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Click above to watch my quick YouTube video of Teacher Must-Haves!
How do you know what are the true teacher must-haves? Everywhere you look on social media, teachers are posting about things found in the Target Dollar Spot (Bullseye Playground), finds from Michael’s store, creations from TPT, and so much more! So how do you determine what the true items you need are? Whether you are a first-year teacher or a veteran, these 5 items are at the top of any teacher must-have list.
My first teacher must-have is a personal laminator. Even if you have a laminator at school, purchasing your own laminator will make your life much easier. I used to work an hour away from my house and would be very frustrated when I needed something laminated and did not have quick, easy access. I also spend my time during the summer trying to prepare for the next school year. By having my own laminator, I can work from home and not have to worry about going into the school building.
Since a personal laminator is designed for smaller paper, I cannot laminate large items. I save those for when I return to set up my classroom for the new school year. Using my laminator at home for those items that are smaller, I can save myself time when it comes to returning to school. It’s also a great way to work on things at home during the school year.
My favorite laminator is the Scotch Thermal Laminator. You can find it at any store that sells office supplies. You will also need to purchase the laminating pouches. I purchase the 5 Mil Thick and the 3 Mil Thick pouches. I have a choice of which thickness I want to use based on my item I’m laminating.
Astrobrights are teacher must-have #2. Everywhere you look on social media, you will see the bright and colorful paper. More often than not, the paper is Astrobrights. The company offers so many color choices. You can also buy them on paper and cardstock sheets. I like to order the variety packs and store them in my supply cabinet to access throughout the school year. I use Astrobrights for permission slips, bulletin boards, and so much more. My favorite color choices for Astrobrights are “Brights“, “Happy“, “Joy“, “Warm“, and “Frosty“.
Are you even a teacher if you don’t have a cabinet full of storage containers? No matter what grade level you teach, storage bins are on the list of teacher must-haves. I use storage bins for books, STEM supplies, math manipulatives, student supplies, turn-in trays, and so much more.
The way teachers store their classroom library books varies from teacher-to-teacher. Some teachers like to opt for no bins and to put the books on the shelves showing the spines. There are two downsides to displaying books in that way. One, the students cannot see the front cover of the book. Let’s face it. We all judge books by their covers. Two, you cannot fit as many books on the shelves. I have over 1,000 books in my classroom library, so I need to make sure I have all of the books out and ready for students to read.
When I first started teaching, I purchased storage baskets from Big Lots. I had those in my classroom for about 5 years. They held up well and are a less expensive option for teachers just starting out. I still have those in my classroom to store other items.
During the summer after my fifth year of teaching, I decided to invest in some sturdier book bins. I looked for and shopped in a lot of places, but the best bins I found are from Really Good Stuff. The price on these is greater, but they have held up for a long time and I do not anticipate needing new ones for a very long time, if ever.
Book bins can be used for student supplies as well. My students have cubbies and they use the upper part to store the materials they need throughout the day. I purchased book bins from Target’s Bullseye Playground. You can order them online or purchase them in-store.
I also suggest investing in storage boxes for supplies in your classroom. I have storage boxes for STEM supplies, math manipulatives, extra student supplies, and other miscellaneous supplies. What size and type of storage boxes to purchase will depend on your needs and cabinet size.
For STEM supplies, I like these stackable Sterilite boxes. As for math manipulatives, it depends on what I have on hand for students to use. I love to buy 99cent Target shoeboxes for deeper storage needs. Finally, for all of those extra student supplies, I love the storage bins I purchased from Michael’s years ago. They do not sell the exact ones I have anymore, but you may find the Latchmate brand useful.
I also use storage bins for turn-in trays and to organize my teaching materials for each day. I love the Sterilite Wide 3 Drawer because it can hold more than the smaller version. I want to be able to include any books that I will be using with my students in the drawer.
Even in a tech world, binders are a teacher must-have! I use binders for storing materials and games for subject areas, a sub binder, conference notes, and my teacher binder full of information. In my teacher binder, I keep all of the forms that I need throughout the year, including my curriculum maps. My favorite binder is the Avery 1 inch. It comes in a lot of color options and they hold up after years of use. You can find these at any store that sells office supplies.
My final teacher must-have is a great teacher tote. I have used different teacher bags throughout the years, but they eventually start to fall apart or don’t hold all of my things. All of that frustration ended when I purchased The Teacher Tote! The Teacher Tote was designed by two teachers. It is durable and has multiple compartments to hold all of your materials, even your lunch. As an added bonus, you will also be supporting a small business. They offer a variety of colors and have even added an option to purchase a backpack.
These are my 5 teacher must-haves! I would love for you to share your purchases and how you use them in your classroom with me on social media: @teach_travel_read.