Teach Mental Math
Mental math means that students complete mathematical questions in their mind without the aid of pencil and paper. This is one of those skills that can seem impossible to some, but with some practice, mental math becomes easier all the time. The paper-saving trick here is that you don't need a copy of the page for each student; you don't even need a single copy if you can write the questions on a chalk board, a white board or display the worksheet on a screen. By the way, students who practice mental math strategies are usually quite successful in math class.
Share the Worksheet
Know other teachers who teach the same lessons? How about other home schooling parents? Instead of printing pages all the time, make a little booklet of common pages and share it around. Students can complete the necessary work on an erasable board, using math manipulatives, using technology or using a mental strategy.
In a classroom setting, rotating students through stations, using collaborative groups or pairs means fewer copies needed. Teachers can also display a worksheet with an overhead projector, or an interactive white board and use the same one from year to year.
Re-Purpose the Paper
Okay, we understand... you've printed 500 pages and used an entire package of paper. Now that the students have completed all of the worksheets, mastered each topic and gone on to bigger and better things, what do you do with all of the paper? Well, you could get out the hole punches, turn it all into confetti and sell it to wedding parties, but that's a little messy. You could shred it and use it as bedding for your hamster. Or you could use the other side of the paper for scrap which brings us to the next idea...
Don't Forget to Use Both Sides
Using both sides of the paper is standard practice, we hope. If you don't have two math worksheets to print, try printing some lines on the opposite side. Once you're finished with the math worksheet, you can use the lined side for notes, other school work, writing, etc. You could also print some graph paper on the opposite side of some of the paper and use it for other math activities or in the same way that lined paper is used. A hole punch and a binder will keep all of those loose papers organized nice and neat! Some people also cut up the pages with a blank side, staple them together and use them as scratch pads.
Paper Mache or Fish Wrap Anyone?
There are thousands of uses for used paper, bounded only by your imagination or a Google search. Some of our favorites include: paper mache, fish wrap, garden mulch, shredded paper fire logs, and origami.
Recycle the Leftovers
Do we really need to say it? Once you're done conserving paper to begin with and reusing what you can, stack the rest neatly into the recycling bin to be turned into something new. Remember, the more you reuse, the better, because there is a cost to recycling. Consider the energy (e.g. gas for the truck) it takes to gather all of the used paper, break it up into pulp, turn it into another product, then transport it again.
Have a great Earth Day! We hope your day isn't too bright (since you turned off the lights), you enjoy your crunchy locally sourced vegetables (since cooking them would take electricity), and you plant a few trees to make up for the worksheets you used in the past year.
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