My Choir Classroom Must-Have's List:

If there is a way to work smarter, not harder on something for my classroom, I'm all in. And, I've been doing this long enough to have figured out some things that DO work and several things that just absolutely did NOT work for me.

I know some of us are already "kind of" thinking about the next school year and trying to figure out how to do it well without being stressed. And, if you're a newer teacher, you might be ready to tackle some new systems in your classroom.

So, here's the list (and affiliate links) to my very favorite must-haves in my classroom:

1. This 3 Drawer 12x12 Stacker is a life saver! I assign each class a drawer; when I collect papers, they go in this drawer. Because it's oversize, it's super easy to fit papers in without having to be super-careful and take exra time. I also use the same stackers to store highlighters, markers, and erasers for use with the whiteboards, below. (You can see them "in action" here.) Mine have lasted for many years.

2. Whiteboards. I use these to get a quick assessment of how my students are doing with music theory, definitions, etc. They write their answers, hold them up in front of their ribs, and I take a look around. Quick. I know who knows and who doesn't, I can make a note and move on. (This particular set comes with markers and erasers, too.)

3. White Cardstock and Sheet Protectors. I print a Treble Clef and staff on the white cardstock, have kids put this in a sheet protector, and we use it all year long. Keep it n their binder. Write on with dry erase marker. I collect them at the end of the year, and reuse. (I also use colored cardstock & sheet protectors for anything else I want them to keep all year long, and I collect those again at the end of the year, too.)

4. Want to keep more pencils IN your classroom? Grab these. They don't love them, so they don't steal them as often.

5. Bulletin Board Tiles. I don't have a bulletin board in my room, and definitely needed one. To save money, I grabbed these tiles - and they've stayed on the wall and do a GREAT job!

6. Writing music? Adding small details to your roster? These pencils are the best: they don't break, and are always sharp enough to write the teeny things we need to write as musicians.

7. Super Sticky Post It's. These do not fall off. They are the greatest thing ever. I use them for ME - and they stay on the piano for days and days. And, I use them for student exit-questions on the whiteboards. Seriously. Game changer.

8. Giant Sticky Pad. This gives you freedom to add things to your walls: literature tracking charts, performance prep charts, game scores, etc. Need it to stay up for awhile, but don't want it permanent? These are so great!

9. Binder Clips. Need I say more? I can never have enough.

10. Binders and Dividers for you. I have 2 main binders: my rosters for all my classes, and my music binder. Keeping things separated by classes keeps me sane, and makes it easy to find things quickly. It can also be helpful to have one binder to hold one copy of each of your songs from all year. This is a great resource moving forward. And, lastly, it's helpful to have a binder to keep track of one clean copy of any assignments you've handed out - just in case you need more copies.

11. This probably goes without saying, but SHARPIES are essential. For so many things.

12. Here are a few that just make life easier: An automatic stapler. An electric puncher. A heavy duty pencil sharpener. Magnetic erasers. Heavy pop up Post It Holder. (I don't even like apple-teacher stuff, but this one has been around for 11+ years. It lasts.) And, this organizer. It holds everything I need to reach during class. It sits on my piano, and is sooooo handy!

13. These are the POSTER SETS I have in my room currently: Together We Are Better, and my own Classroom Inspire posters (I use them for conversation starters.)

These are the things that keep my classroom systems running. Time-savers, system boosters, everything has it's own place... When systems work, we don't have to use our brains to figure out where that stack of papers is going, or where I sat it down. Creating systems and sticking to them gives us more freedom to focus on students, relationships, music, and creativity.

I'll share more in a couple weeks about the systems I'll kick off at the beginning of the school year.