16 Great Classroom Products that only cost $1

Soon you will be back in your classroom, wiping off the dust of the summer and preparing for a shiny new class of students. If you're like me, you tend to spend a little of your own money spiffing up the place. There are things you need, things you want, and things that might be fun to use. Check out what my local Dollar Tree (everything is $1) store had to offer.

First of all, did you know that they have a teachers section? It's got pencils, border, reward stickers, and various shapes. Even a high school teacher can get excited about the sentence strips (for word walls) and the border.

 I couldn't believe it when I found diecut letters. These suckers are 4"...and that is just a great deal. I could use these for my large bulletin board. You can also add magnetic tape and use these on your white board.

 I found tons of those large black binder clips in the school supply section.  They have small medium and large. They also have a great supply of pushpins and paperclips. All of these items are usually a minimum of $1.79 at another store. I might grab a single hole puncher too.

 I found these cool dry erase pens in sets of three. They have an eraser on the back and would be perfect for my students' white boards. We can never find enough erasers and I run around handing out tissue like we're in the middle of a flu epidemic. Using these pens would be much faster and less messy.

 Pipe cleaners can be used for so many things. I've had students create characters out of them for a novel and glue a head on top. I've given pipe cleaners to students who need a fidget. I also use them at Christmas to make candy cane reindeer for the staff (they are the antlers). This is a great price.

 Keep an eye on the book section when you visit the Dollar Tree or a store like it. I've found popluar teen fiction and classics at different times. I found a set today that were marked Target book club, and  picked up a couple for my classroom library.

 These plastic tie downs are perfect for cleaning up messy cords going across your classroom, attaching a broken latch, cinching up sagging jeans, and so many other things. They come in large, small, and multiple sized packs.

 These cute lime green mitts are found in the car supply area. They are intended to wash your car, but they make great whiteboard erasers. Their furry little green fingers take off all the dry erase dust.

 Keep a watch out for new items that can come in handy. My store had these adorable desk bells. You know, ring the bell for an attendant. I briefly considered putting one on my desk... and then thought " no, are you crazy?". However, they would be great for a Jeopardy like competition (ring the bell when you have the answer), during station time students could use them to call me over, or during an answer relay game a student with the answer could ring the bell. Great ideas!

 You can never have enough hand sanitizer. The bottles are pretty generous for $1. I think a comparable bottle in another store might cost $2.39. I got a couple of these. It seems like cold season starts as soon as we go back to school.

 Tissues are always handy. The boxes are not gigantic, but a good usable size. This is a good deal. I got one of the scotties. If you do not have tissues in your room, four students during each class will come up for a bathroom note.

 We always need bandaids. I found these nice fabric bandages. They are usually a couple of bucks in a regular store. They had some character bandaids as well if you teach the younger guys.

I'm going to use these clothes pins for a new project this year. Several of my friends had them on the wall last year and they looked so handy. You hot glue them (leaving spaces) to one area of your classroom wall and you have a rotating gallery for your word wall, student work, informational posters, or a gallery walk. I'm going to spray paint mine first. I Can't wait.

 These suction cups are perfect for attaching items to a white board. You can stick them up and tie a pen on a string for a sign out, hang a bathroom pass, or make a rotating display. I'm going to use them for my Essential Question and Learning Target.

 I had to mention these plastic shoeboxes. They can be used to organize a multitude of items. You can also use them at Christmas for the Shoebox Project .

These redi wipes are comparable to regular bleach wipes. We know how grungy the desks become after a little bit of use. I learned a cool trick from my friend that teaches next door. Stand at the door during class change and hand each student a wipe as they enter. They scrub their area and your class is sparkling before you begin instruction.

 I had to take two pictures of all the colorful organizer bins. They make me excited every year. I use a couple for paper collection, and I put one each at each set of desks for supplies. I love all the colors, but I might use those cool clear ones this year.

I hope this list helps you save money as you begin your first day of school prep.  If you get a chance, check out my Teachers Pay Teachers store. We are having a giant sale for the next 2 days. You get 28% off all of my products. Click this link to visit My Store .

Have a wonderful first day of school!

Start Fresh!

Happy new year and happy new semester! This is the time to start fresh habits in the classroom . Walk back into your classroom refreshed and ready to start a new adventure. I have 73 new faces, new names, and new perspectives to influence. Let your students see how excited your are to be there, and the excitement will be contagious! Go forth-- excite--engage -- teach!

