What's your favorite back to school "have-to" items?
Hello friends...it's time to be getting our classrooms ready!
Andi and I (Jill, the sister) have joined in the linky fun of sharing a few of our
B2S favorites. Hope it sparks some good ideas for you too! We are so glad that you stopped by to see what our must-have items are for back to school. When you are done browsing through all of our blogs, we hope that you enter to win one of our Amazon gift vouchers so that you can buy some new back to school items too! We have $370 to give away. Don't forget that the more you enter, the higher your chances of winning are!
Andi and I (Jill, the sister) have joined in the linky fun of sharing a few of our
B2S favorites. Hope it sparks some good ideas for you too! We are so glad that you stopped by to see what our must-have items are for back to school. When you are done browsing through all of our blogs, we hope that you enter to win one of our Amazon gift vouchers so that you can buy some new back to school items too! We have $370 to give away. Don't forget that the more you enter, the higher your chances of winning are!
1 - Getting Organized
Bins, bins, bins, people! Why do I still need bins?!?! Really? mmmm-yes! I love these clear rectangular ones. I put a label on the front, but I can still see if it really has what I need. I have all sizes. The sweater size hold books nicely because the sides are not at an angle- no squishing the bottom book. Let me also tell you my new favorite- TWIST top bowls. Kindergarteners can open these and not bust the lid. This makes me happy and now everyone has one for their daily math manips:) Electrical tape also makes me happy. Goes on and peels off clean. It partitions areas so nicely - dry erase boards, cabinets and ~my favorite~ the darlings that need to learn "personal space" at the tables. ahhhh
2- Pretty Paper
Pretty paper ~ I have a large collection of paper, yet I am still a MISER when it comes to using it. I am also very particular- it must be for just the right occasion and, well, if the document just needs a little jazz, but doesn't merit color- I make one and then copy B/W so I still see cute stuff. Now, I am newly addicted to cute clip art too, but pretty paper is a favorite. Dollar store even surprises me with some fun paper which I might feel I can share with the children :). SortKwik goes along with the paper theme and calms my germ issues while sorting and collating stacks of paper.
3 - The COVETED Mr. Sketch
My most special summer purchase each year ~barring budget~ is Mr. Sketch markers. Last year, Office Depot had them 50% OFF!!! I got a box for Andi too (awww). Now I share a lot of things with the dear children ~ HOWEVER, these are called "teacher tools". DARE NOT TOUCH Teacher Tools. I know Scentos are great too, but I'm old and sentimental. I am devoted to Mr. Sketch ~ my first true love. Perhaps, if you truly are a wonderful and trustworthy child, you MIGHT get to touch my old Mr. Sketch (yes, they are labeled each year), but don't try pushing boundries- I don't budge.
4 - ALL THINGS TEAL AND BROWN
The story goes... I am not allowed to paint my walls. They are teal, not white or something that flows well with primary colors. No, they are teal.
The crazy hodge podge of colors was getting to me, soooo 2 summers ago~
I accepted teal into my life - "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em"
And since I have a few obsessive issues - If it's not teal or brown, it does not stay.
I even reupholstered my 30 year old, discarded from my old school's office, couch
- stitch by stitch- Sewed all new cushions and even reused the original zippers!
When I went to get some brown leather material, I told the lady my room color and her face lit up - "oh, we have this lovely teal on sale over here...."
OMGG my couch is teal, but I love it and I will NOT be re-doing it in the next 30 years.
- stitch by stitch- Sewed all new cushions and even reused the original zippers!
When I went to get some brown leather material, I told the lady my room color and her face lit up - "oh, we have this lovely teal on sale over here...."
OMGG my couch is teal, but I love it and I will NOT be re-doing it in the next 30 years.
So back to the sheets... Do you use these for your bulletin boards?? I used to use fabric, but flat sheets are so much cheaper and they fit better!
Love, Love, Love & lasts through tons of stapling - highly recommended!
And now onto Andi's Favs
(btw, I second her recommendations- good stuff)
And now onto Andi's Favs
(btw, I second her recommendations- good stuff)
~~~~~~~~~~------------------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~------------------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey, this is Andi! I wanted to share a few of my favorite things, too! I'm sure some, or all, of my favorite things are on your list as well because they are just so darn handy!
Number 1
Contact Paper
I love me some contact paper. Every summer, I pick up a new roll (or two!) The name tags you see in the picture were purchased in the year, hmmm... let me see... it must have been in the year 2004. They are still in great condition. This is because I don't tape them onto the desks. First, I laminated them and then I used the contact paper to stick them to the desks. I've done this every year I've taught so I have 14 years of experience sticking them to the desks without bubbles! It takes some muscle, but it is well worth it to not hear little pucker noises if you leave air bubbles!
Number 2
My Yearly Planner
I've gone through many a planner and so far these planners by BlueSky are my favorite. I've even had the expensive one (you KNOW which one I'm talking about.) Although, it was super cute - it was too bulky. Too heavy for my purse. Too wide for my teacher bag with my teachers editions and grade book. This one is slender enough to fit in my teacher bag and yet big enough for me to schedule my scope and sequence, school events, personal events, and I use the weekly spots for note taking during those very "important" school meetings. It's a win-win in my book.
Number 3
Personal Laminator
I'm sure this one is a no brainer. But you know what??? I waited several years before buying one. What was I thinking? This thing is so handy. I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. My laminator is by Fellows. I purchased it at Staples (with a coupon.) It costs more than the Scotch one at Walmart, but I'm hoping it will last longer. Of course, I buy my pouches at SAM's Club. Twenty bucks for two hundred pouches is a great deal. :)
Number 4
Paper Cutter
My goodness this bad boy is so old! I purchased it at SAM's Club in the year 2002, and I have yet to change the slicing blade. I don't NEED to! This thing slices paper beautifully. It is perfect for our large 18x11 construction paper. I'm very frugal with my school supplies, so I like to pre-cut my construction paper into smaller sizes. There's less waste and it's more manageable for little hands.
Well, those are my most favorite things.
**If you've read this far... I also have a very special bundle fundraiser for COTA in honor of one of my students who has been listed for heart transplant**
Enjoy~ Jill and Andi
Posts
You know we're not supposed to pick favorites, but I sure love you girls! Thanks for linking up with me:) Everyone reading this should go buy the Ethan Bundle. It's an amazing deal for you that goes to help out a great cause.
ReplyDeleteTake care, Amy
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