Best Teacher Bag (and what to put in it) #AmazonPrimeDay

I have tried many different teacher bags over the years, so I know exactly what will work for me and what won't work. This past year, I decided it was time to upgrade my teacher bag. I'm loving what I got! 

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. This means I get a small stipend if you use my links, but at no cost to you.

Extra Large Laptop Tote Bag

Here is why I love this bag so far:

1. I can see everything in my bag, and I can keep it pretty organized.  

I've used a backpack for a long time, and it's just not working for me anymore. Stuff gets hidden in the bottom and lost, and it can be a struggle to find what I'm looking for and to get everything in and out. This bag stands up by itself, and I can see everything in it. There is a place to put all the things I need to grade and plan. I can add my clutch wallet, an umbrella, and there is a separate space for my computer, teacher binder, and papers.

2. It's sleek, stylish, sturdy, and waterproof.

I like the professional look of this bag. A backpack just doesn't have that professional look, and leather bags take the wear and tear well, but they get beat up easily in our profession and end up looking pretty rough. You never know when we might accidentally set our bag in a puddle of glue or have to run to the car in the rain. The black waterproof outside is sleek and pretty easy to clean (yes, I've already had to clean off a strawberry smoothie my son spilled all over it), but I did add a cute tassel for a pop of color! 

3. It's not too big. (But I got the extra-large, and I wouldn't go any smaller.)

I've been teaching long enough that I'm pretty realistic (usually) about what I can take home and accomplish. There's no sense in hauling a huge amount of work home that doesn't even make it out of the car. I don't need a huge rolling cart that I can barely lift (which I've totally hauled around before!). This bag is on the smaller side, but it fits everything I need to grade and plan on a daily basis–just not my whole classroom!

4. It can charge my phone!

I decided that if I was going to upgrade my teacher bag, I might as well take it into the 21st century! Did you know that they now make bags that charge your technology? There is a place to add a battery pack (which you do have to purchase separately) that will hold power for months, and the cord is integrated into the bag so you can plug it right into the front of your bag and charge it. (Mind-blown!) This is meant for travel, so if you are sitting at an airport killing your battery playing Candy Crush and all the little charging tables are full, you can just plug right into the bag on your shoulder. Genius! The concept works great for those long days in the classroom too! Originally, I was looking at this Bailey Business Tote by Tumi as a teacher bag, but as a teacher, I can't justify the cost. This bag has the same look and functionality, and it can charge my phone too!

What I put in my bag:

Black Genuine Leather Wristlet Clutch

Not carrying a purse AND a teacher bag is a game-changer that has made ALL the difference for me. Carrying a purse and a bag is too much, and it makes me feel like a bag lady. Instead, I have this clutch wallet that holds all my purse essentials, and I can transfer my clutch back and forth between my school bag during the week and my purse on the weekends without forgetting anything! If I need to run into the store during the week when I only have my school bag with me, I can just grab my clutch and head in. This clutch is big enough to hold all my cards, cash, a checkbook, pen, a travel-sized bottle of headache medicine, bandaids, my keys, and a zipper pouch for coins. I can even stick my phone in it if I need to. Since the tassel I got for my teacher bag came with 2 tassels, I put one one my clutch too!

I have used a lot of different planners over the years – the free planners, the erin condren planners, and everything in-between. In the end, digital is easier and more convenient. I do, however, build my own teacher binder that I carry with me everywhere. I have tried printing my own plan pages to put in my teacher binder, but it was just too many pages and got too big to lug around, so now I have a hybrid situation.  I use the digital teacher planner from One Stop Teacher for my lesson plans. Because I still like the feel of having my plan book open on my desk, I pull it up on my iPad so I have the page spread open. This is SO much easier than lugging around a big, heavy teacher planner that has pages I never use. I keep my daily plans and grades digital, and I keep a binder of the everyday stuff I need in my teacher binder.

Here is a look at what I keep in my teacher binder:

1. 1 1/2 inch binder with cute scrapbook paper.

