Reddit reviews Avery Clear Reusable Sheet Protectors, Easily Write and Erase, 100 Economy Page Protectors, Use like a whiteboard (75091)

I don't have a tablet or anything of the like, so what I do is buy those plastic sheet protectors. I'll print out my patterns and just put it in the cover. You can either use post-it notes or dry erase markers on them and just remove it later. If you buy a binder to go with it, you can just throw em there and have all your patterns organized!

> Try not to overdo the containers. FlyLady has a take on containers that seems to mirror my experience -- that they work until you need something, then they get knocked over or opened up and spew mess everywhere.

Binders! Binders with clear sheet protectors (forgot the name of these)

My mom used to do this and I'm adopting it. I'd buy the sheet protectors first, organize everything and sort them. Then you can buy the right size binders.

I guess you could simply get a big binder and use dividers/separators in them to sort/categorize.

A bunch of these in a three-ring binder.

looks good! One recommendation i have (not necessary but useful) is a 3 hole punch binder and sleeves for character sheets. Also here's a really useful Reference Guide.

I was a first year elementary teacher last August! I bought a TON of stuff on Amazon. I pulled up all of my old orders...here are some of my favorites that I use daily in my classroom. These are not affiliate links, I just added links for quick wishlist adding for you :)

OH, and as far as things like books, manipulatives, school supplies...WAIT and see what you are provided with, first. Once I got into my classroom, I had a TON of things waiting for me like rulers, glue, a globe...things I probably would have bought, had I had all summer to shop (I got hired a week before school started). I was surprised to learn that my school didn't provide me with supplies like staples or paper clips (I had these things when I student taught elsewhere), so I had to run out and get those. Oh, and an actual stapler and tape dispenser! I forgot about those and when I needed those in the first week, I made a trip to Staples that night!

magnetic hooks- for the whiteboard...I hang bathroom passes, keys, etc. on them https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G52NMQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

magnetic clips- I clip SO MUCH stuff to my whiteboard, so these are awesome https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N3WLKH4/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

magnetic pen cup- for whiteboard markers and eraser, keeps them out of reach for my first graders! This one is PERFECT because the eraser fits on the one side, and expos on the other. I added little cardboard dividers on the inside so the markers don't fall over (only a problem if you don't have it full of markers) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QKXHR52/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

magnetic storage pocket- my classroom has a lot of magnetic surfaces, so I love the magnetic stuff...I keep my pointers in here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0034ITE16/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

magnetic holders- these babies are STRONG! I keep supplies in these for math that we use during our daily morning math routines (math manipulatives and stuff). https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F9JKW9U/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got a few posters like these for tracking reading points, etc. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1483832767/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

tension rods- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0070ODWLI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I use one under my sink to hang spray bottles (febreeze, non-hazardous cleaner, etc.) and one between the air conditioner unit and my wall to hang anchor charts, which I have clipped onto hangers with clips like these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017WYF0IS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Seriously, hang your anchor charts. Find a way to do it and you'll LOVE it, I promise! So much better than laying them flat and having to sort through them when you need a certain one.

sheet protectors- Need cheap whiteboards? Pop a white piece of paper inside and voila. I use 99 cent store 4-pack markers, which have held up surprisingly well, for the kids (the tips also don't seem to "squish" in like the expos, so bonus!) If you're doing something like a math worksheet or handwriting practice, you can insert printed paper for kids to write on...the possibilities are endless here! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006IC89/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

pocket charts- I teach first, so it's pocket chart central over here, but even older grades could utilize this awesome schedule pocket chart...plus it's black, I love that it's not blue or red! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/148381467X/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I actually bought a second one of these after I got the first because I liked it so much. Oh, and my black calendar pocket chart...love this, too! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1483814696/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

stickers- Kids love stickers. End of story. I bought a ton in bulk. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FF2T88C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fan for my desk - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HI7950/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Small and powerful!

Birthday prizes and certificates, like these - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NNNWSQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DUF49UO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

my favorite thing, a laminator! I laminate EVERYTHING...charts, nametags, word wall words, game boards, anything. There are different sizes of laminators that you can buy, I just have the standard one that fits normal sized sheets of paper, and it's served me very well! I also buy the refill pouches on Amazon because they are WAY cheaper than at Staples https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012UEXTQ/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

this is optional, but sticky hands- these make GREAT prizes and the kids love them more than any other prize or incentive I've offered (I teach first grade). I get these ones: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002F4MGO2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also wanted to add...since I have primary, I wanted to make them "spots" to sit on for carpet time. A carpet wasn't provided to me (you know, the Lakeshore one with colored squares), so I went cheap and bought a few feet of carpet tape from sitspots.com. They have cute actual spots, too, but I was cheap and bought the tape, cut it into 3x3" squares, and slapped those on the classroom carpet. They're holding up great (I'll be able to reuse them next year for sure) and my custodian loves them because it's not actual adhesive tape on the carpet. I just got a new student, so I had to rearrange the spots...they peel up and stick back down PERFECTLY (they're velcro). If you have the need for something like this, I HIGHLY recommend the velcro tape stuff!

OH, and when it came to book boxes and book bins, 99 cent store, dollar tree, big lots are your friends! If you have a little more cash, I got some from Target in the dollar section, too. But, they only have theirs during June I believe (they're super strong, $3 a pop but I'll be able to reuse all of mine next year).

BEST pencil sharpener around is the one from classroomfriendlysupplies.com. It is amazing. PERFECT points every time, and it even gets through those cheap novelty wrapped pencils. I love it. My kids broke the electric one I bought, so I got this one and now just use it myself, although older kids would be able to learn it (I subbed in a 3rd grade class that had one and they used it just fine with some training).

I LOVE folders for things like an unfinished work folder, homework folder, writing folder, etc. The cheapest place I found was Staples...over summer they were selling boxes of 25 for $4. I got a ton of them in different colors. Made color coding easy!

Let me know if you have any questions or need any help navigating your first year. I'm a month away from being done with my first year, and it's still very fresh in my mind how stressful, fun, aggravating, exciting, exhausting, confusing, and rewarding it all is!

Sheet protectors. I've used these for character sheets, too, to store the character sheets, logs, and any certificates for a given character.

Something like this but without the hole punches?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IC89/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_Ht8Myb1ZAJKRY

I hate spirals.... two strategies:

I have used the plastic sheet protectors to organize loose leaf pages. I create a coversheet and slide the related content behind the coversheet. Holds up well in a binder over time.

Other way I've done it is in a [accordion folder] (https://www.amazon.com/Smead-Organizer-Pockets-Closure-70902/dp/B0085IQ05I/ref=sr_1_4?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1491389428&sr=1-4&keywords=accordion+folder) that had many slots. Then one slot per topic.

I toss immediately. if i do feel the need to keep something important, i keep them in this.... https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Economy-Clear-Protectors-75091/dp/B00006IC89/

A bit off topic, but seeing someone who uses erases/rewrites stuff on their character sheet makes me cringe now after I swapped to the below setup.

Brother, buy yourself some cardstock and some sheet protectors and either wet-erase markers with some spray OR dry-erase markers.

Write everything really nice and neat, only write on the sheet when it's a more permanent use, and everything that can change during a session is written on the sheet protector with the marker. I prefer the wet-erase because I can pack up the character sheet between sessions and nothing gets erased, but that's really personal preference.