facing out or front-facing. 

See instructions below on how to attach the label to the container as well as a FREE download!

Click here for the contact paper!(affiliate link)

STEP ONE: Print your label on whatever color paper you want to match your classroom. Cut the excess edges off. 

STEP TWO: Place a piece of rolled tape on the back to hold it in place while I put the contact paper on top. 

STEP THREE: Place the labels on your box. 

STEP FOUR: Cover with the clear contact paper and smooth out any bubbles.

STEP FIVE: Stand back and admire your amazing storage solution!! 

CLICK HERE to download the FREE LABELS

Standardized Testing Bulletin Board

The dreaded "testing season"......

Remember your students have an incredible amount of butterflies about the standardized testing. Remind them that yes, it is important and they definitely should take the test seriously and try their hardest. I think it is so important to remind them that this one test does not define who they are. There are so many other things about them that this standardized test will not measure. 

This bulletin board came alive because we had to take down all content related decorations to prepare for testing. Instead of covering up my walls I decided to take everything down. Staring at a giant blank bulletin board is how this came to mind. At the time I was teaching 8th graders and they were incredibly nervous about passing the test. We were taking the test on computers(which was a new thing!) and it was all very confusing and new for everyone! You could almost feel the nerves fuming from everyone with the mention of the test. 

My hope was that this bulletin board eased some of the nerves of students and the teachers as well! I do believe that testing is important to measure growth but there are SO many other things that make a child special. 

This bulletin board kit is very easy to make and can be placed in a small corner of your room, on a door, a bulletin board, etc. You simply print on whatever color paper you want and cut a straight line between the words. 

What are some words you would add to this?

Click here to get this Standardized Testing Bulletin Board Kit for your classroom!

Here are a few teacher shared examples below! 

Ms. Pittaluga has a great example on a small board.

I love the colors that Dana used!

Third Grade Gifts nailed her board!

Whitney's board looks fabulous!

Ellen did a review packet challenge with stickers!

Andrea did a great job!!

Quinlan used awesome wood grain paper for her board!

I love how Ms. James used a blue border to tie it together!

Michelle shared this from her daughter's school!

I love the polka dot paper Coffee & Pi used!

Love the colored pencil border Mrs. Conner used!

Brit used a space in the hallway for her display!

Sudoku Interactive Bulletin Board Pictures shared by Teachers

I LOVE seeing the creativity of teachers. Everyone is so different and takes a different spin on ideas to make it their own and to fit their classroom style and needs. I first made this Sudoku Interactive Bulletin Board back in 2014. I have tweaked it a few times after figuring out what worked and didn't work so it makes me SO incredibly happy to see how you teachers out there are making it work for your classrooms!

Here are some pictures below that teachers have tagged me in on Instagram of their versions of the Sudoku Interactive Bulletin Board. Thank you to all the teachers who have shared their amazing classrooms with me!

Ms. Hayley has a great poster version!

Ms. Megan used colorful washi tape as border!

Mr. Matt shows that even male teachers can have a colorful board!

Ms. Megan has a cute fabric banner to compliment her board! Look at all those students! 

Mrs. Manley found a small area of a cabinet that worked perfectly! The hanging baskets are a great way to store the extra pieces! 

Ms. Catherine incorporated her Harry Potter theme into her board!

Ms. Brittany used page protectors to store her extra pieces and the black border tape makes it pop!

Rocky Mountain Classroom used great colors! Look at those students!!

Ms. Welldone did a great job using tissue paper flowers to accent her board!

mrsbp_bhs used magnets on the back and put her board on a whiteboard! So smart! I love how she used different colors for the 3x3 grids! 

Ms. Campbell used a pocket chart to hold her extra pieces and space on a door for her board!

math.coffee.and.fun shared how she uses her board in her classroom saying the following:

"Our classroom interactive Sudoku board. I have always loved Sudoku puzzles and would try to take a day each school year to teach my students how to complete one. Many of them have a first reaction of, “I don’t know how to do those. They look too confusing and they have to do with math.” I promise them that they will be able to complete one by the end of class (I always start one with the class, let those who know what they are doing take off on their own, and will continue to work through it with those that are fearful to do it on their own) and that it isn’t as math heavy as they think (a little white lie 🤫). When I saw the Sudoku board by @activityaftermath I knew that I had to have it in my intervention room. My students who tend to struggle with math or have low math confidence were really reluctant to try it, but now we are on our 3rd puzzle in a matter of a month and a few of them even told me that they have downloaded a Sudoku app on their phone. I love that it creates an interactive board for each of my classes to build upon and it is another tool that I use to trick my students into loving numbers! 😉"

Thank you so much for supporting me and sharing your classrooms! I'd love to see your Sudoku Boards as well! You can tag me on Instagram @activityaftermath or email them to me at activityaftermath@gmail.com. I'll add them to this post! 

Click here to purchase the Sudoku Interactive Bulletin Board Kit to make one for your own classroom!

Intentional Teaching Checklist

I had the pleasure of being a guest on The EDVERYTHING Podcast: for Everything Education with Nicole and Danielle.

"Danielle and I got the chance to sit down with Hayley Cain and learn about her experience transitioning from the middle school to the elementary level and the lasting lessons she picked up having previously worked at a “failing” school. 

Hayley has witnessed first-hand how powerful decoding standards and team planning time can be, and she has taken these strategies and applied them successfully to a new school and grade level.” 

-Edverything Podcast with Nicole and Danielle

Click here to listen to Episode 11: Decode Standards Like a Pro

Below is the Checklist mentioned in the Podcast that will help guide you in your teaching to be INTENTIONAL!

→INTENTIONAL TEACHING CHECKLIST FREE DOWNLOAD

Click here for more information about what awesome things Nicole and Danielle are doing and their website!