I tried using a 1 inch binder, but it just wasn't quite big enough–I kept tearing the holes in my pages. Upgrading to 1 1/2 inches made a difference. It was worth the extra bulk of a bigger binder. To make it cute, I cut down 12x12 scrapbook paper to slide into the front, back, and spine, and I personalized it with my name.

2. A plastic 3 ring envelope.

The first thing in my binder when I open it is a plastic 3 ring envelope that closes with velcro. I'm constantly sticking things in my binder that I need to look at or do later. This plastic envelope is my place to put those things to keep me more organized. (This is not where I put papers to grade. That is coming up later in this post.) 

3. Start with a To-do List & Laminate it.

I don't know if it's lingering COVID effects, getting older, or just the result of having too many tabs open in my brain all the time, but when I'm planning for the week, I always seem to forget SOMETHING. I try to do the bulk of my planning on Saturday mornings before my family wakes up (because I always wake up early). I'll get the big stuff crossed off my list, but there are so many little things that need to get done. They aren't hard or even very time consuming (such as putting their assignment on google classroom), but I always seem to forget something little. This year I got smart and created and laminated a very personalized To Do list for myself with all the little things I do each week to plan. I keep it at the front of my teacher binder, along with a laminated curriculum map, and I use a wet erase marker to check things off so I don't have kids log in to do their spelling practice on Monday only to realize I forgot to assign it! 

4. Divider tabs with pockets.

I use dividers to create these sections in my teacher binder: progress monitoring, class info, testing, standards, student data. I think it's definitely worth having the divider tabs with pockets. I usually have something that I need to stick into the pocket of each section. My friend Kelsey from Teaching Tiny Techies has a Birthday List template and a How We Get Home template that I always use in my "class info" section. I LOVE the Avery 24 tab dividers! I put them in the "student data" section of my teacher binder so that I have a number for every student. I laminate the front page so I can write the corresponding name of each student to their number that year, and I keep a handy data page behind their number from my Assessment Data & Differentiation pack on TpT. That keeps important data at my fingertips. 

I love that there is room to keep plenty of different colored flair pens, highlighters, and sticky notes in my teacher bag. These are the only writing tools I use to do my grading and planning! And I'm LOVING the scented flair pens! Did you know they made SCENTED?! I write on my students papers with them when I'm grading, and they love smelling the scent I used and trying to guess the name of the pen! It's pretty cute. I'm not super picky about my highlighters, but I usually end up coming back to sharpie highlighters. They are bigger, so they tend to last longer. The only thing that is non-negotiable for me is a pack of highlighters that include red (or pink will work), yellow, green, and blue so I can color code my data proficient, partially proficient, unsatisfactory, or advanced. Then I need a variety of sticky note sizes.

I use these plastic envelopes to organize the papers that I need to grade because that can get out of control. I use one envelope for papers "to grade," one envelope for papers "graded," and one envelope for papers to "send home." This keeps me organized because I might have graded them but I haven't entered them into my grade book yet. Keeping them separated makes it easier to know what I need to do with each stack that is in my teacher bag.

#Reallife of a teacher–we need a good umbrella. This one pushes down so it is compact and fits in my teacher bag, but it's a really nice quality too. It is vented (an important feature!) to keep the wind from blowing it inside out. In Colorado, we have had CRAZY wind this year. I needed an umbrella that wouldn't get blown inside out, and then I needed a brush! Hair ties too. I'm trying out some hair ties that look cute on your wrist almost like a bracelet. I also keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer and a small bottle of lotion in my teacher bag.

Last but not least, I need a good lanyard that I store in my teacher bag when I head home for the day. I cannot find the exact one I have online, but it is Vera Bradley, it is leather, and it holds my ID badge, my electronic key, it opens up and will hold credit cards or an ID, and it has a zipper to keep change for the soda machine. I also keep my class list in there with this Free Editable Lanyard Class List from Jessica Ann Stanford. I also attach an Apple AirTag so I don't lose my keys! They work SO much better than other brands that help you track your keys. They are a must-have!

