Top 10 Teaching Essentials

First year teachers often ask us "seasoned" teachers for advice before they begin their journey as an educator. If you are a seasoned teacher then you know how hard this is! I have a "teacher candidate" this year - yes, a "teacher candidate." Back in my day we were called student teachers ;) Anywho, she has been asking me for tidbits of advice and information to help her prepare for her first year as an elementary teacher. I decided to start making a list and felt it was unfair to keep it hoarded in my head. After all, the best teachers are ones that steal ideas! Here are my Top 10 Teaching Essentials for Elementary School Teachers. This is for you newbie teachers who don't know any better and you oldies who have forgotten!

Top 10 Teaching Essentials
For Elementary School Teachers

1. Monthly Planner
I'd like to emphasis the word MONTHLY on this one. Do not buy a weekly planner. It is very overwhelming to be a teacher. Our days are packed with things from ARDs and student reviews to picture day and assemblies. Having all your agenda items on one page in a planner is a life saver. I cannot tell you how many meetings I missed and schedule changes I overlooked because my weekly organizer was overwhelming. With a monthly planner, you are able to see all your agenda items on one page!

2. Watch
Schools run on a very strict schedule. Need to go to the restroom? Sorry, you'll have to wait until your conference period at 10:40. A watch was one of the first to make my list because it is astronomically important that you are on schedule. Teachers are expected to be PRECISELY on time during transitions... not a minute early, not a minute late. 

3. Paper Mate Felt-Tip Pens
This one is just a personal preference. I strongly feel that every teacher needs a good pen - and if you're an elementary school teacher, you need bright ones! These aren't cheap, but they are totally worth the splurge.

4. Mr. Sketch Markers
You are not a teacher until you have these. It is in the rule book. That is all.

5. Card Stock
Every year my mom asks what she can buy for my classroom. My answer is always card stock!!! I use card stock for task cards and games during my guided math centers. You know... come to think about it, I could write a whole Blog about card stock. Noted. Until then - just buy some! Don't forget to get fun colors.

6. Dollar Tree Baskets
I went to Dollar Tree my first year teaching and about $50 worth of colorful baskets in all shapes and sizes. That is 50 baskets for $50 (in case you are unfamiliar with Dollar Tree). You could easily spend $10 per container/basket at your nearest teacher supply store. This one is a huge money saver!

7. 1 BIG BINDER!
This may be a personal preference, but I HATE paper. I hate filing cabinets and unnecessary binders. We live in a digital world - get used to it! I have 1 BIG BINDER (3") and I use it for everything: student contact info, health info, parent communication, 504 notes, student review notes, ARD notes... the list goes on. I NEVER have to ask myself what binder to grab- I just grab my 1 BIG BINDER.

8. Post-It Notes
Post-it notes made the list for two reasons. (#1) They are helpful for small checklists, reminders, marking off pages you'd like to copy, and so on. (#2) Tell a kid to write what they know on scrap paper as an exit ticket: BORING... ask them to write it on a sticky note: FUN! Kids... I could go on, but I think you get the point.

9. Thank You Notes
Students bring you gifts for Christmas, teacher appreciation, Valentine's Day, Halloween, and the last day of school. They also bring you gifts on the second Tuesday of every April. Just kidding... BUT they do like to surprise you with things. Some gifts may be a homemade painting while others are a new pair of Kendra Scott earrings (both are pretty special in my book). EVERY GIFT DESERVES A THANK YOU NOTE. I keep an overstock in my desk drawer. FYI - buy your thank you notes at Target's dollar section. They're $1 and super cute!

10. A Teacher Pay Teachers Account
Teachers are always looking for new and exciting activities to do. Sign up for Teacher Pay Teachers!!! Don't want to spend money? That's fine! There are many things out there that are absolutely FREE! Click here for a link to my Teacher Pay Teachers store.

Welcome to Ms. Uecker's Nest

A little about me: My name is Danni, Fightin' Texas Aggie class of 2012! I am currently starting my third year of teaching 4th grade math/science at Fredericksburg Elementary School in Texas. I am extremely passionate about my job and want to share my ideas with the education world. I have done my fair share of stealing ideas and wanted to pay it forward.

