It is crazy to think that the school year is just around the corner. For me, the first thing I think about this time of year is school supplies. After being in the classroom for over ten years, I have a lot of first hand experience on what supplies are most used in the classroom. I have narrowed it down to the FIVE most used school supplies for students and teachers. Best part about all of these supplies is that you can find them at your local Wal-Mart making your school shopping even easier!
Most Used School Supplies for Students
When thinking about school supplies for students, it is important to consider what items are used most. These are the items that you are going to want to buy strong, sturdy brands. You may also want to spend extra money and get duplicates for supplies that break or are lost. I can also say that any teacher will be so grateful for donations of these supplies. Sometimes students don’t come to school with what they need, so if you are able to help, I encourage you to send extra.
- Dry Erase Markers: These guys dry out faster than you think! Students need them to write on personal white boards but teachers also can use donations to write on the board while teaching. I have found that the fun colors are more likely to get a child excited about learning.
- Glue Sticks: Even in high school, you would not believe how fast a glue stick runs out. I personally like them better than liquid glue, but they do run out faster. Caps get left off, someone bares down too hard, and I swear some of them eat them they disappear so fast. Whatever the teacher puts on the supply list, you will be their BFF if you buy double!
- Pencils: Good pencils are key for school. After my time in the classroom, the best pencils are all one color, nothing fancy. You want all pencils to look the same so there is less chance of an argument. The absolute best brand of pencil is Ticonderoga. This is another item you are going to want to buy extra!
- Crayons and Colored Pencils: There is always something to color, fill-in, or sketch. This includes high school students as well. For elementary school, I would go with crayons, and for middle and high, I would go with colored pencils. I also recommend getting a second pack of whatever you buy. For this pack, save it for when they return to school after Christmas break. Students love fresh crayons and it is a great way to start the last half of the school year.
- Scissors: This is another supply needed by all students. Make sure they are good scissors that will be able to cut all year long!
Most Used School Supplies for Teachers
Every teacher’s list of favorite supplies is going to be different but I have found that most teachers would agree that this list is essential. If you are new teacher, do yourself a favor and invest in some of these things. You will use them more than you know. Many of these items will also help keep you organized which will make you better teacher in the long run.
- Sharpies: My love for Sharpies runs deep. I use them for labeling, writing my name on everything, and even making anchor charts. Give me all the colors all the time. Skinny, fat, poster, pens. Sharpie makes them all and you will need them all.
- A GOOD Planner and Desk Calendar: A good planner is key to staying organized. As a teacher we always have meetings, classes, and deadlines we need to attend or meet. I am a much better teacher if I am organized. Wal-Mart now sells Happy Planners and I absolutely love the teacher edition. It has big boxes so you can plan out lessons and keep your classes organized. I also love a good desk calendar. Taking the extra time to write down meetings on that calendar ensures I don’t miss anything. I love that I can see what I need to do on my desk so I am always on top of things.
- Label Maker: As I mentioned, staying organized really does help make me a better teacher. I love my label maker to label all of my baskets and bins. I also use it to put my name on my personal supplies, label student folders, and even put names on projects. The possibilities really are endless!
- Personal Laminator: I know that schools have laminating machines, but nothing beats being able to laminate your things in a snap. The personal size is perfect for laminating anything the size of a sheet of paper or smaller. I own the Scotch laminator, which is sold at Wal-Mart. It laminates everything so it is strong, stiff, and sturdy. It is perfect for games that I have made, instructions, name tags, calendar pieces… seriously, the list could go on and on!
- GOOD Pens: Pens are necessary in the classroom and I have found that they may as well be fun. For this reason, my favorite are Flair pens. All of the fun colors make mundane tasks better, and I can promise you that a student would rather see their papers graded in green or pink, instead of just red and black.
Whatever supplies that your student needs, I encourage you to head to your local Wal-Mart to stock up. School will be starting back before we know it so make sure that your students are ready. New school supplies are fun and exciting and help make the daunting task of going back to school just a little easier.
What were your favorite supplies growing up? Teacher friends! Do my lists match yours? Let me know in the comments so we can help each other!
For more ideas, be sure to check out my previous blog post on heading back to school.
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