If you’re a teacher, or probably if you’ve ever been a student in a classroom, you have encountered student name sticks, or what my students loving refer to as “The Sticks of Doom”.
I called them “The Sticks of Opportunity”, but it just never stuck. 🤷♀️ So I just embraced their doom, and raised them some sound effects.
I’d ask a question, shake the sticks in my mug very loud, and very ominously say “dun, dun, duuunnnn!”. There are snickers some eye-rolls, but honestly they only fuel me more.
DIY Sticks with Student Names
I remember going right to Pinterest the summer before my first year of teaching, and there were so may very time consuming or kind of expensive ideas for what I thought was simple. 
If you’re like me, you need it to be practical and cute, but you can’t break the bank or spend forever making it. It’s ok to want things to look nice! In fact I think beauty of things is a lost art in the name of keeping things practical.
I found the perfect solution to this dilemma need something cute and easy: washi tape! There are so many prints and patterns that will instantly add the charm you’re looking for, but it is incredibly easy to make.
I like to use a large popsicle stick (not the really skinny ones that you find at the Dollar Tree). It’s worth grabbing larger ones like these. And the box will last you a few years!
After adding washi tape to the front and back of each stick, I used a Sharpie to add on each student’s name. I only added their name to one side (more about this later)!
Then, I also used Sharpie to color just the top edge of one end of the stick. (More on this later, too).
Other Alternatives to Sticks
Looking for a more creative idea than the popsicle sticks? Here are some of the others I have seen:
- Ping Pong balls in a fishbowl (with numbers)
- Small acrylic ducks with (numbers)
As a caveat, I know that numbers are a helpful tool in a classroom, but I do not like to call students by their number when answering questions. It removes part of the human aspect of discussion.
Making the Most of the Classroom Sticks
Like anything you might make for your classroom, it’s only going to serve your students if you actually use it.
Don’t make this too complicated. I use a mug that I love; it is pretty to look at on the shelf and it has a handle for easy grasp as I pull a name.
I kept it up front on the shelf under my white board, where I did most of my teaching.
Marking the Students You've Already Called On
By coloring a small bit on one end of the popsicle sticks, I can call on a student and flip over their stick in the mug to mark that I have already called on them. This is the easiest system that I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a lot😅).
Put the Sticks Back In
After I had a few years of teaching under my belt I started to notice how students let their guard down after I called on them. They knew they wouldn’t have to answer again until all the sticks were flipped.
So I did something revolutionary…
I started putting their names back in the mix. So yes, they could be called on three times in a row. I always joked an told the kids to buy a lottery ticket when that happened.
But something happened, everyone paid attention a lot more closely. No one was off the hook. Everyone was responsible for all the material taught.
Want to read more about asking good questions and holding students accountable in class? Read this post here!
Ways I used the Student Name Sticks
- Answering review questions
- Reading aloud
- Ensuring everyone contributes in a discussion
- Assigning classroom jobs
- Choosing who got the last of something
- Choosing who got to pick something first
- “This person gets to decide ___________”
- Making teams or groups for games
