Must-Have Classroom Tools

Do you have a favorite tool? Ya know... that one item that you use constantly and can't imagine your classroom without? Below I share the three "must-haves" for my classroom:

1. A Super Sharpener

This item was a gift from a parent a few years back. I had been through at least a dozen throughout my career and the current sharpener was on its last legs. At Christmas, a parent surprised me this sharpener (along with a 2 year warranty) and I haven't needed another one since!

It has an adjustable wheel to accommodate 6 different pencil girths. It's fast. It's sharp. A blue light signals to the students when the pencil is completely sharpened. And the shavings tray helps keep the area tidy. 

It's a bit pricey- but it's the last sharpener you'll ever buy. 

2. Heavy Duty Hole Puncher

I bought this hole puncher a few years back. There were some changes happening with curriculum, an influx of 3-ring binders being used, and I bought it with the idea that I would be able to hole punch a class set of copies all at once. 

Over time, I have used it to hole punch other items as well. For instance, I can place up to 5 laminated brag tags under each punch and hole punch 15 brag tags at once. Two rounds of punching and I have a class set of tags ready to go!

3. Paper Cutter

This item was a splurge. It was costly and ate up a hefty portion of my budget. However, it is worth its weight in gold. My classroom runs on interactive notebooks- a lot of interactive notebooks. I mean... a lot. 

One of the perks to interactive notebooks is the amount of practice students get while cutting and folding and gluing and positioning pieces. One of the drawbacks is the amount of time the cutting, folding, gluing, and positioning requires. My paper cutter helps cuts down on the time. I can trim down the majority of the pieces so that students can concentrate on getting the information on the piece and into the notebook.

A paper cutter is also useful for cutting up name lists, trimming down paper for craft projects, cutting up brag tags, etc...

Granted, I can locate similar items within my building. But who wants to trek down to the teacher station every time they want to punch holes or cut some paper? Having them readily available in my class is a time-saver.

There is no question that these three tools help make life smoother in my classroom. What are your go-to tools?