ABSTRACT
Help comes in forms other than the human type. Ask any carpenter or designer— the right tools increase your efficiency on the job, ease the task at hand, and often even improve the project results. The following list highlights a few handy classroom tools.
Carpenter’s belt or apron. Project necessities are handy when you wear this tool-carrying accessory. Find one at a home improvement store and fill it with glue, markers, stickers, and materials appropriate to your current lesson or project.
Cat litter buckets. Yes, you read that correctly! The plastic buckets that cat litter comes in make great mini libraries. With enough containers, books can be sorted by topic and buckets labeled accordingly.
Laundry baskets. What works for laundry also works for Lost and Found boxes, playground equipment, and other oddly shaped items.
Milk jugs. Quart milk jugs make great yarn holders. Cut off the bottom and thread the start of the yarn skein or ball through the pouring area. Yarn can be pulled without any rolling balls or tangled skeins. Multiple jugs are easily stored by threading a dowel through the jug handles.
Pill bottles. Pharmacies will often give teachers unused pill bottles. They make great containers for small items such as beads and pins.
Skirt hangers. Hang posters and large papers on skirt hangers that have clips. Clip the item to the hanger and place in a closet or on a rod.
Toolbox. Toolboxes or plastic carriers help you lug various items in and out of school. Heavy-duty, plastic toolboxes are very durable and usually have a shelf, which is useful for small items. You also may want to purchase several inexpensive toolboxes for small-item storage in your classroom or closet.
