Being a teacher is a big responsibility, you know? Lots of different kids swing by and you have to figure out a way to cater to all of their needs at the same time. There’s one that wants to read the homework, another one that wants to play some games and then there’s that little one crying in the corner. And all f that’s happening at the same time. You certainly love those kids quite a bit but boy do they know how to drive you crazy sometimes.
In any case, there’s no denying the fact that teaching is perhaps one of the most rewarding jobs you can have. Sure, it might be extremely tiring at times but children never fail to show their unconditional love and appreciation. You never know when they’ll surprise you with a kind word or gesture that will warm your heart on a bad day. This, in turn, bestows upon you the task of creating a fun and stimulating classroom environment in order to facilitate the learning process.
While you’re more than willing to carry this burden, you’ll need a couple of useful tools to help you along. Stick around to find out what kinds of classroom and teacher supplies you’ll need to plan a successful lesson.
What Supplies Does Every Classroom Need?
Make no mistake, the way that the classroom is organised can play a big part in students’ motivation and willingness to learn. To do that, you don’t have to spend a fortune on all the learning tools, you just need to know what to look for.
Book Display Shelf
There’s absolutely nothing more exciting than seeing your students burying their noses in a good book, especially if you’re the one recommending the titles. Evidently, reading comprehension is one of the fundamental skills taught in schools these days. For this reason, organising your classroom library using a multi-purpose book display shelf should be at the top of your priority list. In this way, you ensure that your students have access to any book they want at all times, as long as they put it back into their original place when they’re done browsing its pages.
The most important factor you’ll need to consider here is the size and number of levels or shelves. This depends entirely on the number of books you want to display as well as the overall space available in the classroom. You certainly wouldn’t want to cram a small space with an extra-large book display stand. Additionally, you’ll have to take into account the average height of your students so that you ensure all books are easily reachable. If you’re looking for some advice on how to go about it, we’d suggest getting double-sided book display stands which will certainly offer more than enough storage space without being too chunky.
When organising your books on the shelves, your first thought might be to go by theme but we think it’s a good idea to base the order on the level of difficulty. In other words, you should have books that are both below and above grade level. By grouping them in this way, it’ll be easier for you to find challenging titles for overachievers all while supporting the efforts of those who are falling a bit behind.
Interactive Whiteboard
While regular whiteboards are a common sight in schools these days, it’s their interactive counterparts that are causing a stir in the teaching world. Think about it this way, kids these days are surrounded by all sorts of devices with a touch screen so why shouldn’t you use that opportunity to your advantage and implement that technology in the classroom? It’ll surely keep them engaged and interested in what you’re teaching. At the end of the day, making the lesson memorable is all that teachers can ask for. Of course, it’s a heftier investment initially but it’ll ultimately pay off in the long run.
Art Sets
You of all people should know that young minds are full of imagination and creativity. With that in mind, is there a better way to let those youngsters express themselves than letting them use colourful art painting sets to their heart’s content? This will inevitably produce a playful and vibrant classroom experience which will certainly improve students’ attitudes towards school and learning. Once you get that ball rolling, you’ll have successfully managed to improve their overall academic achievements.
Whether they’re making abstract paintings or trying to translate what they see onto paper, having art sets that are fully saturated and pigmented is the real game-changer in that scenario. If you’re teaching younger kids, we’d recommend using watercolours because they’re easier to manage. For the older generations, feel free to let them experiment with acrylic art painting sets as much as they’d like.
If you want to motivate them to participate in art classes even further, you can display some of their artworks on classroom walls. This shows that you’re appreciative of their efforts and more than willing to help them grow and evolve as artists. All of this contributes to a favourable classroom atmosphere which is the ultimate goal for every teacher.
Either way, it’s absolutely crucial that you teach them to take proper care of the classroom art supplies. They should feel free to use whichever supplies they want, as long as they clean and store them neatly after they’re done. Just because they don’t own that particular set doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be careful with it. And it’s your job as a teacher to make sure they follow those rules.
What Supplies Does Every Teacher Need?
This is the part where you focus on yourself. When talking about teaching, there’s so much emphasis on students’ needs and preferences that teachers often neglect their own. But we’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen to you.
Personal Planner
A personal planner is like your professional diary. It helps you keep track of assignments, staff meetings and all kinds of other miscellaneous tasks you have to deal with during the day. Sometimes your schedule gets so busy that it’s impossible not to forget something. With personal planners, ending up in that scenario becomes highly unlikely.
Flashcards
Students learn through pictures and gestures. So if you want them to acquire that new vocabulary you’re planning on teaching next class, you better have a full set of flashcards in hand and ready to go. Show them one by one in a lively and energetic manner to grab your students’ attention and keep them invested in the material.
