Happy summer, friends! It’s fading fast, is it not? Maybe you are here today because you are in search of teacher must haves from Amazon or because you are looking for first year teacher must haves for yourself or for a friend or family member. Either way, I’ve got a list of classroom must haves for you!
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There are so many helpful teacher must haves out there. I have been in the classroom 17 years now, and I can verify that choosing the best things for the classroom can get overwhelming. It takes SO MUCH time, thought, and helpful tools to run a classroom smoothly and efficiently. It would be nice to say we could run a room very minimally. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way for many of us!
Of course, the amount of out-of-pocket expenses varies by district. Some districts supply teachers a spending stipend for their rooms or are great about ordering things the teachers request. Less well-off districts often don’t have the money to spread to the teachers. And so….out-of-pocket expense, it is!
Many of us have become pretty adept at organized hoarding in the classroom. Borrowing, lending, sharing, and giving is pretty common among teacher coworkers, as well.
No doubt, elementary teacher must haves are different from middle school classroom must haves or high school classroom must haves, etc. If you are buying gifts for new teachers or for a teacher in your family, be sure to consider the age group or type of teaching work! On my list here, I am including things I think could benefit most teachers, regardless of level and subject.
I am adding things that I really feel are teacher must haves, but I am also adding some cool teacher gifts that may not be necessities. I have also taken ideas from other teacher friends for their Amazon classroom must haves.
Basic Teachers Must Haves from Amazon
- Flair Pens – Chances are high the teacher in your life is a Flair pen lunatic. Most teachers are!
- Pilot Frixion Erasable Pens – Honestly, these erasable gel pens are my favorite by a long shot! Colorful pens that erase…this is real living, folks! I carry them in my purse at all times and keep them at all my different desk stations – in both my classroom/offices and at home. I guard them with my life. At meetings, if I lend one to a coworker friend, I make darn certain I get my pen back! I cannot wait to crack open a brand new pack in August!
- Expo Markers – I’m sorry, but is there really any substitution? I’ve been through many of white board markers in my day, and I can’t live without the good ole’ Expo ones!
- Comfy Rolling Office Chair – Every teacher deserves a comfy rolling chair to fall into at the end of the day and during planning time. It may be the only time he/she gets to sit all day! Some districts supply these chairs and others don’t. This chair I linked comes in several colors, like purple!
- Magnetic Clips – Teachers love a good color-coded tool and they also love to hang things – student work, office announcements, handy resources, etc. These clips are great to hang on the white board or on the file cabinets or certain metal doors. Teachers would also like these push pin clips for their bulletin boards.
- Metal Organizer for Desk – Any good teacher desk must haves list should include a good organizer for pens, pencils, dry erase markers, etc. In my middle school classroom, I have a striped metal caddy which I found in the Target Dollar Spot one year. I haven’t been able to track down a similar striped one on Amazon, but I did find this really cool white distressed metal caddy. So pretty! Of course, something about rotating desk organizers gets me excited, too!
- Storage Baskets – If there is one thing that can make or break a teacher, it is not having a system of organization within the classroom. Organized storage is a MUST. These particular stacking storage baskets can be used to collect papers each class period. There are eight baskets in the set, which should be enough to cover all class periods for most teachers. Or the baskets can be placed in cabinets or closets to organize and store supplies.
- Live Snake Plant – Did you really think you would get teacher must haves recommendations from Planted in Arkansas, and a plant would not be on the list? You don’t know me that well, do you? In all seriousness, if you read my post on plants for a dark classroom (linked at the end of this post), you know I take my classroom plants seriously. Plants help greatly with the air quality of a classroom. Snakes plants do well in classes with low light or bright light. And although I have never ordered a live snake plant from Costa, I would say the majority of my 60+ houseplants are from Costa farms.
