What I Wish I Had My First Year Teaching (Primary Flourish)

Before I share with you what I wish I had my first year of teaching, let me tell you what I did have.

I started teaching in 1973, and knowing and having what I have now - I wonder how I survived. 

In the 70's, I had the amazing Ditto machine to make copies and I had Frank Schaeffer Publications for my teaching resources.  I can still remember the smell of that ditto machine - oh and the purple fingers!

There have been so many amazing advancements in technology, learning theory, and educational resources so ...

A printer!

I could have printed resources for my students without that stinky smell or purple fingers!

I love this printer with the HP Instant Ink program.  They deliver ink to my home, before I need it!  No more running out of ink at 11:00 at night!

Now if you give a teacher a printer ... you know what she will ask for.... 

resources to print!

Teachers Pay Teachers

I so wish I had the rich selection of teaching resources available to me that first year of teaching!

Teachers Pay Teachers is my absolute favorite place to go for classroom resources!  

Now if you give a teacher all those amazing resources to print on that printer...you know what she will ask for...something to preserve them!

Laminator

I love my laminator!  It preserves my teaching materials, word walls, focus walls, learning centers, and classroom decorations so I do not need to reprint and recut each year!

No more waiting in line at school to laminate, I can do it at home while I enjoy my family - 

and have it all cut out and ready to go!

It doesn't matter how many amazing resources I have if I cannot engage my students in the learning process!  So ...

Whole Brain Teaching

Looking back on my first year I felt so unprepared to teach!

 Even though I had my college degree and a teaching credential saying I was. 

Whole Brain Teaching transformed the last ten years of my teaching career!

Even though I did not have all those amazing resources available to me when I started my teaching career, I used what I had, mixed with a love for my students and a passion to be the best for them that I could be.

That strong desire to inspire and motivate my students drove me to constantly be researching effective teaching models, as well as teaching and learning tools.

I have often said,

Teaching is not a job... it's a journey!

May you flourish on your journey!

What I Wish I Had My First Year Teaching ( with Mrs. D's Corner )

Reminiscing about my first year of teaching always brings back great memories. Like when I thought that "bad" kid was the legitist of "bad kids" and if I could just survive that, I could survive anything. HA. That was fun memory lane... we should do that more often.

But in all sincerity, my first year was amazing. I worked with a great group of people, my school was newly remodeled, I was co-teaching 7th grade math... but thinking back on it today, there are still some things that I wish I had had back then.

Like my own personal laminator. Because you know first year teachers laminate all the things. And to think that when I first started teaching I thought they cost at least $1,000.

This was me: "There is no way I can laminate from the comfort of my house for less than $1,000!" The euphoria when I picked this Scotch Thermal laminator up at the store for a mere $25 a couple years later. #gamechanger

And then there was Velcro. Ahhh... be still my special educator heart. Velcro. That word should literally have a heart shape around it in the dictionary... or be imprinted on a block of gold.

You can literally use it for anything, and that's why it is absolutely worth its weight in gold.

The last thing I wish I had when I first started teaching was TeachersPayTeachers... or at least I wish I had known about it. Not even the seller part of it... just the actual you can literally find lesson plans on anything part of it.

Even though 6 years ago TPT was around, it wasn't nearly what it is today. Hundreds of thousands of resources available at your fingertips?! It's such a huge blessing, and I'm glad that it's here now for all of us!

*Some links contained in this blog post are affiliate links.

What do you wish you had your first year teaching?

What I Wish I Had My First Year Teaching {with A Love of Teaching}

Thinking back to my first year teaching, there are several things I wish I had known about and had. Sometimes the little things can make large tasks seem simple or more enjoyable. Here are 3 of my favorite things as a teacher. I wish I had known about these during that first year trying to survive as a new teacher!

#1 Flair Pens

I never realized I was a pen addict, but in my 15 years of teaching, somehow I have become one. A flair pen addict that is. Not just any pen – must.be.a.flair.pen. (Or, Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel Pens will do, too!) 

How in the world did I ever live without this beautiful, colorful, rainbow of happiness? Okay maybe that's a little much, but these do make me happy!

During my first year teaching, I was happy to have a red ball point pen to check papers with. I had no idea that Paper Mate Flair Pens even existed.

