10 Things Every Teacher Needs

1. Swingline stapler

This is an absolute must for stapling up those bulletin boards. You want a stapler that can become completely flat to put up student work, and isn't going to get jammed. Swingline is pretty much the best bang for your buck.

2. Swingline Paper cutter

I cannot tell you how much of a game changer this is! I use it all the time to cut last minute things. It's nice having one so you don't have to walk all the way to the office.

3. Good Scissors

I say this is needed because you want something to easily cut lamination, paper, you name it! I always loved these orange scissors because they fit to your hand so perfectly, and are nice and sharp.

4. A hole punch

Believe it or not, this is a must. My students and I both use this for our binders. I like having it for my students to use to throw important notes into their folders. You also never know when you need to add something to your teacher binder. Our copy machine doesn't have a hole punch option, so this is a MUST!

5. A laminator

Similar to the paper cutter, this has saved me so many times! It also saves you on supplies because it makes task cards reusable! It is also more cost efficient then going to Lakeshore or a teacher store to laminate things. Our school has a laminator, but I honestly think it's way more convenient to just walk to my teacher corner and plug this in.

6. A Cheap planner (or digital one)

Do yourself a favor, the expensive planners are NOT WORTH IT. Every year I just snag one from the target dollar section or Lakeshore. They even have adorable ones on Amazon. I wanted to get myself an Erin Condren one and found it didn't give me anything more than the cheap ones did. I found I don't really like writing in a planner and so it was a total waste of money. Digital planners are a great idea too. I just made mine via google sheets and haven't gone back since!

7. Xtreme Sticky notes

No joke, I think I use sticky notes daily!! I recommend the extreme ones because they stick MUCH better than the regular ones. Especially if you want them to stick on the whiteboard. Easy for classroom meetings and informal assessments.

8. Expo Markers

You will simply never have enough. I am constantly buying more because I either lose them, or they run out of ink. A tip is to store them facing down so all the ink goes to the tip of the pen!

9. A Mentor/friend

Unfortunately, this is something you can't order on amazon prime, but I felt it was necessary to add to this list of must needs for a teacher. You can't do this job alone. You need someone to vent to when things get tough, as well as someone to inspire you when you are stuck. FInd your person, and keep them near!

10. A non-teaching Hobby

I added this because you need something to release stress. I like to go for a quick jog or go to an OrangeTheory class. FInd something that is going to get your mind off of that difficult day/student. Trust me when I say, you will thank me. Not every waking moment needs to be thinking about teaching (trust me, so so hard). This will relax you, and leave you wanting to go back to work.

xx

haylee

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