Today I have a fun tip for saving ink and making your classroom oh so colorful - bright paper! My school doesn't have color printers, so everything that I want in color, I have to print at home. It was a big shock to me a few years ago and I went through cartridge after cartridge trying to bring color into my classroom. As we know, color can cultivate creativity and make a classroom warm and inviting. But did you also know that it can increase retention by 18%, accelerate learning by 55-78%, and also increase comprehension by 73%? (According to the Color Marketing Group). Color is pretty amazing!
I couldn't keep spending my whole paycheck on ink, so I started making things for my classroom in blackline and printing them on colored paper. They still look great! So when Astrobrights contacted me about sampling their line of colors, I was so excited! I knew these would be wonderful for my classroom!
Here are all the colors that Astrobrights makes - in regular paper and in cardstock.
I printed vocab cards for Enemy Pie, from Stephanie Stewart's Back to School Bash.
I printed my math critical thinking question freebie to post around my calendar.
I printed this Juice Box Bully craft from Across the Hall in 2nd Grade's Bully Book Pack. The great thing about using colored cardstock for crafts is that the paper fits perfectly in the copy machine! So easy!
And here's a little sneak peek at my finished classroom! This is my math wall. Can you spot the question discussion starters?
Astrobrights is having an awesome back to school contest where one teacher from each state can win a $250 gift card to colorize their classroom. You can enter through their facebook page! All you have to do is share a picture of how you colorize your classroom! You can get more details at ColorizeYourClassroom.com.
But lucky for us - one Teaching With Style reader will also win this same box full of paper, plus a $50 gift card to Office Depot! Woot! Good luck!
What a great giveaway! Your classroom looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteI use color paper in my room to help brighten up the displays. Thanks for a great giveaway.
ReplyDeleteLaura
Those colors are awesome! It is amazing how they pop! Your classroom photo looks so inviting!
ReplyDeleteI also print my centers and interactive notebooks on colored paper to save money on ink!
ReplyDeleteAll those great pinks and purples!!
ReplyDeleteCard stock makes great journal covers, vocab books, interactive math books, oh my... I just realized how much I need to do before school starts in 2 weeks!
DeleteI love the Astrobrights line! Whenever I have a really important paper to send home, I always copy it onto Astrobright paper so it will jump out at parents :)
ReplyDeleteKate
EduKate and Inspire
I use bright paper to send home notices to parents so that they stand out in the folder. I also use them for game cards and student awards!
ReplyDeleteaconnolly1216 at gmail dot com
I hear you about so much money on colored ink! I can usually convince my secretary to print a few things- but man! The ink is SO expensive! I started printing- just like you mentioned above- black ink on colored paper. Almost all of my center games and activities are like this!
ReplyDeleteI love Astrobright paper...in fact I bought another pack today. I use it for all kinds of things but mainly to run games and centers activities on for my kids!
ReplyDeleteI love to make games with bright papers! I also use it for notes for parents so they stand out in their take home binders.
ReplyDeleteI print task cards onto colored paper.
ReplyDeleteI love using bright colored paper for certificates & important notes home. I'm always running out, I use it so much!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
Seconds at the Beach
My favorite part of colored paper is making crafts for my darlings... it makes life so much easier! :-) Copy friendly!
ReplyDeleteI love to use bright paper for room decorations, important notes home to parents and for our workshop activities. Different colors are great for differentiating an activity and you can see at a glance across the room if a student has the appropriate materials. We also do a scrapbook page each month with a our students' favorite memories and a picture. I always buy Astrobright paper for this.
ReplyDeleteThis is so generous!!!!!!!! I need all of the help I can get and I love every single color :) :) :) :)
ReplyDeleteI use color for decorating and activities. I just made my word wall using astrobright paper!
ReplyDeleteCenter games.
ReplyDeleteI use it for covers of center booklets and for my classroom money
ReplyDeleteIi use it for centers/notes to students and parents/crafts/ covers of books/projects...lots of ways!
ReplyDeleteI color code my centers, as well as many of the activities. I also color code my levels with in the activities for easy sorting. I also use color astrobrite paper for color coding spelling words by week or theme.
ReplyDeletePauline
First Grade by the Sea
I usually use colored paper to send important notes home. I like to think it gets the parents' attention! I have also used it for color coding materials. Thank you for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteLove astrobrights!!
ReplyDeleteColored paper helps me organize ... Setting up group directions, organizing my files by subject, and sending home reminder sheets that are sure to attract attention.
ReplyDeleteI did a lot this year like you did - using the bright colors as the background with black ink from the copier. Thanks so much for the giveaway,
ReplyDeleteKatie
I Want to be a Super Teacher
I use colored paper for different craftivities to go along with our writing projects!
ReplyDeleteLove pretty colored paper!
Shelby
First Time Firstie
I use it to decorate, I can't afford the ink!
ReplyDeleteAs a Title 1 teacher I find that if I print sight words, to practice at home, on colorful cardstock, they are are excited about using them and less like to lose the cards. I usually punch holes in the corner and cut a piece of pipe cleaner, carefully folded to prevent poking fingers, shaped into a ring to hold them together.
ReplyDeleteLove this idea :)
ReplyDeleteI use colored paper for everything! We have a color printer at our school but it is supposed to be used SPARINGLY so I print on colored paper to add a little extra something :)
ReplyDeleteKristin
kristinbrehm@gmail.com
I use it for many things but love the ABC wall as the letters pop out using colours!
ReplyDeleteI don't print out very often on colored paper. I will do it a lot more now. It saves so much on ink.
ReplyDeleteBulletin boards, games, certificates jaglanzer@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI like to use it for forms on Open House Nights, Conferences, etc. and also for important letters sent home.
ReplyDeleterigbys2014@gmail.com
I am going to start using interactive notebooks this year and I love the way other teachers use the bright paper to make it stand out. That looks so cute and it saves time because the kids don't have to color the pages.
ReplyDeletei use it to print special worksheets on or items that will go on the walls
ReplyDeleteI use it for parent notes, special holidays and lots of different ways. I love astrobrights paper!
ReplyDeleteI use Astrobrights for flyers and classwork. For home, I like to use Astrobrights paper because sometimes the stuff I send home "competes" with the stuff of life on the kitchen counter, and having it stick out can sometimes make all the difference. Color coding papers for my Learning Stations helps to keep my sanity.
ReplyDeleteI love it! :)
ReplyDeleteToday I used colored paper for interactive notebooks and center games. : )
ReplyDelete