Landing your dream job as a teacher is an accomplishment worth celebrating. Whether you’re educating a group of young children or adults, teaching invariably changes lives. As engaging and rewarding as a teaching career can be, it will involve a great deal of organisation, self-discipline and multitasking. Fortunately, there are several tips, tricks and products helpful for making your job a little easier to cope with, so you can focus on the more important things, like being a passionate and enthusiastic role model for young people.
Antibacterial Wipes and Hand Gel
It’s no secret that children are expert germ spreaders. Since the pandemic, public spaces like schools, hospitals and care homes have been rigorous in terms of hygiene, encouraging regular hand-washing and continuous surface sanitation. To avoid catching every single bug and virus going, keep a pack of antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser at your desk or in your bag at all times.
Desk Organiser
As a teacher, you will have a continuous barrage of times, dates, names and deadlines to remember. A messy desk puts you on the road to chaos. Making organisation a priority is the key to staying afloat, so purchase a desk organiser to keep track of your paperwork, stationery and supplies. You may also wish to keep organisers dotted around the classroom to give your students easy access to pencils, scissors, paper and glue sticks.
Pens and Pencils
Speaking of stationery, you can never have too many pens and pencils. While some young children revel in having a pencil case bursting with novelty stationery, others are profoundly forgetful and disorganised. While this can be irritating, accidents happen, so help your students perform to the best of their abilities by providing spare pens, pencils and other essential items. This level of thoughtfulness seldom goes unnoticed.
Post-It Notes
The many uses of post-it notes make them a must-have item in any classroom or office. Whether you need to write yourself a quick reminder or bookmark a useful textbook passage, post-it notes are eye-catching, cost-effective and versatile. Consider using different colours for different purposes; for example, yellow notes for reminders, pink notes for planning and blue notes for annotations.
Stickers
If you’re working in a classroom full of young children, stickers will be your best form of incentive. Many young children see a sticker as a badge of honour, and it’s often surprising how effective this positive reinforcement method can be. Grab a few cheap sticker books from your local stationery store and use them for whatever you like, from rewarding good work to positive behaviour charts. Opt for simple designs such as smiley faces and stars.
School Whistle
Commanding attention as an educator is vital, and while you may not have been blessed with a naturally booming voice, there are other methods of cutting through the babel of a school hall or playground. A good old-fashioned school whistle could be just what you need to signal the end of break time or preface important announcements. The shrill sound of a whistle cuts through background noise and conveys authority with a high-pitched reverberation.
Lesson Planner
A good quality lesson planner is vital for keeping your daily schedule organised. While lesson plans featuring learning objectives, teaching strategies and activities are usually hosted online for easy access, many find having a tangible backup beneficial for optimal organisation. Keep your lesson planner handy so you can make regular notes regarding instructional modules and student progress throughout the day.
Laminator
While most educational settings have one or two laminators in the office, you may wish to include one in your classroom (PAT tested, of course) for easy access. Furthermore, with a shared laminator, there are never enough laminating pockets to go around. Laminate information sheets, flashcards and handouts to ensure minimal damage to classroom resources that your students can use repeatedly.
Timer
A timer can be an incredibly useful tool for classroom management. Whether you’re timing your students as they engage in an activity or allocating a slot of time to marking and admin, you will find that using a timer boosts productivity all round. Additionally, a timer can be a fantastic tangible prop for use in maths, science and even P.E. lessons.