Super Stickers for Today’s Multi-Tasked Teachers

Fifty odd years ago, the innovative types and vast varieties of stickers that are available nowadays didn’t exist, nor did forward-thinking companies like Labels4School. In fact, there was virtually no market or demand for stickers from anyone, other than commercial or industrial companies, least of all from teachers.

Stick-On Stars

At the time, in a primary school classroom environment, teachers issued deserving pupils with a brightly coloured star in recognition of the child’s efforts and/or achievements. Stars of all colours were eagerly collected and proudly displayed by young recipients.

Stick-on stars were the stickers of their era, the closest thing to today’s host of modern offerings. Silver and gold stars were particularly sought-after, since they represented the pinnacles of achievement, as judged by the teacher.

Contemporary Stickers

The picture has changed completely – no pun intended – since many such latter-day stick-on labels are specifically designed to be visually pleasing and decorative, in addition to having practical functions for a multitude of persons and organisations.

Stickers, defined by one source as “a type of label: a printed piece of paper, plastic, vinyl or other material with pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side”, are now exceptionally popular with all the afore-mentioned groups and many, many others.

General Purposes, Uses and Types

Stickers are used for innumerable purposes and reasons, which are not limited to, but include:

• Cautionary messages, warnings or warning signage
• Brief information or instructions
• Identification
• Differentiation
• Indicative of team or group and a much more cost-effective way of doing so than buying and custom-branding separate sets of team wear
• Method of allocating numbers that indicate on-field positions in certain sports codes
• Supporters’ badges, indicating allegiance
• Person’s name or manufacturer’s name and/or brand or logo
• Indicator of contents, subject matter or purpose
• Humour
• Inspirational message
• Motivation
• Encouragement
• Incentives
• Symbolic recognition of achievement or reward
• Removable name tags on garments worn by delegates and guests
• Windscreen stickers
• Books, particularly those of scholars and students
• Bumpers
• Series of stickers, popular with collectors and traders
• Marketing, advertising and promotional tools
• Encouraging and fostering young children’s creative and artistic interests and abilities, as well as basic, early hand-eye coordination
• An invaluable reward and incentivising aid for teachers, especially appreciated by those in charge of primary grades

Teachers

Unless you have been or are still a member of the teaching profession, or you live with someone who is a schoolteacher, you probably have no real idea of how hard these trusted educators of young children work, how many hours they put into their variety of tasks.

You’re also possibly unaware how many diverse skills are required to not only teach, but most importantly, to ensure that their young charges concentrate and absorb the content of lessons, so essential for pupils’ personal growth, performance in and outside the classroom, and their intellectual development.

Although today’s teachers in state-run South African schools are typically in charge of an average of 30 plus pupils per class, they are nevertheless required to provide as much individual attention to children as is possible, particularly to those for whom occasional one-on-one interaction is essential.

Teachers of junior grades are acutely aware that they’re working with youngsters during their most formative years, which are invariably highly influential in their future, as adults. Educating malleable young minds is a huge responsibility.

Time constraints, combined with significant multi-tasking, demand a great deal from educators, who appreciate the use of practical, affordable aids that streamline certain aspects of teaching and which are simultaneously prized by their charges.

Themed Stickers

Designed to encourage, incentivise, motivate, reward and appeal to children, while enabling the teacher to do exactly that in a unique, easy, and affordable way, the Labels4Schools range of themed, colourful stickers are the perfect fit for both parties and numerous purposes – pupils’ merit, growth mindset, reward and chart-topping Principal’s Award, for particularly meritorious behaviour or performance.