Nov 14, 2012

A Creative Way to Label Your Tables

Labeling tables is a quick way to add structure to your art room. With table labels, it’s so much easier to ask a certain group of students to quiet down, call students from one place to another or delegate clean-up jobs. Watch today’s video to see how I created table labels that will last for years.

Do you have any other creative ways to label tables? We’d love to hear about them!

http://www.theartofed.com/ Cassidy Reinken

LOVE this idea! I just thinking about how I wish I had my tables labeled. I too have the problem of not being able to hang things from the ceiling. So happy I now have a solution! Thanks for sharing!
- Arlene Morrison
  
  I hang empty cans of paint from the ceiling ( big silver gallon cans from the hardware store) they were cheap to buy. I made my own labels with a different color for each table. Then I draped a colored scarf (like the ones used for dancing in music class) from each can. It looks really cool to have them hanging (as long as you have the ability to do so) I also use them to reinforce color concepts: for example I may say “The color that is mixed from red and yellow may line up”… or I may say “if you are a primary color AND a cool color, you may line up”… etc.
  - http://www.theartofed.com/ Jessica Balsley
    
    Love the paint can idea! Brilliant!
http://drawthelineat.blogspot.com/ Jen

Great idea!!
Cynthia

To color label tables, I love my clear colored acrylic boxes (Amac) (http://www.containerstore.com/shop?showDS=true&Ns=p_sort_default%7C0&Ntt=amac&submit=GO) shows the ones I have purchased.
- I just figured out how to post them below – each image shows a bunch of the rectangular prisms stacked on top of each other. I use a medium/large sized one per table.

I also created a template for a strip of paper around around the bottom inside of the prims (3 inches hig)h which shows a shape on each face of the box – I rotate the boxes so that they are at a 45 degree angle to the table (in the center) so that each child has a shape facing them. (I also put a large image of the shape in each corner of the room, so the circles always should face the circle corner of the room – I can say: circles, get the pencil bins; triangle, bring up the….. Very helpful and quick. I wish that I had super-glued the tops on, because sometimes the students need to move them (to their “table tray”) if we need to do a super wash of the table, and if they lift them by the top, the bottom can fall. When I line up my students, I use the table colors to reinforce learning as well – “students at warm colored tables” can line up. Or, “students at primary colored tables” can line up. This also helps me quickly see who needs a refresher. They are very pretty to look at as well.

Cynthia
- http://www.artbke.blogspot.com/ Amanda Heyn
  
  Your system sounds awesome, Cynthia! Thanks for sharing.
Kiara

I put colored duct or vinyl tape around the edge of the tape around the edge of the table. Yes, kids pick at it but its very easy and cheap to replace. Usually I only have to fix a small area of the table tape once a month.
- Kiara
  
  whoops, regard the typo where i write “edge of the tape”…should have proofread!
ATHG

I picked these up at Ikea this year. I slipped cut pieces of construction paper into them, and done. The kids play with them from time to time, but it’s a heck of a lot better than having to replace the taped labels on the tables that I used to use.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30151035/
- http://www.artbke.blogspot.com/ Amanda Heyn
  
  Love IKEA. I love to pick up small containers for passing out supplies. Great idea!
Cboggs73

Several years ago I bought a set of different leaf stencils. I used acrylic paint to stencil a different color leaf in the center of each table. The leaves are still there, slightly worn, but easy to reprint when needed.
Silvios

I use the letters A R T S for my four tables. I also have a three sided hanging tent over each table with the upper case letter on one side, the lower case letter on another, and then artists works with names beginning with that letter on the other side. This helps the students be able to clearly see where they need to go upon entering the room and they don’t “pick” at it since it is above their table.
Jesebring

I label my tables by artists and change the artist every year so hopefully from k-5 the students are exposed to over 40 artists. I also put number stickers on each stool and the number corresponds to a job robot. http://www.artfor1170.blogspot.com/search/label/art%20room%20management
- http://www.artbke.blogspot.com/ Amanda Heyn
  
  hahahaha. Your monster sweeper is so funny! I think I need to try that at my own house :)
Mrs.Conway

I also have my tables labeled by color and number. I love it for many reasons, but one in particular… At the end of class, when everyone is working on their clean-up jobs (also assigned by table number on a job chart), it can get pretty noisy. To get their attention when it’s time to line up, I have a system that works great for me:

I have laminated cards in the colors of their tables and, when I want them to stop cleaning and sit down, I hold up all of the colors. {For “certain” classes- you know ;) – I also start counting to see how long it takes them to get seated quietly so they can try to beat their time from the week before.} When I see a table clean, quiet, and “Listening like Lisa” (sitting like Mona Lisa with head up, hands folded, a smile, and eyes always following you), I pull their table’s color and they silently line up. One thing that really works well about this is that they know that not only do they have to stay quiet when the colors are up, but so do I!
- http://www.artbke.blogspot.com/ Amanda Heyn
  
  I love “listening like Lisa!” How fun.
Lmcroce

I have 6 tables, so each table has a hanging crayon over it, r-o-y-g-b-v, and i arranged them so one side of the room is warm, one is cool, and also, any table across from eachother is its opposite color. Not only is this good for calling tables, but it reinforces the color wheel. “Cool color tables, you may line up” “Red and its compliment, you can line up”
- Lmcroce
  
  Oh, and PS, the reason I hung the crayons instead of taping them to the table, because after washing the tables 6 times a day, the tape would start to peel, and it was beyond obnoxious to look at.