Your classroom is a home away from home and it should be a place of organization, functionality, and magic! How can you make your classroom a place of wonder? By checking all of my classroom must haves. These hidden gems are things I think every teacher needs to keep their space organized and student-ready! From dry-erase pockets, velcro fasteners, and a treasure trove that I call my teacher toolbox, you’ll find all your classroom must haves in this article! Just keep reading!
Why Create a Classroom of Wonder
Imagine your classroom is a magical land where work and learning must take place every day. What would you need to make the magic come alive? Classroom must haves can transform a classroom into a learning central! A place full of creativity and inspiration!
We spend so much time in our classroom. In order to keep our peace of mind, we want to make sure our classroom is a place that creates peace and not anxiety or stress. Having these classroom must haves is a great way to create a place great for you to be productive as well as an ideal learning environment for your students.
The Magnetic Curtain Rod: A Classroom Shapeshifter
Not all superheroes wear capes. As a matter of fact, this Magnetic Curtain Rod is a hero that doesn’t even have a face! Yet, here we are. This little rod is one of my favorite classroom must haves. Why? Well, imagine a shapeshifter that can change and morph based on what you need in the moment. That’s what the magnetic curtain rod does! One day, it’s holding up student artwork and the next it’s holding up visual aids for a lesson. On some magical days, it’s the stage for a classroom puppet show that students have created to retell a story putting a spin on the Mad Professor.
Using Dry Erase Pockets for Endless Possibilities
If you’re looking for something sustainable, you have to check out these Dry Erase Pockets. This durable classroom must have is a timeless scroll that holds countless lessons, ready to be rewritten and reused. When you use dry erase pockets, you save so many trees (and a lot of money on paper!) On top of that, you get that tingly feeling that can only come from writing with dry-erase markers. Don’t believe me? Just ask the kids!
Stack Up the Fun with Jenga Sets
When it comes to classroom must haves, you need some fun! Jenga Sets are the champions for fun in the classroom. Not only do you have the thrill of carefully extracting a block, the suspense, the teamwork, and the laughter, you also get the learning! Each block can be a custom grammar question, phonetic sound, math problems, vocabulary words, or science trivia. This makes learning a rollercoaster ride! Plus, because you can customize these blocks, you can use them in math and literacy centers!
Create Sky-High Creativity with Ceiling Hangers: A Classroom Must Have
With this classroom must have, the sky (or in this case the ceiling) is the limit! Ceiling Hangers help you hang up art projects, science models, planet systems, and more! You can make your classroom look like an art gallery or a science museum created by your students. Throughout the year, you can change up what you have hanging. Plus, it frees up valuable wall and desk space creating less clutter!
Anchor Chart Paper and Chart Markers
Have you ever been in the middle of a more difficult lesson and you can see those light bulbs struggling to turn on? Sometimes you need a little help from your friends! That’s where Anchor Chart Paper and vibrant Chart Markers come into place. In a matter of minutes, you can make a visual to help students understand what you are teaching them. These classroom must haves can help you turn difficult concepts into colorful, easy-to-understand diagrams and mind maps. This creates successful anchor charts that help students navigate all the things we are trying to teach them.
Connect Everything with Velcro Fasteners
Do you have a wall that nothing will stick on? Well look no further than these Velcro Fasteners! While these might be tiny, they are mighty! These classroom must haves are great for hanging up learning materials, securing loose items, and fixing little things around the classroom.
You can also use Velcro Fasteners to help you organize your centers! From center signs to labels you might switch out! Check out the center organization freebie below for your go to for organizing centers!
A Teacher Toolbox: The Keeper of Classroom Must Haves
Every teacher needs a Teacher Toolbox to keep all of his or her treasures in! These classroom must haves can disappear when you need them most if you don’t have a great place to put them. In your teacher toolbox, you can have paperclips, markers, stickers, rubber bands, you name it! The toolbox is their home which means all these things you need at a moments notice are right at your fingertips. Say goodbye to digging through your desk drawers and hello to perfect organization. What a lifesaver!
All of the above are my classroom must haves. However, that doesn’t mean this is a finished list! We all have our own must haves based on our own teaching experiences. So, you might want to add to this list or replace something that you don’t really feel you would use in your classroom.
Regardless of what is on your list of classroom must haves, the goal is to make your classroom an environment that fosters learning, sparks curiosity, and inspires creativity. What’s on your classroom must have list? Comment to share your must haves with other educators!
