CONTACT LOG Document all communication with parents using a five-subject notebook, suggests sixth-grade teacher Monica Morselli of Bethpage, N.Y. Using each section of the notebook for one class, Morselli staples an index card with one student's name on it to the top of each page. When she needs to make several phone calls, her index cards make the pages easy to find, and she records all communications on that student's page. This is an excellent time-management tool and provides an important record of parent contact, she notes.
 

MAP SKILLS When changing her classroom seating plan, third-grade teacher Linda Gabriele of Valley Cottage, N.Y., puts a map of the new classroom arrangement on the blackboard, complete with cardinal points and classroom "landmarks." Students are responsible for moving their desks to their new locations, which all are marked on the map. This is a good activity for a Friday afternoon, she notes.
 

ON THE EDGE When clear adhesive tape snaps back and gets stuck flat on the roll, you can find the elusive "edge" using common classroom items, suggests Paul Blundin of Wallingford, Pa. Remove the roll of tape from its holder and drag the roll horizontally and vertically across the back of a mousepad (or any "catchy" material such as a carpet pad, Velcro or blackboard eraser). Continue rubbing until a dark line appears on the roll; that's where the tape ends.