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A Teaching Blog by Jodi Southard

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school supplies

Back to School Teacher Must-Haves

July 7, 2020 by Jodi 6 Comments

This coming school year is full of unknowns right now.  Will we start on time?  Will we have full class sizes?  Will we move to distance learning again?  Will students and teachers have to wear mask? etc.  As of right now, our students have a virtual option, or they will return as normal to the in-school setting.  We know that there will be certain guidelines in place, such as no sharing of supplies and desks 6 feet apart, but we don’t know too many details yet.

I did want to go ahead and put together a list of items that I will be purchasing for this coming school year.  Some of these things are items that I purchase normally, while some of the other items are more specific to this year.

This post contains affiliate links.  I receive a small commission when items are purchased from these links, which helps to support my little area of cyber space and keep the blog up and running.

All of the items are numbered and linked below, or you can click on the picture and use the direct links from the PDF file for easy access.

These Must-Have Back to School items will be helpful as we return to school in the fall.

1.  Wireless Doorbell – I love this wireless doorbell from SadoTech.  I use it as an attention grabber for my students and it works like a charm.  You can change the tune to keep it fresh as well.  All you have to do is plug it into an outlet.  Then, you can carry around the actual doorbell button with you.

2.  UV Light Sanitizer Bag – Genius!  How perfect will this be for the coming school year?  You can use it to sanitize your phone, pencils, markers, math manipulatives, etc.

3. Play-Doh – I use Play-Doh every year, especially at the beginning of the year.  My only change this year will be to label each tub with a child’s name.  They will have to have their own instead of using all of them.

4. Birthday Crowns – This is another item that I purchase every year to have on hand.  Whatever you decide to use for birthday celebrations (pencils, treat bags, crowns, stickers,…), have them ready to go at the beginning of the year.

5. Dry Erase Erasers – I purchase these every couple of years.  They are pretty cheaply made and only last about 2-3 years max.  However, they are fairly inexpensive and I like that they are small.  I have also heard of a lot of people having success using socks or the microfiber makeup remover pads from Dollar Tree.  I usually throw all of my erasers in a tub, however this year, I will have them in individual supply kits for each student.

6. Xacto Pencil Sharpener – I am very particular about my pencil sharpener.  I even have it labeled “Teacher Use Only.”  However, this year, I may have to let go of my control over my sharpener 😉  To keep me from touching everyone’s pencils, which you know have been in mouths, up noses, and even down pants, I may let my students sharpen their own pencils.  This sharpener is hands-down my favorite!  I love that it has a blue light that comes on when the pencil is sharpened, so it really is easy for kids.  We have one at home as well, and my 5 year old sharpens his pencils with no problems at all.

7. Inkjoy Pens – I know that teachers are serious about their pens.  Inkjoy pens are my absolute favorite.  I would pick them over flair pens any day.

8. Carpet Spot Markers – These will be so useful this coming school year in keeping students 6 feet apart.  I plan on putting them on my carpet for when we line up to go in the hall.  I will also use them to mark places for my students to sit.  These will only work if you have carpet.  If you have tile, you may want to check out these EZ Stick Spot Markers.

9. Stackable Supply Boxes – My students will have their own pencil boxes in their desks, but I am purchasing these for other individual materials that my students will need.  (Dice, dry erase markers and erasers, math manipulatives, etc.)  I love that they are stackable, so they will be easy to store.

10.  Clipboards – I frequently use clipboards in my classroom, but I know that they will be used even more next year.  The thought of having 6 year olds in desks ALL DAY LONG, is not okay with me.  Students can use a clipboard to complete their work while sitting 6 feet apart on the floor.  We can also take work outside, weather permitting.  We may have to get creative, but we will definitely not be facing forward in desks all day long.

What are some items that you could see working in your classroom next year? What will you have to adjust and change?

*Feel free to pin the image below to save for later.

These must-have items for teachers are perfect for this coming school year.

