Printing on sticky notes is an incredibly easy way to make lessons more interactive while saving paper (I’m all about saving the trees). In this post, I’ll show you how to print on post-it notes in three easy steps and how I use sticky notes in my classroom.

Step 1: Grab Materials

You will need a sticky note template, sticky notes (I recommend Post-It), and a printer (I have the HP 4520 with Instant Ink).

Now if you want to make your own sayings and organizers, there are many sellers on Teachers Pay Teachers who have FREE templates. Just type in sticky note templates and then select free on the left hand side. You could also make your own on Powerpoint or Microsoft Word.

If you’ve bought a post-it resource for your classroom it should include a template within the product. 

Step 2: Print your Post-It template & place your sticky notes

Your template will look something like this… It will have six boxes and a label or indication of where the “top” of the page is.

Place a sticky note directly on the boxes.

Make sure you put the sticky part at the top. This is especially important for placing your sticky notes; otherwise, it will likely fall off or get lost in the printer. All sticky notes should be going in the same direction.

Step 3: Print!

This is where things can get sticky (sorry – I had to!). You really have to get to know your printer.

First, make sure that the sticky part of your Post-It goes into the paper tray first.

Next you’ll need to figure out how the ink is applied to the paper – do you have to put the post-its face down or face up? This won’t take long to figure out. Most printers, including my own, want the paper facing downwards.

If you’re struggling to figure this out – I draw a dot on one of the corners and print something small. Pay attention to how you put the paper in and where the dot is located. After an attempt or two you’ll start to notice things like “okay the dot has to be face down and towards me for things to print the way that I want.” Here is also another helpful blog post about it. 

This process is super easy…especially once you’ve gotten to know your printer. After the first try to two you’ll be printing on sticky notes like a champ.

It’s also important to mention that you CAN do this on your copier at school. It just takes some trial and error.

As always, if you have ANY questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me! I’m so excited for you guys to test these out in your classroom! If you’re interested in how I use these in my classroom – keep reading 🙂

How I Use Sticky Notes in My Classroom

Being able to print on sticky notes is incredibly useful and a fun way to change things up in your lessons. Something about using sticky notes always gets students excited and engaged!

Show What You Know

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They have also been great for a quick exit ticket and students can quickly stick them on my “Show What You Know” board.

Checking for Comprehension

I typically use the Reading Comprehension with Sticky Notes during small group or guided reading as a quick formative assessment, and as graphic organizers during whole group instruction. Other times, I may use them during social studies to integrate various reading skills throughout my lesson.

What I love about using sticky notes instead of worksheets is that students are responding to what they read, checking for comprehension, and thinking critically with a small amount of space. It encourages students to really get to the answer in a neat and concise way.

It also helps me to quickly get a snapshot of what students have truly mastered a skill or and which students need more time with that particular skill.

I’ve also used sticky notes for motivational and personalized notes, especially during testing season. On the first day of state testing, I leave a short note in hopes of making them feel more confident and happy. Sometimes kids need to be told how proud you are.

There are so many ways to use sticky notes in the classroom, I could really go on forever.

If you’re interested in learning some of my other classroom tips and tricks, check out some of my other blog posts. I talk about using QR codes in the classroom, my favorite digital sites, and my top 10 teacher hacks!