#BTS2014 With Sharpie

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Staples, but all my opinions are my own. #StaplesBTS #pmedia http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Hi ladies! It's officially #BacktoSchoool2014 time, and I've been super busy prepping my classroom. I've made numerous trips to Lakeshore, Target, and Staples to get all of my school supplies to get my classroom ready.

I typically restock my pen, pencil, and marker supply at the start of each new school year, and was super excited (and surprised!) to see that this pack of Sharpies were on sale for only $5. Total steal! If you're itching to pick up some of these colorful permanent markers for some classroom organization and magic of your own, all Sharpie fine and ultra fine markers and highlighters will be on sale at Staples while supplies last!

When I was in first grade, my teacher Ms. McDonald would come around each day [after we'd finished writing] and ask us about what we drew/wrote. She always had a Sharpie marker with her, and loved to hear about our thoughts. Afterwards, she'd record what we said on our paper for us to show our parents when we got home that evening. To this day I still think of Ms. McDonald when I smell a permanent marker. Since I'm a teacher now, I love using Sharpies to record when walking around and listening to students tell me about their pictures and writing. Hopefully they'll remember me like I think of Ms. McDonald! Anyway, today I wanted to share with you how I use Sharpies when preparing my classroom for the new school year, and offer a few organization tips for you lovely teachers! Enjoy!

I use Sharpies in my classroom for almost everything, but one of the key things is labeling. Since I teach younger students, it's essential to put their names on everything. I start with name tags, but also label their home/school folders, pencils, boxes of crayons, and cubbies. Since I labeled my students' folders, I went ahead and labeled mine as well!

Something I love to do is keep binders that help me stay organized. I keep my curriculum maps in one binder, my lesson plans in a separate one, and even keep an "assessment" binder with my observations about my students and their performance. I love to label the outside with my Sharpie because I can easily access the binder I'm searching for on my bookshelf.

I also make sure to label everything I've purchased with my own money. You ladies know that teachers usually spend quite a pretty penny on making sure we have enough resources in our classrooms. When I do spend my own money, I be sure to write my name on those products. I labeled the game "Sneaky Squirrel" and two new books I purchased! [Am I the only one who uses the Pinkalicious series to teach colors?]

I've seen such creative DIY projects, and lots of fun things on Pinterest, so I know there are more ideas out there! I would love to know how you use Sharpies in your classroom, or at home! Leave your ideas in the comments below!