Everyone knows that when it comes to education, early is never early enough to start preparing for their first year as a graduated, licensed teacher. Between essential supplies they may need, such as markers or scissors, to building up their classroom library, there are a plethora of items that the first year teacher in your life needs. Due to the pandemic, stores are closed and it is a lot harder to start to browse and build up their supplies. Besides that, we all know that teachers are always spending money out of their pocket, so there is no better way to help a first year teacher in need by giving supplies as graduation gifts.
Books for the classroom library
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Whether your first year teacher knows what grade they are teaching yet or not, books for their classroom library play an essential role in the learning process. Most first year teachers will have a list of authors or an amazon list available for their book wish list.
Clocks
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From my personal experience in the classroom, one of the easiest ways to teach time is using clocks as a manipulate. For future teachers, plastic clocks are a staple in their classroom supplies! It makes it so much easier to teach the concept of time when students have an actual clock to manipulate and learn from!
Expo Markers
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Lets be real. Expo markers and supplies are expensive! Any educator knows how fast they go through board cleaner or markers. A teacher can never have enough! This is a gift that any teacher will value and truly use on a daily basis in their classroom.
Pencils
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This may seem silly, yet pencils are so valued in the classroom. Ask a veteran teacher how many pencils they have gone through over the years of their career. Whether they are using pencils themselves or are constantly giving pencils to their students, there is no shame in getting your graduate started on a large set of pencils.
Glue and Scissors
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Kind of like pencils, teachers are constantly going through glue sticks or need enough scissors to share throughout the classroom. From my practicum experience, there are so many instances where teachers just don't have enough to go around. To include efficiency, I think this would be a great starter gift for that special teacher in your life.
Block manipulatives.
I think we have all either learned from using these blocks or taught someone something amazing with them. Using these blocks as manipulatives can be so beneficial in the classroom during math. Unfortunately, they can get pricey, so getting these as a gift for a graduating teacher is essential!
Classroom mailboxes
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This is such a great, yet pricey gift for your graduate that they will use on a daily basis in the classroom. Whether a classroom mailbox is used for program letters home or finished work, classroom mailboxes help keep papers organized to ensure they are not lost in the hustle and bustle of a school day!
Classroom drawer organizer.
Similar to the classroom mailboxes, drawer organizers make life for everyone easier. I like this one because it allows teachers to put outgoing work to students and has an area for students to durn in homework or classwork. If you got a few of these for your graduate, they would be grateful!
Thermal laminator
Although your graduate may have access to a laminator, it is so convenient to have one for yourself! Wether its in your classroom for personal use or when your graduate wants to do some work at home, having a thermal laminator at your own personal disposal comes in handy!
Clipboards
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I think clipboards in the classroom can come in handy for many reasons. Most teachers want to promote movement and learning in the classroom. By having clipboards available to students, this creates meaningful learning opportunities! Wether its partner work or working at stations, clipboards come in handy for any type of situation!
