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10 Amazon items every teacher needs will make your life easier! Not only will it make your life easier, it will make you happy! I mean, who doesn't love opening up an Amazon package, especially when it's for your classroom!
I am often asked by student teachers and new teachers what the most important things are that they need to purchase for their new classroom. When I was a new teacher, oh SO many years ago, I had a limited budget to purchase new stuff. For real, who are we kidding, I have the same limited budget now too! If I can help new or even experienced teachers find amazing items for the classrooms at reasonable prices, my day has been made! I'm all about helping a fellow teacher!
My #1 item that every teacher needs is a personal laminator! I purchased mine about 4 years ago, and I wish I had known about this magical item WAY sooner! I have spent so many hours either standing at the laminator at school or traveling to the teacher supply store to laminate my items (so that I didn't have to stand in line at school)! LOL! And to tell you a little secret, I actually purchased a second laminator at the beginning of the school year for my house so I didn't have to tote my laminator back and forth! There is also a newer version that some of my friends like. It is a little more expensive, but I am sure it is just as good!
I also get these amazing laminator pouches that are fabulous quality and an amazing price!! If you purchase laminator pouches elsewhere, they can be quite expensive. If you are wanting the Scotch brand pouches, these are great too, but cost a little more. I used to purchase them before I discovered the ones that were a little more cost effective!
The #2 product is my paper cutter! I know of some teachers that like the bigger paper cutter, but I LOVE my little one. It doesn't take up too much room and doesn't ever need to be sharpened. You just need these refills, but I only purchase one pack per year for all of my cutting! I usually cut up to 4 or 5 regular pieces of paper at once or 2 pieces of cardstock. On the rare occasion I need a larger cutter (mainly for construction paper projects), I use the paper cutter in our teacher workroom. But, you know…when do we have time to do those anyway?!
My #3 Amazon item that every teacher needs is Mr. Sketch Markers. Okay, if you don't like smelly markers, the world may have ended! Haha! For real though, I can't make an anchor chart without these amazing things. Nothing makes me happier than rainbow colors and yummy smells! I purchase a new pack of these and the thin Mr. Sketch Markers at the beginning of every year! And on a side note, if you have not tried scented Expo markers, you are missing out!! OMG…they are the BOMB! You will have every student wanting to participate just so they can use them on the whiteboard! And my other favorite set of low odor Expo dry erase markers are these vibrant color ones!
The #4 product must-have is a PaperPro stapler. And who doesn't love pink?! I have purchased so many staplers in my day! I love this one too, and now will only purchase the PaperPro brand! They are SO easy to use and the kids barely have to touch them as they staple. No more pushing down the stapler like they are Hulk! These staplers are quiet and convenient!
My #5 item item is a set of strong magnets! I don't know about you, but I get so tired of hanging up notes by my door for a change of transportation or after school program, and the next thing I know, a puff of air has drifted by and it is on the floor…again! UUUUUHHHHH!! It's so frustrating. I love these magnets above. They are strong and can hold more than 1 piece of paper without flying off into the wind! And the best thing is, I don't have to bend over 5 millions times to pick it up off the floor! I use them on my board too, and they work out perfectly!
My #6 item from Amazon for teachers is a pack of Avery sheet protectors! I know a lot of people like the colored ones, but I have noticed that my students fight over them! “I wanted the blue one. You got it last time!” And so forth and so on. Ain't nobody got time for that! Plus, I love that I can use these for stations and in my personal binder. I LOVE to organize, and these help me keep my frequently used papers safe and clean! For stations, they are easy for the kids to erase and are thick enough where they don't get all “krinkled” like the cheap ones do!
The #7 Amazon product that all classroom teachers need is Avery address labels. Who wants to spend an entire day writing student's names on items? Not me!!! So, at the beginning of the year, I print out a 1/2 sheet of labels for each student that has their name on it. I do this all from the Avery.com website. This is the BEST THING EVER!! It fits perfectly every time and when you create an account, you just go in the next year and print out those exact labels. I do this for folders, notes to send home, meet the teacher forms, and so much more!
Next on the list is my #8 item, InkJoy pens. These are A-Mazing! If you have not tried them, you need to! I used to be a die hard Flair pen girl…not any more!! You won't regret purchasing these! I keep them high on my teacher shelf so that no one else uses them…only me. Selfish, I know, but once you use these, you will not want any sticky fingers on them! LOL! Grab some now and stock up for the year.
#9 on my top ten list is AstroBright paper! For real, who doesn't love these? I like to use them for things like my schedule, calendars, teacher binder, etc. They are great for special projects like my Meet the Teacher newsletter, printing out my Hand Signals, and my All About Me student book to hang up out in the hallway. You can never go wrong with bright colors!
And, drumroll please…My #10 item that every teacher needs in his or her classroom is self inking stamps! Y'all, I have had these for 5 years, and they are STILL working like I purchased them yesterday!! That was the best money I have ever spent! No more spending money on stamps and no more drawing happy faces and stars on your student's paper! You will not regret purchasing these! I have both sets! The best thing about these is that they also have a “Please Correct and Return” and a “Parent Signature” stamp!
I hope I have helped you a little bit. When I started teaching, I had to run around to about a million stores and garage sales to find all of the stuff that I needed! Now, you can shop for your classroom from the comfort of your home (and hopefully your PJ's)! And be sure to check out my 10 Teacher Tips to Make Your Life Easier post!! Have a great school year, and feel free to pin the images above or below for future reference!