- The Happy Planner Teacher Planner – There are as many types of planners in existence as fish in the sea, it seems. I have gone through several different brands and styles over the years. And the only one I’ve found exciting enough to purchase multiple years in a row is The Happy Planner – Teacher version. This jungle themed one I linked is the one I have purchased for this school year. There are several versions of The Happy Planner. Make sure you pick out a teacher version! There are also many fun accessories you can order with your planner, such as extra stickers. Or you can order The Happy Planner Big Teacher Box Kit which comes with an undated planner and tons of stickers and accessories. The Happy Planner teacher planner tends to run out of stock early each July, I’ve noticed. If you missed out for this year, there are lots of other great teacher planners out there like this matrix style teacher planner with vertical columns for easy planning Monday through Friday. This academic year teacher planner features a fun bloom pattern and motivating quotes along with plenty of places for goal planning.
Other Fun Teacher Must Haves from Amazon
Okay, so this next list might not be classroom essentials, but these items are certainly helpful for teacher life!
- Teacher Backpack – More and more, you will see teachers toting their things around in cute but sturdy backpacks. Sturdiness is key because they are typically used to haul laptops and iPads along with notebooks, lunch, water bottles, etc. This women’s backpack has both a laptop sleeve and a wide-open mouth – both necessary for laptops of medium to larger sizes. Sometimes, backpacks you come across might be cute but the mouth is not large enough for all the teacher equipment. And this one also has a charging station! It comes in several colors and even some stripe and polka dot patterns. There is also this sleek vintage-style backpack which comes with the same features. It has great reviews. Here is another sharp-looking canvas backpack – perfect for male and female teachers, alike.
- Stacking Metal Stools for Classroom – I can’t tell you how many times a teacher moves around the room and needs to take a seat beside a student to get on his/her level for one-on-one help. Unfortunately, the neighboring seats are often taken so a teacher has to hunch low which is awkward and painful after doing it all day. A few of my friend teacher friends have ordered these lightweight and stackable metal stools for classroom use. They just keep them sprinkled around the room and grab one and carry it to where they might sit for a bit. You can also have them around the teacher desk for individual conferences or small-group discussion. These classroom stools are great teacher must haves from Amazon!
- Numbered Classroom Organizer/Pocket Chart – While this product is listed as a cell phone holder, it can be used as so much more! (And let’s spare ourselves from the never-ending debate of whether or not it is appropriate for teachers to collect student phones!) With 30 pockets, a teacher can collect calculators, exit tickets, and all kinds of other things. An elementary teacher could hang the chart low – like under the board – and have one pocket for each student to turn in lunch money, signed forms and notes, etc. A secondary teacher could just keep the pockets numbered 1-30 and use them with each class, again and again.
- Fidget Chair Bands – Several years ago, a special education specialist brought me some chair bands to use in class with a few of our hyperactive students who have trouble sitting still in class. They helped those students to redirect their fidgety behaviors to bouncing their feet on the bands, which seemed to help. I do not remember the brand that we used, but the product I linked here has great reviews, has Prime shipping, and is an Amazon Choice product.
- Classroom Letter Board – Believe it or not, many of use teachers like a corny pun or two. In fact, check out my blog post for classroom letter board quotes (linked at the end of this post), if you don’t believe me!
- Fun Bulletin Board Trim or Bulletin Board Set – Schoolgirl Style is my favorite brand on Amazon for classroom decor themes! I love the bright colors and modern spin! And you know my heart swoons for that plant themed bulletin board set! I have used the Schoolgirl Style black-and-white striped trim for several years now.
- Multifunctional Lamp with Wireless Phone Charger and USB Port – I cannot stress enough how helpful it is to have a lamp on the teacher’s desk. So many classrooms have terrible lighting – especially in the older buildings. Some have windows, some don’t. On rainy days, or on days where the lights are out while students are watching something, a lamp is a teacher desk must have! I like that this particular desk lamp also has an auto shut-off timer. Occasionally, I have forgotten to turn off my lamp when I’ve left school for the day. And…wireless phone charger?! Handy! This other LED desk lamp also has a USB port, along with a 360 degree flex neck and a pencil holder at its base. The Amazon reviews are great! And for a lamp that is a little less utilitarian and more chic, you might check out this LED light with linen lampshade, USB ports, and phone and iPad stands.
