Ideas for Teachers: Sticky Notes for Assessments and Classroom Management

    One item teachers should never live without in the classroom is sticky notes. Below are some great ways to use sticky notes in your classroom.

1. When students are working independently, and I am with a small group, if students have a need, they will write what they need on a sticky note and leave it in my sticky note bucket. This has helped in various ways: students do not interrupt the small groups, have the connection they need with me when I am not available, and some students who would not verbally tell you they need something will write it on a sticky note. 
2. It is a great exit ticket for feedback with no making copies necessary. Post the question on the board, and students can leave the answer stuck to the door as they leave. 

It is an excellent use for a parking lot. Students often have questions that do not have anything to do with what we are doing. Students know if they have a question, comment, or story, they can write a short note on a sticky note and put it in the parking lot (a bucket). At the end of the class, we check the parking lot. Let students know if it is a private matter to note that it will not be shared with the class. 

 Of course, the ideas above require discussion and practice. As a class, we discuss questions/comments that should be written down and questions they already know the answer to. 

We also discuss when they can write their notes and turn them in. The students catch on quickly. A great site with lesson plans and tips on using sticky notes in your classroom is Post-it for teachers. Please share any sticky note ideas that you may have.