New Classroom

[lazybones77]

I'm going to have my first class after the summer holidays and was wondering if anyone had any tips for what to buy to set up my classroom. I've no idea what stage I have yet but any general tips and tricks would be really helpful. Thank you.

Thank you all so much. This is so helpful. I know the school will have most things but, as pp have said, it's always good to have your own robust things that you can take with you to other schools or classes. I've been told that on placement. I won't be buying everything yet. I'll definitely wait until I've seen my classroom. I have a laminator from placements and a heavy duty stapler. Is it sad that the stationery options are making me more excited to start?

'I'm a secondary hod and I find this discussion a bit mad tbh! Your own laminator?? Since when did it become accepted that teachers have to find this stuff themselves??'

Had to be a secondary teacher asking that question.
You buy stuff to make your own life less stressful and your working environment more pleasant. Plus you can't take the school laminator home. How long? Since the mid-80s in my case.
Next time you're in a primary school, look around and see all the non-standard stuff there is around. There's rarely a budget for it.

I second the (basic) cleaning supplies. Spray and kitchen roll/wetwipes. It just means that when a kid has a nosebleed/paint is everywhere/someone draws on the tables/something is mysteriously sticky, you can just clean up immediately without any fuss, or sending children to get loo paper or whatever. Also good for cleaning the whiteboard when it's got really grey! The school might supply some for the cleaners, but I've never been in a school which supplied them for classrooms.

Anything else I'd wait to see what the school supply. I'd be more likely to be throwing out stuff from a new classroom than add more! Maybe a couple of geraniums. Useful for when you're inevitably doing plant biology. Plus pretty!