These supplies have saved my day over and over again in my classroom. Although I’m not in the classroom anymore, I still find myself in the supply section of Target and searching on Amazon. I don’t think it is ever anything I will shake off! How can you resist colorful pens? I’m sure I can find a way to use them outside the classroom. Take a peek at some of my favorite classroom supplies!
***Click on each picture below to an Amazon link to the product. I like my readers to know they are affiliate links. If you purchase from the link, the tiny portion is invested right back into my blog so I can keep providing teachers with helpful tips for their classrooms!
1. Colorful Pens
I loved these colorful pens to use in my writing workshop! I’ve tried many different kinds of colorful pens and like these the best. They don’t smudge or make a mess and they have a fine point for writing!
Revisions: We used them for revising and editing rough drafts. Students who are resistant to this writing step, will suddenly enjoy it! You will see many colorful revisions!
Interactive Notebooks: We also used them for our interactive notebooks. Students love to make things colorful and I noticed they worked harder! They colored with markers and color pencils and I allowed them to write with them too!
2. Pocket Folders
I liked these pocket folders and bought 2 per student…one for student resources and one for writing portfolios. These folders come in a variety of colors in a box of 24. Of course you can buy the fancy or plastic ones, but these work perfectly fine and totally affordable.
Student Resources: Anything students can use for their writing, I made copies for them, punched holes and had them place it in the 3 prongs for a writing resource folder. We put Spelling Dictionaries (free in my store) in the pockets!
Writing Portfolio: I gathered all of my students’ writing (final copies) and kept them in writing portfolios. They were perfect to set out at Open House and Parent-Teacher Conferences. At the end of the year, students got to take them home as a keepsake.
3. Colorful Dots
How can you not like colorful dots? Label, label, label!!!! I was so excited when I found these on Amazon, because of the variety of colors! Plus they give you a Word template where you can customize and print! I labeled every book in my classroom! I labeled my classroom library, baskets of books for teaching, and even student books!
Classroom Library: For my classroom library and baskets of teaching books, I made out the label for the basket and placed a color dot in the upper left corner of that label and the same color dot. You can even code them with an abbreviation, but they work without too! I found having the different colors made it so much easier for students to find the right place for the books and kept my classroom library organized!
Student Books: For each student, I gave them a number. I numbered the dots and placed them on every book and workbook that belonged to that child. I also numbered their cubby. If someone left a book lying around the room, it was an easy way to identify where it belonged.
4. Post Its
Post Its are perfect for reading comprehension activities. The page marker sizes are even better and I love all the colorful choices! My students were motivated to search for evidence using these little classroom tools.
Mark the text evidence found on a page! Label a page looking for character traits. Mark a page showing a theme. I had students take quick notes on them to share with whole group too.
5. Card Stock
White Card Stock is perfect for printing posters for wall display, directions or titles for centers, and task cards. They are easy to laminate and will last so much longer! I couldn’t get enough of card stock. I even printed rosters and schedules on them. Love!
Posters: Reading and Writing posters hold up well using white card stock! Place them on your bulletin board, hall or wall and they will last all year and even longer!
Cards/Task Cards: When they are printed on white card stock, laminated, and placed in a center, you will get many years out of them!
I hope you got some ideas to use in your classroom! Come back to find more ideas for organization, management, and teaching!
If interested, click on the resources that go along with the items mentioned above.
