Classroom Idea: Nameplates

I don't know if you are like me or not.. but for years now nameplates on desks have bugged me.

For 9 years, I've either taped them down - which is a pain.  I hate taping them down, because it makes it challenging to truly clean the desks, and the kids peel the nameplate up and the tape isn't sticky anymore... and then you're taping them again.   Who has time for that?  

Last year, I tried to use velcro dots, which I was initially excited about.  It did work great for several months.  It was easier to clean the desks.  You just had to temporarily take the nameplate off and scrub.  Yay!  But then some of my friends started to play with the velcro... some of the dots mysteriously disappeared from the desks, some stopped working..   In the end my hopes were dashed.

So my newest idea came to me in the middle of the night, when I should've been sleeping.  In the middle of the year last year I saw an idea on Pinterest about using binder clips for name tags on mailboxes.  Loved the idea!  It worked so great!

Inspired by my love of binder clips, I decided to try to find ones that were a little bigger to use on my desks to hold the nameplates.  I sent the hubby off to the Dollar Store to score some binder clips.  I couldn't wait to get to school to try it out.  You should've seen my happy dance when they worked!

Added bonus of the binder clip.... built in pencil holder!  As long as you have an eraser cap on the pencil.

Before getting your binder clips, check to see how wide your desks are.  When I was helping a colleague to put the clips on the desks a few popped off at us.  The desks in that room were a little wider in the middle, so we had to move the clips to the edge a little.  It's only been 1 day in use, but I'm in love with my clips!

                                                          How do you put nameplates on desks?