Podcast - In the Classroom - Episode 13: Back-to-School Shopping: Outfitting Your Classroom - classroom essentials
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Episode 13: Back-to-School Shopping: Outfitting Your Classroom

Many teachers refuse to use their own money to purchase supplies for their classroom, and we totally get it. We are not those teachers. In this episode, we explain why we’re willing to spend our own money (within reason, of course) in our classrooms and sharing a few classroom essentials that make us much happier teachers.

Let’s start with some misconceptions. Many “civilians” are surprised to learn just how much of what is in a teacher’s classroom is purchased by that teacher with their own money.

  • You want a microwave to warm up your coffee (conveniently located right behind your desk)? It’s no surprise you’d use your own funds for that. Agreed.
  • You want something on your walls besides school-issued emergency procedure, WASC accreditation, and maybe vision or mission statement posters? Okay, but don’t you get a budget every year to spend on classroom decor? Ha.
  • You want more than one stapler, a reliable three-hole punch, markers for more than half the class, more than a handful of choice reading books? Wait, you pay for that yourself?! Ah, now you’re getting it.

That microwave? Those Etsy posters? That box full to the brim with markers? Those things make a hard job just a little bit easier, a little more comfortable, a little more welcoming. You are the person spending the most time in your classroom, make it somewhere you want to be. Make it somewhere that says something about you, what you love, value, and prioritize. We are not suggesting that large parts of your paycheck should be funneled back into your classroom or that you even need to spend money in your classroom on the regular. What we are saying is that a willingness to spend thoughtfully can be a great investment in your own mental health and well-being.

Classroom Essentials Lists

Check out this blog post for a list of our must-have teacher organization supplies.

What shopper doesn’t love a list? We’ve broken down our classroom essentials into three helpful shopping lists.

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Are you a new teacher looking to find your style and build your teacher wardrobe? In this YouTube video, we talk about how we found our styles and how we transitioned from student wardrobes to teacher wardrobes (on a budget).