Preparing to teach the first class of students is a huge task for a new teacher. It is important to be ready when the students step into the classroom on the first day of school. Here is a quick checklist of supplies that new teachers will want to have on hand for a successful first day and first year of teaching.
Student Supplies for New Teachers
While students are provided a list of supplies that they need to bring with them on the first day of school, there are some staple items that all teachers should have on hand in the classroom. These will come in handy when a student forgets or did not purchase the proper supplies.
For students, teachers will need a collection of the following supplies:
Blank notebooks – choose the line width appropriate for the grade level. Be careful to not purchase college ruled by mistake.
Pencils – new teachers should purchase more of these than they think they will ever use, because they will run out.
Erasers – erasers get lost, so have a supply on hand. Large erasers may be a better choice than the ones that fit on the end of a pencil because when a student erases strongly, the large ones will not break as easily.
Crayons or colored pencils – younger grades will need crayons and older grades will need colored pencils. These get used up and break so having a supply of extra on hand is helpful.
Notebook paper – this is great for students to take notes, as scrap paper, to write rough drafts on and more. Having a supply of notebook paper is never a bad idea, and students will go through a lot. Be sure to purchase the appropriate paper for the student's grade level.
New Teacher Supplies
While the school will provide a number of items new teachers will need, it is helpful to have extras on hand, and some of what is needed may not be provided. Here are some ideas to get started, for more ideas, talk to the other teachers at school.
Copy paper – the school will suppl teachers with some, so check to see how much they will provide. With budgets tightening, new teachers may need to supply their own in order to be able to make copies of appropriate materials for all students.
EZ Grader – this can be found at a teacher supply store. It makes it easy to determine grades based on the number of questions on a test and the number of questions a student answered correctly. This is a great time saver.
File folders – Have at least three per student. New teachers will need to file important papers, student samples, lesson plans, observation notes and more. With file folders, teachers will be able to stay organized and cut down on the amount of work necessary to do at the end of the school year.
Colored pens – These are for grading. Green and blue are preferred colors for grading student work.
Setting up a classroom is a lot of work, but having the right supplies on hand for those first few days of school can be very helpful. By preparing ahead of time, new teachers will be able to purchase supplies on back-to-school sales and stay organized.
Related Information:
Getting Ready to Go Back to School – Prepare for the first day of school with these tips.
Creating a Classroom Library – The classroom library is an important aspect of any class. Here are some tips on what books to choose.
Tips for New Teachers – Learn how to have a successful first year of teaching with tips on time management, organization and more.
Jennifer Wagaman - Jennifer is a mother of 2 and has both public, private and administrative experience in the education field.
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