It’s my favorite things time!
As the back-to-school season approaches, there’s a special kind of excitement that fills the hearts of teachers. Amid the planning and preparation, one particular joy stands out: our irrational love for office supplies. From vibrant markers to planners, these amazing back-to-school products not only help organize our classrooms but also spark creativity and enthusiasm for the year ahead.
As a teacher, finding the right tools and products can make all the difference in creating an effective and engaging learning environment. Over the years, I’ve come across some fantastic resources that have transformed my classroom and made teaching more enjoyable.
Check out these back-to-school products and favorite things!
In this blog post, I’m excited to share some of my favorite classroom gadgets and tools that have proven to be invaluable. Whether you’re looking for ways to enhance your teaching methods, organize your classroom, or engage your students, these recommendations are sure to inspire and support you in your teaching journey. (These are all available on Amazon and other stores. Here’s the link to Amazon in case you want to streamline your shopping!)
My favorite markers
I know a lot of people love Mr. Sketch markers, and I do too–but for anchor chart making and other daily tasks in the classroom, I prefer these. They DO NOT FADE (If you use Mr. Sketch, you know the pinks fade over time!) and the bullet point makes such nice even lines. They don’t bleed through chart paper and are pretty much my favorite. For back-to-school prep, they are amazing. I typically get the 8 packs because I adore the purple color.
My latest favorite things–these amazing folders!
So I use a lot of file folders in different ways, but I found these and I love them because of a cool little feature inside–a pocket! Sometimes I keep materials for a center or a group in a file folder, but some of the papers (especially cards or half sheets) slip out. These solve that problem and come in a ton of cool designs. I’m obsessed.
How I store my zillions of task cards
You know I love my task cards, and you may also know that organization is a struggle for me. When I found these storage tubs years ago meant for photo organization, I knew I had a solution. Boom! I can’t promise there is any rhyme or reason INSIDE the box, but my task cards all have a home so they don’t get lost. It’s certainly not in the category of back-to-school products, but it is one that I use all year long (and they start the school year nice and organized!)
How my students show their work
We use personal whiteboards ALL THE TIME and in lots of ways. I end up replacing a few every year, but they are SO worth the money to me. They live in a plastic crate on a cart with markers and mini erasers. Students can just grab them when needed. I also keep a stack at my back table for use in small groups. Here are just a few of the ways I use them!
- In small groups to model my work
- In large groups for student math warm ups
- For word work activities
- To put at centers with directions
- For students to use during math games to do their “figuring”
- and more!
Favorite things for math manipulatives
I am not going to lie–I have many shelves of math manipulatives and many bins…and some all over the place. However, my most “student friendly” storage comes in with this little toolbox meant for nails and bolts and stuff. It’s PERFECT for small math manipulatives, and students can take a little drawer right to their desk.
I have everything from dollar store mini erasers to two-sided counters to plastic gems to 1 centimeter cubes (pictured). If I had to say one math manipulative that I use all year long–it’s those cubes. They work as counters, they are the same size as base 10 blocks, and they are perfect for games. We can build arrays with them and use them for measurement. I even use them to pick groups sometimes where I get the number of groups I want based on colors and students picking a cube. The list goes on–but they are so worth having.
Favorite things for managing class time
I have seen how much my students struggle with focus, so I have always used a variety of timers to help them judge how much time is left in a work session. For students who really struggle, I even have some mini timers I keep at their desks to help them break work into smaller chunks so they feel successful. I often use visual timers on my smart board, but there are times when I don’t want the distraction of the countdown visible, and I use my visual timer that I have on my white board (not pictured).
If you like the idea of these, be careful when shopping. Some make a “ticking” sound. If you don’t mind that, great! I do! The one I use (and I have linked in my Amazon store) is silent.
How we manage distractions
To piggyback off the timer discussion, I have found that I have needed to add some other tools to my classroom to help students when they lose focus. Two of the best investments EVER are my class set of cardboard desk cubbies (not pictured) and my noise cancelling headphones.
Sometimes (like during assessments), I might require students to get out a cubby so they have the best chance of reducing distractions. At other times, students can grab them when they are feeling that they are losing focus.
The same is true for the noise-cancelling headphones I keep in a tub. I have 6-8 sets available for students to use. My best estimate is that I would say 75% of my students choose, at some times, to use them. Some like them during independent reading time to help them stay focused on their books. Others use them if they are feeling like students around them are being louder than they like. I love that we have created a culture where students can just use the tools they need to be successful!
I hope these back-to-school products give YOU some idea on how to keep your classroom running smoothly all year long!
Want to check out a few more back to school posts? Here’s a great one about growth mindset, and here is another one about getting your year of reading instruction started off smoothly!
How about grabbing a back-to-school math game freebie?
