Guest Blogger: A Rocky Top Teacher

Hi! Sarah here, from A Rocky Top Teacher. My amazingly talented friend, Michelle, is traveling Europe and has asked me to stop over at her blog  and leave a little post while she is seeing the world. Jealous of her awesome summer adventure? I sure am! I tried to convince her to let me ride in her suitcase Flat Stanley style..but I am writing this blog so we know that plan didn't work!

I am so excited to be sharing an effective yet cheap and EASY classroom management technique that can be adapted into any classroom no matter what grade level you teach! 

The Lunch Choice Clipboard!!!

This is genius y'all. I WISH I could take credit for being the brain child behind this, but I cannot. It was found somewhere in the world of Pinterest and passed around at my school. In the past, I have tried to implement lunch charts like the ones below. They look adorable, the kiddos can visually represent what they want for lunch, and my lunch helper can easily count and record who is eating what for lunch. Easy peasy lemon squeezy..right?

I wish! Here is the glitch in that whole plan. My kiddos pick their lunch the moment they walk into the classroom each morning and forget what they signed up for by the time we make it to the cafeteria. The first couple weeks of school are usually the worst with Mark saying he picked chicken even though Amy promises he signed up for PB&J, Anthony thinking he brought his lunch but now he remembers that it is Wednesday and he never packs his lunch on Wednesdays, and Carlos has seen the chicken and decided that he wanted a salad instead. And, our lunch ladies mean business. If you signed up for chicken then you BETTER get chicken. No ifs, ands, or butts.  

So, insert amazing clipboard solution. My kiddos walk in the classroom each morning and pick their lunch on the clip chart. My classroom lunch helper counts up lunch, arranges my clipboard, sends in the lunch count, and then carries the clipboard to the cafeteria at lunchtime. The end. World War 3 cafeteria style has been avoided. The class is at peace. The lunch ladies smile at us. The world is a happy place. No more "I don't remember what I signed up for" or "The lasagna looks like plastic...can I switch?". It's calm, easy, and effective. The clipboard does not lie, folks! 

I made my lunch choice board using a Dollar Tree clipboard, modge podge, scrapbook paper, ribbon, and numbered clothespins. This is my recent summer project. I upgraded from the one I used last which was literally a clipboard with a piece of paper on it labeled "choices". This one is SO much more fun! 

I encourage you to make one, too. If you do..would you please send me pictures or post them on Instagram? I would LOVE to see your finished products. 

Thanks for reading, and a big thank you to Michelle for letting me share on her blog today. Won't you stop by and see me?

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