Teacher Must Haves: The Top 20 Items You Need

A new school year, a new plan! Teachers start planning well before back to school season begins. Usually, teachers thoughtfully select classroom supplies and decorations with the student in mind. However, what about the classroom must haves the teacher needs to be successful? Honestly, there are so many teacher must haves you need for your classroom that it can be overwhelming. Equipping yourself with the right must haves for your classroom is essential to ensure a smooth and successful start.

Thankfully, Amazon offers a treasure trove of teacher must haves that are affordable and convenient. Amazon also allows you to set up a wishlist with all your classroom must haves. You can share your list with family or friends that want to support your classroom! Use this list of the top 20 teacher must haves to plan and organize for a successful start to your year.

Note: This post contains affiliate links for Amazon. By purchasing an item on the Amazon site using these links, I will receive a small commission on your purchase.

Teacher Must-Haves: 20 Items You Need For Back To School

Teacher Must Haves #1: Teacher Utility Tote Bag

You probably think the last thing you need is another “teacher bag.” However, this Large Teacher Tote Bag is a game-changer and lives up to its promise. You can scour Amazon for hours for other options, but this one takes the cake!

It’s not just a bag; it’s an organization powerhouse. This teacher must have has so many pockets and storage compartments to help you organize. It also helps protect your laptop or Ipad when running back and forth between school and home. You can also haul everything you need for grading and planning. No more searching through a bottomless pit for your supplies!

Teacher Must Have: Teacher Tote

Teacher Must Haves #2: Cute Lanyard

Say goodbye to the days of frustratingly getting locked out of your classroom. This trusty lanyard might be the ultimate teacher must have! There are so many cute color combos to choose from. Honestly, you will love them all! 

What’s more, the lanyard is affordable and top-notch quality. Plus, you’ll always have your keys and identification card with you. Gone are the days of accidentally leaving them in the lounge or next to the copy machine.

Teacher Must Haves: Cute Lanyard

Teacher Must Haves #3: Tumbler & Reusable Straws

Staying hydrated during those long, busy school days is an absolute must for any educator. Make the Simple Modern Tumbler and Reusable Silicone Straw your new companion. The dynamic duo will revolutionize your hydration game. The Simple Modern Tumbler will keep your drink ice cold all day long, literally. Add ice and water before your day begins, and you can sip as much as you like throughout the day. 

Adding a fun straw will help you sip away throughout the day, reaching your hydration goals. The straws are super cute and colorful, as well as flexible. Plus, they are super easy to clean. Whether in the middle of a read-aloud, or navigating activities, the Yeti Tumbler will keep you refreshed and ready to conquer the day!

Simple Modern Tumbler and Reusable Straws

Teacher Must Haves #4: Teacher Planner

Every teacher loves a good planner! However, most teachers struggle to find a planner that truly has everything. Luckily, the Happy Planner Teacher Planner will meet all of your needs. It has a 12-month academic calendar that will become your new best friend. 

Another reason this is a teacher must have—it’s totally customizable. The Happy Planner has a disc-bound system that allows you to insert or remove pages as needed. You can even choose from weekly or monthly pages. Keeping track of your students and lesson plans has never been easier! 

This planner is large, so there is plenty of space to record your schedule, take notes, and make lists. It is also versatile enough to keep on your desk or through it in your teacher tote bag and take with you!

Happy Planner Teacher Planner

Teacher Must Haves #5: Rolling Cart

Small groups are made easy with this elementary classroom must have. Load this rolling utility cart down with all the supplies you need for group work. There are so many bins and compartments that are perfect for supplies, worksheets, and manipulatives. Everything you need will be right at your fingertips!

The wheels make it super easy to move. Move from group to group, or wheel around the room wherever you need. You can even use it for morning meetings and when completing testing outside the classroom!

Teacher Must Haves: Rolling Utility Cart

Teacher Must Haves #6: New Pens and Markers

If you aren’t using erasable marker pens, you should be! The fact that they are erasable is a game-changer. Honestly, completing a day in the classroom without this must have for teachers will be hard. They are perfect when you are teaching with a document camera. Use the different colors to help your notes stand out and easily erase any mistakes you have along the way.

