How I Use Student Mailboxes to Save My Sanity
Using student mailboxes is hands down one of my favorite classroom management tips and my teacher self could not…I REPEAT.. .COULD NOT survive without them. Read below about how I use student mailboxes in the classroom so that my sanity remains intact.
My back to school nightmares begin every August. My students are out of control, they won’t listen to me, they’re getting up from their seats whenever they want, they’re talking non-stop to their peers, they’re throwing paper airplanes across the classroom, they’re constantly talk over me when I’m giving instructions…WITH my principal standing by the door watching the endless chaos… then I wake up and PRAISE JESUS that it was just a dream. Do you have back to school nightmares?
I am completely TYPE A, a control freak, and very anxious.
I don’t like chaos.
AT ALL.
So I made sure classroom management was something I was going to get REALLY, REALLY good at. To this day, classroom management is my biggest strength. I incorporate so many routines and procedures, one being.. using student mailboxes, which you can read about it below!
I read this book , The First Days of School, before my first year of teaching and it was SO helpful. I think this one is the newest edition.
AMAZING Classroom Management Book for New Teachers & Even Veteran Teachers
I also learned so many effective classroom management tips from my amazing mother who is also a teacher and from this book. My mom actually had to get this book for her Master’s program…but I saw it on a bookshelf at her house and LITERALLY just snagged it because it was so good. K Thanks Byeeeee! Love you, mom!
If you don’t own this book and you’re someone looking to improve your classroom management…GO BUY IT RIGHT NOW. Seriously. Add it to your amazon cart right now. You won’t regret it. I read this book, followed it to the tee, and I’m so glad I did.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TIP: STUDENT MAILBOXES
So anyways, now you know that I’m obsessed with learning and implementing all things classroom management. I want to share with you one classroom management tip that has saved me time, my sanity, and has kept my classroom running organized and smooth, ESPECIALLY at the end of the day.
Enter. Student Mailboxes.
One thing that I could not survive without are my STUDENT MAILBOXES.🙌🏾 I didn’t have these my first year of teaching and I would spend the end of the day passing out graded papers, homework, etc. That was WAY too chaotic for me and I felt like it wasted so much time.
Year 2 I knew I needed to be more organized. I’ve been using student mailboxes for 8 years now and it’s been a game changer! I got this student mailbox from Amazon! Click here to grab one.
How I Use Student Mailboxes
During my planning time, lunch time, in the morning, or after school…I put all of their graded work, papers from the office, homework, etc. in their mailboxes. It takes SUCH a short amount of time, which is awesome!
Sometimes I’ll have my “Teacher Helper” distribute papers into the mailbox slots, too! Other times, as my students finish up their work, I’ll just have them walk up to their mailbox and put their work inside their slot.
How I Label My Student Mailboxes
In the past, I printed my student’s names, laminated them, then taped them onto the mailbox. I found that having to remove the label & tape every year was starting to ruin the mailbox. Now, I print student numbers/label them and tape those onto each slot instead. That way I don’t have to remove the labels every year. Plus, I use student numbers in my classroom for just about everything so it just made sense.
These specific number labels on my mailboxes are from my Tropical Decor Set but you could even just write your numbers on index cards if you wanted.
You can also download some beautiful & free number labels I made last year. Add your name and email below to quickly download these number labels.
End of the Day Mailbox Routine and Final Thoughts
So, at the end of the day, I call my students by table groups to begin packing up. They quietly walk up to the mailboxes, check their mailbox, pack up, then go right back to their seats & continue reading silently. Everyone else is reading a book silently while I call each table to check their mailbox and pack up. I love this time of day because it’s calm & quiet {and it’s time to go home, of course hehe}.
I’ve seen other teachers use file crates for student mailboxes, but I have found these mailboxes work best for me & my classroom management style. Plus I LOVE that they are easily accessible for my students! Keeping things simple for my students keeps us all sane.
I hope you found this classroom management tip useful. Do you have a mailbox system in your classroom? Do you use student mailboxes?
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