 

Filed Under: Back to School Tagged With: Back to School, school supplies

Classroom Supplies I Can’t Live Without

July 11, 2016 by Jodi 5 Comments

It’s officially time to start thinking about heading back to school.  I know you may not be ready, but I also know that you can’t help but think about it.  The school supplies are out in the stores, and they are just staring at us every time we go.  I am proud to say that I have not purchased a single item, yet.  I’m holding strong…until next week.
I wanted to share some of the classroom supplies that I can’t live without.  These are items that I find myself buying every school year.  Maybe this will help when you are ready to start buying.  You’ll have some ideas of what you might need this year.
{This post contains referral links, but I would never recommend products that I do not truly love.}
1.  Mr. Sketch Markers are my absolute favorite markers.  They are perfect for anchor charts.  One packet will last me the entire year.
 (Click on any of the pictures to purchase.)
2.  Crayola Crayons – This one is kind of a no-brainer, but they are definitely a necessity that I buy EVERY single year.  I always stock up while they are cheap at Walmart.  This way, I do not need to buy new crayons in December when ours are lost and broken.  I can also pull out a new box anytime I need one, because in all honesty, I’m a sucker for a brand new crayon. 

3. Laminator & Laminating Pouches – I use my laminator all.the.time!  I purchased this one a couple years ago, and it’s still going strong.  I buy my laminating sheets from SAMS in bulk.
4. A Good Pencil Sharpener – I have gone through SO many pencil sharpeners, but I finally found one that I love.  This X-Acto Teacher Pro sharpener is my favorite!  It sharpens the perfect point, and I love that light that comes on when the pencil is ready.

5. Stickers – I LOVE cute stickers!  I usually just stock up at Dollar Tree.
6. Astrobrights Paper – I’m kind of a paper hoarder!  I LOVE beautiful colored paper.

7. Coffee – This may not be a necessity for you, but it definitely is for me!  I purchased this adorable mug from Bound to Be Loved on Etsy last year.  I love it!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Boundtobeloved?ref=condensed_trust_header_title_items
8. Sharpies – I truly love Sharpies of all kinds and colors.
9. 2 Pocket Folders with Prongs – I use so many of these.  I stock up at Walmart when they are super cheap.  They are great for writing folders, my Comprehension Notebooks, Poetry folders, homework folders, etc.
10. Primary Writing Journals – I put these on our school supply lists, but sometimes they are hard to find.  I always buy some to have for those that cannot find them.  They are perfect because they have writing lines and a space to draw.
11. Post-It Notes and other notepads – I love cute notepads and colorful Post-It Notes. 

12. Personal necessities – Mints, lotion, chap stick, snacks, Band-aids, etc. 
I also always have a sweater on the back of my chair for those days when the air conditioning is on too high, or the heat doesn’t come on soon enough in the winter. 
13. Thank you Notes & Blank Notecards – I always have a stash of Thank-You notes as well as blank notecards.  You never know when you will need one quickly.
What classroom supplies do you find yourself buying every year?

Filed Under: Back to School, Supplies Tagged With: Back to School, school supplies

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funinfirstblog

Definitely not my favorite of his costumes, but he Definitely not my favorite of his costumes, but he loves it, so that’s all that matters 🦴🎃
We will be completing our Halloween Challenge on F We will be completing our Halloween Challenge on Friday. It’s such a great way to make learning fun while working cooperatively.🎃
Check it out by following the link in my profile.
Thank you, Halloween!!🎃👻 Thank you, Halloween!!🎃👻
🌟Easy small group activity🌟 Give each studen 🌟Easy small group activity🌟
Give each student the vowels using foam or magnetic letters. Say a CVC word.  The students hold up the vowel to show the middle sound that they hear.
Super easy and effective💙
I could not be happier that Halloween falls on a S I could not be happier that Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, but that definitely does not mean that the kids will be calm this coming week🤪
If you can’t beat them, join them, right? We will be working on reading fluency using my Halloween Reading on the Move.
Check it out by following the link in my profile.🎃
I’ve definitely need some coffee to get through I’ve definitely need some coffee to get through this past week that I swear was actually 15 days long 😂 But, I’m officially done with my parent-teacher conferences✔️👏👏
We normally do a student pumpkin decorating contes We normally do a student pumpkin decorating contest at school, and the pumpkins are always AMAZING. Due to Covid, we had to cancel it this year, but each classroom created a pumpkin.
We finished ours today, and I actually think it turned out pretty cute🦁
At this point in the year, I am definitely feeling At this point in the year, I am definitely feeling like my soup of the day should be coffee.
I’m *almost* done with Parent-Teacher Conferences. Only 2 more left👏👏
How are you holding up? Do you need some coffee soup along with me?
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