MISSING YOU  Informing absent students about what they have missed can be a tedious chore, says Michael Brynda, fifth-grade teacher in Athens, N.Y. He has created a form letter with a brief message about "how we miss you," with blanks for the student's name and assignment. He asks one of the child's friends to fill in the name, assignment and a personal note, and when the student returns, he or she finds a record of missed work.
 

IN THE SQUARE  Pittsburgh, Pa., high school teacher Judy Reilly has another way of tracking missed assignments. She uses her seating chart to help; in each student's square she writes in pencil what is owed, erasing as assignments are completed. She also jots down other information (who borrowed a library book or who deservers a congratulations).
 

ON THE EDGE  Preserve your classroom posters by applying clear contact paper on the edges instead of covering the entire surface, suggests retired New York City teacher Marlene Glick. This will save on the cost and effort of "plasticizing" the entire poster; most posters can be adequately protected by this method, she notes, since the damage usually occurs around the edges.