Preparing for the new school year can be exciting and a bit overwhelming. I always find it more enjoyable when I have a few fun new teacher goodies! We know teachers get excited over the little things like a new set of flair pens, a brand new lanyard, a trendy (but practical) teacher bag, or a fresh new lunch box!
Lanyards
2 Pack Lanyards | Gold Lanyard
My school always gave us a simple school lanyard at the start of each year, but I always swapped it out for a cute one! This two pack of lanyards are amazing quality, and they come with ID holders too! I love the neutral lanyard and found myself wearing that one most often, but it was fun to switch it up with the colorful lanyard too! I also really liked this dressier gold lanyard. Perfect when you want something a little fancier. I loved that it looks like a necklace!
Teacher Bags
These two bags are my favorites and ones that I used for many years. I liked that they both can fit my laptop as well as any other papers I needed to transport!
Sweater | Similar Pants | Bag | Similar Mules
Our work bags really depend on our needs and what we’re bringing to and from school each day. When I was teaching English, I needed a much larger bag for all of the papers I was taking home to grade. I needed a sturdier bag when I was co-teaching and switching classrooms throughout the day because the bag came everywhere with me! I know some teachers prefer a backpack too, so I rounded up a bunch of great teacher bag options!
Lunch Bags
I actually have an entire blog post dedicated to teacher lunch must-haves, so be sure to check that out because it’s jam packed with tons of goodies that will make packing a lunch everyday just a little more enjoyable!
Teacher Planners
Cactus Planner | Multicolor Watercolor Planner | Floral Planner | Blue Watercolor Planner | Rainbow Striped Planner | Confetti Planner | Rainbow Polka Dot Planner | Rainbow Planner
This is another item that can be pretty specific to the person as we all have different systems of planning. I actually used to use the lesson plan book that my school would provide me until I switched over to a digital planner. I know most teachers still prefer paper planners over digital, and the votes in our classroom group overwhelmingly pointed towards the coveted Erin Condran planner! This simplified teacher planner also has a ton of amazing reviews and is a bit more budget-friendly! And I’ve rounded up more options too!
Desk Essentials
Clear Stapler | Colored Paper Clips | Mechanical Pencils | Apple Sticky Note Holder | Scissors | Timer | Name Tag | Supply Holder | Computer Mouse | Post It Notes
To me, nothing is more fun than setting up and organizing my desk at the start of the school year, and when my desk looks cute, I’m a happier teacher! I love choosing coordinating supplies, but I also go for practicality and quality! There are some things that I keep on my desk that are just for teacher use, and then I have other things around my room that are for student use. It’s important to set those boundaries with your students at the start of the school year and continue to remind them throughout those first few weeks.
Classroom Decor
I will be the first to say that your classroom decor does not have to be fancy! Sure, those Pinterest worthy classrooms are fun to look at, but in reality they can be very time consuming and expensive to set up. So, I’m here to tell you to do what you can and what you’re comfortable with! Don’t play the comparison game, because at the end of the day, your students will love you for YOU and not how your classroom looks. I kept my Culinary Arts classroom very simple with minimal decor. If you want to take a look, I rounded it all up in this blog post
Fun Teacher Accessories
Bracelets | Hair Clip | Keychain | Earrings Set | Pink Headband | Pencil Hair Clips | Pencil Headband | Necklace & Bracelet Set | Water Bottle
While I know this category isn’t really a “must-have”, it sure does make getting ready for the day more fun! Even if you treat yourself to one fun new teacher item, like this three pack of teacher earrings, I swear it will put a smile on your face walking into the new school year!
Classroom Items
I have an entire blog post filled with lots of Amazon classroom items as well as a post dedicated to classroom storage. Be sure to browse those and cross off what’s left on your back to school list!
