Every teacher worth their title knows that finding the right resources for elementary teachers will make or break an early learning environment. And that fact is never clearer than in infant and toddler classrooms, where student engagement and classroom organization are critical to the success of your lessons.

But how do you find those truly golden resources other than rummaging through your colleagues’ drawers, making your own with scissors and glue for days on end, or spending big bucks on a variety of different graphics and kits that you’re not even sure you have? what are you going to use? spent?

Your local elementary school is an obvious choice, where you can expect dusty warehouses to be full of forgotten resources and brightly colored games that you can easily use… but this requires access to a school and a fair amount of time. to find what you’re looking for, which are two staples that many elementary school teachers simply don’t have, especially if they’re just starting a new teaching career.

In my experience as an elementary classroom teacher, teachers need their own collection of resources that can be quickly integrated into a classroom environment and adapted to a variety of subject areas.

And without access to those dusty warehouses or the time to search through piles of textbooks, flashcards, posters, and charts, I’ve always found that some of the best resources for teachers can be found online.

For new elementary teachers, I would recommend putting together the absolute basic resources on classroom organization that can be adapted to any new classroom situation or informal round-up, with the following must-haves:

– A series of laminated labels for various concrete materials in the classroom;

– A series of laminated calendars showing the days of the week, common weather icons, as well as days and months;

– A birthday board;

– Interchangeable schedules to show student news, sports days, chapel and other recurring events;

– Charts for math and reading groups;

– Rules reminder posters covering basic classroom etiquette such as interrupting and other behavior reminders;

– A stack of black line teacher observation records and progress charts to keep details of student work and behavior in class time;

– Newsletter, reading for parents or canteen lists for classroom parents;

– A basic literacy resource box and reading recovery worksheets/texts, texts for early readers, picture books, phonics, and literacy games such as word find or hangman;

– Basic laminated number cards from 1 to 100 (or even 1 to 20);

– Laminated flashcards with letter and sound combinations, as well as basic sight words for a variety of reading levels;

– A series of plastic ring binders to store everything;

– A soft toy, doll, or other toy that can be used as a reward or behavior management tool; and

– Plenty of paper, crayons, pencils, ribbon, glue, and other materials in case school supplies are unreliable.

If that list seems long, don’t stress! When it all comes down to it, it’s really just a box or basket full of things that you can keep in the trunk of your car until it’s time to set up your new classroom.

On top of that, you’ll start building a larger collection of picture books, texts for beginning readers, math programs, literacy or reading programs, online games, kinesthetic resources like balls, blocks, or felt boards, and art supplies that really They will transform your classroom into a rich learning haven.

So get down to business! Whether you create your basic assets yourself with a home printer, online icons, a laminator, and a stack of colored paper, OR if you’re lucky enough to adapt existing templates to your needs, you’ll soon be well on your way to a great Lots of quality resources for elementary teachers to get your classroom started.