Having retired after 37 years in education, I would say the one thing I wish I had learned earlier is that I didn’t need to spend money on 90% of the cutesy items to make the classroom trendy or cool. They made zero difference on what or if the student learned.
Yes!!!! Don't you love all these new girly teachers who decorate their room in frilly pink items (pillows, curtains, tents, stuffed animals, desk items, pink lamps....) with no concern for the 11 year old boys who have to sit in that room for 8 hours a day. These new teachers absolutely kill me!! (I've been teaching for 21 years and I wish I could train these girls in what's really important in a classroom)
One thing I’ll never forget as a student and still can picture in my head is a poster one of my teachers had in her classroom when I was on grade nine that was clearly decades old, but it was a quote and it says “shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars” ❤
I had a couch and rug area. It was a disaster. Students were always racing to sit there and the rug was a nightmare to keep clean. After 19 years of teaching I have become a minimalist! 😂
Ugh, yes! I do think a rug is nice to have, especially if you want to do mini lessons with your students all close together BUT they definitely get so dirty so fast! Minimalism is the way to go!
The rainbow carts. 😂 former teacher here and now a stay at home mom. I use my old rainbow cart for my girls’ craft supplies. I don’t think a single drawer closes properly. 🤣 gosh the money I spent wanting to have everything matching my theme/colors. Often times on things that were totally useless or just fell apart the second I brought it into my classroom. This video is so relatable! You’re so excited to make your classroom look like a Pinterest room… hindsight is 20/20 right?!
LOL! I feel you on not having a single drawer close properly! It's the worst! I'm sorry you experienced the same difficulties I did. But you're right... hindsight is 20/20! Thanks for watching and commenting Allison! 🥰🖤
I want this channel would never end and would always promote joy. I adore your consistently original and innovative video style. You were. We all live and learn.
My favourite saying is “ sometimes you have to spend money to save money” Sometimes you have to purchase a more expensive good quality item to save yourself all the extra money on buying a cheaper one multiple times
As a sped teacher, bean bag chairs and yoga balls have been amazing but I have to be extremely clear on what my expectations are when using them. Students were only allowed to use bean bags while sitting in the library portion of my classroom. The yoga balls, I had very specific rules (no bouncing) or I’d take it away.
Such a fun video! I think all of us as teachers get grand ideas about new purchases that could be used for our classroom. Reality and expectations don't always match! Sometimes I have passed along purchases that didn't work for me to other teachers and they have been able to put the materials to good use. I laughed out loud with the Reese's message on your letter board. Love it! I hope you have an amazing week ahead!
Thank you SO much for watching and commenting as always Mandy! 🥰🖤 You're right... the expectations and realities rarely match up! I'm happy you have also been able to pass along items to other teachers to put to good use. I hope you have a great week ahead and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
If you ever decide to get another bean bag type chair, I recommend the ones stuffed with memory foam. We have added 20-30lbs extra foam chunks since buying them. We bought more foam to make it more firm, not because of it getting squished down. Only thing I wish we could have done differently is bought and added the extra foam at the beginning to make clean up easier. We got it all from Amazon
This is your funniest video in a long time. I love the vibe of this - a dose of teacher reality + humor🎉! We have alll been there with you on the regrettable classroom purchases train.
I have a small reading area with carpet. But instead of bean bags, I bought durable cushion shells that are stuffed with old towels, sheets, foam (from a destroyed couch cushion by my dog .. grr) and anything else cushiony you can think of. It wprks great as reward and fulfills my more ecologically friendly mindset along with huge durability.
I remember you living right by Target. I also made some of those poor judgments for storage and decor. Although I've been teach8ng almost 30 years, you give me some fresh ways of looking g at my teaching. I've been purging the useless and remaking my classroom. Thank you.
This was a great video because we have all done this! I had the rolling carts for my students materials because we didn’t have desks. They actually held up and I still have them, lol. I too bought a bunch of the mini erasers and the students ended up ruining them so I took them away. 😂
I knew the rainbow rolling cart would be in here somewhere. In my first year of teaching, my mentor teacher asked me to just throw that thing away for her. She said it made her frustrated and sad everytime she would have to use it, yet she could not bring herself to throwaway her investment.
@@PocketfulofPrimary As an Elm Science teacher I've taken to repurposing/ reusing as many containers as possible in my classroom. For example, I have a friend who runs a cat rescue, I get their treat bucket containers(Temptations treats), peel off the labels, then glue them together in a 2x2 pattern. These become my table supplies containers with markers, pencils, crayons, and colored pencils. I use colored duct take "flags on the pencils to number them. O ya and they have lids....
I love most of these, agreed, not worth the juice! BUT I love my acrylic pencil dispenser (aka straw dispenser) and call it the magic pencil picker. I use it to reward kids. I throw in some regular pencils and then some "fancy" pencils (bought at hobby lobby after whatever holiday was just done) and lordy, my kinders think they are the best things ever. They are delighted to get a snowman pencil in August or a flip flops pencil in December. Thanks for making cute videos so we can all chuckle at our mistakes and teacher enthusiasm!!
Aww, yay! I'm so happy you love it! That's all that matters! There are definitely items I spent money on that most people would see as a waste but I loved them and that's all that matters. Thanks for watching and commenting Karen and I appreciate all your kind words and support! 🥰🖤
Thank you. I'm a long time substitute teacher and working as a special education paraprofessional this year. This coming fall semester (2023), I will be student teaching and then be ready to have my own room. I can't wait, I am totally looking for things that I can use and this will help me avoid some items!!!
Thanks for watching and commenting William! I wish you the best of luck with your student teaching... enjoy every single second! Hopefully this video will prevent you from making some of the mistakes I did.
OMG... yes! I had the EXACT SAME ISSUE with the rainbow carts and switched over to the Sterilite ones as well! Those are still going strong! I think the biggest lesson we have both learned is making sure you have a purpose for something before you buy it - instead of "I like it" or "I'll find a use for it... someday!"
