Back to school is a fun time for children. Teachers spend this month prepping their classrooms and thinking about what supplies they’ll need. An essential element of preparing for a successful and organized school year for both parents and teachers is school labels.
Teachers need to know what is in every bin and on each shelf in their classrooms. Labels help keep the classroom organized all school year long.
And for parents, labels help indicate the items that belong to their child. That way, everything that goes to school comes back home. This includes jackets, lunch boxes and school supplies.
So what are school labels and how can you print them easily to meet your needs this school year? Here’s what you need to know.
School Labels for Teachers
School teachers have an important job. But it’s far from easy. To support your efforts, you should consider these label use cases to help support a successful school year.
1. Labeling Personal Materials
Teachers need to indicate what materials children should return when completing a craft or activity. A simple way of doing that is to label scissors, containers or personal items with the teacher’s name. Otherwise, the materials might leave the classroom and never return, which can put a strain on a teacher’s budget.
To start that school year, print 20-30 labels that say “This belongs to [insert teacher’s name].” That way, you’re prepared for anything and can place these in your desk for the school year. The labels don’t need to be anything fancy, but you do want them to be bold enough to stand out and clearly mark your materials.
2. Label Containers so Children Can Put Things Away
Empower children to help you manage the preschool classroom. If the children in your class are young, such as pre-K through 1st grade, consider adding images to show children what goes inside in addition to the words for the items.
This will help you keep things organized and start training children to put things away when they are done.
3. Print Labels with Your Students’ Names
Inevitably, parents will send something to school that is missing their child’s name. Be prepared for that with labels that have your students’ names printed on them. This will help you remember what items to send home with which child.
4. Make Job Charts and Label Jobs in the Classroom
Job charts are great, but in early childhood education classes, it’s tough for children to relate their job charts to what they are supposed to do. Label various areas of the classroom with pictures that match the job chart along with words saying what a child should do there.
For example, if the child’s job this month is to feed the fish, put a label on the fish tank that reminds them.
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5. Label Cubbies or Hooks for Children’s Belongings
Show children where to put their things to avoid chaos at the beginning and end of the day. And that way, if you need to add materials to a child’s backpack, such as completed art projects, you will know right where their bags are.
This can also begin to teach children personal responsibility for caring for their things. Train children to put their belongings back in their cubby when they are done with them.
6. Mark Workbooks for Each Child
Sometimes workbooks never go home with a child. They are specifically designed for in-class sessions. But to give each child privacy for their work, you can label the workbooks so that you return the same one to the child each day.
Parent Tips for Labeling Items that Go to School
When a parent sends something to school with a child, they hope it comes back. If you’re labeling things manually, here’s how you can make things so much simpler with school labels.
1. Water Bottle
Your child’s teacher will appreciate it if you label your son or daughter’s reusable water bottle. With many children in the classroom, it can be challenging to know whose is whose. But parents who clearly label the bottle show teachers what items belong to each child.
2. Lunchbox
After lunch when teachers are trying to get children to return to engaging with the learning material, lunchboxes might go everywhere. But if the lunchbox has your child’s name on it, you’re more likely to see it in the child’s backpack at the end of each day. Teachers do their best to remember what items belong to each child, but they have plenty to manage in the classroom.
3. Backpack
Popular character backpacks might be a dime a dozen in classrooms. If your child has a trending backpack, consider how teachers will tell it apart from other children’s who have a similar design. Labeling a child’s backpack ensures you always get the right materials sent home and that your child will have the necessary means to complete their homework.
4. School Supplies
Purchasing school supplies at the beginning of the semester is a fun activity for most children. Picking fun folders, attractive binders and materials that match your child’s personality and interests will help make an enjoyable experience for them.
But to ensure that your child’s materials don’t get mixed up with their peers’ materials, you should label the larger items to keep things clear.
5. Stuffed Animal
Preschoolers are often permitted to bring a stuffed animal with them for naptime. If your preschool allows for these special items, you might consider putting a label on the tag. You don’t want to discover at bedtime that your child’s comfort item is still at school!
6. Show and Tell Item
Show and tell helps children practice presentation and social skills and share a little about themselves with their class. It’s a fun activity that helps children engage in the classroom setting. But it also presents new items that teachers have to keep track of and parents have to worry about returning home. To prevent anything unexpected, you should label these materials clearly before sending them to school.
Best Label Printer for Back-to-school
Parents and teachers don’t need tons of label-printing power. For most labeling needs, a mobile label printer will suffice. The Epson LabelWorks LW-PX300 Industrial Label Printer is simple to use and prints basic labels.
This type of label maker is a tape label maker, which means it prints on a small strip of the label to meet diverse needs. The tape can be up to ¾ an inch wide. And you can purchase the tape in a variety of colors and styles to accomplish your needs.
Another great printer in this category is the Epson LabelWorks LW-PX400 Industrial Label Printer. This printer is less than 3 pounds and easy to carry to and from school when you need to. For parents, it fits easily into a kitchen drawer in case you need to print a label quickly for a lunchbox or other item going to school with your child. You can print from iOS or Android wirelessly, making it super convenient for busy parents and teachers.
Need help finding the right labels or label printer to meet your needs? Our helpful staff is ready to guide you toward the items you need. Contact us now to start preparing your classroom for the season.
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