DIY Magnetic Classroom Attendance & Lunch Count Board

Make classroom management easier with a DIY Magnetic Classroom Attendance & Lunch Count Board!

My husband's classroom is ready to go! The last thing he needed was something that would help him be able to record student attendance and lunch counts in an easier and faster way. He's a big fan of allowing the students to become independent in his classroom, so I think this DIY Magnetic Classroom Attendance & Lunch Count Board is going to be really helpful!

I started by making a magnet for each student. They are really simple to make, but it takes a little bit of time for the glue to dry. Here's what you'll need:

• Large, clear glass gems
• 3/4 inch magnets
• 1 inch circle paper punch
• Aleene's Clear Gel Tacky Glue
• Names (or numbers), printed on copy paper with a laser printer

Print each student's name out on copy paper with a laser printer. Cardstock is too thick and peels up around the edges (just trust me). If you use an inkjet printer, the glue can make the ink run and make the words unreadable. If you don't want to write names, you can assign each student a number instead! Do what works for you. Just make sure that when you type up the names/numbers that they look best when they are 3/4" wide.

Cut out the names with the 1 inch paper punch. Add a small drop of glue on the flat side of the glass gem. Place the paper circle face down onto the gem and press to evenly distribute the glue. Let the glue dry.

Next, add a small drop of glue to one side of a magnet, then press it down onto the back side of the paper circle. Hold it in place for a minute or two, and set it aside away from the other magnets to let dry completely. Repeat the process until all the magnets are assembled!

To make your board, you'll need a few supplies:

• 14x16 baking sheet - we found a 2-pack at Walmart
• Cricut Maker, Explore or other cutting machine
• Foil Adhesive Vinyl
• Transfer Tape

Here's what you'll need to cut out for a 14x16 board:

• One 14"x1/4" strip
• Three 5"x1/4" strips
• "Attendance" or "Absent" wording, 1" high
• "Home", "Lunch 1", and "Lunch 2" wording, 1" high

I used Design Space to make the strips and to type up my wording with a superhero-style font. Once I was done, I loaded some turquoise foil adhesive vinyl into the machine and cut everything out.

Weed out the vinyl by taking away all the parts you don't need - don't forget to remove the insides of the letters! Cut a piece of transfer tape and place it over the vinyl. Press it down well, and use a sraper tool or a credit card to get the vinyl to stick to it well. Gently peel the transfer tape back (re-scrape if the vinyl didn't stick) away from the vinyl backing.

Carefully place the vinyl where you want it on the board. Press well and scrape again to get the vinyl to stick. Peel the transfer tape back and re-scrape the vinyl down if it didn't stick.

After everything has been placed on the board, you're almost done! Make sure you don't have edges peeling up or any bubbles.

Place your magnets on the board under "Attendance". When the students come into the classroom, they can move their name down to the lunch option of their choice. Now all my husband has to do is look at the board to easily mark attendance, and the student responsible for turning in the lunch count can do their job quickly.