YES! I'm glad it wasn't just me! I completely agree though... the biggest lesson is that we need a purpose for a purchase before making it. Thanks for watching and commenting! 🥰🖤
Teachers are under appreciated. I have taught in nontraditional settings. I do not know if I could even substitute teach in public school. Too many poorly behaved parents, yes ! Parents, horror stories if kids behavior and the school being afraid to provide consequences to students
A (hopefully) upcoming 6th grade biology teacher, your channel is so inspiring for me and is probably gonna save me so much money lol You also make your content very bubbly and I never feel bored when watching your videos. Thank you so much for making this content to help upcoming teachers like me
Wow, Michele! Great video. I strongly disliked the rainbow cart which fortunately I did not purchase. I have used my letter board but lately it’s stashed away in a cupboard. I recently gave away my “breakables” and cried over the money spent. Our classrooms are our home away from home, but with 29 students I can’t control everyone and everything. Thank you for continuing to be open and honest and whichever decision you make, teach in a classroom or teach outside of the classroom, I will continue to follow you as your videos and podcasts give me not only good ideas, but also a good giggle.
Aww, thanks for watching and commenting Robin! 🥰🖤 I'm happy you were able to avoid SOME of the purchases but I'm also sorry to hear that you made some of the same mistakes I did. It's definitely live and learn! I appreciate all your kind words and support of my content! 🎉
I agree with most but the carts! I love my carts! For classroom use I just have to tighten them up once in awhile. I have a word work cart and a math manipulative cart.
I remember the video where you bought the Christmas- themed poppers from the dollar spot and I thought I had to have them, but I never found them. I had no idea what I was going to do with them! You make a really good point to make sure you have a purpose for something before you purchase it. :)
LOL! I actually LOVED the poppers! I used them for a math measurement activity every year where my students popped the ball, measured how far it went, and then converted the measurement to different units. But, you're right, you definitely need a purpose before you purchase! Thanks for watching and commenting! 🥰🖤
Wow, I disagree about the rolling carts! Maybe it’s the way I use them but mine have held up well and I love them. As a sped teacher I have a lot of small laminated supplies, task cards, visuals etc so it helps keep those organized vs larger bins etc.
I totally understand about the letters. I meet you in April of 2020. I saw you had the word IMPACT, so loved it so finally 3 years ago I broke down and bought my word BELIEVE. Sadly, this year some of my letters fell of my wall and broke. I wanted it replaced badly, but did not want to spend the money. I finally got the idea to just purchase letters from TPT! So much cheaper!!
Ahhh yes! Printing and laminating letters or signs/posters is a MUCH more affordable option! I'm happy you were able to make it work! Thanks for watching and commenting Heather! 🥰🖤
I had a pencil dispenser / straw dispenser gifted to me last year. My first graders absolutely loved it! I look forward to filling and using it again this year!
It’s always good to know your weaknesses and own it! As an OG subscriber I feel your pain going back down memory lane! I currently have a decor item that I purchased for my Dad’s classroom when I was in middle school (I’ve got a post on Instagram about it). I found this item at a QVC outlet (that was a thing before 2000). It’s called a “poop moose”. It was an expensive ($30)candy dispenser that poops candy. My dad would use it during exams as an incentive. Greatest idea I ever had until some students complained to admin 🤦♂️!
Aww, thanks for watching and commenting as always Russell! 🥰🖤 I always look forward to your comment! It's definitely hard to go back down memory lane but you learn SO much as time goes on. LOL! That's too funny about the "poop moose"! Ultimately, some purchase may be extravagant but as long as it makes YOU happy, that's all that matters!
So funny you mentioned the Erasers. I bought them at the Salisbury, MD Target and never used them in any of the classes I taught in. I had thousands! Last year and this year I signed up for the Chick Fil A Trunk or Treat and gave out all of my old school supplies there. I still have a few thousand to go for next year!
Absolutely! The ones with the metal tracks are just not worth it in my opinion but the bigger rainbow drawers I got from Michaels were WELL worth the cost and have held up perfectly... even packing them up in a POD and moving them across the country!
It's ok Michelle. You did what worked or what you thought worked at the time. I liked when you shared some pics of you in your classroom. Hubba, Hubba, White Board !! - Dwight
LOL! I'm glad it wasn't just me! Thanks for watching and commenting Brenda! 🥰🖤 P.S. I ended up giving away the erasers to my students as little prizes for anything and everything 😂
I hear you on sooooo many levels, lolol. I work at a private school, so yeah, I've purchased many many...many...many things for my room. Bean bag chairs - never again. At least yours didn't mysteriously get a hole in them and leak beans all over your room. That little wooden stool you had? I purchased like 6 similar looking ones that were metal from IKEA when I went on my flexible seating rant. They were of good quality, but I unfortunately have to share my room with a Saturday school...and I don't know who runs THAT circus, but some of my stools did NOT survive. I'm going to have to respectfully disagree about the plastic/metal drawers on wheels. Yes, you're right, the drawers can come off the tracks and such, but I have not 1 but 3 in my room currently. I use them for Word Work, Work on Writing, and my STEM drawers. I'm kind of a classroom management freak in the way you're an organizational guru, so spend a LOT of time teaching my students how to use things; not to mention the consequences for misusing things (case in point, I had to close my library for a few days). I, too, am a sucker for the Dollar Spot and have to pretend I'm wearing blinders, that don't always work, when I go into Target. I cleaned them out of these metal baskets and sturdy magazine holders one year that I ended up using in my library. That was a good purchase. And I wish I could say that I've learned my lesson on purchases for my room, but I'd be lyin' like a rug!
Thanks for watching and commenting Monica! 🥰🖤 I'm happy you enjoyed this video and related to many of the mistakes! Oh my gosh... thankfully I never got a hole in any of my bean bag chairs but I can completely understand how that would be a big disaster! Yikes! I'm so sorry that your stools didn't survive... it's hard when you have to share the space. I'm happy the drawers worked for you... that's all that matters! I personally prefer the other rainbow drawers from Michaels because they fit the items I store in the drawers much better.
I have one of the carts that’s like half the size of the rainbow one that I use for my makeup and I hate that thing so much. The drawers do not stay on the track and I paid way too much for it to fall apart constantly.
