Pen and Pencil Pockets

If your students use composition notebooks for writing, here is an idea that keeps a pen or pencil handy. I learned it from the wonderful second-grade teachers at Helen Haller Elementary in Sequim, Washington.

By sending out a plea to friends, family, and students' families for old jeans, they are able to collect enough pockets for everyone in the room.

They carefully cut out the entire pocket and affix it to the front of the notebook with strong glue (like Crafter's Pick or Tacky Glue). 

Once the pockets are dry, they slip a pen or pencil in and students are ready to go.

You might want to check the pockets first. Renee Mullikin said, "Ivy was so excited to have her pocket—when she looked inside there was a $20 bill. We figured out that the pocket was from my daughter’s jeans, so Ivy graciously returned it to her." Ha ha!