Amazon Must Haves for the Classroom

Amazon Must Haves for the Classroom

No comments Amazon Must Haves, classroom finds, Just for Teachers, teacher tools

It's time to share some more Amazon must-haves for the classroom. Amazon is one of the most convenient places for teachers to get what they need. I find the majority of my classroom items on Amazon. Their pricing is great and you can't beat Prime shipping.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.  I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links.  For more information about my Disclosure Policy, please visit this link.

This is not the first time I've shared some Amazon must-haves. You can check out other must-have items for your classroom by clicking here. 

With that said, here are some MORE amazing Amazon must-haves for your classroom. :)

Easel
This past year, I invested in an easel. Those fancy ones from Lakeshore and Really Good Stuff are too pricey for me. But this office style easel has proven to be very useful and effective. You can adjust the height, it's magnetic, and it has a whiteboard surface. I expect to get several years out of it. Click here to check out all the details.

Heavy Duty Paper
I used to print all my task cards, write the room cards, and reward tags on card stock. Which I would then laminate for added durability. But, using all that card stock eventually wore out my printer.

Now, I prefer to use 28 or 32 lb. printer paper. It's a higher quality, thick printer paper (thicker than your standard printer paper). And, the color always looks more vibrant. Once laminated, it's nice and durable and everything holds up really well. These two are my favorite:

HP 28 lb. paper
HP 32 lb. paper

Charging Stations
As my collection of classroom tech grew, I realized I needed a way to keep my devices organized while they charged. Beyond that, I needed something to contain the nightmarish collection of cords that was taking over that corner of the room. Cords are like the visual equivalent to nails being dragged on a chalkboard.

These bamboo charging stations are perfection. There is a power strip inside the base where each device is plugged in. Any cords that hang out of the charging station are wrapped together and now the cords stay out of sight and the kids know where to put the devices when they're finished with them.

Amazon sometimes runs out of the bamboo color, but they also offer a version in black. Click here for the item I purchased to check out the available color options.

Hole Punch
Yes, a hole punch made the list. Hehe. Over the years, my hands have become weak and prone to inflammation. Hole punching can be a more difficult and uncomfortable task than it needs to be. Enter this hole puncher.

It fits in the palm of your hand and has an ergonomic design. Best of all, it punches really easily. You don't have to squeeze too hard at all. This reduced effort hole punch is from Paper Pro (Bostitch). I ordered several so I have a backup, and one at home. Check it out here.

Oil Timer
This oil timer is a great tool for keeping kids focused during independent work time. I choose a time keeper (aka time manager) who comes to the front of the room during independent work time. They hold the timer while keeping an eye on the rest of the class. When the timer runs out, they place it on another student's desk (a student who was working the whole time and not talking). You can read more about this classroom management idea here. 

Click here to see this oil timer on Amazon.

Keyboard Covers
I know most people use these to cover their keyboards and make them look more fun and colorful. I use them as a word work center. Simply place a set of words out with these keyboard skins and you have yourself an instant center.

No, there is no accountability with this center. But, it does expose kids to a keyboard as they practice typing words they need to know. If this idea appeals to you, click here to see the keyboard covers I purchased.

LCD Boards
Another fun word work tool I've found on Amazon are these LCD writing boards. The kids love them! I mostly use them in our small groups when we practice sight words or specific phonics skills. These boards are a bit different than a mini whiteboard which is why the kids love them. It's different and being able to use them creates immediate buy in. Click here to see the boards I purchased on Amazon.

Harry Potter Style Glasses
If you like adding a bit of novelty to your day, then consider purchasing these glasses. My kids love wearing them during small groups, independent reading, or when working on their sight words. Kids who already wear glasses have been known to put them on over their regular glasses. If something as little as a pair of fun glasses motivates my students to read, I'm here for it. Click here to check these out.

Cap Erasers
I don't know about you, but my students always go through pencil erasers faster than they go through actual pencils. One day, I looked at our pencil bucket and noticed that most of the pencils still had a lot of life in them, they were just missing erasers. The solution was simple, get some cap erasers! These Paper Mate ones are my favorite because they erase and hold up really well.

For around $4-5 you get 144 erasers, which lasts for quite some time. Click here.

For more useful finds click HERE.

More more Amazon Must-Haves click HERE.

For tools every teacher needs click HERE.

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Classroom Management: Name Sticks

Classroom Management: Name Sticks

No comments Classroom Management, Name Sticks, teacher tools

Name sticks are a useful, yet effective, classroom management tool. They're also extremely versatile.

Before I really get started here, I want to point out that name sticks are nothing new. Teachers have used them for years. I think that's a testament to how useful they can be.

I recently shared my name sticks on Instagram where I also shared how I use them, and a few friends over there shared how they use them. That's what this post is all about, all the ways you can use name sticks in your classroom.

