I hate the waiting, the reminding, everything about it. Maybe it's because I came from middle school, the land of no lunch count. Whatever the case may be, taking lunch count ranks low on my favorites list.
Last year I used a SmartNotebook file for my students to make their lunch choice. Students moved their name to their choice and then got started on their morning routines. I liked this method, but I always wished that I could come up with another method so that I could free my SmartBoard up for other things, like a morning message. I considered cards, magnets, you name it. I finally came up with a new solution. May I present to you, the paper plate clothespin method: