35 Awesome Uses for Post It Notes in the Classroom

Who doesn’t love Post Its (which is actually a brand name…sticky notes is the generic)?

They come in several sizes, many colors, and best of all….they stick! I always put Post Its on my student supply list because they are just so handy. Here are some nifty things you can do with Post Its:

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Basic Uses

  • As a Bookmark (duh)
  • Reading Response While Reading:
    • Interesting words
    • Favorite parts
    • Questions
    • Inferences
    • Connections

Classroom Activities

  • Use in Class Polls: Write the poll with the options on the whiteboard. Students put their names on Post Its and stick them to the area where they want to vote.
  • Instant Mood Survey: Students have three colors to display on one corner of their desks:
    • Green (I’m feeling great)
    • Yellow (things are okay)
    • Red (I am not doing well)
  • For Brainstorming: Write the topic on the board and have students write their ideas on Post Its and stick them under the topic. Good also for pre-reading or pre-unit questions.
  • Mapping Out the Plot of a Story: One sentence per Post It.
  • Informal Timelines
  • On Parent Material: For example, on permission slips that you need to be read. Have the student write “Read Me” in big letters on a brightly colored Post It. Use sparingly, or it will get ignored.
  • Exit Tickets: At the end of a lesson, have students write one thing they learned and one question they still have on a Post It and stick it on the board.
  • Peer Editing: Students can leave constructive comments or feedback on each other’s work using Post Its.
  • Vocabulary Building: Write a new vocabulary word on a Post It and stick it to a specific object or area related to the word around the classroom.
  • Sorting Activities: Use Post Its for sorting activities, such as categorizing different types of words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) or sorting historical events into chronological order.

Student Interaction

  • On Students: Math facts, site words, etc. Students must greet each other by the answer. Fun to do for a day.
  • Customize Them with Your Own Message: Print from your own printer!
  • Use to Write Comments and Grades on Student Projects: Especially on projects where you cannot write directly.
  • Peer Recognition: Create a “Shout-Out” board where students can write compliments or positive observations about their peers on Post Its.
  • Goal Setting: Students can write their academic or personal goals on Post Its and place them on a “Goals Board” to track their progress.

Organizational Uses

  • Temporary Labels: For file folders, parts of the room for a game, books, etc.
  • Post It Planner: Read the blog post to learn more!
  • Post It Lesson Plan Book: Read the blog post to learn more!
  • Idea Board: Got an idea (for a lesson, TpT product, teaching strategy, etc.)? Put it on a Post It and put it on the Idea Board. Take them off as you do them.
  • Reminders (another duh)
  • Task Management: Use Post Its to create a “To-Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done” board to help manage classroom tasks or project milestones.
  • Daily Schedule: Outline the day’s schedule or agenda on Post Its and stick them on a board, making it easy to adjust as needed.

Creative Uses

  • Use Part of a Pad of Post Its to Make a Flip-Book
  • Notes to Students: “Thanks for working quietly.” “See me at recess.” “Shhhhh.” etc.
  • Notes Students Write to Each Other: Just make sure they keep it positive.
  • Art Projects: Create Post It mosaics or collaborative art pieces by having students each contribute a decorated Post It.
  • Storytelling: Students can write parts of a story on sticky notes and arrange them to create a collaborative class story.

Practical Tips

  • Instant Name Tags
  • To Make a Seating Chart: One name per Post It – arrange and rearrange as needed.
  • One Word: Flush!
  • Two Words: Seat down.
  • Three Words: Wash your hands.
  • To Create Class Graphs
  • Student-Created Calendar Pieces: Each student gets to create one number for the month.
  • Scavenger/Treasure Hunts: Write the clues on Post Its.
  • Any Kind of Collaborative List: Great books, fun places to visit, types of dinosaurs, equations that equal 10, etc.
  • Personal Reminders: Have students write personal reminders on Post Its and stick them inside their planners or notebooks.
  • Check-In Board: Create a check-in board where students can place a Post It to indicate their current status (e.g., “Need Help,” “Working Independently”).

End-of-Year Activities

Organizational Tools

  • Labels for Piles of Paper: “To grade,” “Monday homework,” “Send Home,” etc.
  • Hidden Math: Here is a fun game. Number Post-Its and put a different math fact on each one. Hide around the room (easy ’cause they are sticky!). Give kids a numbered answer sheet and clip boards. See if they can find and solve all of the problems.
  • Quick Observational Notes: Keep stickies in a folder. Jot down notes about individual students as needed throughout the day. Later transfer to more permanent records.
  • Labels for In-Progress Science Experiments
  • Have Students Write Down Questions They Need Answered: Sometimes it is not the right time to ask. If they write them down, they can ask at a more appropriate time without forgetting.
  • Project Planning: Students can use Post Its to outline the steps of a project, making it easy to rearrange tasks as needed.

Other Cool Stuff

  • Interactive Displays: Create interactive bulletin boards where students can add their thoughts, ideas, or questions on Post Its.
  • Learning Stations: Mark different learning stations or centers with Post Its to indicate activities or instructions.

Here are some Post It Note things I saw on Amazon:

things to do with post it notes

Minds in Bloom

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