Teachers grade so much throughout the year. Honestly, grading can be so boring. These flair pens make grading so much more fun. Seriously, flair pens have the best colors. Your students will love seeing what fun color they get on their graded papers! The ink dries fast, so it doesn’t smear as you grade. Also, the pens use water-based ink so they won’t bleed through to the other side. 

Snag a pack of erasable marker pens or Flair pens, and start your year right! Indeed, it’s magical what a new pack of pens can do for a teacher’s motivation.

Teacher Must Haves: Flair Pens and Erasable Markers

Teacher Must Haves #7: Organization Baskets

Baskets, baskets, and more baskets! Baskets are a classroom must have. Truly, you can never have too many baskets. This colorful pack of 8 is super sturdy and much cheaper than some of the bigger, more notable brands.

Turning in work can be a nightmare without a proper system in place. Luckily, these organization baskets are perfect used as a daily turn-in basket for each subject and class period. You can also use them to store your pre-made copies or to store extra classroom supplies. Organization alone is a teacher must have, and these cheery baskets in bright colors will make organizing even more fun!

Paper Organization Baskets for the Classroom

Teacher Must Haves #8: Washi Tape

Washi tape should seriously be on every teacher’s classroom supply list! Seriously, it’s addicting, and it seems to be the answer to everything! Specifically, Washi tape is the best way to organize and color-code your Chromebook or iPad cart.

You can also use Washi tape for dividing whiteboards into sections, adding borders to posters, decorating baskets, and organizing planners. Students also love Washi tape for crafts and centers. The possibilities are endless! Scotch Washi Tape is the best you can find and doesn’t lose its stickiness over time.

Washi Tape

Teacher Must Haves #9: Glue Gun

A glue gun is a teacher’s best friend and a definite classroom must have. Decorating a classroom is so much easier with a trusty high-temp glue gun. Posters and decor will stay secure on your walls all year long!

With this glue gun, you can apply table skirts or whip up a quick curtain hem in minutes. This particular glue gun is heavy-duty, high-tempt, and heats up super fast! Definitely, a tool every teacher should have.

Glue Gun for Teachers

Teacher Must Haves #10: Paper Cutter

Making copies and cutting paper are only two of the many things teacher do daily. However, running back and forth to the copy room just to cut a few things is not fun. Investing in your own paper cutter is a must!

Honestly, It is so convenient having it right inside your classroom. You will more than likely find yourself using it daily. It is also super convenient when you need something cut in the middle of a lesson. This Swingline version is heavy duty enough to handle big stacks of paper at one time. Plus, you can be sure they will be super straight.

Teacher Must Haves: Paper Cutter for the Classroom

Teacher Must Haves #11: Stapler

Repeat after me…all staplers are not equal! Seriously, some of them are so bulky and heavy to carry around. Others are constantly jamming and getting stuck in your papers. The Bostitch Office stapler is lightweight and so easy to use.

You only need one finger to push it through a big stack of papers and it never jams up! Additionally, it comes in super bright fun colors so that you can match it to the decor on your desk. This should definitely be on your list of must haves for teachers.

A one touch stapler is a teacher must-have.

Teacher Must Haves #12: Manual Pencil Sharpener

Electric pencil sharpeners can be so loud and distracting. One student trying to sharpen their pencil during a lesson can lead to the entire class turning around to see what’s happening. This totally disrupts your lesson. Teachers need a pencil sharpener that sharpens quickly and quietly. Additionally, it needs to last all year!

Sometimes it is good to go old school and just use a manual pencil sharpener. A manual sharpener has all of the capabilities of an electric sharpener. Specifically, it can sharpen without distraction, and it will last for years. This Carl Angel-5 Pencil Sharpener is the end all be all of manual sharpeners. After using this, you will never go back to electric sharpeners again!

Classroom Supplies: Pencil Sharpener

Teacher Must Haves #13: Paper and Cardstock

Teachers can never have enough paper. There is always something to run off, a craft to create, or a cute worksheet to print. Astrobrights paper and cardstock are the highest quality color paper out there. They have the most vibrant colors too.

