Tips and Strategies for Selecting Classroom Materials
By: Kelly Elmore
The start of the school year is upon us, and many teachers will receive an opportunity to request needed items for their classroom. However, amidst the excitement of the new school year, you may find it difficult to decide just what items should be purchased with the few precious dollars that you are allotted. The start of school is not the time to make these decisions. Careful planning and reflection should be used when considering what is really needed for your classroom
It's important to remember that classroom materials and supplies are two separate categories. When you begin to purchase materials for your classroom, they should fall into two very broad categories as often as possible. They should be non-consumable and multi-use so that you get more for your dollar.
Why not buy those consumable items that you know you will need? That's just it - you already know what you need. The individuality of the students you will teach has no impact on your classroom selection of these consumables. You can predict before meeting a single new student in your classroom exactly what consumable products you are going to need each year. Don't spend your classroom allotment on these items. Place these items onto your classroom supply list, if allowed by your school.
It's also good practice to display a grouping of items that you wish to have in your classroom at the start of the year. On open house nights, parents will often ask what additional supplies you might need. You can direct them to your "wish fish" or "classroom supply tree" and ask them to select a fish or apple and purchase the item on it for the classroom. Parents want to be involved in the classroom environment and will gladly donate items.
So, you don't have to spend all of your money on glue sticks and Kleenex? Following are suggestions for selecting materials that you will use in your classroom to enhance the learning environment.
In order to ensure that the materials that you choose for your classroom will have the greatest impact, the needs of the students in your classroom must be taken into account. Purchases should be held off for as long as possible at the start of the school year. This will give you an opportunity to asses the needs of a particular group of students.
National Board Standards stress the fact that particular student needs should drive the learning environment of a classroom. Use the start of the school year as a fact-finding period before hastily choosing items that may go unused if they are a poor fit for your particular group of students.
Once your needs have been assessed, you should be sure to have a clear understanding of requirements for placing orders in your particular school. Check with your financial secretary or administrator about guidelines. Is there a preferred vendor list for your school? Do you have to pay tax and freight? Are you allowed to place online orders? Do you place the order and get reimbursed, or must someone sign off on the order and place it for you? Knowing these guidelines before you begin will reduce the amount of time needed to physically place your order.
Where should you look to find items that will best suit your students? If you are a veteran teacher, it is good practice to keep a resource file in your desk. We have all been there. Say that you have just finished a unit on fractions and you come across something in a magazine that would have been perfect for your lesson, but you don't have the time or money to order it at that time. Then, you move on to your next task at hand, thinking you'll order it at the end of the year. The end of the year comes, and you have forgotten all about that "must-have" item for fractions.
Make it a practice to take the time to file away those awesome products that you come across throughout the year. Keep a copy of the page that the product is on, as well as the Web address and/or order form needed to purchase it. If you just see something on TV or in another teacher's classroom, jot down a note with as much detail as possible and file it away. At ordering time, you will have a plethora of choices for classroom supplies to match to your needs at that time.
Okay, you didn't keep a file last year. So, what should you do? Don't worry, all is not lost. Here is the simple answer: find an expert in your school or community. You are surrounded by them. Ask for their assistance in finding classroom material ideas and selecting them. Collaboration can be a powerful tool in the school environment. You may remember that your unit on sorting didn't go so well last year. Use this opportunity to ask your fellow faculty members, local classroom store associates, or catalog sales representatives for product suggestions to help with this lesson. Don't forget about the Internet. It is a powerful tool for finding new and exciting products to bring learning to life in your classroom.
When you feel you have assessed the needs of your students, used the experts around you and your own classroom experiences to determine your needs, and familiarized yourself with your school policies for ordering, it is time to actually place your order. Don't skip one crucial step that many educators do. Contact the retailer from whom you intend to make your purchase by phone or in person before you place your order. Ask questions about the products you have selected, and you should also ask if there are any items that would work well with them or if anything similar is on special at that time. You never know, you just might get lucky! Finally, ask for details on shipping costs. They might be running a special, and you could receive free shipping. You don't know until you ask.
After you place your order for classroom materials and anticipate the arrival of your carefully selected materials, it is time to start the selection process all over again. Keep that file in your desk drawer and continue to use the experts around you to build a resource for future money that comes your way.
Kelly Elmore is a National Board Certified Teacher and a merchandiser for Kaplan Early Learning Company, www.kaplanco.com .