I have used magnetic borders for years. It has been very handy to divide up my white board specs so there are designated sections for different things. Kids know where to look without asking. This is really important too since I teach a second language class.
Oh I absolutely agree that they have a great purpose... I used mine for dividing up my whiteboard too. But, I feel like putting tape on the board would have been cheaper and stayed put better than the magnetic strips... but that's just me. Thanks for watching and commenting Anita! 🥰🖤
Lol on the decor bundles. I know that I justify the cost by thinking it is a one time purchase bc I can reprint whenever I need to. One year later, I pick a completely new theme and spend even more money!
I hate those plastic drawers and the drawers break and you can’t replace without buying the whole thing. I actually got rid of them this year. I am looking ñ I tot hose plastic drawers from michaels. So thanks for the review.
I have paused the video at the mini eraser discussion because I was so amused. I have to admit that just as all great lemmings do - I loved the Target mini eraser idea from your earlier videos and (somehow) ended up with three bead boxes full of the cute little things. I have not used them enough to justify the waste of money and space. I still have mine-even though I now teach high school English and have even less use for them than when I purchased them to use as manipulatives for middle grades remedial math. They sure are cute though.
I almost bought the straw container on your recommendation but decided the price was out of my comfort zone. Currently using a 50 cent cup from Walmart best sharp pencil storage ever!
The thing about beab bag chairs, for those that want to find a way to make it work because bean bag chairs are awesome, is to take pool noodles, slice them into roughly 1 inch pieces (or rings), and fill the bean bags with those. Those won't get smooshed and they will hold their shape for a VERY long time.
I have a Joe Boxer one from Walmart and it’s held up fairly well for 3 years in kindergarten. So it’s still not flat and has most of its shapes and I tell you, that thing takes a beating from my 5 year olds.
I have a rainbow drawer set in my office at home. It drives me insane. I’m going to replace it soon because I’m sick of tearing up my fingers using an Allen wrench. I like the grey chair in front of the READ sign.
Love your videos, Michelle! If you see this comment, I'd love any tips on how to store teacher materials (books, supplies, files of paperwork) at home! After 6 years, I struggle with discerning what/how to keep, toss and digitize!
Thank you so much Margaret! 🥰🖤 I appreciate that! Are these materials you keep at home but still access regularly or are you just storing them but not really going through them often? As for the paperwork, I would scan and digitize as much as possible... I think digital is going to become increasingly popular so there's no reason not to. I personally have my chapter books in large Sterilite tubs in my garage but my picture books are in a Kallax shelf unit from IKEA in my office which has worked well! Hopefully that's helpful for you!
So my middle name is Michele and I think there might just be something with that name. I have purchased so many things from that list and found myself laughing and nodding throughout. Those stupid drawers were the bain of my existence. They now hold my Cricut rolls 😂. And in their place are now those stupid Target drawers that look like basket weave but sink in. Guess I'll be going to Michaels next year. Thanks for always keeping it real.
I bought a judges gavel because it was recommended by an older teacher as a good attention getter. Did not turn out great (kids got scared by the loud noise and someone stole the hammer). I prefer my doorbell method by far.
My coworker had a bunch of bean bags and she left school and gave me the bean bags. I bought a pillow to fill it cuz it was flat. Then I got bean bag covers and put three flat bean bags in it. At least they’re sturdy and don’t go flat now.
Bordette…🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I have GIVEN AWAY 3 of those long storage boxes of bordette…LAMINATED! I had 2 sets of each for every season, holiday, trend, you name it, I had it. When I started eyeballing the magnetic ones, I took a good long look in the mirror. 🤪🤪🤪 I still have one full storage box, but they are solid colors. Thankfully, there is now only one physical teacher store an hour away, so I’m not motivated to go shopping. And internet shopping for stuff like that just doesn’t do it for me. Thanks for the share!
LOL! I can't say I ever laminated my bordette but I completely understand the logic! I never felt bad throwing away my bordette at the end of the year because it was super affordable. Thanks for watching and commenting Lupita! 🥰🖤
I inherited a bean bag chair. It was flat. I bought one bag of filler that I used to fill my bag and a neighbors and saw the squished beans inside and decided i wouldn't buy anymore beans. Any shopping bags got shoved in the bag. Same noise, but it helped to keep it full and spread the beans. I have moved on from that room and left that chair behind. . . And bought new bean bags 😂
I love the mini erasers. Mine were used as prizes on fun Friday. (Math or Sight word bingo ). Also for kids who didn’t own erasers during math intervention period. I never bought so many, just 2 packages from dollar tree.
Somewhere on the internet someone suggested putting plastic grocery bags to refill the bean bags. Best hack! That truly saved me a lot of money. However, you need over a hundred bags. 😅
Ahhh, I can see that working! Although I don't have many plastic grocery bags because I bring reusable bags with me but I'm sure you could easily have students bring some in to help fill it!
ALRIGHT… letterboard - totally agree lol Beanbags from Lakeshore were great! So TOTALLY DISAGREE! I did refill them myself and my fav janitor helped me vacuum and clean up but we Love WE loved them! Students would sit their during independent time as a reward, I’d nap there or grade there… I miss my beadbags!
The letterboards were such a waste! As I mentioned in the video, I did love the Lakeshore bean bag chair and it held up much better than other ones. But... it still got deflated over time and the cost to refill it time and time again added up so for me, it just wasn't worth it.
Love the dose of reality😂...I think we've all had 'those' kind of crazy purchases ...the kind you wonder what in the world were you thinking😬. YES, to a comfortable chair...yes to Lakeshore 'if' you think you actually 'need' a bean bag chair😅 (I had 2 from childkraft in the shape of arm chairs...they were nice...but you still had to readjust the beans) Sterilite were my organizing 'go to' since drawers actually would work. Thanks for sharing your insights with others. After 35 years in the primary grades, my list was just a tad bit longer🤦🏼♀️...lol
Right!? We all have to live and learn sometimes! Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment 🥰 I definitely could have made the list longer if it makes you feel any better 😂
Just to start I am old, so this is going to be a "in my day rant".So here goes. We had a chalkboard, pencil sharpener, desk, teacher's desk, filling cabinet, and trash can. We had a bulletin board that the teacher decorated every holiday with decorations that she saved for years. Our school supplies were pencils, loose-leaf paper, a spiral notebook, colored folders, and a 3-ring binder. This was all we had and all that was "necessary".Sure it would be nice to have a fun room, but $30 for a pencil holder. Get a tin can and spray paint it. I fully support teachers having decent pay. It is a profession that is underpaid and underappreciated. I just don't see why teachers spend their own good money on such frivolous things.
