There's a Plan for That

As a college student leading up to my first job as a classroom teacher, the dollar tree was my FAVORITE place. It felt empowering, like I was making progress towards my ultimate goal of being a teacher. I bought some items that I would purchase again, no questions asked! However, I also bought a fair amount of items that didn’t stand the test of time. I’ve drawn up a list of Do’s and Don’ts to help get you started strong when stocking up your classroom! 

Let’s rip the bandaid off and jump right in with our Don’t list so we can end on the positives. 

1. Pencils

Just avoid them. Save yourself the headache. Over the years, I’ve tried various Dollar Tree pencils. The holiday plastic-wrapped ones are super cute. However, that adorable wrapping can also get jammed in your pencil sharpener and ruin the blades. Few things are more sacred to a teacher than an efficient pencil sharpener; save yourself the heartache, and don’t jeopardize its well-being for a themed pencil! Regular pencils tend to have a lead that breaks off immediately after sharpening them, so you spend more time sharpening them than you would ever want. Not only that, but you go through them quicker because you continuously have to sharpen them. 

2. Pencil Sharpeners

Feeding off of the previous don’t item, avoid the handheld pencil sharpeners at the dollar tree. They break frequently. And the blades are too dull to sharpen the pencil even when they aren’t broken. Or you’re lucky, and the pencil does sharpen, but the compartment meant to catch the pencil shavings falls off every two seconds, and then you spend your day helping students clean up the shavings off the floor. 

3. White Board Markers

The off-brand whiteboard markers tend to dry out quickly and leave behind staining residue on the surfaces you are using as a whiteboard. I’m all for saving a dime, but in the case of whiteboard markers, I believe in just investing in the Expo brand markers and saving yourself the headache. I have noticed that you can purchase singular Expo markers at Dollar Tree recently. However, with the price tag of $1.25 per marker, you can find a better price shopping for a pack of Expo markers at a store like Walmart. 

4. Retractable Card Holder 

Your teacher ID card is something you will want to keep on your person. A retractable card holder can be very convenient to add, especially if you wear your ID card on a lanyard. (As has been expected in the policy of the schools I have worked for). However, the Dollar Tree ID holder doesn’t have enough tension to handle the weight of an actual ID in the cardholder. It also tends to pop open, and then your idea falls off entirely, and you spend your afternoon retracing your steps all over the school to find your blasted card. Ask me how I know. 🙄 Save yourself the hassle and purchase a better-quality ID holder. 

5. Jot Magnets

These magnets are so tempting! Yes, I know they are. You can find them in different pretty colors, and they’re sold in packs of 6-8, so you’ll like you have a ton of magnets for minimal cost. The frustration, however, is the magnet on the back of these could be more robust. To hang up one anchor chart paper, I needed to use approximately 8 to keep the paper from falling off as I drew. The adhesive that attaches the magnet to the plastic cover also tends to fail, and then you’re left with an ugly circle and no splash of color for your board. There may be some occasions where these magnets may be useful, if you have a CHAMPS chart and use a magnet to mark your expectations, these may work well enough. Or you could have a chart for the individual students and need a class set of magnets that somebody can move quickly. (I’m not talking about a behavior chart, as this isn’t considered a best practice, but you may have student magnets that show where students regard centers, bathroom breaks, etc.) 

6. Foam Mounting Squares

These are brutal on your paint. Go ahead and avoid the foam mounting squares, and save yourself the administrator lecture that comes from damaging the walls of your classroom. 

7. Plastic Bins

These bins are another tempting product for teachers. There’s something about them; they call you. However, they tend to be very flimsy and are prone to breaking easily under regular use, especially when children are the ones touching them. It isn’t that these bins are terrible, but often you can invest an extra couple of dollars shopping at Target or Walmart, and they will last longer than the ones you bought at the Dollar Tree and need to be replaced by Christmas break. A pro tip for buying bins: wait to purchase the bins ahead of time, but instead plan a shopping trip after you’ve been in your classroom and have an idea regarding where you would like to use bins and how many you think you would need. It’s easy to go overboard on the bin purchasing when you shop before you have a game plan developed for their use. 

8. Classroom Cut Out Decor

They are cute and tend to multiply quickly. Teachers often purchase these to satisfy the “what if” part of their brain. For example, it’s easy to walk down the aisle, see the cutouts of a crab, and think, “These would be so cute for students to write about something they did over summer vacation and hang up on the bulletin board.” Then you purchase the cards and forget all about them when a new school year rolls around, and they rot in the back of your closet. If you don’t have a specific intention for what to do with those cards when considering the purchase, skip buying them. If you need crab cutouts, you can always print and laminate your versions for the students to use. 

9. Educational Posters

These posters fall into two categories, either very inspirational or not academically based. Or chock-full of academics. The inspirational ones are pretty generic and can eat up valuable wall real estate for other academic supports (check out this blog post for more about that). The academic ones, while they can be full of great ideas, are so full of words that they need to be significantly larger for students to read when sitting in their seats, so the posters tend to be wasted space. Many schools often prioritize content created with the students directly being displayed on the wall over premade posters because students better understand and retain the information displayed when they have contributed to the information on the poster. 

10. Desk Labels

These labels only have places for student names and no other academic support. If you go through the effort of adding name labels to your desk, it can be helpful to include things like a multiplication table, a copy of the alphabet, or number lines. Little things like that can help jog students’ memory if needed. I’m a massive fan of desk labels that include conversation sentence starters to help students engage in academic discussions productively. None of these options are found on the Dollar Tree name tags, so go ahead and skip over them. 

