Middle School Homework Board

One of my passions is teaching students skills that will serve them in any facet of life. Organization is part of my DNA. I LOVE to organize. And I love to teach my students how to be organized. It is so empowering for students when they learn how to manage their own schedules, resources, and responsibilities. One classroom tool that has assisted my students in staying organized is my homework board.

In an ideal classroom, the teacher has ample space on the white board for instruction and classroom announcements. However, it is challenging for many teachers to sacrifice precious white board space. I only have one white board in my classroom, and I hate to clutter it up! This takes away from using the white board as an instructional tool. To compound this issue, many intermediate and high school teachers have several sections throughout the day which each require their own announcements. Even with a lot of board space, this can be difficult to manage. I have also observed several teachers who spend a significant amount of time writing announcements and assignments every day. I just don’t have time to do this! But the value of having a visible announcement space cannot be understated. Regardless of the announcements that you post online, or the countless verbal reminders given on a daily basis, nothing compares with a visual classroom agenda. To combat all of these issues and to provide my students with a clear and concise visual agenda, I created a homework board.

My homework board consists of a small cork board that I found brand new at a yard sale. I printed class labels on colored card-stock and then laminated the labels. Then, I laminated tan pieces of card-stock so that I could write assignments with dry erase markers. I used heavy-duty duct tape to secure the labels to the cork board so that they would not move when I would write and erase. This worked great for a year but it still didn’t save me from spending precious time filling in the homework board. Also, I was constantly fixing the board from smudges!

This year, I added to my homework board to save myself some time and to enhance the clarity. I typed out all of my typical assignments and tests on colored card stock. Then, I cut the assignments into thin strips and laminated the strips. 

I attached Velcro to the back of each strip and to the assignment spaces on the cork board. You do not need to use a lot of Velcro because the strips are so light. I actually cut the Velcro patches into four separate pieces which went a long way. I didn’t want to limit what I could post based on the strips that I printed, so I left some fillable spaces on the strips in case I do not have the exact slip that I need for one of my classes. 

Now, my homework board is neat, clear, and super easy to manage! My students have absolutely no problem copying their work into their agendas and reminding themselves of upcoming due dates on a regular basis.