Posts tagged "curriculum"

Teaching Supplies for New Teachers

Need teaching supplies, but don’t know where to start?  Well, you are not alone.   Many new college grads are anticipating what teaching supplies they will need for their future teaching positions.  It can be an overwhelming feeling to think about setting up a new classroom; however, if you follow these simple steps, you can feel more confident about going into your new job prepared with the teaching supplies you may need.

1. Talk, talk, talk – Share your great news with everyone.   Teachers are everywhere!  Once friends and family know what profession you are entering, they can introduce you to teachers they may know.  These connections may help you land a job or set you up with some basic supplies.

2.  Do your research – There are some wonderful resources for new teachers that provide tips and ideas for starting a career in teaching.  From classroom management to parent communication, books and articles can help you feel more confident about stepping into your first classroom.

3.  Buy basic supplies – You may know exactly what grade you will be teaching, or you may not know anything about your position yet.  These are some basic materials that will be practical anywhere.  Index cards, sticky notes, highlighters, and small dry erase boards.  These are helpful tools in getting your thoughts organized and will no doubt be used in the months to come.

4.  Find a classroom decoration that represents you – Whether you are teaching high school chemistry or kindergarten, find something to post in your room that reflects your true personality.  Classroom decorations are fun!  If you love the ocean, find an ocean poster that you can display as soon as you set foot in your new room.  Kids as well as adults love to learn some personal facts about their instructors.

5.  Resist the urge to buy everything before the year begins -  Shopping for teaching supplies is fun!  But remember, you may be required to teach from a particular curriculum and the school may already have most of the teaching materials you need.  Using supplemental materials is often encouraged; however, you may not know exactly what you need for the unit until you teach it.  So, become familiar with teacher supply stores like http://www.k12schoolsupplies.net and use your sticky notes to jot down those supplies you want to buy throughout the year.

Classroom Supplies – Take Inventory Now

What classroom supplies will you need for next year?  It is never too early to start making that list.  Chances are if you teach a traditional calendar school year, you are wrapping things up

Fun, decorative name plates

for the year.  Now is the perfect time to take inventory of the classroom supplies that you will need to replenish for the next school year.  Or, if you are going to teach a new grade level or plan on introducing a new curriculum, you may want to add some new supplies to you collection.

Where do you start?  Well, after several years of making last minute purchases for back to school night, I created a spreadsheet that details the classroom supplies that I need to have ahead of time for the first two weeks of school.  For instance, I purchase name plates for the desks and name tags for the kids to wear.  I also write very detailed lessons describing the routines I want to establish, as well as the activities I want to complete for the first several days of school.  Next to all of these ideas, I make a list of the supplies that I need.  So, before school gets out for the summer, I review my spreadsheet and see what items I need to purchase.  I can then budget accordingly so I don’t have to buy everything right before school starts.

Welcome your students in style!

When you are putting things away this year, spend a little time thinking about the first couple weeks of school.  Are you going to start the year off with a new theme?  Do you need more bulletin board sets?  What about file folders?  Believe me, when those first several days of school roll around, you will be glad that you took some time to plan ahead.

Happy planning!  For a comprehensive list of classroom supplies, check out  www.k12schoolsupplies.net.