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Listen, before we even get into the article, I want to give out a few disclaimers:
1. This is a list of back-to-school items for teachers.
2. If you’re not a teacher… STILL READ THIS!
It’s a crying shame that teachers have use whatever under-the-couch-cousin change they can find to supply their own classrooms. If you’re a parent, a board member, a PTA rep even a general member of the community (which you are) consider purchasing even the littlest something for your kids teacher or honestly any teacher in your area. Call the nearest school and ask the secretary if you can make a drop off a box of supplies. She’ll place your donation on a coffee table in the corner of the staff lounge and send out a blast email titled “FREE SHIT IN THE LOUNGE!” Those teachers will fly down those construction paper lined hallways like it’s the god damn gold rush. Do it. Trust me. The good karma will come around tenfold.
3. In the words of the great Lil’ Kim “Why spend mine when I can spend yours?”
If you are a teacher, especially if you’re a teacher within your first 5 years (AKA poor (whatever, cancel me. I lived that life so I can speak the truth about it)) be smart about your spending. You don’t have to immediately dig into your own pockets for every item you want. Use your money to buy the things you need right away, and use other people’s money to buy the things that can wait. Your school likely has a PTA/PTO or something adjacent to that. 9/10 you can submit your receipts and you’ll be reimbursed up to a certain amount. One year while I was teaching 4th grade, I saved up two years’ worth of spending and submitted a receipt for a $150 incubator for my class. Not a dime of my own money was spent. Well… after waiting 30 days to be reimbursed but that’s a story for another time.
No PTA? The community still wants to help you, they just don’t know how. Consider making an amazon wish list. Create a QR for your wish list that will take the user directly to where they can purchase one of the items which will be directly shipped to your school. Make a cutsie pootsy letter to go with your code that talks about you, your class, and why these items will enhance the learning experience for your students. LEAN IN TO TALKING ABOUT THE STUDENTS! Pull on those heart strings, girl! You know how Sarah McLachlan makes you feel bad when you don’t give 50 cents to those puppies? DO THAT! Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but c’mon! Make them want to help you! Anyway… Print out your little one pager and ask local businesses if you can put it in a clear, stand up frame and leave it at the checkout counter, tape it in the front window or stick it on the cork board by the bathrooms. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your wish list gets cleared.
I’ll step off my soap box now. Let’s get into the good stuff.
#1 SPINNING WHEEL
This might look super elementary, but trust me, this is one for all ages. It’s a total game changer and thus my #1 recommendation. My students used to flip out over this thing. Put student names or numbers in the open sections and let-er-rip! Use it anytime you need to call on a student for quite literally anything.
You need a paper passer outer? Spin it.
Someone to turn off the lights? Spin it.
Checking to see who’s paying attention? SPIN THE HELL OUT OF IT!
The best part is, you never have to raise your voice. The clacking of the “needle” is loud enough to silence even the most obnoxious booger eaters. Honestly, you don’t even have to give directions or explain yourself until after someone is chosen. Just spin it and watch your class become hypnotized in anticipation by the CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK. My spinning wheel was a hit when I taught 5th grade and an even bigger hit when I taught kindergarten. Yes, you need it.
#2 MINI FRIDGE
Okay, so are the principals reading this section and fuming? Yes. Yes they are. And are those type-a, rules-follower teachers reaching in the bottom of their purses for a half a Xanax? Also yes. But trust me, I have a way around the rules.
First of all, why a mini fridge? BECAUSE I’M HUNGRY! What else do I need to say? Let me eat! And no I do not want to ask another teacher to cover my class just so I can walk down to the musty-ass teacher’s lounge fridge only to spend 15 minutes rifling past Brenda’s ambrosia salad that has been fermenting in there since 1993! I want my own, easy access, food storage situation! Trick number 1, don’t ask if you’re allowed to have one. Just do it. #2 Get a table cloth that matches your classroom decor or theme. Personally, I always used the retro, ABC print, table cloths in the link below. Cover your mini fridge, throw a globe on top and call it a social studies station. It’s our little secret 😉
Buy Now: Midea WHS-65LB1 Compact Single Reversible Door Refrigerator, 1.6 Cubic Feet(0.045 Cubic Meter), Black
Buy Now: Ambesonne Abstract Tablecloth, Colored Alphabet Letters Pattern Game Graphic Print, Rectangular Table Cover for Dining Room Kitchen Decor, 60″ X 90″, Rainbow Colors
#3 FLAIR PENS
Now if you read the intro do this article (which you probably didn’t because you’re a teacher and by nature you don’t follow directions) you’ll remember that I urged the community to get involved. Flair pens are the perfect item to buy in bulk for a whole grade levels worth of teachers, or even for entire school if you can afford it. They’re universal and are used and loved by all teachers regardless of grade or subject. Simply put, flair pens are THE premiere grading utensil. They don’t bleed through the paper, they have a slow drag, making for a more precise writing decision, they come in too many colors to count AND they’re a collector’s item… Well… for teachers at least! You can’t go wrong with flair pens. Below I’ve listed my favorite color packs as well as the new(er) bold tip flair pens which are my personal favorite.
