The humble Post-It note. What would we do without it? It's an inexpensive, flexible tool that can be used in so many ways, from brainstorming ideas to creating art.
In today's Try It Tuesday, we're all about the Post-It and how you can get the most out of these colorful sticky squares. We're highlighting a few of our favorites and you'll find links to more resources at the end of this post.
Post-It Prompts
This is basic, but endlessly flexible and a good way to get started. Write a sentence stem on the board ("Today I learned. . . " "My good news for the day is. . . ") and then invite students to respond on their Post-It's and paste them on the board. You can easily organize into themes or categories if it makes sense for your prompt.
The Wall
Post-Its and classroom walls can work very well together, especially if you use the "Super Sticky Post-Its." Consider trying some of these:
- The Question Wall--Devote a wall of your classroom to questions. Identify it as the question wall and invite students to use Post-Its to ask any questions they might not want to bring up in class. You can respond on their Post-It (or add more of your own) or take time at the beginning or end of a session to respond to the questions.
- The Quote Wall--Have students write inspiring quotes (from reading, from their lives, something someone said in class that day) on Post-Its and post them to the wall.
- The Gratitude Wall--Things students are thankful for in their lives.
- Mini Art Gallery--Challenge students to create some art on a Post-It and then create a mini art gallery. You could also showcase the most creative doodles here. (Remember that busy hands keep everyone focused, so this could be a perfect place to feature doodles)
Student Comments
Have students use Sticky notes to comment on student work, to praise someone in the group or to provide feedback on a project. This can be especially helpful during presentations. Invite those who are watching the presentation to note their thoughts on Post-Its that can later be given to the presenter.
Create a Post-It Note Planner
With a spiral bound notebook or composition book, some Post-Its, a pen and these instructions, you have a nifty planner that is flexible and helps you feel a real sense of accomplishment.
Resources
Looking for more ideas? Check out these posts.
- Post-It Pedagogy--10 Tips to adapt for your classroom.
- Tools for Teaching: The Amazing Sticky Note--More great examples from Edutopia.
- 50 Post-It Lessons on Pinterest--TONS of ideas here that can be adapted for all sorts of situations and classrooms.
- 15 Ways to Use Post Its to Teach English --For ESL teachers.
What are your favorite Post-It activities? Let us know in comments so we can feature you on the blog!
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