What is a name stick?
Name sticks are exactly what the name implies, sticks with (student) names written on them. Most often, you'll see teachers using craft sticks like the ones shown below. In my opinion, "jumbo" size is the way to go. That size is just easier when you're trying to write names.

You can use them straight out the package. Grab a stick, write a name (I like to use Sharpie), repeat. Put all of your sticks into a little pail/can.

Sometimes, you might see teachers get kind of crafty with their sticks. I tend to get crafty. This is not necessary. Some teachers like to craft and enjoy making things for their classroom.

Some years, I paint my sticks. And, every year, I glue a bow on them. I like bows. Not sorry.

I'm often asked where I get my bows. I make them! I use 3/8" wide ribbon, tie a bunch of mini bows, and then hot glue them to the top of the sticks.

When I don't feel like painting the sticks, I just add the bow.

The stick shown above has a unique shape. They look like mini paint stirrers. I found this particular stick style at Hobby Lobby, alongside the "regular" shaped craft stick.

The colors of the bows (or sticks, when I paint them) bears no meaning to me. I simply choose colors that match my classroom because that makes me happy. I grab and label the sticks at random. But, if you choose to decorate your sticks, the colors could mean something if you wanted them to.

How can I use them?
There are so many ways you can use name sticks. Let's take a look at all the ways you can use name sticks in the classroom.

Calling on Students
This is probably the most common way teachers use name sticks: calling on students at random. When you notice that the same 3-4 kids are raising their hands for every single question, pull a name stick. This reminds students to really pay attention.

You can even rely on the name sticks. That is, instead of asking for volunteers to answer questions, share ideas, etc, you simply pull name sticks one a time. Again, this will remind students to stay focused, and you can be sure not to call on the same student more than once.

Note: Some people prefer to write numbers on their sticks so they can reuse the same set of sticks every year. If this idea works for you, that's awesome! I personally prefer writing student names because I don't want I call out numbers (too impersonal). Also, I like to know whose stick I'm pulling because my brain can't match names to numbers that quickly on the spot. So, writing names is probably a time saver for me. Hehe.

Grouping Students
Need to make groups quickly? Then, get that little pail of name sticks because you'll be able to group your 27 students in no time at all.  Decide the size of each group. Grab that many sticks and BOOM, you have a group. Repeat until all of your students are grouped.

Pairing Students
I know, I know, pairing up students isn't all that different than grouping students. But, the sticks will still be a super quick way to quickly pair up students.

Tip: A sweet friend on Instagram, Marna, shared a great tip for what to do when you have an odd number of students. She lets that person choose which group they join, I absolutely love this idea.

Mystery Walker
When my kids start getting a little too comfortable in the hallways, I choose one or two mystery walkers. I simply pull a stick, or two, before we leave the room. I do not announce whose names were pulled. I keep an eye on those students and if they do a stellar job in the hallway, I let them know when we get to wherever it is we are going and I give them a Mystery Walker reward tag. Learn more about reward tags here.

On the Spot Helper
If you have a quick task that you'd like a student to do, pull a stick! You could have that student help you with a specific task like passing out papers or materials, erasing the board, helping you with part of a lesson, and so on. You could also have them deliver things like notes to other teachers/office, retrieve a book from the library for you, or take the lunch cards to the lunchroom.

Seating Arrangements
Another sweet Instagram friend, Candace, shared that she uses her name sticks for seating arrangements. The students draw a stick (which she numbers) and then they sit at the desk with that number. Of course she reserves the right to move kids as needed once they choose their seats, but she tries to give them the benefit of the doubt. Love that!

Sub Helper
Substitutes are often overwhelmed when they guest teach in your classroom. They usually have the goal of following your plans, adhering to schedules, and figuring out procedures which can make learning names quickly more challenging. Sharing the name sticks with your sub means they can use them to call on students, choose helpers, and so on without saying, "Yes, you, with the red shirt."

As a Library Marker
Another fellow teacher on Instagram explained that she's used name sticks as library markers. When students remove a book from the shelf, they place their name stick in that space so they remember where their book goes when it's time to put it away. I've seen this done with paint sticks as well. It's a great way to teach kids to be responsible with shared classroom materials.

Taking Attendance
Once upon a time, my students would walk through the door, take their stick and place it in on one side of a pocket chart to indicate whether they brought their lunch from home, or if they were getting school lunch that day.  I placed the pocket chart and stick at the doorway so students remembered to do this as they walked in each morning. I loved this system. I could quickly see who was absent and who needed their lunch card that day. Sadly, this set up just didn't work with our pod situation at school. Since we entered the school all at once from the playground, my class was always backing things up out into the hallway and I didn't have any other place to put this chart. So, I stopped using the sticks in this manner. However, many people on Instagram reported that one of the things they use the sticks for is taking attendance and I still think it's a fabulous use of name sticks.

I'm sure there are other useful ways to use name sticks. If you have one that wasn't mentioned here, please share it in the comments below. :)

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