Snag these at the beginning of the year so you can print off your Meet the Teacher material in fun, bright colors! Honestly, I wouldn’t start the school year without them.

Astrobrights Paper for Teachers

Teacher Must Haves #14: Birthday Goodies

Students love being recognized on their birthdays! As teachers, it’s important to make them feel important on their special day. Most teachers have some sort of birthday tradition in their classrooms. These birthday pencils and bookmarks are a great addition to a fun birthday celebration.

Singing happy birthday and having the birthday boy or girl pick a festive pencil or bookmark is a great way to celebrate. The pencils come in a pack of 144, and the bookmarks come in a pack of 100. This is a must have for teachers that will last for years!

Birthday Supplies for the Classroom

Teacher Must Have #15: Overlay Strips

This simple highlighter tool is perfect for all students in your classroom. These Guided Reading Overlay Strips make it easy for kids to stay on track while reading. The gray part shields other sentences, and the transparent part helps your readers stay on track while reading. They truly are simple yet effective tools.

Specifically, students with special needs and dyslexia will find these strips to be extra beneficial. Plus, 32 guided reading strips come in a pack. That’s a deal that’s hard to beat!

Teacher Must Haves: Overlay Strips for Guided Reading

Teacher Must Have #16: Pencil Holder

If teachers had a penny for every time a pencil rolled off of a desk, we could all go to Hawaii. Luckily, this adhesive pencil holder solves that problem. Attach it to the top corner of your student’s desks and never worry about students losing their pencils again.

Students will quickly learn the procedure for placing their pencils in the holder when it is not in use. The adhesive backing is super strong and will stay all year. No more picking up lost or broken pencils off the floor after class—a definite lifesaver!

Pencil Holder for Classroom Desks

Teacher Must Have #17: Whiteboard Push Pins

Whiteboards are pretty much the hub of the classroom. It is where most of the modeling and demonstrating occurs for students. Whiteboards are also used for posting important information and events.

These magnetic push pins are perfect for holding all the info you need! The magnets are strong enough to hold several sheets of paper or laminated posters. Plus, they are also super cute and colorful!

Magnetic Push Pins for Whiteboard

Teacher Must Have #18: Bulletin Board Roll

This is the best invention since sliced bread, and it is a definite must have for teachers! Better Than Paper Bulletin Board Rolls are so much better than butcher paper on a bulletin board. You can easily cover all of your bulletin boards in no time, as well as your door or even your desk!

The best part is you can write on it with a dry-erase marker and write as needed. It easily wipes off with a damp cloth. Update bulletin boards, write a fun message to your students, or let your students sign your desk with this awesome bulletin board roll!

Teacher Must Have: Bulletin Board Paper

Teacher Must Have #19: EZ Grader

You may have seen your 5ht grade teacher using this, and trust me, it was for good reason. If you don’t already own this, RUN! The EZ Grader is a necessity. Teachers are constantly calculating grades, averages, or percentages. This sliding grading tool quickly computes scores for tests, quizzes, and homework.

Teachers can easily score any number of questions up to 95 with this one-step slider. This tool does it all for you and is a huge time saver! It’s also perfect for when you’re grading on the go. This is also the perfect welcome gift for new teachers.

EZ Grader

Teacher Must Have #20: Binder Clips

These large binder clips will help you keep all of our papers organized. However, these go a step further and are already pre-labeled for you! Organize your papers into groups like send home, to be filed, make copies, and more. These are also large enough to hold a big packet of paper. Seriously, these will make your teacher heart so happy.

Large Binder Clips: Teacher Supplies

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If you want even more teacher must haves, check out my list here! I share all of my favorite #teacherlife essentials in and out of the classroom. You can find my favorite tech gadgets, teaching tools, classroom supplies, and more! Teaching virtually? No problem! Check out these 15 must haves for virtual teaching!

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Save this to your favorite back to school board. You’ll be able to easily come back to these teacher must haves when it’s time for back to school!

Teacher Must-Haves: 20 Items You Need

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