This was actually several years before Athletic Greens became popular... I've never tried Athletic Greens but I don't think any of the greens powders are anything to rave about 😂 I can't remember the specific brand I tried but I got both the greens and reds powders and they just tasted like grass 😬
Hahaha. I just bought those metal light up letters for our FFA banquet lol. I got them on Amazon. The A was $10 and the Fs were $11. I just thought they were so cute.
I bought outdoor ottomans from Target last year for flexible seating this year. Deflated within a couple weeks. I refilled them with fabric scraps. One's seam broke and the other is partially deflated. They work well for the short table I have so maybe I'll repurchase and use the partially deflated one and the broken one for refilling? Maybe I'm in denial.
Thanks for watching and commenting Kay! 🥰🖤 Ugh, that's so disappointing and I completely understand the desire to make it work... I think they call that the "sunk cost fallacy". I've definitely struggled with that too!
Yes! We all need that reminder sometimes. I wouldn't say social media is ALWAYS a bad influence because I found some great items and ideas from social media... but it's definitely important to consider WHY you're making purchases and verify the reviews on an item before you purchase it.
Your video just came in time for me not to buy the pencil dispenser, eventough the ones I was going to get were smaller and cheaper! By the way I do have one of the metal cart with the flimsy drawers that keep falling out of the rails!!
LOL! I hate hearing that you also made the same bad purchases but I also am happy that it wasn't just me 😂 Thank you for watching and commenting Stephanie! 🥰🖤
Having retired after 37 years in education, I would say the one thing I wish I had learned earlier is that I didn’t need to spend money on 90% of the cutesy items to make the classroom trendy or cool. They made zero difference on what or if the student learned.
Yes!!!! Don't you love all these new girly teachers who decorate their room in frilly pink items (pillows, curtains, tents, stuffed animals, desk items, pink lamps....) with no concern for the 11 year old boys who have to sit in that room for 8 hours a day. These new teachers absolutely kill me!! (I've been teaching for 21 years and I wish I could train these girls in what's really important in a classroom)
This!
One thing I’ll never forget as a student and still can picture in my head is a poster one of my teachers had in her classroom when I was on grade nine that was clearly decades old, but it was a quote and it says “shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars” ❤
The fact that teachers so frequently make such bad purchases with such great enthusiasm shows what optimists we are.
I had a couch and rug area. It was a disaster. Students were always racing to sit there and the rug was a nightmare to keep clean. After 19 years of teaching I have become a minimalist! 😂
Ugh, yes! I do think a rug is nice to have, especially if you want to do mini lessons with your students all close together BUT they definitely get so dirty so fast! Minimalism is the way to go!
The rainbow carts. 😂 former teacher here and now a stay at home mom. I use my old rainbow cart for my girls’ craft supplies. I don’t think a single drawer closes properly. 🤣 gosh the money I spent wanting to have everything matching my theme/colors. Often times on things that were totally useless or just fell apart the second I brought it into my classroom. This video is so relatable! You’re so excited to make your classroom look like a Pinterest room… hindsight is 20/20 right?!
LOL! I feel you on not having a single drawer close properly! It's the worst! I'm sorry you experienced the same difficulties I did. But you're right... hindsight is 20/20! Thanks for watching and commenting Allison! 🥰🖤
Yes the worse- I had one for years and hated it then one day I was like "why do I keep this stupid thing"
I want this channel would never end and would always promote joy. I adore your consistently original and innovative video style. You were. We all live and learn.
Aww, thank you so much for saying that Mariam! I'm so happy you enjoy my channel! 🥰🖤
My favourite saying is “ sometimes you have to spend money to save money”
Sometimes you have to purchase a more expensive good quality item to save yourself all the extra money on buying a cheaper one multiple times
YES! I completely agree! It's definitely a live and learn kind of experience!
As a sped teacher, bean bag chairs and yoga balls have been amazing but I have to be extremely clear on what my expectations are when using them. Students were only allowed to use bean bags while sitting in the library portion of my classroom. The yoga balls, I had very specific rules (no bouncing) or I’d take it away.
Thank you for being vulnerable and showing us you aren’t perfect. I feel much better. This is a great time to consider the purge before summer. 😊
You're DEFINITELY not alone Kryshelle! Thanks for watching and commenting and best of luck if you do some purging before summer! 🥰🖤
Such a fun video! I think all of us as teachers get grand ideas about new purchases that could be used for our classroom. Reality and expectations don't always match! Sometimes I have passed along purchases that didn't work for me to other teachers and they have been able to put the materials to good use. I laughed out loud with the Reese's message on your letter board. Love it! I hope you have an amazing week ahead!
Thank you SO much for watching and commenting as always Mandy! 🥰🖤 You're right... the expectations and realities rarely match up! I'm happy you have also been able to pass along items to other teachers to put to good use. I hope you have a great week ahead and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
If you ever decide to get another bean bag type chair, I recommend the ones stuffed with memory foam. We have added 20-30lbs extra foam chunks since buying them. We bought more foam to make it more firm, not because of it getting squished down. Only thing I wish we could have done differently is bought and added the extra foam at the beginning to make clean up easier. We got it all from Amazon
This is your funniest video in a long time. I love the vibe of this - a dose of teacher reality + humor🎉! We have alll been there with you on the regrettable classroom purchases train.
Aww, thank you so much for saying that Jennifer! I'm happy you enjoyed it and I appreciate you watching and commenting! 🥰🖤
I have a small reading area with carpet. But instead of bean bags, I bought durable cushion shells that are stuffed with old towels, sheets, foam (from a destroyed couch cushion by my dog .. grr) and anything else cushiony you can think of. It wprks great as reward and fulfills my more ecologically friendly mindset along with huge durability.
