How to recycle worksheets for new Do Now activities.

There are many reasons why we teachers should set the example in limiting the amount of copy work we do. At first it maybe difficult if you are in the habit of always running to the copy machine, but being able to show your students how just this simple act can save many trees and resources. It would be nice to know that we have planted a seed that no matter how small an act of reusing and recycling can affect future resources.

After you have used that worksheet for the given assignment don't throw it away. Remember for every worksheet that we have to copy we lose valuable resources as in trees. Think about how you can be a resourceful classroom teacher and reuse that worksheet. Also some schools have cut their budget for paper in half because of funding and the waste by some teachers.
The first ideas I will give you is how to use that worksheet for weekly Do Nows. It will save you having to come up with something for them to do every morning. This is the easiest place to start to develop ideas for morning Do Now activities or time fuller activities during the day. By utilizing used worksheets more then once it eliminates a lot of extra copy work and in turn saves trees. When teachers utilize used worksheets it enables us to show our class that even this small activity can impact the ecology by:
* saving valuable budget money for paper
* saving energy by not running the copy machine
* saving money on repairs of the copy machine
* saving money by not buying toner
* setting an example to students on conserving resources
* most important we are saving a very important natural resource trees

One of the easiest ways to start being a resourceful teacher in the area of reusing worksheets is to start using them for vocabulary building.
Once a worksheet is used have the students make lists of nouns, adjectives, verbs or any other form of vocabulary lists from the worksheet.
Once these lists are made you can do the following activities:
* using a list of nouns have them divide the list into common nouns by person, place or thing. Using the same list have them divide them in proper nouns and give you the common noun that goes with the proper noun.
* Using the list of adjectives have them partner the adjective with a noun to describe it.
* using adjectives have them write synonyms, and antonyms for each one
* using a list of verbs have them write the verb in different grammar tense then us in a sentence.

Even if you are teaching a foreign language these are the easiest activities to start with:
* if you teach Spanish have them use these lists for translation activities
* then have them use the words in sentences
* have them convert those sentences into the past tense or future test.
* if you are using verbs have them write those verbs in the form of the eight pronoun for example hacer; yo hago, tu haces, el hace, ud. hace and so on.
* if you are using a list of nouns have them divide the list into common nouns by person, place or thing.
* Using the same list have them divide them into proper nouns and give you the common noun that goes with the proper noun.
* Using the list of adjectives have them partner the adjective with a noun to describe it.
These are just a few activities to get you started there will be more to come. Just wetting your teacher whistle. Happy teaching.