10 Essential Stationary Items for Trainee Teachers
If you are reading this post and you are about to
start your teacher training then take note because this could save you a small
fortune in the long run.
As a trainee teacher your school may or may not
provide you with all the stationary you need for your year ahead. It will
really depend on the school you go to and whether you are on a paid or unpaid
training course.
My advice… stock up! As soon as the shops put their
‘back to school’ offers on which is usually at the start of the summer
holidays, you need to go to staples, hobby craft or any of the supermarkets and
get everything you need for the year ahead whilst it’s still on offer.
1. Folders
Lots of folders! Now when it comes to folders I am
pretty anal. I like them to be coordinated and organised. You will also need
plenty of them. I ended up with 12 folders during my training year
Now a lot of people told me I had done too much work
and collected too much evidence to meet the teaching standards but personally I
don’t think its possible to do too much! I wanted to get a 1 (outstanding) as
my final grade and so I put all my efforts into achieving that even if it did
mean 12 folders.
However I wouldn’t suggest you go and buy 12 folders
straight up, but if they are on offer then buy at least 6 – you will always
need them!
The folders I used were amazing. They are the the
Staples Better Binder Folders. They are so durable and strong, exactly what you
will need for the tons of paperwork that you will end up collecting. The lever
arch folders have a special mechanism for clamping shut and hold all your work
perfectly in place and the ring binders have 4 rings so again all of your work
stays put. The best thing is they have windows on the spine where you can print
your own labels and change them as and when you like.
They come in a whole range of colours and sizes and
I used mainly white folders for all my teaching work, pink folders for my
subject knowledge and turquoise for my exemplar standards folder. I used mainly
the lever arch folders purely because of the sheer amount of work I was
producing however the ring binders were also great for things such as your
‘teaching portfolio’ where you will keep everything important for teaching such
as your DBS, Skills Tests, Union registration etc.
The folders can be quite pricey at £7.99 for a lever
arch folder however Staples have run a number of offers throughout the year
where they are on 3 for 2. I would 100% recommend these folders to anyone
starting their teacher training. I plan on re-using mine for my NQT year and
just transferring the work that I am unlikely to use again into different
folders.
2. File dividers
You will 100% need at least the same amount of sets
of file dividers as you have folders and let me tell you that the cheap paper
ones will be useless. They will rip and you will have to buy more so to save
you from that hassle in the first place I suggest plastic file dividers.
The ones I have been using are the Rexel translucent
polypropylene dividers. I actually bought these in bulk from Costco so if your
lucky enough to know someone with a Costco card it is worth getting down there
otherwise the only other place I have found them is Amazon.
They come with a colour coded front cover and come
in 5 or 10 part dividers in a range on bright colours so it’s easy to find the
section you are after. As they are made from polypropylene it means they are tough,
hard-wearing and cannot be torn so they are perfect to divide up the huge
amount of work you will produce over the next year.
3. Punched Pockets
If I had a pound for every single punched pocket I
have used during the course well I probably would have had enough money to pay
for the course outright. Ok maybe that’s an extreme statement but I cannot
stress enough how many punched pockets you will use, especially if your so anal
about your folders like I am.
I have an AMAZING head of department who is very
understanding to my need of punched pockets, he is also a massive stationary
fan and has stuff stockpiled in the department so I have been very fortunate to
use ALOT of his punched pockets but I did buy my own too.
On the same trip to Costco where I stocked up on
file dividers, I also stocked up on punched pockets and bought 3 boxes of 200
punched pockets. Oh my they have been ever so useful!
4. Post-it notes
You will definitely need post-it notes and a whole
selection too. I use them for many reasons such as making to do lists, dividing
work which I have marked and still need to mark and mostly for highlighting
those wonderful teachers standards on my evidence.
I made a bit of a mistake when I initially purchased
post-it notes and spent over £20 on a variety of different colours to highlight
the standards, I was then trimming them down to make index post-its mainly
because I could not find anywhere that sold 8 different colours (to highlight
the 8 teachers standards). That was until my friend and fellow trainee teacher
showed me a set she bought off eBay.
This set is quite simply fantastic! It has 8
different coloured index notes as well as 4 colours of mini post-its and comes
in a wonderful little faux leather holder. Sounds expensive? No. For around £3.50
you can get this fantastic set!! Amazing! 1 set should do you fine throughout
your year but I ordered 3, just to be on the safe side.
5. A Laminator
I have produced hundreds of my own resources over
the year and thankfully I will be able to take these with me into my new
school. This would not have been possible without my trusty laminator.