- Magnetic Dry Erase Labels – These magnetic dry erase labels have so many uses! Some teachers use them as part of an attendance check-in process. Others use them in a labeling method on the white board (categories and such).
- Personal Laminator – One thing I have had on my teacher wish list for years is a personal laminator! My teacher friends have raved about this Scotch Laminator. It is perfect for quick jobs when you need something quickly and don’t wish to wait your turn in the laminating process at school. These laminating sheets are needed to go with it.
- Dry Erase Pockets – For those that don’t wish to laminate or just want to be able to have kids mark things on the fly, these dry erase pockets are great. In the past, I used regular sheet protectors to have kids “mark” on classroom sets of paper. However, the sheet protectors often didn’t erase well and were pretty flimsy. These protectors are thick and also erase well!
- Ceiling Hooks – I have these ceiling hooks in my classrooms. They are definitely teacher must haves for those who have tiled ceilings…which I think is most of us. I use them to hang my plants in their macrame planters as well as student projects hanging on string. You’ve gotta make the most of those ugly ceilings! Although I have not personally used this style of ceiling clips, I have seen them in other classrooms. They can be used in different ways and not just on ceilings.
- Electric Pencil Sharpener – I would estimate that nearly 75% of classrooms I have been in have an electric pencil sharpener. Why? Because the old school sharpeners on the wall get jammed and stop working over time! The maintenance men will come and check them and say there is nothing wrong, yet the kids complain nonstop. Having a really reliable electric pencil sharpener helps so much!
- Cute Beaded Teacher Lanyard – If only I could tell you how many times I have mistaken my necklace for my lanyard and my lanyard for my necklace. And then got myself locked out of my classroom because I thought I had my lanyard on and it turned out it was just my necklace. We teachers have real problems, people! At some point, I’ve just started wearing necklaces to work less and less because of this issue. If using a school-themed lanyard isn’t cutting it style wise, there are so many chic wrist lanyards and neck lanyards out there!
- Gooseneck Tablet Stand – What a lifesaver this gooseneck tablet stand is! One of my schools went to using Apple TVs and iPads without a projector in sight. With my type of work (ESL teacher), it is imperative my co-teachers and I be able to mark documents while we teach. The iPads are great for doing this, but we needed a way to also use our iPad as document cameras when we were working with paper. This iPad holder works perfectly with our school-issued iPads! Basically, it turns the iPad into a document camera.
- Huge Ziploc Bags – I keep these huge Ziploc bags in my classroom closet to keep things protected and stored long-term. It helps protect personal things or classroom things against potential pests and dust.
- Variety of Ziploc Bags – Teachers love to sort classroom manipulatives. Having a variety of Ziploc bags on hand is so helpful. A lot of times, my students will break something – like a beaded necklace – and I am able to hand them a sandwich-sized Ziploc to store the pieces in until they get home. Other times, I might need 15 quart-sized bags to sort vocabulary game pieces for partner pairs. There are many uses with these bags!
- Poster Storage Bags – I have not had any more issues with posters and wall hangings getting frayed and bent up since I started using these poster storage bags! As you can see, I’m not the only one who likes them. The ratings and reviews are great!
- Label Maker – I have this exact label maker, and it is so handy for making professional looking labels for things in my classroom. I’ve had this one for years and have never had any problems with it.
- Magnetic Curtain Rods – Many classrooms have a window in the metal door. These windows annoy me as other students walking by are often tempted to look into the room while my class is in session. And my students get distracted by the hallway traffic. A solution that has worked for me is a magnetic curtain rod with light-weight cafe curtains. In the picture below, I just happened to have some extra gold fabric so my mom whipped me up a lightweight curtain. Be sure sure measure the window for the correct size of rod and curtains!
- Classroom refrigerator and classroom microwave – I ordered this vintage style fridge and microwave for my classroom, and I’m so excited about them since my classroom is far from the teachers lounges on my campus! They come in several different colors.