Flair pens are perfect for grading, taking notes, writing in my planner or just doodling. I seriously can’t get enough of them. Another teacher recently introduced me to Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel Pens, and I ended up ordering a pack of fourteen that same night on Amazon.  

A few years ago, I decided to organize my cooking utensils, so I purchased one of those Pampered Chef black spinning organizers for my kitchen counter. Standing in my kitchen one day, it occurred to me that this thing would make the perfect pen organizer. Since I spend more time in my classroom than I do in the kitchen, I dumped all my cooking utensils back in the drawer and hauled it to school. Not only does it organize my pens but it’s perfect for highlighters, sharpies, scissors, white-out – you name it! There’s room for everything in that thing!

This summer while shopping at Target for the one-hundredth time, I ran across this Yoobi pen bag and had to have it! I love how it organizes my pens, and it’s so handy to throw in my bag to take back and forth to school.

 
#2 Erin Condren Planner

I love my Erin Condren Planner. It took me a few years to bite the bullet and purchase one of these babies, but after using it for a year – I was hooked! Not only do I love how beautifully designed it is, but I also love how I can use my flair pens while writing in it. I love all the stickers and accessories that you can purchase for it.

I may have I have sunk a small fortune in Erin Condren supplies over the past few years. My planner goes everywhere with me. It keeps me organized in my personal life and in my school life. I really could have used one of these during my first year as a teacher!

#3 Google Drive

I’m a technology facilitator at my school, so Google Drive is a huge part of my everyday life and has been a game changer in my teaching style!

Every student at my school has a Google account, and almost every assignment involves using Google Drive with students. I love how students don’t have to worry about saving their work - that can be a nightmare! I also love the sharing feature of Google Drive. I can edit and grade assignments right from my couch at home. Plus, there are so many possibilities for students to create and share awesome projects that they can work on from anywhere! I also love how I can organize my files and access them at school or at home. It would have been so nice to have had Google Drive as a first-year teacher.

What is one thing you wish you had known about and had during your first year as a new teacher? Tell us in the comments! 

What I Wish I Had My First Year of Teaching (with Lisa from ALL Y'all Need)

I heard about these at The I Teacher K! National Conference and immediately ordered them online. They are an investment, but they are worth every penny! I've have mine for four years now and they lived through Kindergarten and Pre-K. Everything fits and they are easy for the kids to use. 

I honestly don't know what I'd do without this amazing group of individuals. They inspire me, motivate me, listen to my rants, and embrace my journey. If you don't already have a teacher tribe, find a group of teachers on a social media group. You definitely need a tribe for your first year of teaching! 

I just started using Seesaw this past year and it has been a game changer! I've seen such a difference in my communication between home and school. Plus, parents and students are excited to post! I don't feel like I communicated nearly enough when I first started teaching. Seesaw will most definitely help everyone be part of the classroom! 

ESGI has been a game changer when it comes to testing, data, and sharing results with parents. Looking back, I wish I would have known about ESGI my first year of teaching. It would have helped me collect more organized data and I wouldn't have had to make so many copies of tests. 

We hope everyone has a fantastic school year!!!

What I Wish I Had My First Year Teaching {with Aloha to Second}

When I think back to my first year of teaching, oh I think about how much easier it would have been if I had started with a few extra supplies!  These are my top three items I wish I had when I first began this wonderful world of teaching.  I hope you find them helpful. 

I wish I had known about Scholastic Book Clubs.  This is a great online resource to purchase books for your classroom.  You earn points each time books are purchased and then you can use those points to buy books in your room.  The points give you FREE books!  

I was spending so much money in the beginning purchasing my own books.  This website is also great because it allows your families to buy books for their homes, and you receive points each time they buy.  It is SO easy that families can even purchase them online.  You set up an online account and you are given a code.  Then, give the code to your families and they will enter it at checkout.  If they enter your code, it syncs to your classroom and you earn points.  The books are also shipped to school so you can easily distribute them to your students.  Click here to start your book club today!

I wish I had book bags when I first started teaching.  These are my favorite items in my classroom.  They make transporting classroom books so much easier.  My kids are much more responsible and the love carrying their book bags around.  

