When you're a new or even veteran special education teacher, it's hard to determine what things you should buy to ensure your classroom stays organized and running smoothly. From organization hacks, sensory tools, folders, and those must-have items I have rounded up a list of the products (as well as the affiliate links) I just can't live without in my classroom! (I apologize in advance for adding more things to your Amazon shopping cart).
Mavalus Tape: Yes, tape. I spent my first year of teaching hanging many things up in my classroom only to come in the next day to see they had fallen down and I was either having to apply new tape or re-sticking them up again to fall down shortly after. I found this tape when I was at our local teacher supply store. I bought it out of frustration to try since I was over all my failed attempts to tape things to my walls. This tape is worth the price! I have been able to tape things up and it has stayed up all year. Working in a special education classroom, things often got ripped off the wall and the tape gets crinkled up. However, this tape I could just reapply to wherever it originally was and it will still stay up! This is great to hang posters, word/sound walls or other miscellaneous things!
2.) Storage Drawer Carts: I loved these carts for the sole purpose that they are on wheels and can easily be removed from a classroom or transported away from an escalated student or when there is a behavior. This offers me so much storage and organization that it has now made a permanent spot into my classroom and weekly organizational tool. I originally bought the 10-drawer cart and just loved the system I developed with it that I decided to upgrade to the 20-drawer cart. This keeps all my lesson plans organized, forms, things to send to the office and/or miscellaneous things all in their own drawers.
3.) Binders: I utilize these for everything! The 1 inch is perfect and has just enough room to put what you need in them. I made a separate binder for each thing I needed to keep organized in my classroom (ex: planning calendars, parent contact, IEP meetings, etc.). I have them on a shelf and ready for easy access when I need!
4.) Binder Dividers: If you are taking the time to put things into a binder to keep organized, odds are if you are like me you want some binder dividers. I loved these ones because they were all the same colored tabs and were easy to apply labels on them or write on them!
5.) Label Maker: So, I'm not sure how to tell you I'm in love with my label maker other than just telling you i'm in love with my label maker. I received this label maker as a gift when I got my teaching job! Six years later, and this machine is still pumping out labels for me. I utilize these to label EVERYTHING in my classroom. Yes, even those binder dividers. They also fit perfectly in the labels for hanging file folders.
6.) Laminator: Are you really even a special education teacher if you haven't purchased a laminator yet? There are so many to choose from, I bought one at a low price and it hasn't failed me since. (I even bought two so I could laminate 2 things at once).
7.) Laminating Sheets: To say I purchase these monthly is an understatement (whoops). These have been the best price I have found for laminating sheets and they are durable enough for my working for charts or other items that get a lot of student use.
8.) Velcro Dots: Yes, invest in the dots. When I first began teaching, I would spend countless hours cutting velcro tape into squares and then having to clean the gunk off my scissors and wasting a lot of time. I splurged one time and bought the dots and never went back. I've also found if you buy the dots that are too small they don't hold together well for incentive charts for kids. Also, one additional tip, I supplied this helpful tool in my velcro box of 'hard on the card, soft travels' so all the pieces get velcroed the same way. The hard velcro piece goes on the bigger item and the softer velcro pieces go on the small pieces kids manipulate!
9.) Clipboards: These are the things you buy some of and then they disappear within the month (and you have no clue where they go). My students utilize clipboards for floor or window work. Many of them put their behavior charts and other work materials on a clipboard to their general education classes and give to the teacher. This helps them keep organized! I utilized them for data collection and made data clipboards from them. I went for the purple and black ones, however these come in so many colors. I also enjoy the plastic ones because they have been less likely to be broken or vandalized than the ones I was purchasing at the dollar tree.
10.) Paper Folders: Once I got my lesson planning system down, I needed a way to organize them better for ease of access in my lesson planning drawer cart. I used to just set the paper plans and materials in the drawer, but I found with teaching multi-grade level things were getting mixed up or confused so I needed a better way to organize. I bought these paper folders in many different colors and utilized them to separate and organize by subject area.
11.) Labels: I utilize these labels to print on and organize all of my folders! I also put them on manilla folders when I need to send home important documents and ask them to be returned. Just one more way I keep organized in my classroom!
12.) Binder Clips: You are probably wondering why I added these to the list? Seems like a no brainer. Well, with the label maker and these binder clips you have another step of organization that kept me at another level of organized. I would put labels on the tops of my binder clips and label my lesson plans by day to have ready to go for the next week. Then when I was ready to load my lesson planning folders for the following week, I could pull the labeled binder clip and just stick it into the folder!
13.) Mr. Sketch Markers: Are you even a teacher if you don't have the Mr. Sketch markers? I use these to make anchor charts, posters, color code papers and even for positive reinforcement. What student doesn't love a smelly marker to utilize or write on their paper in class?
14.) Fanny Pack: I didn't realize I needed a fanny pack, until I actually bought a fanny pack. Talk about taking all of the timers, visuals, sensory tools, pens and reinforcers on the go! This was great for fire drills, assemblies, specials, lunch and/or recess. I just had it hanging at the door and could grab it on the way out!
15.) Alright, I utilize these to organize everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. My cabinets are head to toe filled with these containers and labeled to keep things in the right spot. This made my cabinets accessible for students since I had a visual on all of my labels so they knew where to grab stuff and where to put it back. (You may be able to head to your local dollar store or spot to snag these cheaper).
16.) Binder Rings: I utilize these to attach visuals together, put behavior plans on them or hang important laminated things in the classroom! I even hang students login information cards on the side of their desk on these.
17.) Magnetic Hooks: I put a hook on each student's desk and hang all of their visuals, login cards or break cards onto the magnetic hook. Helps for easy access and allows them to be able to see their visuals and not have to pull something out of their desk.
18.) Magnetic Dry erase marker holder: If you are anything like me, I lose my dry erase marker ALL THE TIME in my classroom. It got to the point that I would be searching for a marker, lose the kids in a lesson or get frustrated wasting time trying to look for one. This things has been a game changer in helping me keep all my markers in one place!
After looking at this list you may be super overwhelmed. There is a big dollar difference between a government-funded classroom and a teacher-funded classroom. Keep in mind, I've been teaching for 6 years so I've had a lot of time to acquire things and put in my classroom. I would also check with your school to see what your yearly budget is. That's a great place to start and get some really important things you need checked off your list! I've also found huge success in creating an amazon wishlist and sharing it with my family and friends! This helps them give back to me and my classroom without breaking my budget.
All links on this page are affiliate links to my amazon storefront page The ED Queen!