I remember you living right by Target. I also made some of those poor judgments for storage and decor. Although I've been teach8ng almost 30 years, you give me some fresh ways of looking g at my teaching. I've been purging the useless and remaking my classroom. Thank you.
Yes! Sometimes we have to just live and learn. I appreciate you watching and commenting Ruth! 🥰🖤
This was a great video because we have all done this! I had the rolling carts for my students materials because we didn’t have desks. They actually held up and I still have them, lol. I too bought a bunch of the mini erasers and the students ended up ruining them so I took them away. 😂
I knew the rainbow rolling cart would be in here somewhere. In my first year of teaching, my mentor teacher asked me to just throw that thing away for her. She said it made her frustrated and sad everytime she would have to use it, yet she could not bring herself to throwaway her investment.
Ugh, yes! It seemed like such a good idea but the quality just wasn't there. Very disappointing!
@@PocketfulofPrimary As an Elm Science teacher I've taken to repurposing/ reusing as many containers as possible in my classroom. For example, I have a friend who runs a cat rescue, I get their treat bucket containers(Temptations treats), peel off the labels, then glue them together in a 2x2 pattern. These become my table supplies containers with markers, pencils, crayons, and colored pencils. I use colored duct take "flags on the pencils to number them. O ya and they have lids....
I love most of these, agreed, not worth the juice! BUT I love my acrylic pencil dispenser (aka straw dispenser) and call it the magic pencil picker. I use it to reward kids. I throw in some regular pencils and then some "fancy" pencils (bought at hobby lobby after whatever holiday was just done) and lordy, my kinders think they are the best things ever. They are delighted to get a snowman pencil in August or a flip flops pencil in December. Thanks for making cute videos so we can all chuckle at our mistakes and teacher enthusiasm!!
Aww, yay! I'm so happy you love it! That's all that matters! There are definitely items I spent money on that most people would see as a waste but I loved them and that's all that matters. Thanks for watching and commenting Karen and I appreciate all your kind words and support! 🥰🖤
Thank you. I'm a long time substitute teacher and working as a special education paraprofessional this year. This coming fall semester (2023), I will be student teaching and then be ready to have my own room. I can't wait, I am totally looking for things that I can use and this will help me avoid some items!!!
Thanks for watching and commenting William! I wish you the best of luck with your student teaching... enjoy every single second! Hopefully this video will prevent you from making some of the mistakes I did.
OMG... yes! I had the EXACT SAME ISSUE with the rainbow carts and switched over to the Sterilite ones as well! Those are still going strong! I think the biggest lesson we have both learned is making sure you have a purpose for something before you buy it - instead of "I like it" or "I'll find a use for it... someday!"
YES! I'm glad it wasn't just me! I completely agree though... the biggest lesson is that we need a purpose for a purchase before making it. Thanks for watching and commenting! 🥰🖤
Teachers are under appreciated. I have taught in nontraditional settings. I do not know if I could even substitute teach in public school. Too many poorly behaved parents, yes ! Parents, horror stories if kids behavior and the school being afraid to provide consequences to students
Teachers are definitely under appreciated!!! It's sad but the currently reality. Thanks for watching and commenting Jill! 🥰
A (hopefully) upcoming 6th grade biology teacher, your channel is so inspiring for me and is probably gonna save me so much money lol
You also make your content very bubbly and I never feel bored when watching your videos. Thank you so much for making this content to help upcoming teachers like me
My small 6”x6” letter board says, “make smart choices” and that has been the same for 4 years and I don’t plan on changing it😂😊
Wow, Michele! Great video. I strongly disliked the rainbow cart which fortunately I did not purchase. I have used my letter board but lately it’s stashed away in a cupboard. I recently gave away my “breakables” and cried over the money spent. Our classrooms are our home away from home, but with 29 students I can’t control everyone and everything. Thank you for continuing to be open and honest and whichever decision you make, teach in a classroom or teach outside of the classroom, I will continue to follow you as your videos and podcasts give me not only good ideas, but also a good giggle.
Aww, thanks for watching and commenting Robin! 🥰🖤 I'm happy you were able to avoid SOME of the purchases but I'm also sorry to hear that you made some of the same mistakes I did. It's definitely live and learn! I appreciate all your kind words and support of my content! 🎉
I agree with most but the carts! I love my carts! For classroom use I just have to tighten them up once in awhile. I have a word work cart and a math manipulative cart.
I'm happy to hear they work for you! Different strokes for different folks!
I remember the video where you bought the Christmas- themed poppers from the dollar spot and I thought I had to have them, but I never found them. I had no idea what I was going to do with them! You make a really good point to make sure you have a purpose for something before you purchase it. :)
LOL! I actually LOVED the poppers! I used them for a math measurement activity every year where my students popped the ball, measured how far it went, and then converted the measurement to different units. But, you're right, you definitely need a purpose before you purchase! Thanks for watching and commenting! 🥰🖤
Wow, I disagree about the rolling carts! Maybe it’s the way I use them but mine have held up well and I love them. As a sped teacher I have a lot of small laminated supplies, task cards, visuals etc so it helps keep those organized vs larger bins etc.
I ❤ Rainbow carts. I use them a lot.
Mini erasers- I thought they would be so much fun…until I found little pieces of them ALL. OVER. THE. CLASSROOM!
Oh my gosh... yes! The worst! Thanks for watching and commenting! 🥰🖤
I totally understand about the letters. I meet you in April of 2020. I saw you had the word IMPACT, so loved it so finally 3 years ago I broke down and bought my word BELIEVE. Sadly, this year some of my letters fell of my wall and broke. I wanted it replaced badly, but did not want to spend the money. I finally got the idea to just purchase letters from TPT! So much cheaper!!
Ahhh yes! Printing and laminating letters or signs/posters is a MUCH more affordable option! I'm happy you were able to make it work! Thanks for watching and commenting Heather! 🥰🖤
I had a pencil dispenser / straw dispenser gifted to me last year. My first graders absolutely loved it! I look forward to filling and using it again this year!
