I DO laminate all games and activities that will be handled by the sweeties.
But after many years I have come to an understanding with my dear darling husband that a printer-ink budget comes along with life married to me.
I would rather print a new set of things each year than waste time laminating.
Here are a few things to consider before you laminate EVERY piece of paper that is going into your classroom.
1. Time vs Money
How much is your time worth? I replaced the coloured ink in my printer twice last year, and printed everything I wanted. What can you do with your time that you usually spend laminating?2. Laminating Expense
If you don't laminate you are not purchasing pouches, and you can offset your ink cost.When I laminated, I had to accomodate storage of the laminated treasures. Because they can NEVER be thrown out you know, you are laminating them to use FOREVER.
When I went to a print and recycle and print again system - I didn't have to worry about storage or tubs or the hassle of storage for the storage tubs.
Life got much easier. And less expensive funnily enough.
3. Glare Baby Glare
I love decorated classrooms, but walls full of plastic glare. Not for me. Nor is visual overload. If you need a poster for every mortal concept covered in a curriculum, consider rotating them or having them in a flip file format.Posters without glare are more readily accessed by students.
4. Environment
Plastic can take from 450 to 1000 years (and even more) to disappear off our planet. That is a huge burden. Plain paper? About 5 months.Glass (hmmmm iPad) - 1,000,000 years.
5. Consume vs Create
I like the message plain uncoated paper sends my students. Paper is creative. Flexible. I can change, modify and make with it. It reeks of opportunity.6. Need
Do you really need to laminate those alphabet posters? Are they really going to be rendered useless after a year if they have not been laminated?Are you honestly going to use them again next year and not want a change in style and design to match your newest decor?
Laminate only the things you know you will use for a lifetime.
These fun math activities have been laminated and certainly will need it with all the little fingers using them!
Fill it Up will help students work on counting up to 30!
Heart Number Order is a fun way to practice counting and numeral formation up to 50.
By laminating this, students can use dry erase markers and practice over and over again!
