As an elementary teacher, having the right supplies can make a world of difference in creating an organized, efficient, and engaging classroom. Over the years, I’ve discovered a few must-haves that have become staples in my teaching toolkit. When friends ask me what to give a new teacher... I share this list. #teacherwishlist
1. Dry-Erase Pockets
Durable page protectors are a lifesaver for any classroom. They keep worksheets, charts, and important documents in pristine condition, making them reusable day after day. I use dry-erase pockets when teaching small groups. Instead of making 24 copies, I can make 6 and slide math worksheets inside these erasable pockets.
2. Foam Dice
I LOVE a quiet classroom. But I also know how important it is to give students time to talk. Because of this, I limit the noise coming from other areas in the classroom - like math manipulatives. Foam dice are my favorite! Students can roll these dice on table tops and desks without me hearing a clamor of clanking sounds across the room. #mathmanipulatives
3. Triangular Mechanical Pencils
Continuing with the effort to reduce unnecessary noise, the pencil sharpener must go! I allow students to sharpen pencils during our morning and end-of-day routines, but not during the middle of the day. My ears can't handle that seemingly endless grating sound. One year I bought these extra chunky mechanical pencils and wrote each students' number on the end. This became their special pencil. I provided lead for whenever they needed a refill. This lead is much thicker than regular mechanical pencils, so it's easy for young children to write with this style.
4. Bulletin Board Clip Push Pins
My first year teaching, I hot-glued thumbtacks to the backs of clothespins. This made it easy to switch students' artwork on our hallway bulletin board. However, about once a month, the hot glue would come loose from a few random clothespins. No first-year teacher has time to plug in the glue gun and repair clothespins each week of the year! These bulletin board clips are much more durable.
5. Hanging Files Tub
If it's not easy for students to grab their materials, you're going to have two problems on your hands. First, students will not be engaged in the work you want them to be doing and second, your material station will likely be messy. Hanging files help me keep classroom areas organized. They work great for math centers where I want students to choose different worksheets on different days. I can fill them up once a week and then ignore them until the next week. I also used hanging files to hold my lesson materials. Each morning I would pull out the daily folder and be ready to teach.
6. Wind Chimes
My coordinating teacher gifted me a set of chimes at the end of my student teaching experience in her second-grade classroom. I still use the same set today! These chimes are high-pitched, but have a pleasant and calming sound. They get students' attention at times when I don't want to yell out a callback. #classroomroutines
7. Magnetic Staple Remover
Why don't they pass these out to every teacher graduate as they walk across the stage? These are the best! I remember when I first saw a teacher tearing down a bulletin board in the hallway using a magnetic staple remover with ease. I've never switched back to the jaw-style removers.
8. Student Supply Cart
It seems like every time I begin teaching small-group instruction, another student interrupts needing supplies. The year I created the student supply cart saved me from so many interruptions! I purchased a plastic set of drawers (the tall kind on wheels with rainbow drawers). Then, I filled each section with supplies like sharp pencils, pens, erasers, dry-erase markers, highlighters, loose-leaf paper, post-it notes, index cards, scissors, and even bandaids. I set a hole puncher and stapler on top. You can tape a piece of patterned duct tape to the scissor handles, gluesticks, and markers so students know these materials need to be returned to the supply cart. I am certain I had more time (and energy) to devote to teaching when I stopped digging around for supplies every time a student needed one simple thing. #classroommanagement
Investing in quality supplies for your classroom is well worth it. These items have made a big difference in my classroom, and I highly recommend them to fellow educators looking to create a more organized and effective teaching space. What's on your classroom supply wishlist?