It has taken me 30 years of teaching and kind colleagues to learn less is more.
YES! It's definitely something I've learned and had to remind myself of again and again... less is more! Thanks for watching and commenting Brenda! 🥰
I love how you made yourself vulnerable in this video. Thank you so much!
Thank YOU so much for watching and commenting Tammy! 🥰🖤
It’s always good to know your weaknesses and own it! As an OG subscriber I feel your pain going back down memory lane! I currently have a decor item that I purchased for my Dad’s classroom when I was in middle school (I’ve got a post on Instagram about it). I found this item at a QVC outlet (that was a thing before 2000). It’s called a “poop moose”. It was an expensive ($30)candy dispenser that poops candy. My dad would use it during exams as an incentive. Greatest idea I ever had until some students complained to admin 🤦♂️!
Aww, thanks for watching and commenting as always Russell! 🥰🖤 I always look forward to your comment! It's definitely hard to go back down memory lane but you learn SO much as time goes on. LOL! That's too funny about the "poop moose"! Ultimately, some purchase may be extravagant but as long as it makes YOU happy, that's all that matters!
Mini erasers make really good game pieces or bingo markers
Yes! That's a great point! Except... you don't need a thousand of them to use them as game pieces 😂
@@PocketfulofPrimary true that!!
We have all made these kind of purchases! I agree about the rainbow trays/drawers segment!!! I discovered that one!
When you were talking about a straw holder, I thought you meant the pull up ones. I have seen those used for pencils and that is a mess too.
Yes! I think both are just unnecessary because a basic pencil cup or some other kind of open bin/container will work just fine.
This was on point! It can be hard to avoid that dollar spot and not get caught up in trends. This was fun to watch.
Yes! It's absolutely hard to not get caught up... a lot of it is just "live and learn". Thanks for watching and commenting Lisa! 🥰🖤
So funny you mentioned the Erasers. I bought them at the Salisbury, MD Target and never used them in any of the classes I taught in. I had thousands! Last year and this year I signed up for the Chick Fil A Trunk or Treat and gave out all of my old school supplies there. I still have a few thousand to go for next year!
Great presentation of your 10 disliked classroom items. You were spot on for all of the items, some of which I purchased.
I appreciate the information about the rainbow carts. I have wanted to buy one forever, but I couldn't justify the cost.
Absolutely! The ones with the metal tracks are just not worth it in my opinion but the bigger rainbow drawers I got from Michaels were WELL worth the cost and have held up perfectly... even packing them up in a POD and moving them across the country!
It's ok Michelle.
You did what worked or what you thought worked at the time.
I liked when you shared some pics of you in your classroom. Hubba, Hubba, White Board !!
- Dwight
You're so right, Dwight! Thanks for watching and commenting! 🥰🖤
Michelle loved this video! It spoke to me! Loud and clear!😂
LOL! I'm so happy you enjoyed it Brenda! Thanks for watching and commenting 🥰🖤
Love this! I purchased so many of these things too. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the tiny erasers🙄😂
LOL! I'm glad it wasn't just me! Thanks for watching and commenting Brenda! 🥰🖤 P.S. I ended up giving away the erasers to my students as little prizes for anything and everything 😂
I hear you on sooooo many levels, lolol. I work at a private school, so yeah, I've purchased many many...many...many things for my room. Bean bag chairs - never again. At least yours didn't mysteriously get a hole in them and leak beans all over your room. That little wooden stool you had? I purchased like 6 similar looking ones that were metal from IKEA when I went on my flexible seating rant. They were of good quality, but I unfortunately have to share my room with a Saturday school...and I don't know who runs THAT circus, but some of my stools did NOT survive. I'm going to have to respectfully disagree about the plastic/metal drawers on wheels. Yes, you're right, the drawers can come off the tracks and such, but I have not 1 but 3 in my room currently. I use them for Word Work, Work on Writing, and my STEM drawers. I'm kind of a classroom management freak in the way you're an organizational guru, so spend a LOT of time teaching my students how to use things; not to mention the consequences for misusing things (case in point, I had to close my library for a few days). I, too, am a sucker for the Dollar Spot and have to pretend I'm wearing blinders, that don't always work, when I go into Target. I cleaned them out of these metal baskets and sturdy magazine holders one year that I ended up using in my library. That was a good purchase. And I wish I could say that I've learned my lesson on purchases for my room, but I'd be lyin' like a rug!
Thanks for watching and commenting Monica! 🥰🖤 I'm happy you enjoyed this video and related to many of the mistakes! Oh my gosh... thankfully I never got a hole in any of my bean bag chairs but I can completely understand how that would be a big disaster! Yikes! I'm so sorry that your stools didn't survive... it's hard when you have to share the space. I'm happy the drawers worked for you... that's all that matters! I personally prefer the other rainbow drawers from Michaels because they fit the items I store in the drawers much better.
I have one of the carts that’s like half the size of the rainbow one that I use for my makeup and I hate that thing so much. The drawers do not stay on the track and I paid way too much for it to fall apart constantly.
Ugh, I'm sorry you experienced the same issues with the cart I did... it's so frustrating! Thanks for watching and commenting! 🥰🖤
I have used magnetic borders for years. It has been very handy to divide up my white board specs so there are designated sections for different things. Kids know where to look without asking. This is really important too since I teach a second language class.
Oh I absolutely agree that they have a great purpose... I used mine for dividing up my whiteboard too. But, I feel like putting tape on the board would have been cheaper and stayed put better than the magnetic strips... but that's just me. Thanks for watching and commenting Anita! 🥰🖤
Michelle it’s okay. We all live and learn. You’re a great educator and your students loved you
No shame! I know we all make mistakes... that's why I wanted to share. Thanks for watching and commenting! 🥰🖤
so excited to watch this video! it’s going to be so helpful!
Aww, thank you so much for watching and commenting Maddie! 🥰🖤
i had the same rainbow carts and quickly got rid of them as well!
