Posts tagged "School"

Teaching Supplies – Top Ten

Getting teaching supplies ready for the first day of school can be stressful for some teachers.  There are so many activities to do and routines to establish the first week of school that usually you don’t need to have all of your teaching supplies  purchased by the first day.  Here is my list of the top ten teaching supplies I make sure that I have by the first day of class.  I wait and purchase some of my other classroom teaching supplies later.  It took me several years of extremely late nights right before school starts to make me realize that it all does not have to be done at once.

10.  Post cards or stationary – Each year I write a note to my incoming students welcoming them to my class.

9.  Name plates – I make sure that each student has a name plate for “Back to School” night.

8.  Personal calendar – I keep a lot of dates on my Google Calendar, but I always keep a small paper calendar on my desk.

7.  Incentives and motivators – Part of establishing a warm, welcoming environment includes creating community rules and norms.  I believe each class is different, so I like to pick out different motivators each year.

6.  Highlighters and sticky notes – I use these for many activities with the kids as well as to help me stay organized.

5.  New book for the 1st day – The first day of school is special for everyone.  When I am buying my teaching supplies, I like to purchase a new “back to school” book.

4.  File Folders – I use these to keep papers organized.

3.  Name tags – I try to remember the names of everyone in my class, but it takes awhile.

2.  Record keeping book-  Like my plan book, I like to start making notes about students.

1.  Lesson plan book -  This is one of the first items I buy every year to make sure I know what I am doing on that first day.

Like I mentioned above, I don’t need everything by the beginning of the school year.  I consider this list my essential items.

We would love to hear what you consider “Must Have’s” for the start of the year!

Educational Supplies for Summer School

Educational supplies for summer school do not have to be boring.  As classes get underway in many schools across the country, teachers are looking for fun, engaging educational supplies that will encourage students to learn concepts in a fresh, new way.  Many times summer sessions allow teachers to use more supplemental materials and do extracurricular activities that might not be done during the regular school year.  Therefore, it is a wonderful time of year to find some new educational supplies that fit your needs.  Here are a couple of ideas on how to incorporate these teaching supplies into your sessions.

• Arts and Craft supplies – Use paint or chalk to practice writing letters and spelling words outside on large pieces of paper.  Whether you are working with young children or older students, incorporating art activities provide kids the chance make connections with learning and art.  Maybe read a story and then make a sculpture of your favorite character or create a diorama of the setting.

• Games -  There are a variety of educational games that focus on learning phonics skills and developing math concepts.  Try making these activities part of your daily routine.  Games help students learn social skills like taking turns, asking and answering questions, but they also provide students with the chance to learn important academic skills.

• Creative Play activities – Activities such as Legos, blocks, and natural science kits can be great centers.  Use these during a block of time so you can work with individual students for writing conferences, reading assessments, or math instruction.  Let their creative juices flow while you are providing individualized instruction.

These are just several ideas on how to incorporate fun, educational supplies into your classes.  Students will appreciate the effort you put into making their summer months different from the norm.  www.k12schoolsupplies.net is having their annual Summer Teacher Sale, so be sure to check it out.