My New Love #MTBoSBlaugust

I have a new love.

It happened quite impulsively and rather unexpectedly.

It's a set of "Reusable Dry-Erase Pockets."

I was targeted (quite effectively, I might add) by a Groupon ad in my Facebook feed. Twenty-five pockets for $20.

I know teachers have been using these for some time, and I am extremely late to the party. The girl who covered my leave last year and my 8th-grade math counterpart used them some last year.

I got them not knowing exactly when or how I would use them.

And then I had a bell-ringer planned that would require a little bit of paper - either a notecard from me or a piece of scratch paper from students - and the lightbulb went off! I put a blank piece of paper in each pocket and set the pockets in the trays under the desks. I told students to use the pockets for their "think work."

That same day we had an activity where students would need to show some work, and I told them to use the pockets instead of getting paper out.

I think we've used them almost every day since.

And I'm in love.

Students show me more work than I ever see on paper. If I ask them to explain something, I get beautiful explanations, unlike anything I've ever seen. They'll even explain something when I HAVEN'T asked them to explain!

If I'm helping a group of students, I use a pocket to show MY work to them.

Twice I've put a template in the pockets that students use to work a problem. For example, my Pre-Algebra kids drew a reflection using a coordinate plane and pre-image on what I put in the pocket.

I can't wait until we are graphing lines!

Students are beginning to reach for the pockets any time they want to do some "think work."

I've had to figure out a few things. The little erasers I bought were a pain to keep up with - and didn't fit nicely in the pocket - and my coworker recommended flannel squares to erase. Now each pocket has a marker and a flannel square, and there's less for me to have to think about when we use them.

I mentioned to one class that their work and explanations were so good with the pockets. One student said, "Because writing on these is FUN!" I told them this was the first year I've used the pockets, and they said, "You've never used them before? We got to be FIRST!"

I find it a little funny that, in an age of finding the latest and greatest tech tool to use with students, something so completely low-tech is making such a difference in my classroom.

I may be late to the party, but I'm glad I finally arrived!