10 Useful resources for teachers to have in their classrooms

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A classroom must always be equipped with the right resources for teachers to work with any lesson plan successfully. No matter how much planning takes place to cover specific topics in a short space of time, teachers must always be ready to improvise in the classroom.

Students usually ask unexpected questions or may seem lost because the topic is not interesting. Resources for teachers to explain ideas in different ways must be readily available. Also, these can turn a dull class session around immediately.

While the school already provides the necessary equipment and basic stationery for classrooms to function, there are certain resources for teachers to have in their classrooms to make sure their students enjoy every session. Here are 10 useful resources for teachers to have in their classrooms.

10 Useful resources for teachers to have

1. Whiteboard markers

Whiteboard markers are the magic wands of the classroom. They are used consistently by teachers who write notes, draw diagrams and ask students to come up on the board to work out sums.

But when the ink runs out of all the markers in the middle of a heated session, it can be very frustrating. Have your personal markers set aside for emergencies until your school provides you with more.

2. Reading books

Reading books for all levels are important resources for teachers to have in a classroom. These books provide students with information about family life, social issues, economics, environment and health in the form of entertaining stories.

Teachers with lively successful classrooms use reading books that educate using comedy, rhyme and colourful images such as the books in the series Improve Spelling and Reading Skills. These books engage the interests of students while they learn about society and English mechanics.  

3. Copy paper

Copy paper is another useful resource to have in a classroom. It is handy for introducing topics and for one-on-one interactions with students who understand the work better when the teacher personally explains it to them on paper.

Although the school may provide copy paper, there may be a shortage at times. You should keep your own package of copy paper so you would not have to ask children to tear pages out of their books for you to pursue with instruction.

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4. Bristol board

What better way to turn a boring classroom session into a fun interactive environment than to bring out the Bristol board! Students learn faster with visual aid and having them create posters with these hard sheets of paper is a brilliant idea.

The school may not always supply Bristol board and if it does, there are times when it will be out of stock. Keep your very own sheets of Bristol board in different colours on a shelf or in a drawer for spontaneous moments in the classroom.

5. Coloured pencils and markers

Whenever it is time to get creative, no teacher nor student should be limited with coloured pencils and markers. These are the basic stationery used to make projects shine. Adding some glitter dust, stickers and highlighters put the icing on the cake.

While students may have their coloured pencils and markers, your classroom should always have them in abundance. These come in handy for designing your posters or assisting students who don’t have any.

6. Pens, pencils, erasers and sharpeners

You can never have too much pens, pencils, erasers and sharpeners in a classroom. These items are used more than anything during active sessions by teachers and students.

Even if a school provides stationery in abundance, it is advisable that you have your supplies as back up for when there is a shortage. It is impossible to function in a classroom without pens, pencils, erasers and sharpeners.

7. Flashcards

Flashcards for different reading levels are fun resources for teachers to make learning interactive. You can allow children to read random flashcards when spotted, pool words with similar rimes to see patterns, or play games that are sometimes included in the package.

Collins Easy Learning KS1 – High Frequency Words Flashcards introduces young learners to the first 100 high frequency words at school. Learning to spell and read words with these flashcards will build the children’s confidence quickly and make reading books easier.

8. Posters

Posters are effective resources for teachers to make the classroom visually educational. Decorate the walls of the classroom with posters that display words with the same rimes, words that rhyme, word families, sight words, high frequency words, homophones, and synonyms and antonyms.

These colourful Sight Words Posters display numerous words for children to learn to spell and read quickly. By placing posters in the faces of children, learning these words become inevitable.

9. Computer

A computer is the window to the world of information. A classroom must be equipped with access to the internet at all times. Even if lessons are based on textbooks and discussions, a teacher’s set induction can be more interesting with video and audio.

Many schools do not provide all classrooms with computers and may have one computer lab. Teachers should not make lack of resources a problem for them to achieve successful learning. Use your personal laptop to get your students involved quickly when a computer is not provided. It is better to have successful learning by any means necessary.

10. Paperback dictionary, calculator and analogue clock

It is very important that every classroom has at least one paperback dictionary, a calculator and an analogue clock for students to learn how to use them properly. The cell phone, computer and internet have made life so easy for students to do spell checks, calculations and tell the time digitally, that they no longer put effort into learning how to do anything.

Although many students are required to have a paperback dictionary, a calculator and an analogue watch on their wrists, a lot of them don’t bring them to school, don’t use them at all, and some don’t even know how to use them. Teachers should include lessons on researching words in a paperback dictionary, doing calculations on a physical calculator, and telling time on the analogue clock on the wall of the classroom.

Conclusion

These 10 resources for teachers to have in their classrooms will keep you prepared to improvise whenever needed. Students are very unpredictable with questions, being distracted, acting disruptive and never being prepared with resources. Also, there is sometimes the issue of obtaining supplies from your school when you most need it. These issues can easily throw off your lesson plan so you have to be prepared for anything.

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