Back To School - Table Organizers!

This past week was my preplanning week.  It was EXHAUSTING!  I can tell when I have worked hard by how well I sleep, and I slept WELL this week.  :-)

Every year I change my table baskets for organization.  I have used every tub, can, jar, basket, etc. that you can think of and I am never happy.  It seems as if I always walk into another teachers room and feel jealous of their bins for student supplies - but even when I "copy" their idea, I am not content.

This year, I was at Hobby Lobby and I saw these awesome long wooden boxes with about ten different compartments.  DONE.  I loved them for many reasons - none of which were the price!  They were 24.99 each - not a deal - and I needed six of them.  I waited until they were 50% off and purchased them at 12.49 each.  Still expensive, but my thought is that they are so decorative that I can use them in other ways at home or for a graduation party or whatever.  It was a splurge, but I do love the results.

They have nine compartments and I have filled each with a different resource for my students.  These are almost everything they will need in math for lessons and their ISN.  They have:
- dry erase markers and highlighters
- dry erase erasers
- fat markers
- fine tip markers
- glue sticks (oh how I love them!)
- colored pencils
- calculators
- scratch paper and protractors
- scissors and rulers

I love how thin they are.  They fit down the center of my tables easily with plenty of room for kids to work, and everything is RIGHT there.  I love it!

I also love that the compartments are "built in".  No jars or cups or cans stuck in a basket to separate items. I think this is the solution I have been looking for and they make me very happy.  Teachers are so great - we get excited about the simplest things don't we?

By the way, I did go to Home Depot and price out 1/4 inch wood to have cut and then used to make these, but by the time I bought all the wood, paid for the cuts, and put them together, It was about the same as what I spent at Hobby Lobby and all the work was already done.  Here is one last close up!