5 Must-Have Teaching Supplies
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Before I became a teacher, I underestimated how much work teaching would be and how much of my own money I would spend on my classroom and students! Teachers put so much time, money, and love into teaching and they all deserve a pay raise! Now that I’m a homeschool mom, I am also putting in so much time and money into teaching my three boys.
Over the years, I’ve used various tools to make teaching easier.
Today I’m sharing my top five teaching supplies. Of course, you could buy lots of other supplies, but these are my must-haves!
Top 5 Teaching Supplies
#1 – Home Laminator
I have used my Scotch Thermal Laminator for over 7 years and it’s still working great! I use it to laminate any printables I want to use with dry-erase markers or other printed items that I want to be more durable, such as printable games. Having this in my home is a game-changer and saves me money! Even my husband used it the other day for work! 😉
The one I purchased in 2013 is no longer available, but the one that is most similar is this one.
#2 – Binding Machine
I know this one might surprise you, but I love my binding machine! I have used this so many times! It’s great for making journals, packets, small booklets, and even my handprint calendar. It is also super easy to use.
#3 – Pencil Sharpener
Investing in a good pencil sharpener is a must! I’ve gone through some pretty cheap pencil sharpeners and it’s so frustrating spending money on something that breaks! This Xacto pencil sharpener is great for home or the classroom!
#4 – Stapler
Getting a good, heavy-duty stapler is so helpful! I love this Swingline one because you can staple a lot of pages at once!
#5 – Paper Cutter
So many printables for early childhood require cutting! I love using this paper cutter to save time. It makes cutting a breeze!
Of course, there are many more supplies I could add to this list. These are just my top 5!
What is a must-have for you?
Would love the laminator! I am a tutor and it would be very handy!
I agree with you, these are very helpful tools especially when using great website resources like you provide. I would choose the binding machine or stapler as those are items our early education team doesn’t have and we adapt which takes time away from other things.
I would love to win the stapler! We have one in our homeschool that always seems to jam.
I would love the binding machine. I print out tons of activities for my kids, and they are scattered ALL over the house. It’d be so nice to have them all in one place!
You are absolutely correct on these must-haves. The only one I don’t have is the binder, as my current school has one. I actually have 2 laminators – one for home and one for the classroom!
I would love the laminator! I love your idea for using it for dry erase work instead of white boards!
The laminator would be awesome! I moved out my f state and basically left my entire classroom behind for the new teacher! Starting from scratch. Laminators are a must in every classroom.
I would love to have an Xacto pencil sharpener. As a school-based occupational therapist, I am often left to use spare spaces to work with my special needs students. The sharpeners in the room never seem to work very well. Manual ones, while great to work on fine motor skills often break or destroy the pencils. A new Electric pencil sharpener would be fantastic!
I would love to win the book binder. My grandkids love to make “books”.
I use the laminator and paper cutting all of the time! I think the binding machine would be so helpful in making adapted books and social stories for my students.