Must-Haves in my First Grade Classroom
There are so many posts out there about “teacher must-haves,” and honestly, many of them are a little overwhelming. I’ve read so many that just contain links to Amazon finds that are clever and fun, but not “must-haves.” That’s why I decided to finally compile a small list of the 7 things that are absolute “must-haves” in my classroom because I truly use them each and every day. Read below to see what I can’t function without!
1. Auto-Changing Digital Rotation Boards with Timers
These boards have been an absolute life saver for me! I’m able to truly focus on small groups because my students always know where to go. The visuals on the board match the label visuals in each station so students know exactly what center they should be in, and what they should be doing there.
These boards come with tons of center options to fit your needs, clean up slides, and different timer options!
You can grab the bundle here, or you can grab them individually.
2. Classroom Light System
Students still have to ask when they leave the room because I like to know who is leaving, but I have students press the light on when they leave. This helps me know how many students are out of the room at once, and it helps other students see that someone else may be in the restroom so they have to wait until the other student comes back since it is occupied. (Of course if it is a bathroom emergency, I let students go.)
3. Classroom Leadership Roles
Having classroom leadership roles (or classroom jobs) helps me tremendously. I choose jobs that can truly help me in the classroom (paper passers, tidy team, tech team, etc.).
To grab my classroom jobs set, click here.
To read more about each classroom job that I assign in my classroom, click here.
4. Classroom Management CHAMPS
I set our classroom CHAMPS before each activity so that students know what their expectations are. CHAMPS stands for: Conversation level, Help, Activity type, Movement, Participation, and Success!
To grab my CHAMPS board, click here.
To read more about this classroom management tool, click here.
5. Student Token Boards
I use student token boards for students that may need a little extra behavior boost. This has been a game changer for students that really struggle with completing the basic tasks and transitions that happen in our classroom.
To grab these token boards, click here.
To read more about how I manage these token boards, click here.
6. Tidy Tubs
If you take nothing else from this blog post, take THIS! I had a teacher friend ask me how I kept my room so clean, and the answer is Tidy Tubs! I’ve been using Tidy Tubs for 7 years now and will never go back. Whenever we do something that involves cutting, I have the Tidy Team pass out the Tidy Tubs to each table so that students can put their trash in the tubs instead of making 1 million trips to the main trash can. At the end of the activity, Tidy Team members empty their group’s Tidy Tub into the main trash. Easy!
My Tidy Tubs are very old from Dollar Tree soI cannot link them. My label was cut out using my Cricut machine.
7. Math and Reading Tool Kits
This is one of those things that I’m actually thankful that C*ovid brought to me- ha! These math and literacy tool kits are sets of math or literacy manipulatives and mini math mats/literacy visuals. I pass these out during small group time, whole group time, or students grab them while they’re working on centers. I switch out the math mats and phonics charts inside based on what we are learning (ex: I switch out a 5 frame mat for a 10 frame mat), and I keep manipulatives like dice, cubes, bears, spinners, base 10 blocks, etc. inside.
Let me know if you end up using any of these resources in your classroom. I would love to know how they worked for you, and I’d love to see pictures!
