Teacher Must Haves for this Teacher Abroad!

Hydroflask Water Bottle

This is always by my side! I drink SO MUCH WATER in Tanzania because it’s dry and hot most of the year. Our classrooms are open air, and sometimes we’ll get a *wonderful* (said very sarcastically) burst of dusty wind that blows through, and I literally cannot keep teaching without quenching my parched throat! Also, this thing is HUGE and keeps my water as cold as I want it!!! Also, I love the straw attachment. It sounds strange but I truly think that I drink more water because of it!

Essential Oils

I use these at home and in the classroom! I buy my oils from Edens Garden – I especially love their Create-Your-Own Gift Sets! These essential oils are great quality and potent, but not quite as pricey as some other ones on the market. I enjoy the Synergy Blends – Fighting Five, Breathe Easier, and Exhale are some of my favorites! I love mixing peppermint, lemon, and lavender in the classroom for a blend of focus and relax! The Fighting Five blend is perfect for the cold and flu season, as it has oils that provide immunity support! Also, I love the oils for their fragrance aspect. I love candles, but they are HEAVY to pack in my suitcase, so these are a great, better-for-you option!

Papermate Pens

Hi my name is Allie and I’m a pen addict! 😉 But, I do have high standards, and the pens in TZ just don’t cut it! If I’m writing, the Papermate InkJoy Gel Pens are my favorite. They write so smoothly, dry quickly, and the colors are beautiful! But, I also have a pretty great Flair Pen stash! The colors are so fun, and I love using them when I’m doodling, handlettering, etc.

All the Bins & Storage

I love a good plastic container that keeps me organized! I use a myriad of these in my classroom, and I try to bring over a few each year to make it easier to stay organized. The ones pictured above are from Really Good Stuff. They’re perfect for my classroom library! Here are some more of my favorites:

Project cases store paper and things to save!

Plastic book boxes store my files!

This caddy is perfect for desk organization!

Device Protection

If Tanzania has taught me anything (and believe me, I’ve learned A LOT), one of the big life lessons is to PROTECT MY DEVICES! I’ve had quite a few technology fails (including a broken laptop screen that I took to get looked at, decided to wait until I was back in the US to get fixed, and then found out the guy in TZ had stolen my hard drive 😠🤦🏻‍♀️), and now I have all of the protection! I got this case for my laptop, and absolutely love it! If you’re a map & watercolor lover like me, you need it in your life!

I stick to Otterbox cases for my iPhone, because I find that it is the best at protecting. Currently I’ve got this one on my iPhone 7.

The Quietest Pencil Sharpener

 This pencil sharpener from Classroom Friendly Supplies is the BEST for 3 reasons:
1. It doesn’t require electricity – and the power goes off frequently in Tanzania, so we really can’t rely on it.
2. It doesn’t over-sharpen – we all have those students who take forever to get the sharpest point, and end up breaking the pencil tip over and over again! With this sharpener, you can keep turning the handle, but you’ll notice that the blade won’t be doing anything once the pencil is sharp!
3. It’s quieter and less expensive than most electric sharpeners! When purchased in a three-pack, they cost $17.99 each! And, once you teach your students how to use it correctly, it’s very user-friendly.

Multifunctional Teacher Bag

I don’t know about you, but I lug a lot of stuff to/from school each day – laptop, planner, personal items, teacher manuals, papers to grade, and much more. I’ve finally found my FAVORITE teacher bag- the Vera Bradley Campus Tech Backpack. I love it for many reasons – it’s a backpack, which makes it easy to carry; it has a special compartment just for my laptop; it has lots of space with three different pockets, the largest pocket is very roomy, and fits everything perfectly; it has a trolley sleeve so I also use it as my personal item when traveling; it has side pockets for my water bottle and travel mug on either side; and so much more!!

Teacher Planner

I’ve got to have a good teacher planner! I’m one of those people who really enjoys paper planners – and I’ve used several that I loved! One year I splurged and got an Erin Condren planner – it was gorgeous! But now I’m definitely on The Happy Planner kick! I’ve mentioned this before, but my favorite part is that I can insert and remove any papers I want! I print out my schedules, to-do lists, student info, and it all goes into my planner! This is the kit I got this year:

And here is the hole punch you’ll need if you plan on inserting any paper you want! It is well worth the investment!

I hope you enjoyed reading about what I, as a teacher, must have in my life! Would you be interested in my classroom must-haves? These would include my favorite tools, manipulatives, and resources. I’d love to share them with you!! What are your teacher must haves?

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