Yes! They were such a pain! Thanks for watching and commenting Jennifer! 🥰🖤
You called me out with the letter board 😂😂😂 I have two in my closet right now…. And random decor, try a new decor bundle EVERY YEAR 🤦🏽♀️
Lol on the decor bundles. I know that I justify the cost by thinking it is a one time purchase bc I can reprint whenever I need to. One year later, I pick a completely new theme and spend even more money!
LOL! Right?! It's so hard to not jump on the trends but I regret it every time! Thanks for watching and commenting! 🥰🖤
LOL! I felt this in my soul!
You are so cute! I can relate to so much of this! The bean bags and the rainbow skinny drawers, especially!
I’m so glad to see these videos. I love you Michelle but your early videos had me feeling like I was slacking so much 😅
I hate those plastic drawers and the drawers break and you can’t replace without buying the whole thing. I actually got rid of them this year. I am looking ñ I tot hose plastic drawers from michaels. So thanks for the review.
I enjoy watching your teaching and non-teaching videos! Would love for you to do a Classroom Management video (elementary school).
Thanks for watching and commenting Kelli! 🥰🖤 I appreciate your support! I'll definitely add that to my list for future videos.
I have paused the video at the mini eraser discussion because I was so amused.
I have to admit that just as all great lemmings do - I loved the Target mini eraser idea from your earlier videos and (somehow) ended up with three bead boxes full of the cute little things.
I have not used them enough to justify the waste of money and space. I still have mine-even though I now teach high school English and have even less use for them than when I purchased them to use as manipulatives for middle grades remedial math. They sure are cute though.
My beanbag chair lasted a whole 2 weeks before the student popped it
TY for this video Michelle!
I am glad that I don't have any of those mentioned items in my classroom!❤
Wow! That's amazing to hear! Thank YOU for watching and commenting! 🥰🖤
I just love how you have a clip from The Office for every situation. "Mo money, Mo Problems". 😄
LOL! Yup! There's a clip that fits for almost everything! 😂
Thank you for sharing.It's always helpful to know also what doesn't work 😊
Thanks for watching and commenting Ariadna! 🥰🖤 It's definitely helpful to learn from the mistakes of others.
I also bought a metal cart but off of Amazon and I love mine! It’s been great!
Me encanta tu honestidad. Gracias por compartir estos consejos. Saludos desde Panamá. :)
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! I'm happy you enjoyed it!🥰🖤
I feel the same!!! lol :)) I am very careful with my buys now. I have so many STUFF and it is cluttering my room! :(
I almost bought the straw container on your recommendation but decided the price was out of my comfort zone. Currently using a 50 cent cup from Walmart best sharp pencil storage ever!
I'd say you made the right decision! A simple cup, as you found, will definitely do! Thanks for watching and commenting Amber! 🥰🖤
If you buy the Michaels drawers right now, it's June 30th 2020, they are having a 30% sale until July 30th so now's a good time to get them!
Target calls it Bullseye
The thing about beab bag chairs, for those that want to find a way to make it work because bean bag chairs are awesome, is to take pool noodles, slice them into roughly 1 inch pieces (or rings), and fill the bean bags with those. Those won't get smooshed and they will hold their shape for a VERY long time.
Thanks for the tip! That definitely sounds like it would hold up better.
I have a Joe Boxer one from Walmart and it’s held up fairly well for 3 years in kindergarten. So it’s still not flat and has most of its shapes and I tell you, that thing takes a beating from my 5 year olds.
Thanks for being vulnerable! Great video
Thank you for watching and commenting Erica! 🥰🖤
I have a rainbow drawer set in my office at home. It drives me insane. I’m going to replace it soon because I’m sick of tearing up my fingers using an Allen wrench. I like the grey chair in front of the READ sign.
Thank you, this made me remove the bean bags from my teacher wishlist.
Love your videos, Michelle! If you see this comment, I'd love any tips on how to store teacher materials (books, supplies, files of paperwork) at home! After 6 years, I struggle with discerning what/how to keep, toss and digitize!
Thank you so much Margaret! 🥰🖤 I appreciate that! Are these materials you keep at home but still access regularly or are you just storing them but not really going through them often? As for the paperwork, I would scan and digitize as much as possible... I think digital is going to become increasingly popular so there's no reason not to. I personally have my chapter books in large Sterilite tubs in my garage but my picture books are in a Kallax shelf unit from IKEA in my office which has worked well! Hopefully that's helpful for you!
Lol agree 100% with the letter boards!!!
I'm glad it isn't just me, LOL! Thanks for watching and commenting Susan! 🥰🖤
So my middle name is Michele and I think there might just be something with that name. I have purchased so many things from that list and found myself laughing and nodding throughout. Those stupid drawers were the bain of my existence. They now hold my Cricut rolls 😂. And in their place are now those stupid Target drawers that look like basket weave but sink in. Guess I'll be going to Michaels next year. Thanks for always keeping it real.
I'd be willing to bet the name has nothing to do with it 😂 But I'm happy it isn't just me! Thanks for watching and commenting Kiana! 🥰🖤
Matching also makes less visual distractions
Totally agree with every statement… 100%. Thank you for sharing this video 😂❤
Thank YOU so much for watching Crystal! 🥰
🤣😂 Had the bean bags and got rid of them within the first couple of weeks of school 🤣😂
I'm glad it wasn't just me! Thanks for watching and commenting Elimay! 🥰🖤
Year 7 teacher here and I have about 4 of these items 😂😂
I'm sure a lot of teachers are in the same boat!
My worst purchase is the rainbow cart
I use the mini erasers for task jars for my students with Autism for fine motor skills practice. :)
I bought a judges gavel because it was recommended by an older teacher as a good attention getter. Did not turn out great (kids got scared by the loud noise and someone stole the hammer). I prefer my doorbell method by far.
My coworker had a bunch of bean bags and she left school and gave me the bean bags. I bought a pillow to fill it cuz it was flat. Then I got bean bag covers and put three flat bean bags in it. At least they’re sturdy and don’t go flat now.
I'm happy you were able to find a solution that worked for you! 🥰🖤 Thanks for watching and commenting Nancy!
I LOVED this video!!
I actually really miss the mini erasers. I'm not a prize box girl, but they were pretty good cheap prizes.
