- Monday 20 January 2020
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The classroom: not merely a learning space, but a home away from home where you and your students will spend a significant portion of the year. With the 2020 school year fast approaching, it’s time to ignite your imagination, organisation and creativity skills and prepare your classroom for a new year and a new group of students.
To save you time over your well-deserved break, we have created a list of our top nine most versatile bargain finds with various suggestions on how they can be used in the classroom. Catering to most year levels, our ideas will not only help make your classroom more amazing, but also make teaching life that bit easier.
1. Push lights
Teachers on Instagram love this update to the classic noise level chart. Using push lights from Bunnings and some coloured card, you can create an eye-catching noise level indicator. Priced at $10 for two, these push lights are well worth the investment. Other ideas for these include:
- placing a light on a student’s desk so they can indicate the need for assistance during silent work time.
- using at your desk to signal when you’re unavailable for questions.
- using during group work for teams to signal when they have finished.
- placing outside the classroom door with a ‘do not disturb’ label attached when taking a test, doing silent reading or another task that requires uninterrupted concentration.
- using to help students blend CVC words by placing a light under each letter. Students can light up each letter as they say its sound, then blend the sounds together once all lights are on to say the word.
2. Folding serve tray
For $15 from Kmart, you can have a portable desk that students are able to use anywhere, including on the floor, while standing up or outside the classroom. Alternatively, you could do the following:
- Place whiteboard contact on top of the trays to turn them into individual whiteboards.
- Paint the trays with chalkboard paint to create individual blackboards.
- Stick LEGO® boards on top so you have mini, transportable LEGO® stations.
- Use as a surface for sensory play stations.
3. Flexible seating options
Relevant to portable desks, flexible seating options are currently a popular classroom trend. Depending on how much you’d like to spend, Kmart has a great range of choices including small tables and stools. Ikea also has options including stools, benches, tables and chairs. Aside from flexible seating, this furniture also:
- turns your classroom into a comfortable environment for both teachers and students.
- can be used in a chill-out area where students can self-regulate emotions.
- can be used to create a reading corner or learning centre.
4. Teacher toolbox
Another popular trend in classrooms right now is the teacher toolbox, a cabinet system that keeps all those classroom materials neatly organised. Bunnings currently has a $30.70 drawer compartment organiser that would work for this. The versatility of this purchase comes from its longevity: switch drawers and labels to reuse this organiser again and again for many years to come.
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From @theinquirygarden, Instagram
5. Nursery clothes rack
Following on with the theme of organisation, a clever way to store your big books is with this $20 Kmart nursery clothes rack that can act as a large book storage station. All you need to do is add some clip coathangers and it’s ready. While you’re at it, why not buy two and use the other to hang dress-up clothes for dramatic playtime?
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From Kmart Teachers, Facebook
6. Wooden train table
Train tables are a fun activity for students to use and explore their imagination. Kmart currently has a lovely wooden set for $39 that would work great in any classroom. Aside from a train-based play station, the table can be repurposed as a small world table. These can be created by adding fake grass, trees, toys, sand and other objects that cater to the students’ interests or theme of study. Here are two creative examples.
7. Classroom cart
The wonderful idea for a morning classroom cart comes from teacher Kelly Chapman. These carts provide a place for students to hand in their homework, pick up the day’s work and return signed papers each morning. These carts have been used for many other purposes in schools. Here are some of our favourite ideas:
- extra storage for many items, from water bottles and colouring pencils, to iPads® and worksheets
- a portable activity centre
- a place for classroom books to be returned to
8. Spotlight rainbow storage
For more carts and storage options, Spotlight has a rainbow-themed $49 ten-drawer rainbow cart that would work great for STEM materials or arts and crafts that need to be carefully transported. There are many alternative ways you could use them, such as work return trays for students, worksheet organisation, coloured paper storage matching the colour drawer, and anything else you can think of. The store also has $43 rainbow storage boxes that are perfectly suited for any activity or flash cards you own. Keep all related cards in one place, colour-coded and ready to be pulled out at a moment’s notice.
9. Displaying art and craftwork
Do you need coat hangers to go with the clothing rack from number 3? Ikea’s $3 trouser hangers are not only perfect for this purpose, they can also be used to display art on the classroom wall or to hang art from a string across the ceiling. Another option is the $5 octopus-themed hanger with 16 hooks. Aside from its practical uses, this would work wonderfully in an ‘under the sea’ classroom display.
Those are our personal top tips, but there are likely many other bargains on shop shelves and creative ideas around the corner. Get out there and get ready to teach!
In need of a new teacher resource for term 1? Check out our range here.
Need something to brighten up your classroom walls? Download our FREE classroom poster pack here!