Classroom Management
With all of the paper and materials that are used in schools, teachers have a great opportunity to teach students how to properly recycle. If conserving paper and resources is something you are looking to incorporate into your program or classroom this year, we have some tips for making it successful. Let us know in the comments what you do to conserve materials in your program.
Tips for Creating a Recycling Program in Your Classroom
Create a fun, colorful, and obvious area for students to recycle in the classroom. If you are opening it up to all recyclables, having a reference guide near the area or attached to the bin will be helpful. If the children in the classroom are younger, fun, larger images of items will make it easier for them to refer to, reminding them what they can recycle. (We’ve included inspiration at the bottom of this post).
Create a lesson plan or activities on recycling and paper waste. Since paper is one of the most heavily used items in a typical classroom, teach your students how much can be wasted and just goes into landfills each year. Call the the town’s waste management department or check the website to see if they have any numbers to share. Get students to participate by getting them to guess quantities. Here are 10 of Our Favorite Green Crafts!
Recycle and reuse. In addition to a recycling trash area, create an area where students can place scrap paper where only one side has been used, so it can be used again.
Create flash cards or index cards from the scrap paper when it starts to pile up.
Create fun notebooks from scrap paper.
Use both sides of paper. Plan handouts and assignments accordingly. This will allow you to practice what you are teaching as well as train students that there are two sides to a paper, and only using one can be wasteful.
Consider investing in a small white board for practicing math, writing, etc. for each student. That is if your budget, school, or parents can provide for it.
Create a bonus rewards or extra credit system if this is something you are truly passionate about. Recognize students that are putting forth an effort to conserve in the classroom.
Send home a request with parents for ongoing materials that they can be recycled as well. – Toilet paper rolls, milk cartons, jars, lids, egg cartons, etc.
Classroom Recycle Area Inspiration
from the Kindergarten Rock blog
from the Teach Preschool blog
from the Teaching Madness blog
free printables from the The Classroom Creative
CLICK HERE for some awesome green craft ideas!
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[…] There are so many ways to celebrate our beautiful planet on Earth Day. Planting a plant, making an earth craft, or cleaning up the trash in a local neighborhood (S&S does it every year), all have a lesson attached to them that lend mother nature a helping hand. Elementary and Middle School aged children are perfect to begin instilling important “green” practices with. If done in a meaningful way, these lessons will be carried with them and hopefully formed into habits down the road. We’ve listed four of our favorite meaningful activities for Earth Day for after school or during the school day. For for even more ideas, check out our other posts, 10 of our Favorite Green Crafts and Quick Tips for a Greener Classroom. […]
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