Buy Now: Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens, Bold Tip (1.2 mm), Assorted Colors, 16 Count
Buy Now: Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens, Medium Point, Assorted, Special Edition Retro Accents, 12 Pack
Buy Now: Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens | Medium Point 0.7 Millimeter Marker Pens | Back to School Supplies for Teachers & Students | Assorted Colors, 24 Count
#4 STUDENT PRIZES
Student’s love a reward and teachers love positive reinforcement (hopefully.) I’m partial to animal erasers because not only are they quite the rage with the kids, they’re also both practical AND affordable. Not to mention food rewards seem to be a thing of the past so, nobody is going to go into anaphylactic shock via animal erasers. Personally, I purchase them in a 100 pack which is perfect because it will roughly even out to 4 prizes per student. If you’re still with me, for a class of 25, that’s 1 prize per student per quarter, making it easier to acknowledge small wins for every kid in your class. The best part is they come in a travel, handled, locking top container. Teachers love to upcycle a good storage bin. Especially when it’s free. Don’t want the storage? Fine. Use it as an additional prize. They kids will go nuts for it.
#5 TEACHER SCISSORS
Nothing says “I love you” in teacher language like a brand new, smooth cutting, easy grip pair of scissors. One that’s designated for adult use only. Teachers are notorious for having a grade A pair of scissors that are for the teacher and only for the teacher! The catch? They’re also an easy item for “teacher snatching.” What’s teacher snatching? You know when Sharron comes down to borrow a pair of scissors and you make the fatal mistake of loaning her your good pair only to never see them again? That’s teacher snatching. The bigger issue is that you most likely have the same pair of boring orange scissors that every other teacher in the building has, making your property a prime target snatching. Make your pair stand out! Fiskars makes “teacher scissiors” (colloquial name) with unique designs. They’re pretty rare and I’m willing to bet you’d be the only teacher in the building to own a pair of these bad boys. Snag up a pair before it’s too late. That way next time Sharron comes down to borrow your shit, she has no excuse to not return your shit!
I listed a few options below. They’re “Sparkle Tide Blue,” “Abstract Painting” and my favorite “Sew Bold” which screams “ART TEACHER!!!!”
Buy Now: Fiskars Premier 8in Bent Sparkle Scissors Tide Blue
Buy Now: Created with Fiskars 8in Scissors Sew Bold
Buy Now: Fiskars Premier Designer Scissors 8″
BONUS ITEM: Thumbs Up Thumbs Down Paddles
Kids respond better if you change it up every now and again. Every so often, I’d pass out the thumbs up and down paddles just to shake things up a bit. You can use them for class voting, polling the room, looking for volunteers, ANYTHING! The sky is the limit. At the end of the day you’re using the paddles to increase engagement and participation. Trust me, works every time. DISCLAIMER: If you’re going to use these, make sure carve out time to lay down the ground rules before passing them out to the class. Clear guidelines with firm expectations are necessary for students to understand that the paddles are a tool, not a toy. If you skip this step youre running the risk of your class turning into a live action production of whack-a-mole.
DOUBLE BONUS ITEM: Giant Uno Cards.
Great for indoor recess. The end.
Buy Now: Mattel Games Giant UNO Family Card Game with 108 Oversized Cards and Instructions
That’s it! That’s the list! Although the title here is “Must have Back-To-School Items” there really is no wrong time to stock up your, or a teacher in needs, classroom. Teacher appreciation day is every day. Keep that in mind.
-Joe Dombrowski