- Over-the-Door Shoe Organizer – Not just for shoes! I have used one of these 24-pocket over-the-door organizers for classroom supplies for years. It hangs on the inside of my closet door. Obviously, the classroom must have a closet door or strong hook system to hang such an organizer. But this is the best way to sort my markers, tape refills, Post-It Notes, paperclips, etc. It is perfect for an organized classroom hoarder!
- Over-the-Door Pocket Folder Organizer – Now, on the inside of my door, I have the shoe organizer for supplies I don’t want the kids touching. On the outside of the closet door, I have a colorful pocket folder holder that is both magnetic and has grommets. Sometimes, I hang it on my metal cabinet. Other times, like you see in the photo, I use the grommets and hang it by thin rope from the metal hangers of the shoe organizer that is on the other side. I keep class folders in here with absentee work, etc. Sometimes, pocket folder organizers come with sticky hooks to hang directly on the wall. So far, I haven’t had much luck getting the sticky hooks to hold for very long. You can choose how many pockets you would like on the organizer.
DREAM Teacher Must Haves: Some things are definitely not must haves for day-to-day teaching, but they are nice to have on a personal comfort level. If the teacher you are shopping for is one to arrive early, stay late, or just needs coffee to survive the day, consider this Single-Serve Keurig coffee maker for classroom use. And if your teacher likes to have his/her own mini fridge for classroom or office spaces and small microwave, these things would make a great group gift as they are pricier items. Mine were gifted from my family for my birthday which happens to be at the start of the school year. I love all three pieces!
Rolling Cart filled with Teacher Must Haves
I’m going to include a quick idea for a classroom supply station idea for teachers.
I made two classroom signs to display with a classroom supply station (linked at the bottom of this section). If you have to question why you might need a sign beside your tissue boxes, you clearly haven’t been teaching for very long! Ha! A pet peeve of many teachers is that kids are notorious for grabbing far more tissues than they need. Maybe with a gentle reminder, they will grab fewer tissues. Maybe?
I like to set up my cute little classroom caddy with some essentials the students often ask for: tissues, extra pencils, bandages, paper, and an extra stapler for them to use.
My caddy is a metal utility cart from home which has been multi-purposed for many uses. Recently, it was used to display plants on my back porch. Now, it is all dolled up as a classroom caddy!
If you don’t have a metal utility cart, Amazon has plenty of choices – in all kinds of sizes, styles and colors.
- 3-Tier Rolling Cart – This cart has amazing reviews and comes in several colors.
- 3-Tier Rolling Cart with Hooks and Pencil Holders – This is another handy multi-functional cart with a few extra bells and whistles – like hooks for hanging things and a top tray with lots of dividers for small school supplies.
- 4-Tier Rolling Cart with Dividers and Pencil Holders – This four-deck rolling cart will keep you extra organized with divided trays and a couple of hanging buckets for holding pencils, scissors, etc.
Any new teacher in your life would likely love to be gifted a rolling classroom cart stocked with supplies! Heck, even us older teachers would love this type of thoughtful teacher gift!
So what kind of supplies could you buy to put on a classroom cart? It all really depends on whether the teacher would use the cart as a student supply station (meaning the kids help themselves to necessary supplies) or if the supply station is for the teacher to stay organized with her own supplies. Here are a few suggestions.
Student Classroom Supplies for Cart
- Glue Sticks – Many teachers do projects in class which require glue. Glue sticks are the way to go – especially with older kiddos.
- Huge Box of Pencils – If you’ve ever been in a classroom of kids for very long (regardless of age), you know the pencils disappear. Where do they go? Nobody knows. But lost pencils are a daily headache for most any teacher.
- Cap Erasers – Another daily happening is when the kid actually finds his pencil but it has no eraser!
