My first year of teaching, I was freaking out about everything. My lesson plans, my activities, my meet the teacher printouts, my decor, my outfits…the stress was never ending! I scoured teacher blogs and Pinterest for advice and to-do lists, since everything was new to me.

One of the resources I found the most helpful were “Must-Have” lists. I wasn’t sure what I would need in my classroom, and listening to advice and recommendations from other teachers ensured that I was as prepared as possible. Now, I’ve created my own list of Classroom Must-Haves for secondary teachers that I hope can be helpful for you!

Disclaimer: All of the products are available on Amazon and are products that I have used and loved. The links are affiliate links.

The Basics:

This first section includes all of the basics you will need to get your classroom running. Starting with the obvious:

Pencils and Pens

Pencils and pens are obviously necessary items in the classroom. While you might want to go into your first year assuming that students will bring their own supplies, this is simply not the case. If I had a dollar for every time a student asked me for a pencil, I think I could buy a million pencils.

Stapler and Tape Dispenser

Once again, basic. But we all have to admit that it is essential! I would even recommend buying two of each, one to keep at your desk and one for students, because they will be coming to your desk to borrow both.

Lined Paper and Colored Paper

While the lined paper is obvious, the colored paper is something I did not expect to use as much as I did! I loved having colored paper to use at the printer (if you haven’t faced the color printer gatekeeping, you’re blessed). My students also used the colored paper for projects and activities.

Folders and Binders

These items are for you, but you can also use them for students if you have that budget! I loved these folders and binders for keeping me organized. The folders can hold A LOT of paper, which I proved by taking home a month’s worth of grading in one folder! I prefer the pastel colors, but there are many options if you prefer different colors!

Pencil Sharpener

Okay, I’ll admit, this is not the cheapest pencil sharpener. But it is AMAZING. It worked well every time it was used, and did not break (seems like a low bar but you’d be surprised). In my research for this article I also learned that it has a 7 year warranty so that is extra great!

Dry Erase Essentials: Markers, Eraser, and Bin

If you have a dry erase board, I highly recommend buying this super cute pack of markers, the fun and fuzzy eraser, and a bin to hold it all. The markers are high-quality and vibrant. The eraser makes erasing the white board a sought-after job for students. The bin has strong magnets and will hang at the tip-top of your board, holding all your markers.

Paper Cutter and Hole Punch

I know, I know: the teacher’s lounge has both of these items. BUT, do you really want to walk all the way to the lounge anytime you want to cut a paper in half or put it in a binder? I didn’t. Having these great quality items in my room allowed me to use my prep time wisely.

Clock

This digital clock is a life saver. Even if you have a traditional clock on your wall, this digital clock will be the only one you use (and the only clock your students can read). It plugs into your computer and is super easy to read. I kept it on my desk and had students use it daily.

Crafty Class Sets:

These supplies are not absolutely necessary, but they made my first year go much smoother. You may think you don’t need art supplies in the secondary classroom, but you’re likely to find yourself hunting down markers in the middle of a class period if you don’t have them. And don’t count on your students bringing them; you’re blessed if they have a pencil.

Markers, Colored Pencils, and Crayons

You don’t have to be an art teacher to color in your classroom! My students used these fun writing utensils for projects, maps, early finisher activities, and to spice up assignments! Amazon no longer sells the colored pencils I used, so apologies!

Scissors and Glue Sticks

These scissors and glue sticks came in handy more often than I expected. Although I would love to say that you can just buy a couple and students can share, we all know secondary students hate that idea (and, to be honest, it slows down class). As for the glue sticks, buy two sets. I’m convinced the kids eat them.

Dry Erase Clipboards

Transparency here, I bought a class set of clipboards AND a class set of dry erase boards. They both came in handy for station activities and trivia games. If you’re looking to be more efficient than me, I would recommend buying dry erase clipboards to hit two birds with one stone. I have not used these specific dry erase clipboards, but I have used a similar brand and loved them.

Sheet Protectors

These protectors are great for record keeping and station activities. They can also be used as white boards or reusable worksheets, since you can write on them with dry erase markers and remove easily.

Highlighters

Yet another supply that your students will forget at home and need to use! These are great quality but cheaper than the name brand!

Magnet Clips and Push Pins

These two items will hold up EVERYTHING around your classroom. Stick the push-pins into any bulletin board or the wall (if you’re feeling brave). The magnets are great for hanging things on the dry erase board, such as assignments or no-name papers.

Coloring Books

Before you roll your eyes at me, I will ask you: What do you want students to do if they finish early? If you’re hoping they’ll work on homework, you have a lot of disappointment ahead. Most students will use any extra time as distraction time, whether that be distracting others or distracting themselves with technology. I prefer my students to be doing something more mindful (and quiet). Coloring books are perfect for this! If you are looking to save money, you can also print out coloring pages and crosswords, but that will take more time.

Decor:

I suppose this last section isn’t ESSENTIAL, but it is fun! These are the classroom decor items that I used and loved last year. I teach history, so many of the posters are related to social studies.

Positive Posters

These classroom posters just warm my heart. I dedicated an entire bulletin board to them, and they brought me joy. I can’t promise your students won’t roll their eyes when you repeat the phrases from the posters, but loved it regardless.

Map Tapestry

Every social studies teacher has to have a map, but I wanted a cute one. In my opinion, this one fits that expectation. It is simple, informative, and looks good on the wall!

Flags of the World

My students loved referring to this poster whenever we studied certain countries or to show off their own country’s flag!

U.S. Government Posters: Checks and Balances and Amendments

Honestly, I don’t even teach government. Either way, my students were able to relate these posters to our U.S. history content and discussions about politics, so it was more helpful than expected! These posters are incredibly informative. My personal favorite (and most used) was the periodic table of amendments!

That’s It!

This is a comprehensive list of all of my classroom essentials. These are all items that I used my first year and would not want to go into the school year without! Once you have your basics, you can add on with aesthetic lighting and so on, but you will be ready for the year if you start with these basic items.