With #AmazonPrimeDay coming right up, it may be a good time to give your teacher bag an update too!

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Top 10 List for Teachers on #AmazonPrimeDay

Amazon Prime Day 2023 is on my birthday! Woot! Woot! July 11💗 - 12 Amazon has its biggest sales of the year, and you won't want to miss it! This post contains affiliate links for your convenience that give me a small stipend when you use the link, but at no cost to you.

First of all, if you are not an Amazon Prime member–it's time. It is $139 for the year, but I make that money back with their free 2 day shipping alone! With your Prime membership you also get to watch a lot of free movies on Prime Video, you get A LOT of free kindle books on Prime Reading, and you have to be an Amazon Prime member to get the deals on Amazon Prime Days. If you're not a Prime member yet, you can start with a free trial here.

Here is my top 10 list for teachers on #AmazonPrimeDay!

1.  Echo Show 5 (3rd generation 2023 Release)

This Echo Show is #1 on my list because it is what I'm most excited about on my Amazon list this year! I don't have an Echo Show yet, but this is how I imagine using it in my classroom. Right now, I have timers set on my phone to go off when it's time to switch to a new subject, and I'm planning on having the Echo Show set up to do that every weekday. I also think that I can set the alarms to snooze on days off. I can set timers during the day with just my voice, and the Echo Show has a digital clock and temperature display. We will use that daily. I can play Pandora (I like to play classical music when the students are working), and I imagine my class asking questions or how to spell things we need help with. I'm very excited to give it a try! There is a deal --buy one get $100 off the 2nd one, so I'm going to get one for my classroom and one for my son as a sophisticated alarm clock. That means one of them will be free! If you don't need 2, however, the Echo Dot is a cheaper option. The Echo Dot doesn't have the screen, but it should do everything else.

2. Dry Erase Clipboards (set of 30)

I really need these dry erase clipboards this year! I make sure my students have dry erase boards and clipboards, and since my classroom needs a refresh on dry erase boards, it makes more sense to get something that is 2 in 1 and save space and money! 

3. Scented Flair Pens

Scented flair pens are a must-have for me every year. I LOVE flair pens, and now that I have found scented, they are the best! The kids love smelling their paper when I draw a star on it! 

4. Magnetic Dry Erase Boards (set of 5)

I have been looking for a set of magnetic dry erase boards for my small groups. I use them for reading, math, and intervention groups, and they are magnetic because I use them with magnetic letters when necessary. These are double sided (both magnetic) with one side blank and one side with dotted lines.

5. Microfiber Hedgehog Erasers (set of 3)

I have a set of 6 of these super cute hedgehog erasers. I use them with my guided reading groups and intervention groups and the magnetic dry erase boards above!

6.  Better Than Paper White Shiplap

I LOVE this stuff! It is absolutely better than paper–it's true. It's very thick, so it's forgiving when you're hanging it. It doesn't get wrinkly, it doesn't show staples, and it doesn't fade. The pictures from my classroom above show the white shiplap, and it's at least 4 years old. I've moved schools in that time, so it has been taken down at one school and put up again in another, and it has held up well. I definitely think it's worth it!

7. Mini Plush Stuffed Dogs

I look for a class set of stuffed dogs every year. For Christmas, I let the kids adopt a dog as long as they promise to read to it for 20 minutes a day. It is a big hit with my 2nd graders every year! Check out this blog post from Teach Junkie that includes name tags for the dogs and adoption certificates. I try to plan ahead for presents to get the best deal possible. Amazon Prime day is a great day to stock up on Christmas presents!

8. 12 Pocket Poly Organizer

This is going to be for my guided reading groups. I like to use use a plastic, multi pocket binder to keep track of what each of my guided reading groups is doing. I keep a copy of the book that group is reading, the names of the students in that group, and any papers we may use. I'm looking for an organizer that has more pages to include all my intervention groups as well, and this one has a pencil pouch in the back too. 

