As students prepare to head back to the classroom in the next few weeks, teachers are finalizing their lesson plans and getting their rooms ready for another fun-filled year of learning and growth. Teaching is an extremely rewarding career field, however, it does come with its fair share of challenges. Fortunately, there are a variety of gadgets and tools educators can use in order to facilitate learning in the classroom. Here are eight items that every teacher should utilize as they embark on a new school year.
Letter Trays
Letter trays come in handy in a classroom setting in many ways. Daily “take-home folders” can be placed in a letter tray to provide easy access at the end of the day, so teachers can send home important correspondence and notes to students’ parents. Letter trays are also a great way to organize construction paper by shade and are a fantastic option for students to place their assignments in as they complete them.
Online Interactive Agenda
Savvy teachers know that a student’s success is often dependent upon positive communication and interactions with their parent or guardian. When a parent shows a vested interest in their child’s academics and classroom behavior, a child is more likely to achieve their full potential at school. This year, consider using an online school agenda to record student grades and behavior. An online agenda is a more efficient solution than a classic student planner, and can help administrators, as well as teachers, manage student expectations, academics, and classroom routines. An online agenda can improve communication between faculty and parents and can make the curriculum more engaging by providing an interactive platform for notes, images, videos, and relevant links to the lesson. Because data is stored online, parents and students will be able to see whether there are any outstanding homework assignments, as well as what their current grades are for their various classes.
Clip Boards
Not all learning during the school day will occur in the classroom. At times, teachers may want to take the lesson outside of a traditional classroom setting, perhaps out on the athletic field or in another room on campus. During these lessons, students may need a hard surface to take notes on. Clipboards are a great option for such times and are easy to transport as well as store.
Laminator
While most schools have at least one laminator on campus, it’s a good idea to invest in a personal laminator as well. As the school year gets underway, it’s only a matter of time until a laminator is in need of repair, or constantly has a line of people waiting to use it. This can slow things down in the classroom, especially if laminated items are needed in order to teach that lesson. Purchasing a small personal laminator and keeping it in the classroom is a great way to eliminate waiting in line, and can be beneficial for those times when a small laminate job is necessary.
Paper Towels
Classrooms are messy places. It’s only a matter of time before a spill occurs during snack time, or a student drops to paint or glue on the floor. Although the janitorial department is usually stocked with cleaning supplies and other items, it’s a good idea to keep at least a few rolls of paper towels nearby.
Caddies
Caddies are an indispensable item in elementary school classrooms. By providing a caddy at every set of desks, a teacher can decrease the amount of time it takes for students to gather supplies for their lessons. Consider purchasing a caddy for each group of tables, and filling it with crayons, markers, pencils, and other school supplies students use on a daily basis.
Electric Pencil Sharpener
Pencils are the most commonly used school supply item at any school. It should come as no surprise that the necessity of having an electric pencil sharpener in the classroom is paramount. Nothing will halt a lesson faster than a class full of students with broken pencils. Electric pencil sharpeners are fast and effective and can help your class get back on task in no time.
Small Dry Erase Boards
Dry-erase boards have proven to be indispensable over the last few school years. Dry-erase boards are a great option for a variety of lessons and subjects. Sometimes pulling out a sheet of paper and a pencil is time-consuming, especially if the lesson is intended to be fast-paced and engaging. Students enjoy the novelty of using a dry erase board as well, which can promote positive interaction and engagement throughout the lesson.
Although every school year comes with its own set of unique challenges for both students and teachers, the start of a new year can also be fun and exciting as students return to their classrooms to spend time learning with their peers. By getting organized and preparing the classroom with useful items ahead of time, a teacher is more likely to enjoy a smooth start to a memorable school year.
