7 Essential Items for Every Teacher's Classroom
A classroom brimming with students may spell chaos for some teachers, but a savvy weekday warrior is always (or so it seems) steps ahead of the game.
This year, we invite teachers to rein in the mayhem and pave the way for more learning by stocking up on some of the all-important items you'll use throughout the year. To help get you started, we've gathered seven ultra-useful, but easily overlooked classroom essentials – all of which can be found at Costco.
1. Outdoor mounting tape
Eager to put your students' creativity on display? Exhibit the larger, heavier fruits of their arts-and-crafts labor using outdoor mounting tape. Super strong, it's "Chapter 2: The Solar System" ready.
2. Assorted color Post-it notes
For a quieter classroom, distribute colored Post-it notes and assign a separate meaning to each color. Students can then hang a Post-it from the edge of their desk to communicate … soundlessly.
For example, when completing worksheets: Blue = "I have a question." Green = "I'm still working." Yellow = "I'm ready to move on."
3. Individual bottles of hand sanitizer
Decorate a miniature bottle of hand sanitizer so that it can double as a hall pass — this will help still-learning students return from the restroom with clean hands.
4. Disinfecting wipes
Reach for disinfecting wipes in the aftermath of an arts and crafts day, or to sanitize surfaces during the cold and flu season when bacteria is being exchanged more than lunchbox items.
5. Mobile file cart
An accessible file cart, color-coded according to each day of the week, creates an organized space for absent students to later collect missing worksheets, assignments or forms.
6. Single-serve coffee system
Opt for a system that utilizes K-Cups, which can be ordered in bulk online. With more than 200 selections, you can choose between coffee, tea, chai or hot chocolate on any given day.
7. Emergency substitute teacher binder
You can't always anticipate a sick day, so stash a binder in a desk drawer containing all the information a substitute might need, such as your daily routine and general lesson plans.