In my last Tips for Teachers article, I began offering advice on how teachers can turn over the responsibility of making a lunch choice to the students.
I first described how I use a chart type lunch choice system. For upper grades, the choices can be written. In lower grades the teacher can announce the choices or use picture cards.
In other classes, I have seen teachers decorate cans (such as coffee cans). Each child has a stick with their name on it. The children place the stick in the can titled with their choice for the day.
I have also seen teachers use a type of ribbon and clothes pins. When using this method any surface can be used. It is not necessary for the surface to be magnetic.
Some teachers use graphing pocket cards and have cards with the students’ names on them. The students slide their name card under the preferred choice for the day. The teacher then turns the lunch making decision into a graphing lesson.
If grade and age appropriate, the teacher can have a student record the results on the paper that is to be sent to the cafeteria.
When setting up a system such as the ones listed above, it is also very easy to see which students are absent. I do not call out roll. I can easily tell which students did not make a lunch choice for the day by which sticks are not moved from the name side. I then check to see if those students are present and simply forgot or if they are absent.
Some teachers like to use a different graph for attendance. There are many cute boards and charts that students can manipulate that allow teachers to easily see which students are present and which students are absent. These can also be made into graphing and comparison lessons.
Tips: Managing Student Supplies