They simply enter the classroom, place their book bag in their reading bin, and later in the day during book shopping time they can return their book and get a new one.  I also keep a reading folder in their book bag for them to record the books they read.  You can find the book bags here from Really Good Stuff and the take home reading folder information here it is by Rachelle Smith!

I also LOVE my white board easel.  It is small and I can move it all over my room so easily.  I usually have it on my small group table and it makes it easy for me to demonstrate things for my students.  This easel is so handy and even has pockets on the back to store materials in!  I purchased it from Lakeshore Learning.

I hope you are having a great start to your school year, and I hope you find these tips useful for you!  

What I Wish I Had My First Year Teaching {Mrs. Plemons' Kindergarten}

Teachers spend an average of about $500 out of their own pockets every year on supplies for their classroom.  If you're like me you are probably one of those teachers bringing that average up, because unfortunately there are just so many things you need to do your job well that your school may refuse or not be able to provide for you.  My first year teaching was probably the worst in the spending department because 

1. I was starting with NOTHING 

(I mean literally, not even a single book in my new classroom, and curriculum from the 70s)

2. My teaching salary left much to be desired...

It is so hard to know what you need that first year, so after a few years in the classroom (and thousands of dollars later..) I bring you the top 5 things I wish I had my first year teaching.

Labeling is so crucial for my OCD organization needs but it can take FOR-EV-ER.  Not to mention relabeling every time a new student is added, transferred, or moves. So having a label maker really helps speed up the process.  This is my favorite label maker, the DYMO Letra Tag Plus.  I'm pretty sure I snagged it at Target, because lets be honest that's where 90% of the items in my classroom are from ;)

I type in the name once and print it as many times as I need in various sizes.  I like to use these to label cubbies, folders, hanging files, binders, and tons more.  If you already have a label maker you know it is so worth the $20 ish dollar price tag.

Do you love to stick things up on the white board as much as I do? Then stock up on magnet tape! 

Seriously it's a strange addiction of mine.  I have found tons and tons of uses for this stuff. Cups with math manipulatives, rulers, popsicle sticks for making shapes, markers and more.

Magnet tape on clothespins is one of my favorite ideas I've had. I usually have a few of these handy for all kinds of random uses. Like directions, work samples, the dreaded no name papers, and lost articles of clothing...you may laugh but 5 year olds just canNOT keep track of mittens to save their life and I've been known to have a stray sock hanging from my board from time to time.

I love using it to keep post its stuck up on the board because I use them all the time to write notes, my thoughts while reading, kids thoughts while listening to a story, notes about behavior, observations for assessment, a reminder from the office that just HAD to call in the middle of share time, and so much more.

So I have a confession to make...I HATE putting up bulletin boards. Seriously, I think it's because it takes me forever trying to get every piece perfect and then the staples don't go in right, everything starts falling, so I have to restaple and it becomes a mess. Until I found the best stapler in the world! *cue angels singing*

The paper pro stapler is a lifesaver to say the least.  My students are not allowed to touch this little piece of heaven on my desk. Not only is it great for bulletin boards, but it is amazing for stapling little paper books together, and I may have even used it to staple things to the wall a time or two...(don't tell my custodian!)

I can't believe I even survived 2 years teaching before purchasing this next item, a Scotch laminator. For real, this baby has come to my rescue so many times because when you hear the dreaded words "the laminator is broken" or "no more lamination for the rest of the year" panic ensues. Especially if you are on your only prep for 2 days, the kids will be back from music in 10 minutes and you HAVE to get this center game made for your red math group!

Trust me on this one, you will get more use out of this baby than you even know.  You may even start laminating things at home and people will think you're nuts but it will make you smile :)

And the last thing I wish I had my first year teaching was Teachers Pay Teachers. And I mean as a BUYER not a seller people (those first years I didn't have a minute to spare, so goodness knows what kind of crazy things I would have been creating).

But remember how I said my first classroom had no books and curriculum from the 70s? TpT would have been an amazing resource  to go to to find printable books, centers, activities, and games to engage my kiddos. Instead I spent a million hours online searching for every last idea I could find. Then another million hours creating games and centers from construction paper, die cut machines, markers, etc.

So if you are just starting out in the classroom, I'm sure your shopping list is 10 miles long, but these are my favorite long term big purchases that really would have made my life so much easier the first year, but also every year after!