The principal at my new school gives all teachers $200 to spend on classroom items. Any ideas on what to buy? Pens, paper, posterboard, butcher paper, etc provided. TIA!
I would buy books, books, books!! Big books, guided reading books, sight word books, magazines, etc. My kindergarten library was huge & the kids never got bored of reading (& neither did I) - I also had duplicates of class favs (Hungry Caterpillar, David books, etc.) so that more than one student could read them. Photo paper (I printed my pictures at school but had to buy my own photo paper). I can't think of anything else that I couldn't live without - whenever, I had extra money I just bought books!
What about games, puzzles, posters, pocket charts, stickers, a radio, playdough, calendar, storage, funky writing tools (gel pens, scented marker, craypas...), play money, individual white boards, birthday crowns, stamps and stampers (alphabet and animals....), stamp pads, small manipulative toys, hand-finger puppets (great for retells). And of course BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS! Have fun shopping!
I just got a new Oriental Trading catalog, and they have some great wooden puzzles, matching games, magnetic aplphabet kit (like a hinged whiteboard), tons of foam letters and letter lacing beads. Anyway, they have so much for pretty cheap, and I bet they have it online too.
Definitely books!!! Maybe some items for centers (pocket charts, pointers, clip boards, magnetic letters, cookies sheets). If you don't already have a CD player, that would be a great way to spend some money and pick up some CD's (I love Greg and Steve). Also, you can never have too many storage bins.
As a note...before you go buying items for the classroom, see if anyone is giving anything away. Also someone mentioned whiteboards. Don't buy those expensive ones in the teacher catalogs. Instead go to Home Depot or Lowes and get some shower board. I think thats what it is. Anyway, you get a HUGE board of this and ask nicely if someone can cut it for you. It will be at a fraction of the cost. I think it was like $20 and I have more than enough to cover the class! About books. If there are books that you feel are really special and you just couldn't live without, think about purchasing it with your personal money so that you would have it wherever you teach. It might seem strange to say that, but I'd rather use the school money on consumable items, like paper, art supplies, things like that. Keep in mind that whatever you buy with school money belongs to the school.
If $200 is all you get for the entire year, then I recommend that you don't go out and blow all of it at the beginning of the year unless you are just starting out and really need supplies. You may do better to budget your money out over the months that your school will be in session and then you will have money for whatever additions to your lessons and curriculum you may need. That's just a little something to think about. I get a budget too but I can't spend it all at once, I can only spend a certain amount per month. I am grateful for the allowance, but I still spend a lot of my own money on supplies.
the shower board is a great idea. i had some at my last school and left them there. does anyone know the dimensions of the boards? thanks. i ended up getting some literacy center kits, some cardstock for flashcards, math manipulatives, etc. thanks for all the suggestions.
About the shower boards. I think mine are 12 x 12. I gigured that would be the best size for their little bodies. I'd imagined that the older grades would have bigger boards. My kids loved the boards!
Do you have to buy copy paper? Extra glue Extra pencils Science supplies Scissors rulers Is there a paper punch in your room? stapler, yardstick. Books from Scholastic. garage sales, thrift shops.
I have had both the shower boards and the Lakeshore lined on one 1/2 and blank on the other. I definitly enjoy the Lakeshore ones better so if you are not having to spend your own $ (that's when I made the shower boards) I'd suggest the investment in the Lakeshore ones. I've felt they were more durable and I love having the lines available for practice. You can get them on sale usually each August at the store for 20% off, worth the trip for me. But the shower boards work if it your own personal money. Just please make sure that you don't ahve to supply anything you don't already have for your class, before you spend it.
