Whether you’re a seasoned educator or just starting out, these essential supplies will equip you with everything you need to create an engaging and well-equipped high school classroom. Get ready to discover the tools that will enhance your teaching experience and make your classroom a hub of inspiration and learning.
Pens
High school students should be bringing their own pens to class, but there will always be at least one who forgets or has run out of ink. Having ample pens – ballpoint, rollerball, gel rollerball and fineliner – on hand means that there will always be enough around for teachers and forgetful students alike. Teachers also need a variety of pens for everyday use, like taking notes, lesson plans, marking homework and essays, pointing menacingly at rowdy students.
Pencils
Again, high school students are expected to supply their own writing implements, but sometimes they forget. Some subjects, like art and design typically require more pencils than other classes, but every classroom should always have a supply of pencils on hand. Pencils are perfect for drawing, formulating ideas, or basically any task that can be easily erased to make changes or hide your working. Pencils are also still a necessity for multiple choice standardised tests.
Electric Pencil Sharpener
An electric pencil sharpener can quickly transforms dull pencils into sharp writing utensils ready for action. No more students wasting precious exam minutes struggling with manual sharpeners or dealing with broken pencil tips. An electric pencil sharpener ensures that students always have a sharp tool at their fingertips, making work and tests a breeze.
An electric pencil sharpener can add a touch of convenience and efficiency to your classroom, allowing you to focus on what truly matters – teaching and inspiring young minds.
Paper Clips
Whether it’s attaching multiple pages together or marking important sections, paper clips help students and teachers alike keep order and prevent the loss of important documents. Paper clips can also be used for a huge range of classroom activities, such as creating visual displays, organizing group projects, or conducting experiments.
Scissors
Whether it’s cutting out shapes for a bulletin board display, making hands-on learning materials, or helping students with art projects, a reliable pair of scissors enables teachers to enhance the learning experience and foster creativity in the classroom. Having a readily accessible pair of scissors ensures that teachers can effectively and efficiently carry out their lesson plans, making them an essential tool for any high school educator.
Tape
From hanging posters and artwork to repairing torn pages or binding materials together, tape has got your back. Tape is there to save the day when things fall apart. Gaffer tape, electrical tape, duct tape, double sided tape, masking tape and adhesive tape all have different uses but ae equally indispensable.
With a trusty roll of tape at hand, you can quickly tackle any unexpected mishaps and keep your classroom running smoothly. It’s the adhesive buddy that brings order to chaos, making sure everything stays in place and looking sharp.
Stapler
With a satisfying click, a stapler turns loose papers into a neat and organised stack. Whether it’s assignments, handouts, or study guides, a trusty stapler ensures that everything stays in place, making it easier for high school students and teachers to keep track of their work. A stapler is also a quick and efficient way to collate papers for marking or distribute materials during class. No more loose pages floating around or searching for misplaced assignments.
If you’re worried about students constantly handling the same thing and potentially passing on an illness or infection, an antibacterial stapler may be just the thing. The antibacterial nature of the plastic used in the staplers kills 99% of bacterial and viral pathogens. Of course, a staple remover is also a must have.
Hole Punch
With a hole punch you can transform stacks of loose sheets into perfectly aligned and ready-to-file documents. Whether it’s creating study guides, organizing notes into binders, or preparing handouts for your students, a trusty hole punch is there to save the day. For busy classrooms, you may want to consider an antibacterial hole punch to safeguard student and teacher health.
A hole punch is like the secret weapon that turns chaos into order, making it a breeze to keep track of important papers and stay on top of your teaching game. Just make sure your hole punch makes the right number of holes for your ring binders.
Sticky Notes
Sticky notes allow you to jot down quick reminders, important points, or helpful annotations that can be easily stuck to textbooks, assignments, or even your desk. They’re the ultimate multitaskers, helping you stay organised, highlight key information, and or mark important places in textbooks. Whether it’s leaving personalised feedback on student work, creating interactive displays, or simply leaving yourself a reminder, sticky notes are your trusty companions.