Bordette…🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have GIVEN AWAY 3 of those long storage boxes of bordette…LAMINATED! I had 2 sets of each for every season, holiday, trend, you name it, I had it. When I started eyeballing the magnetic ones, I took a good long look in the mirror. 🤪🤪🤪 I still have one full storage box, but they are solid colors. Thankfully, there is now only one physical teacher store an hour away, so I’m not motivated to go shopping. And internet shopping for stuff like that just doesn’t do it for me.
Thanks for the share!
LOL! I can't say I ever laminated my bordette but I completely understand the logic! I never felt bad throwing away my bordette at the end of the year because it was super affordable. Thanks for watching and commenting Lupita! 🥰🖤
I inherited a bean bag chair. It was flat. I bought one bag of filler that I used to fill my bag and a neighbors and saw the squished beans inside and decided i wouldn't buy anymore beans. Any shopping bags got shoved in the bag. Same noise, but it helped to keep it full and spread the beans. I have moved on from that room and left that chair behind. . . And bought new bean bags 😂
Someone else mentioned filling the beanbags with memory foam pieces worked out well. I think I may try that out.
I have those mini erasers. And I had to remove my bean bag chairs from my room because of student behavior and how students were treating them. 😮
I love the mini erasers. Mine were used as prizes on fun Friday. (Math or Sight word bingo ). Also for kids who didn’t own erasers during math intervention period. I never bought so many, just 2 packages from dollar tree.
I'm happy you enjoyed them! But yes, I can completely understand that!
I would be blue beyond, my tas by luck both share fave color
Somewhere on the internet someone suggested putting plastic grocery bags to refill the bean bags. Best hack! That truly saved me a lot of money. However, you need over a hundred bags. 😅
Ahhh, I can see that working! Although I don't have many plastic grocery bags because I bring reusable bags with me but I'm sure you could easily have students bring some in to help fill it!
ALRIGHT… letterboard - totally agree lol
Beanbags from Lakeshore were great! So TOTALLY DISAGREE! I did refill them myself and my fav janitor helped me vacuum and clean up but we Love WE loved them! Students would sit their during independent time as a reward, I’d nap there or grade there… I miss my beadbags!
The letterboards were such a waste! As I mentioned in the video, I did love the Lakeshore bean bag chair and it held up much better than other ones. But... it still got deflated over time and the cost to refill it time and time again added up so for me, it just wasn't worth it.
ok, gonna throw the letter board now
Love the dose of reality😂...I think we've all had 'those' kind of crazy purchases ...the kind you wonder what in the world were you thinking😬.
YES, to a comfortable chair...yes to Lakeshore 'if' you think you actually 'need' a bean bag chair😅 (I had 2 from childkraft in the shape of arm chairs...they were nice...but you still had to readjust the beans) Sterilite were my organizing 'go to' since drawers actually would work. Thanks for sharing your insights with others. After 35 years in the primary grades, my list was just a tad bit longer🤦🏼♀️...lol
Right!? We all have to live and learn sometimes! Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment 🥰 I definitely could have made the list longer if it makes you feel any better 😂
Just to start I am old, so this is going to be a "in my day rant".So here goes. We had a chalkboard, pencil sharpener, desk, teacher's desk, filling cabinet, and trash can. We had a bulletin board that the teacher decorated every holiday with decorations that she saved for years. Our school supplies were pencils, loose-leaf paper, a spiral notebook, colored folders, and a 3-ring binder. This was all we had and all that was "necessary".Sure it would be nice to have a fun room, but $30 for a pencil holder. Get a tin can and spray paint it. I fully support teachers having decent pay. It is a profession that is underpaid and underappreciated. I just don't see why teachers spend their own good money on such frivolous things.
I bought AG1. Yuck! Had high hopes, but feel no different.
If only I had the money back from all the wrong things I bought.
I finally bought shredded memory foam for mine. That worked much better.
Ooo, that's a good idea! Thanks for sharing! 🥰
We've all been there!
Yes! Absolutely!
are you talking about athletic greens? It’s so gross I don’t understand the raving about it.
This was actually several years before Athletic Greens became popular... I've never tried Athletic Greens but I don't think any of the greens powders are anything to rave about 😂 I can't remember the specific brand I tried but I got both the greens and reds powders and they just tasted like grass 😬
Hahaha. I just bought those metal light up letters for our FFA banquet lol. I got them on Amazon. The A was $10 and the Fs were $11. I just thought they were so cute.
And they aren't actually metal. They're just metal colored plastic.
Ahh, yeah I think those are different because these were actual metal. Definitely cute but it can add up fast depending on what you're spelling 😂
I bought outdoor ottomans from Target last year for flexible seating this year. Deflated within a couple weeks. I refilled them with fabric scraps. One's seam broke and the other is partially deflated. They work well for the short table I have so maybe I'll repurchase and use the partially deflated one and the broken one for refilling?
Maybe I'm in denial.
Thanks for watching and commenting Kay! 🥰🖤 Ugh, that's so disappointing and I completely understand the desire to make it work... I think they call that the "sunk cost fallacy". I've definitely struggled with that too!
thank you to remind that those things aren't necessary... just pretty and fun. Social media is a bad influence.
Yes! We all need that reminder sometimes. I wouldn't say social media is ALWAYS a bad influence because I found some great items and ideas from social media... but it's definitely important to consider WHY you're making purchases and verify the reviews on an item before you purchase it.
Your video just came in time for me not to buy the pencil dispenser, eventough the ones I was going to get were smaller and cheaper! By the way I do have one of the metal cart with the flimsy drawers that keep falling out of the rails!!
Yes! I've found that a simple pencil cup or some other kind of open bin works just fine for pencils! Thanks for watching and commenting! 🥰🖤
Same thing happened to me with the green stuff.
I'm glad it wasn't just me! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Omigosh I’ve made almost all of these same purchases (and yes, lived to regret them!😂🎉)
LOL! I hate hearing that you also made the same bad purchases but I also am happy that it wasn't just me 😂 Thank you for watching and commenting Stephanie! 🥰🖤