Want a quick and easy way to save time in your classroom? Do you often find yourself printing out just a handful of icons for students at a time and still forgetting to print and prep some? This happens to me often. That’s when I started using a system to batch prep icons in my classroom. I set aside time every week to prep icons that we needed in our classroom. Want to know how I streamlined icon prep and saved time? Keep reading!
Setting up a batch prep system for icons was a life saver in my classroom.
1. Prepare Inventory Sheets
I created an icons needed inventory sheet for my classroom. I printed these and placed them in binders around my classroom. These were typically in places where we completed lessons and all staff members knew where the binders were.
When we found an icon had gone missing or we found a new reinforcer for students, we quickly jotted down what we needed. This running list helped me know what to prep.
I keep the following information on my inventory sheets:
- Icon needed: What’s the icon we’re missing?
- Icon type: PECS, Schedule, or other. This will tell me where we need to put the finished icons.
- If PECS, which student: I like to color code my communication icons, but this also tells me which book I need to place icons in.
- Check: I included a checklist so we can mark when icons are complete and pick up where we left off next time.
2. Choose a day for batch prepping
In my classroom, we have an early release day. This is the day that I choose to batch prep icons for my class. Every week, I sit down at my computer and print out any icons our students need. My paraprofessionals and I prep the icons.
I find that once a week is sufficient for batch prepping icons. Of course there are emergency situations where I would print a single icon, but this was rare.
3. Gather your inventory sheets & start prepping!
On my batch prep day, I would gather the binders from the various spots in our classroom. This way I have a list of every icon we need in the classroom. I work through each binder to create the icons that we need in our classroom.
Once I have created the icons, my paraprofessionals and I can quickly laminate and add Velcro to the icons so that they’re able to be used in the classroom.
Want to start batch prepping icons in your classroom and saving tons of time? Grab this FREE Icons Needed Inventory Sheet and you can start using this system now!
Do you have any other hacks for saving time and sanity in the special education classroom? Let me know in the comments!