I thought I'd start by sharing some classroom organization and decoration ideas that I use in my classroom.

4th Grade is a Hoot
Saying that I like owls and pink is an understatement. I have to remind myself to hold back on the pink/owl decor in my room ;)
This is the bulletin board I created to display student names in the hallway. The large owl is made of various color poster boards that were cut, laminated, and stapled to the wall.

Words to Make You Wise
Word walls can be tricky. They should look different depending on the grade level and content you teach. During my first year of teaching I used a word wall that organized the math vocabulary based on the first letter of the word. I think this is an excellent idea if you teach language arts or a younger grade. For fourth grade math, it seemed that most of the words belonged in the first half of the alphabet. This was a complete waste of space because half of my word wall was unused. After playing with it for a bit, I decided to organize my word wall based on the content. My word wall contains the following sections: place value, operations, fractions, measurement, and geometry. This not only prevented wasted space, but it also helped the students quickly find the word they were looking for.

Oil Drip Pan & Button Magnets
This was one of my favorite Pinterest finds to date. I was hunting for an alternative way to hang papers near my desk that wasn't a cork board. I knew I wanted something magnetic and had some options to compare. I first looked at Lowe's/Home Depot for a piece of sheet metal, but this was a pricey option. Then, I found this idea and it was life changing! This is an oil drip pan I bought at Wal-Mart for only $12. It was not only cheaper than the sheet metal, but it was also nearly twice as big! It just took a drill to make some holes and a couple of screws and I was good to go. The magnets are made out of oversized buttons from Wal-Mart and self-sticking magnets on the back.

Crayons
I love using crayons, but i absolutely HATE when the crayon boxes are torn. Here is my solution: dollar snack containers from The Dollar Tree. The containers came in packages of two. I bought 10 containers for only $5. My goal this past summer: cheap organization solutions! This was definitely a good find.

Border Storage
Here is another Dollar Tree steal. I bought these containers a couple of summers ago and was worried they were too flimsy to make it this long, but so far, so good! These containers came in packages of four for $1 and they hold a whole package of border easily. No more awkwardly long pieces of border with no place to put them.

Pencils
This idea is an oldie, but goodie! Each student has two pencils on them at all times. If one breaks, no big deal- they have a second pencil. If both break, then they silently get up and exchange their two dull pencils for two sharp pencils.

You've Got Mail
This is an idea I stole from my wonderful chem/physics teacher years ago in high school. When you teach more than one class it is very expensive to buy the large slotted paper organizers to use as mailboxes. This idea only costs about $3 per crate plus about $5 for hanging folders. This is much less expensive than buying two or more paper organizers at about $30 a piece. I have also been using the same crates and folders for three years! I was nervous about the students tearing the paper hanging folders, but it just took a little patience and training for them to handle the folders gently.

Frequently Used Papers
As a math teacher, I have many papers that I frequently use with the students: multiplication tables, STAAR charts, timed fact tests, place value charts, etc. I ALWAYS keep a very large amount of each of these copied at all times. This saves so much time and I always have a few extra activities printed and ready to go if there is a few extra minutes of class time.

Lesson Plan Organization
Every Sunday I copy everything I need for the week and organize them in these containers. This was a splurge for me, but well worth it. I had a cardboard paper organizer I used before that only lasted a year. These containers were $9 a piece, but well worth it!

Exit Ticket
Exit tickets are a wonderful way to informally assess what you taught during your lesson that day. I have these folders laminated and attached to the wall right next to my classroom door. The students place their exit ticket in one of the folders based on their understanding of the concept as they leave the room.

THE Life Changing Pencil Sharpener
This pencil sharpener is amazing! It takes a bit longer to use this than an electric sharpener, but the pencil always stays strong and sharp. What more can I say?!? Here is the link so you can buy your own: http://www.classroomfriendlysupplies.com/

Thanks for reading if you made it this far. I plan on continuing to share my ideas as the school year goes on.

I also create and sell math activities on Teachers Pay Teachers.
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Danni-Uecker