Feng Shui Your Classroom Series 3: Wind

Wind

One of the most challenging elements to bring into your classroom is wind. Instead I let Mother Nature do the work. When we have a beautiful fall day, I open the windows and let the fresh air pour in. I know some teachers do not have windows in their classroom. My suggestion for you is to use an artificial window. To create one take a beautiful poster or print and hang it on the wall, crank on the air, and pretend the wind is blowing through your classroom. You could even mount a salvaged window around it like a frame. I’ve seen these at architectural salvage stores or Habitat for Humanity.

            Sound is another way to capture the relaxing impact of the wind. I have a sound machine that plays: rainforest, thunderstorm, ocean waves, waterfall, etc. Imagine writing a journal about “The Fall of the House of Usher” while a thunderstorm plays in the background. It really puts you in a creative place.

Aromatherapy is another powerful part of the wind element. I freshen my room with a couple of squirts from one of those popular cans of air freshener I get at the grocery store. I usually hit the four corners of the room before the kids come in. They love it. I use an apple and cinnamon scent frequently and they tell me that it smells like Christmas. Your sense of smell is a powerful ally. When my students think of Christmas or their grandmother baking cookies, they are instantly put at ease. They feel comfortable and accepted and they will be more receptive to the lesson.

            Those plug in cartridges are cool too, but keep an eye on the refill. When it runs out it makes a slight burnt smell. Never use sprays around students with severe allergies. You could always bring in natural scent enhancers: rosemary, roses, cloves, cinnamon, oranges, etc..

Feng Shui Your Classroom : Create an Engaging Environment Installment 1

Feng Shui Your Classroom

            Think about how much time you spend in your classroom each week—more than you care to admit right? Let me show you how to create a room that inspires you as well as your students. Let’s make this space a place that feels positive, fresh, and inspiring. Your students should walk in that first day and feel relaxed in an open work environment with a flow of positive energy. Let’s Feng Shui your classroom.

            Aside from the positive relationship that you foster with your students, a positive classroom climate is essential for a successful year. A high performing teaching space will be comfortable, attractive, and highly functional.

Feng Shui is an art/science developed in China over 3000 years ago. Feng means wind and shui means water, and in the Chinese culture wind and water bring good fortune. This Taoist vision also includes yin and yang and the elements.

This instructional guide is really an ongoing project that I’ve been working on for the last ten years of my nineteen in teaching. The first few years you spend perfecting the art of teaching. The next few years are about delving deep into your subject. After that you can take a breath, exhale if you will, and really look around your classroom and think about what type of environment you have created. When I looked I found it lacking a little life, and a little serenity. Although serenity might be a funny concept for a High School English classroom, it is essential for focus and contemplation. Over the years, I have created an environment that is inspiring to my students as well as myself.

            I’ve “teachified” the tenets of Feng Shui: water, earth, wind, and fire. I’ve created an easy to use guide that you can implement to make your classroom effective and engaging.

Water

            I bring water into the classroom in many different ways. I’ve had a few inexpensive fountains and set them up on my desk, or in an area that the students use often (near the pencil sharpener or where papers are turned in.) The sound of the water is pleasing, and the sight of the water is very calming for students that get easily distracted. Home Depot and Lowes have really beautiful fountains in the garden area.

            A vase of colorful flowers is another way to work water into your atmosphere. Fresh flowers instantly make everyone feel refreshed. They are natural and beautiful. You don’t have to spend tons of money on an expensive florist. Just check out your nearest grocery store or warehouse store. Gladiolus are always on sale in August in my area. They are enormous and beautiful.

            A friend of mine buys a large bouquet and divides it into 3-4 smaller vases. She gives the small bunches of flowers to several other teachers and it brings each one a little touch of sunshine.

Poseidon the fish

My best idea for bringing water into the classroom came this year. On a recent workday my friend and I decided to get a couple fish at the local Walmart. We were going for supplies anyway, and we found a water jug that said “fish bowl water” and we had our idea. We re-used a couple of large mouthed flower vases and glass pebbles (we washed them carefully), and purchased three Beta fish (Japanese fighting fish). These fish are viable in smaller containers and have beautiful angel wing-like fins.  I named mine Poseidon (I love teaching Greek mythology). We enjoyed the fish so much that the recycled vases became larger and more interesting tanks. Our third friend bought it a fish condo with lights a bubbler and a hiding place. We bought a fourth fish for a friend that was having a rough week – she loved it. The kids love having something alive in their English class. They beg to feed him, and love to come up to my desk to visit him.  At the end of the year, I started letting the fish bowl sit on the desks of one group of the students for the class period. It was a reward. Not only does the fish bring in water, but life. Living things are key to a comfortable, relaxing environment.

Follow this blog for the next two installments of fire and wind. 

 Try these ideas out and let me know how it goes. I would love for you to post some pictures of your results on my blog.

Or my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/crazyenglishteacher   

Thanks so much,

The Crazy English Teacher