Ace the School Year With These Teacher Essentials

Teachers: The day is approaching when you’ll again venture into the classroom to take on a couple of dozen children. Each day can seem like an assault course, with its share of physical and psychological challenges. To be good for them, you have to look after yourself. Having the right classroom essentials can also make things much easier. Here’s what to get to help you do your best teaching.

Stationery

Stationery tops the list of classroom supplies for teachers. The supplies aisle yields things to stick (sticky notes, pushpins, double-sided tape, and paper clips) and stuff to make marks (pencils, highlighters, pens, and crayons). You’ll also want an organization caddy to hold everything and keep it at your fingertips.

Don’t forget classroom decoration supplies to make your space shine. You can use tools like border trim, a bulletin board, colored paper, sticky words, and motivational posters to make the room your own. Wipeable wall grids and a classroom calendar for incentivizing students and tracking class activities can be other nice additions.

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Cleaning Tools

Making marks is only part of the job. Wiping them off is another. Erasers, whiteboard wipers, sponges, and paper towels are vital classroom supplies. Disinfectant wipes and cleaning sprays are important when cleaning up spills and bodily fluids. Rubber gloves can also come in handy when cleaning up.

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Tools and Adhesives

The janitor might not always be around to help out. Having some basic tools can come in handy in a pinch. A multi-purpose hand tool set can keep you equipped with essentials like screwdrivers, pliers, a hammer, and a level for tasks around the classroom. Mounting and adhesive supplies like Command™ hooks, painter’s tape and a Glue gun can help you with decorating bulletin boards or classroom walls.

Snacks

Teachers need more energy than most. You can keep yourself going with a handy supply of snacks. You can’t go wrong with coffee to help get you energized and ready to tackle the day. You can bring snack bars for protein, fruit for natural sugars and fiber, and crackers with instant cup soups for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. A water bottle is important for hydration. Just don’t forget cutlery and napkins.

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Personal Care

Teachers start early, and morning prep sometimes has to be fast and furious. After school, you may only have a short time to freshen up before extracurricular events or parent meetings. A personal care kit is an essential component of your classroom supplies list.

Try to put a combination of tissues, facial wipes, nail clippers, a comb or hairbrush in your bag, along with a lint roller. Don’t forget oral care: A travel toothbrush and toothpaste set, mouthwash, and fresh breath strips or mints can get you through the day. You may also want deodorant after running around with the kids in the gym to wake them up after lunch. If your gym is a football field, try to pack some sunblock.

Lotion can help your hands weather a hard day’s teaching. Also, because kids are walking germ factories, hand sanitizer is good to have.

Medical Care

Every teacher needs their own medikit. You may get several headaches throughout the year from classroom chairs constantly scraping on the floor, so headache medication can come in handy. Try to add some cough drops, non-drowsy cold and allergy cures, and some antacids — and you’re set.

Then, take care of the kids. You can’t distribute medicine to your class, but they’ll have scraped knees, paper cuts, and other owies. You can create a first-aid kit with the prerequisite bandages, medical tape, tweezers, saline, and antihistamine, anti-rash, and antiseptic creams. A fun sticker can bring a smile back to a kid’s face after a boo boo.

About the Author

Danny Bradbury has been writing about technology and business since 1989. His clients have included the Financial Times, the Guardian, and Canada's National Post.

All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided “as is,” and neither the author nor Office Depot warrants the accuracy of the information provided, nor do they assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.