Hi folks, I recently became a permanent teacher, and this year I officially received my own classroom. Obviously, I'm very excited, and with the new school year around the corner, I'm trying to furnish my new workspace to have it ready. So I have a general idea of things I need to include in my class, but as I go through this process, and start to make decisions about what I need (and can financially afford at this point), I know I'm inevitably going to forget some important items. Please help me generate a list of key items that I should have in my classroom. What are your recommendations? Feel free list anything, I think in the end, I'll divide all suggestions into "items I need immediately" and "items I want eventually". Note: I'm a high school teacher who teaches English and Social Studies (that's Canadian for History, Geography and Political Science). Cheers!
I can't function without a document camera (ELMO). It is something I use everyday. I have bookshelves with a classroom library in them. I have a lot of books from grants, donations, and my personal books. For social studies, I like to have maps of regions we study up on bulletin boards. I also have some basic latitude, longitude, and other geography info up. We seem to refer to this a lot. I also find an electric pencil sharpener helpful, though these often break.
If you are going for the electric pencil sharpener, avoid cheap, and invest in a great one. NO colored pencils allowed in the electric sharpener. See what you can scrounge for bookshelves, cabinet with working lock, key for said lock.
Before spending anything, it's important to find out what is in your room already, what the school will purchase for you, and what your classroom budget will be.
Oh, also I have a small microwave, frig, and coffee pot. This is essential because we have no faculty lounges. Technically, we aren't allowed to have this stuff. I got it off a retiring teacher when she left and no one ever said a word to her. For me, I also buy bleach wipes and hand sanitizer for myself. In my drawer that locks, I keep over the counter Advil, gum, breath mints, a brush, a toothbrush, makeup, deodorant, and a lint roller. I used to also keep Shout wipes, Sharpies, and duct tape, but other teaches kept borrowing it and I ran out. There are days that I am at school from dawn to dusk, so when I do something at night and don't get to go home, these things are lifesavers!
I'll get basic supplies from the school, such as whiteboard markers, office supplies for the classroom, etc. but anything above and beyond that, I'll need to purchase. Where I live, teachers get an annual $150 tax credit toward buying supplies, but that's it. The room has a wall sharpener, digital projector, some shelving, and plenty of tables (excluding the students' desks). The room is definitely going to need posters, maps, and such as it has been stripped bare.
Oh great suggestions with some of the smaller items, but certainly necessities. I think the dream is move in a microwave and mini fridge at some point.
OP--Be sure to check with your health and safety regulations before stocking these items. Of this list, we are not allowed small appliances or any cleaning products that are not supplied by the school.
Go to the Free Links thread, and back in the earlier pages, I created the thread because I was looking for free posters, art work, etc. I found a ton of stuff, and shared. It is surprising what the government gives away to education. I love my wealth of posters and other freebies acquired over the years. I am blessed to be in science, because that covers a ton of material. I have gone through and removed some of the expired links, maybe not in the last 6 months. Worth a browse with something to sip on as you enjoy the sites.
The inner material in the pencil isn't graphite, but more like crayons. Best way to gum up any electric pencil sharpener, and very difficult to clean up. Many teachers have learned this the hard way.
I have an old sharpener that is dedicated to colored pencils. I've used it just for the colored pencils about three years now but I'm the only one allowed to use it. But I know the minute I let the kids sharpen colored pencils in my "good" sharpeners, that will be the instant they stop working!
So true! I have a huge signed on all the pencil sharpeners "NO COLORED PENCILS." I have small handheld sharpeners for colored pencils. I had a coworker who kept letting kids sharpen their colored pencils in his wall sharpener and they kept breaking. The custodians finally cut him off after a third one broke.
