Pocket Mailboxes

by Renell McCoy
(Humble, Texas)

I wish I could take credit for this creative idea, but I have to give it to a great friend of mine who is not even a teacher!

She found this pocket chart and together we came up with multiple ways it could be used in my third grade classroom.

Its main function serves as a mailbox for each student.

Each pocket has a place to insert a photo.

I am using panda bears with the student’s name until I can get their photos taken.

They keep their weekly take home folders in their pocket, along with any assignments they are still working on.

I've provided two file folders for each student,and printed labels for each one (“Work I need to finish” and “Work I need to keep”.)

Graded papers and other school forms are kept in their weekly take home folder.

I also decided to use this for their job assignments. I created a job for each student and wrote the jobs on a clothes pin. Because some jobs are done only in the morning or at dismissal, clips are moved daily (by the “clip manager”) so that each student has a new job each day.

It only has twelve pockets, so I did have to get two and they hang on the back of my library shelf.

I love that the kids are learning the importance of staying organized.

Instead of putting loose papers inside their desks, they know to put incomplete work inside their mailbox folders.

And for an added bonus, it takes up no floor or wall space!