File Folders
File folders are like the unsung heroes of a high school classroom, keeping everything organised and ready for action. They are the ultimate secret weapon against the chaos of loose papers and misplaced assignments. With file folders, students can safely store and categorize their important documents, ensuring easy access when needed. Teachers can keep their lesson plans together, keep homework and assignments in order and protect papers than need to be stored.
Ring Binders
With the power to add, remove, and shuffle pages, ring binders give high school students and teachers the ability to easily store and organise papers. No more lost papers or rummaging through backpacks or document trays for that elusive worksheet – ring binders keep everything in order, ready to unleash knowledge and conquer any academic challenge.
Document Tray
Let’s face it, papers can easily pile up and create chaos. Document trays are an absolute must-have for a high school teacher’s desk for this exact reason. With a document tray, you can keep those stacks of handouts, assignments, and marked assignments neatly organised and easily accessible. No more frantic searching for that one important document amidst the clutter.
Timer
Whether it’s setting a time limit for group discussions, timing quizzes or presentations, or keeping students focused during independent work, a trusty timer or stopwatch keeps everyone accountable and creates a sense of urgency. Plus, it adds an exciting element of challenge and motivation, turning tasks into friendly competitions against the clock.
Laminator
Whether you’re laminating important reference sheets, classroom posters, flash cards or other high school student aides, a trusty laminator makes everything durable. Lamination gives your teaching materials a transparent shield that keeps them safe from spills, tears, and rough handling. Laminated materials are also versatile. You can use dry-erase markers on them to create reusable worksheets, or even make interactive games that last for ages.
USB Drives
With their portable and compact design, USB drives allow teachers and students alike to store and transfer digital materials like assignments, presentations, and study resources. A USB drive like having a virtual locker that keeps all your digital treasures in one safe place.
Whether a USB drive is used for sharing files with students, accessing materials on different computers, or backing up important documents, a trusty USB drive ensures that you’re always prepared and organised.
Spare USB Cables and Chargers
Tech, such as laptops and tablets, is steadily becoming more and more common in schools. In fact, Australian schools are some of the largest users of technology in the classroom. As such, student will often be using laptops and tablets during classes. It’s inevitable that just as often as students will need their technology, they will also forget their charging cables.
A collection of USB, Lightning and Thunderbolt cables, as well as charging stations can save a lot of aggravation.
Power Boards
As more and more technology is being brought into the classroom, there are unlikely to be enough power points to go around if students need to recharge or plug in their laptops or tablets. That’s where power boards come in handy. If a student’s device can’t be charged via USB, power boards can turn a single wall socket into multiple power outlets.
Cleaning Supplies
Although classrooms are professionally cleaned outside of school hours, messes really shouldn’t be left for other people to take care of. Every classroom should have antibacterial surface wipes for cleaning up any spills on desks or walls, and a dustpan and brush to sweep up messes on the floor. Any classroom with a whiteboard should also have a supply of whiteboard cleaner to ensure that the board stays pristine and doesn’t stain or ghost.
Tissues
Tissues come to the rescue when sniffles, sneezes, or unexpected spills happen. They offer relief during allergy seasons, cold and flu outbreaks, and those emotional moments that high school life brings. Whether it’s wiping noses or cleaning up small messes, tissues are there to lend a helping hand.
Tissues bring a sense of care and comfort to the classroom, ensuring that students and teachers can focus on their learning without the distraction of discomfort (or the person behind you constantly sniffling).
Hand Sanitiser
Hand sanitiser is a crucial tool in keeping a clean and hygienic environment in a high school classroom. With students constantly interacting, sharing supplies, and touching common surfaces, germs can easily spread. Hand sanitiser is a convenient and effective way to kill bacteria and viruses on hands, reducing the risk of illness. It promotes good hand hygiene practices, helping to keep students and teachers healthier.