- Tissue – Have you ever known a teacher that turned down extra tissue donations for her classroom? Me neither. At my school, we are not allowed to ask parents to donate tissue boxes. Nor is it part of the school supply list anymore. Sooo…guess who pays for the tissue for up to 150 students per day in our classrooms? We do. The teachers. Help your teacher friend out!
- Blunt Student Scissors – As I mentioned above, lots of teachers incorporate projects which often involve glue and scissors. For younger kids, a 12-pack of color-coded will be helpful. This 30-pack of blunt classroom scissors also has great reviews. Some teachers have older elementary students who are ready for sharp tip classroom scissors but still have smaller hands. This 20 pack of sharp scissors is geared for older kids and has a sharper tip. They are color-coded which will work to some teachers’ benefit.
Teacher Classroom Supplies for Cart
- Swingline Stapler – Ask any teacher and he/she will probably tell you they burn through staplers like crazy. This is especially true of secondary teachers because the kids are often tasked with stapling things themselves. Over a period, the staplers jam up and eventually find themselves in the trashcan. After moving classrooms five times in six years, I may or may not have ordered myself this red Swingline stapler. Swingline staplers tend to hold up the best to clumsy hands. Don’t forget the Swingline staples!
- Post It Notes – What teacher doesn’t need Post It Notes?
- Metal Binder Rings – These metal binder rings are great for grouping sets of index cards. I like to have my kids make study cards on index cards and then we hole punch them and connect them together with one of these rings though they have other uses, as well.
- Sharpies – As long as there are teachers, there will be a need for Sharpies!
Grab your classroom supply station 4×4 printable or the 8.5×11 version!
Stock the Classroom Party Idea – New Teacher Party
If you are looking at teacher must haves for a new teacher in your life, I have made a few cute little classroom gift tag printables to attach to the new teacher gift you give. In fact, I really think we should make a stock the classroom party a thing going forward! You know…like stock the bar parties, or stock the nursery parties, house warming parties, etc. I love to find reasons to have a party!
Host a Stock the Classroom Party for a New Teacher
If you have a new teacher in your life – maybe a daughter, son, mom, sister, brother-in-law, bestie, etc., you should totally take the lead in organizing a fun little party to celebrate his/her new career.
- Invite 10-15 of his or her friends to a small and easy get-together at your home to celebrate the start of a new and worthwhile career.
- Serve 4-5 appetizers that can be prepped ahead of time (trail mix, dill pickle dip, layered taco dip, etc.)
- Serve waters and one drink (tea or lemonade) to keep it simple
- Display balloons and a fun letter board with a congratulatory phrase or something like “Let’s Stock and Rock that Classroom.”
- Allow time for mingling and allowing the guest of honor to open gifts (even better – simply present gifts in storage baskets that he/she can also use in the classroom).
Teacher Gift Tag
Here are a few teacher gift tags for you to add to a teacher gift.
Colorful Tag with Black Letters – Teacher Gift Tag
Colorful Tag with Blue Letters – Teacher Gift Tag
If you do not wish to print in color, just choose to print in grayscale or black and white on your computer.
That’s it! I love the idea of a new teacher celebration party which also helps supply classroom must haves for new teachers!
The reality is most teachers pay for a lot out of their own pockets. This is kind of a system exclusive to this profession. I do not have friends in many other professions that purchase out of pocket very often for their workspace to the same degree teachers do. In the case of brand new teachers, they often aren’t making much money yet so stocking the new classroom is tricky.
More Teacher-y Posts
Classroom Door Decorating Contest Ideas
Dirty Santa Ideas for the Classroom
Fun Group Game for Teacher Trainings
Tips for Back to School Shopping for Teachers and Parents
Teacher Must Haves from Amazon
Christmas Party Ideas at School
Sharing Good Things with Students
Valentine’s Day Treats for the Classroom
Christmas Treats for the Classroom
Decorative Hat Wall for the Classroom
Spanish Teacher Bulletin Boards
Back to School Outfits for Teachers
Teacher Appreciation Gifts Under $15
Well, did I miss any of your recommended teacher must haves from Amazon? If so, let me know in the comments!
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