Tag: classroom supplies

Classroom Luxury Supplies

After many years in the classroom, I have been able to justify buying a few luxury classroom supplies.  Many times I made money for my classroom working our carnival booth.  I wanted to buy something that justified a full day of teaching with carnival excited kids  In addition to the 4 hours I put in at the carnival on a Friday night selling popcorn and cleaning the popcorn machine. Seriously, what office job makes you work all day and then spend your Friday night working to buy supplies.  Only a teacher would do that!

Electronic Stapler

Okay, I am the teacher who feels that 5th graders should staple their own papers!  To my demise, and through a lot of work trying to fix jammed staplers and sometimes throwing them away, I found that 5th graders had to be taught how to staple.  They didn’t have enough strength to push down on the stapler the first time, and then they would press harder the second time and jam the stapler!  I went through so many staplers over the years and would constantly take them home to fix them.  This all changed when I bought an electric stapler.  I have only had one jam, with this stapler and it was easy to fix.  

EcoElectronic Stapler

This stapler can handle up to 25 sheets of paper. I really like this stapler because you can adjust the depth of the staple. If we are doing flip books I can easily adjust it so the staple doesn’t cover information that needs to be viewed. The best thing about this stapler is no more jams!

Stapler Remover

It is time teachers to stop buying those cheap plastic stapler removers that bend out of shape and fling staples all over the place when you are tearing apart your bulletin boards. It is time to buy the ultimate heavy duty stapler remover. No more achy hands, this is ergonomic and uses leverage to get those difficult staples out. This one is going to last for years! All the teachers come over to borrow mine.

Magnet Wand

I originally bought this to pick up pins from my sewing room.  It eventually made its way to my classroom.  After I am done removing staples or doing a science project using paper clips I break out the telescoping magnet wand.  The students actually fight over this job.  No more asking the kids to find staples in the carpet.

Heavy Duty Hole Punch

I can’t tell you how many times I had copies I made and forgot to hole punch them, or didn’t have time in the teacher workroom. It is so nice to quickly hole punch a classroom set of copies in one punch. This one is a true luxury that is also easy for the students to use.

I am an Amazon Affiliate and do receive a small commission on sales made from this website. I hope you love these product as much as I do. Enjoy!

5 Investment Items for the Classroom Under $75 Total

When I was a new teacher I remember shopping for hours on what I thought were my classroom essentials.  Looking back, I wasted a lot of money on items that I thought that I couldn’t live without. After 13 years of teaching, I don’t shop as much as I used to, but I thought if I had to start over what are the 5 true investment pieces.

Classroom Pocket Chart

I can’t tell you how many scissors I have bought for students.  After years of buying scissors, I bought this pocket chart that was intended to prevent my scissors from disappearing. If the scissors are stored, it also prevents the students from whittling their desks and pencils!  A common occurrence in 5th grade.

Although my intention was just for the scissors, it ended up holding their earbuds, calculators, passwords, and any item they felt needed to be secured.  For example, whenever they had to change classrooms and a “stranger” was sitting in their desk, I would see random students start putting their treasures in their numbered pocket.

Sterilite Large Basket (Approximately 17×13)

 

After many years of carrying my grading pile in cute teacher bags, where the papers can get damaged, slip out of order, and paper clips fall off, I found these simple white baskets.  As the last student turns in their assignments I have them paperclip the papers and put them in the grading basket.  The basket is big enough that you can rotate the papers.    I also use one for my “To be Copied”  items.  I have had copy moms tell me how much they like the basket because they can easily rotate the stacks and they are easy to carry with the typical teacher load of papers.

 

Super Strong Magnet Hooks

 

These are dual purpose for your white board.  I use these not only to hold papers and posters to the white board, but when a student is absent I use it to hold assignments onto the side of their desk.  This prevents all of the papers from falling to the floor and keeps any returned work private.

I also use them to hold the hall passes and hang random ear buds that are left around the classroom for someone to claim them.

A Nice Magnetic Dry Eraser   

It seems when I am teaching I misplace everything I need.  Then when I need them most, I can’t seem to find a marker, dry eraser, overheard remote control etc..  My magnetic erasers never leave the board!

I know we all have those cheap foam ones, but it is time to replace it with a quality dry eraser!  After receiving these as a gift  I can’t go back to the free ones that always smeared my board and never really erased.  Spend a little extra on a nice dry eraser, you are worth it!  Plus, it is used daily!

 

File/Document Sorter

This item is the biggest time saver for me.  In fact, part of the first week of school in my class is teaching students how to turn in their papers in the sorter.  During the first week, I always think this is so arduous, but it is worth it!  When my students turn in their papers they have to go in a certain traffic pattern and line up to put their paper in the sorter.  It gets them out of their seat and gives a little break.  Once they know the process it can be completed within minutes.  The best part, I never have to spend time in class to figure out the “no name”  or who didn’t turn in their paper, because they are always in order.  The last person in line pulls the paper from the sorter, paper clips, and turns it into my grading basket.

These are my 5 investment pieces for my classroom.  Tell me your investment pieces that you can’t live without in the comments.

This page includes links to Amazon.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  Thank you for your support.