9. Mochi's Squishys Toys (25 pieces)

This is another gift for my students that I plan ahead for so I can get the best deal. These squishy fidget toys are great non-candy Valentine's Day presents. Make tags that say, "I squish you a happy Valentine's Day," or print your own teacher valentines.

10. Calming Breath Sensory Stickers (64 pieces)

I'm really looking forward to trying these out this year. We try different breathing techniques when kids need it, and I think these textured stickers will big a big hit. I'm thinking about putting it on their desks, or maybe on the dry erase clipboards above so kids will be less likely to pick at them. 

Still looking for more ideas? Check out these past blog posts that have links to some great classroom supplies and organization.  Happy Shopping!

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Organizing Your Classroom with these 4 IKEA shelves

I think every teacher can relate to the ongoing battle for organization. When we have to manage so much STUFF for so many little people, it can quickly get overwhelming! IKEA has some great furniture for your classroom that is durable and will keep you more organized. Here are some of my favorites worth investing in: 

1. Trofast bins

I ditched student desks awhile ago, and I'm never going back! Getting kids to keep their desks clean is a nightmare! They just don't do it. And no matter how many times we took the morning to clean out our desks and have visits from the desk fairy, there were always some kids that had a rat's nest and weird things growing in their desks.  So now the kids use tables and Trofast bins instead. They each have a drawer where they keep folders and notebooks, and it is at the front of my room. They are big enough that they can hold those important things but small enough that it's easy to keep organized. By having it at the front of the room, they can't have their hands in there all the time, and we have routines for getting supplies that give them a chance to get up and move periodically throughout the day. It's a win-win! They also have chair pockets where they keep a bag with a pencil, highlighter, expo marker, dry erase board, and their reading books for easy access. Trofast bins for the whole class can get a little pricey when you have a drawer for each student, but I could not teach without them now that I've done it this way! I've been using these bins for 4 or 5 years now, and I have not had to replace any. They're as good as new (maybe a bit dirtier, but otherwise in great shape!). Trofast bins are probably my #1 favorite teacher hack from IKEA.

2. Kallax Bookcase Shelving 

I use the Kallax Bookcase Shelving in my classroom library. I put pillows on the top and the kids use them as couches to sit and read, and I also have baskets of books underneath, so they do double duty as book shelves too! I use 3 as couches in my classroom library. Based on your available space, you can put them end to end or separate them. I have been using these shelves for 4 or 5 years as well, and they look almost as good as new. They are very sturdy, and the perfect height for my 2nd graders to sit on.

3. LACK Wall Shelf 

The Lack Wall Shelf makes a great book display! I put this at the front of the room near my teacher reading chair, and I rotate books that we are reading throughout the year. The kids get excited to see what is coming when I display books for a new learning theme. It's nice if you can mount this shelf to the wall for safety, but the current school I'm at wouldn't let me put holes in the wall, and I've never had a problem with it tipping in 3 years. It still looks new and it is sturdy.

4. Kallax Cube

I also ditched my teacher desk many, many years ago. Even though I don't sit at a big, bulky teacher desk, I still need a place to put stuff so it doesn't pile up. Several years ago I started using Kallax Cubes as my teacher area. You can leave the cube open (which I do on top), or use the fabric bins that fit inside to hold things (which I do on the bottom). They take up a minimal amount of room, but they still hold a lot of stuff in order to keep me organized. I've been using these Kallax cubes for at least 6 years, and they are still sturdy and look great. 

As teachers, we use so much of our own money to make things organized, efficient, and pretty in our classrooms. So if we're going to fork over the money, we need to make sure it's worth the investment. These 4 shelves have proved their stamina for me, an they're still going strong. They are classroom approved! And not only are they functional, but they're pretty. Several pictures from my classroom were featured in an article on We Are Teachers called 41 IKEA Classroom Supplies for Your Next Shopping Trip. Check it out! I'm the teacher Emily from Parker, CO. 

Good luck organizing your classroom!

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