I bought mine from WHSmiths a few years back and it
has never let me down. It was cheap as chips and as I only have an A4 one it is
very easy to store.
This one costs £16.99 from WHSmiths which I think is
an absolute bargain. It will definitely make your work more professional
looking and defiantly more durable so that you can reuse the resources.
As it is vital that literacy is embedded into all
subjects at school I have laminated a range of literacy cards which my lower
ability pupils have access to when they are doing any form of written work
(this is also a good way of showing differentiation).
6. Laminating Pouches
So this brings me on nicely to stationary essential
number 5 – laminating pouches.
Don’t buy a pack of 10 or even 25, you have a brand
new laminator you will want to play with and will now have loads of great ideas
for reusable resources. Save yourself time and money in the long run and buy a
box of 100.
7. Pocket Wallets
You now have loads of new shiny laminated resources
but you can’t store them in your Better Binder folders without punching holes
in all your lovely work so where are you going to put them to keep them all
nice and together?
Pocket wallets. I bought a bulk box of Snopake
popper wallets that time I was in Costco, remember that? I think they are
great, they come in a variety of colours and I use them all the time I have one
wallet for each class I teach and each day I fill the wallet with the resources
required for that lesson and off I go, I also keep my generic resources in
these including my laminated work and if I am marking design work the kids have
produced in A4 paper they are great to keep in all nice and flat.
8. The Trusty Red Pen
Some schools are very anti red pen marking, my
school is not and so my red pen comes everywhere with me.
I mark all my pupils work in red pen so it is clear
for them to see their marks and feedback. You never know when you will need it
so I either always have my red pen in my pocket or on my lanyard just incase.
You shouldn’t need to buy any red pens, your school
should have plenty. I just use a simple red biro and it does me absolutely
fine!
9. Spare Pens, Pencils, Colours, Rulers, Rubbers, Sharpeners –
The Lot!
If your pupils are anything like mine you are lucky
if they turn up to lesson with even a pen. I find that pupils come to school
very ill-equipped these days. When I was in school all of the above was
mandatory so I’m not sure what has gone wrong, I know when I start my job I
will at least enforce the importance of the correct stationary to my tutor
group. In the meantime it’s best to just have a backup of spare stationary
especially if you want them to produce good quality work for you.
10. A Heavy Duty Bag
You now have all this stuff but you don’t have your
own classroom and possibly not even your own desk so what are you going to do
with it all?
You need a large heavy duty bag – believe me!
I started off the year using the Tesco big green bag
for life type things (Jute bags they are in fact called) but I slowly started
wearing them out. My stuff was all far too heavy.
Fortunately I have a birthday in January and so I
was extremely lucky and received this gorgeous Cath Kidston bag.
This
desk calendar will keep you organised with everything
right at your fingertips, ensuring that “You Got This.”
Many teachers prefer a diary or daily planner, and this
cloud-covered design, which is customisable to fit your
style, will still keep your feet planted firmly on the ground.
Even a traditional teacher planner doesn’t have to
be hum-drum. Bold, geometric designs mean this
teacher planner will be a welcome addition to your
desk.
Personalise the front cover of this
pretty planner, which also has matching stickers and
other goodies included.
Class Record Book
Keeping accurate records is an important part of any
teacher’s day. Your record book will help ensure you know how all your students
are doing, and a creative one means you won’t mind carrying it around with you,
either.
This
gorgeous record book, available in many different styles, is
great for tracking student progress as well as keeping tabs on your own
professional goals and tasks.
Sometimes, you just need a good, sturdy tool to do
the job. This classic
record book will meet your needs and won’t break
the bank.
Stamps and Stickers
Stamps and stickers are an easy and fun way to
reward students for their hard work as well as communicate about their
progress. There are thousands of designs to choose from, and they are widely
available from many online retailers. Keep many on hand to pass out, put on
papers, and send home to parents. Even little
motivational stickers like these are fun for students
of all ages!
Whatever subject you teach, there are stickers just
for you. Head over to the Sticker
Factory to see all of their subject-specific stickers and
stock up.
When giving feedback to students, stampers can make
your job easier in many ways. This 3-in-1
design prompts your feedback, and there are many others
with specific language that are just right for your classroom.
Pencils
Whether your aim is to be sure students return your
borrowed pencils at the end of the class or to give out for student use, having
a supply of pencils on hand is paramount for any teacher. Pencils don’t have to
be boring, though.
Give your literature students a chuckle with this
customised Shakespeare pencil set.
Or, remind your students of the importance of
perseverance and practice with this
cute message.
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