11. Plastic Shoe Boxes

I’m going to shoot it to you straight. I love a good plastic shoe box as a classroom organizer. It can be a game changer when organizing your storage spaces. However, the reason they are so helpful is that they have lids. The Dollar Tree bins have lids that never stay attached, making them useless. You can find higher-quality bins from Walmart, Target, or places like Dollar General for prices similar to Dollar Tree’s. 

12. Tupperware

These bins have the same issue as the plastic shoe boxes– the lids don’t latch well. Or they will seal well for some time until it loosens and then fall off easily as well. The one exception to this rule is the small Sterilite bins that hold large index cards well. 

13. Pencil Box

The pencil boxes have the same lid-latching issues. There is NOTHING worse than your markers, pencils, pens, and crayons all spilled over the floor every day because a box can’t latch. If you wait until the back-to-school season, you can often find good deals on great pencil boxes from local craft stores like Michaels. 

14. Composition Books

There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with the notebooks, but the price per notebook is not great. You can find similar quality notebooks at other stores for half the cost, especially during the back-to-school shopping season. Save your money and purchase the notebooks from a store like Walmart during the back-to-school season. 

15. Desk Caddy

As a teacher, the desk caddy can have many great uses. However, the ones you find at the dollar tree tend to be either too small or more significant and have holes in the sides where items like erasers fall out of them all the time. As a teacher, I liked using caddies to set up science or math labs that the students could use in a group setting. It was easy to pass out supplies for the group in a caddy. However, the holes in the dollar tree bins always caused the small bits and pieces to fall out, and the different groups would need more supplies for their experiments.

Now for our list of Do’s! Let’s dive into all the excellent deals you can score at the dollar tree. 

1. Thank you notes

Nothing is sweeter than receiving a thank you note when someone has gone out of their way to do something kind for you. However, teacher life, especially new teacher life, doesn’t lend itself to the time it takes to go out and specially buy a thank you card. So even though the idea might be there, it tends to end before it’s begun because the cards aren’t easily accessible. If you keep them on hand, it can be easy to write a quick thank you message and pass them out to whoever needs one for the kindness bestowed on you. The Dollar Tree is a great cost-efficient place to stock up on your thank you cards, and you can keep them on your desk ready for quick grabbing when needed. 

2. Field Trip Backpacks

I will start this point with the caveat that these bags are cheap. They are relatively easy; I wouldn’t plan to have them as daily bags for student use. However, they act as a perfect bag you can stock up on for use of chaperones during field trips. The more prepared you are as a teacher for a field trip, the smoother it goes. I always create a small bag of things for the chaperones to carry. Some things I would potentially put in the bag are a small first aid kit, a mini electric fan, and a folder with student names and contact information; this folder might also have any maps of the places we are visiting or informational packets that might be helpful. I’ve also included golfing pencils and a few erasers for students who may need to write something down. The contents of the bags vary depending on where we are going and how long the trip is. I will have a blog soon about field trip planning for success. Remember to join my email list so that you can be the first to know about that blog post when it comes out! 

3. Activity Tray

These can help prep math or science labs. For anything that has small pieces, you can use these trays to distribute the items the groups will need without worrying that the pieces will spill everywhere. This strategy of preparing ahead of time can make classroom management easier because there is less downtime when supplies are distributed. When you’re first getting started, any time you can reduce downtime, your day will flow easier. 

4. Push pins/paper clips (avoid the tape)

You can find basic classroom supplies at Dollar Tree, which tend to be very hardy. The paper clips, push pins, staples, and binder clips are a decent buy. I would steer clear of the generic Dollar Tree tape and any glue sticks or glue that is Dollar Tree brand. They aren’t sticky enough to last long, so stick with the name-brand glues and tapes to save yourself the headache. 

5. Blank file folder labels/ multiuse labels

Labels are a must for keeping your classroom organized. However, they will quickly nickel and dime you if you buy expensive label packages from big-name office supply stores. The Dollar Tree generic labels are hardy and come in various sizes, perfect for your random needs. I also have found that if you can pick up the “hello, my name is” name tags, these can come in super handy for field trips as well as substitute teacher days as it allows everyone to know the student’s name quickly without struggling to memorize 20-30 student names on the spot. 

6. Inflatable globe

This one may sound weird, but I found, especially when I departmentalized my classroom into only teaching math, that I didn’t want to give the surface space for a traditional globe. However, one student is curious about other parts of the world. And 2, they’re terrible at geography. Having the accessibility of a globe was very helpful, so having a blow-up globe was perfect for when our lessons would deviate, and we needed to show a place on the map. However, it still gave me back my surface space to display other more intentional information specific to my content area. The inflatable globe is also a great thing to keep for days when a lesson finishes early, or you need a quick icebreaker. Silent Ball is a real winner, or the name game! As a teacher, you can also use the inflatable globe to select student speakers, which will help with classroom attention and participation because you want to be watching in case someone picks on you to speak next. A ball comes flying in your direction. 

7. Bulletin borders, die-cut numbers, and letters

These are great for low-cost, quick, convenient options. You can pick borders and letters that match. I will say that for Dollar Tree to sell things in sets and then not restock that specific pattern again for a long time. If you find one you love, I will discover how to do all the boards in your classroom at once to leave a cohesive feel to your room. These tend to be more generic, especially the letters; if you’re looking for fonts or letters with more excitement, you can create them yourself on the computer. However, this takes significantly more time and effort. A how-to tutorial is also in the words of a future blog post, so remember to subscribe to my email list so that you can catch it! 

8. Flashcards

A set of math flashcards is a handy tool to have in your classroom. These can be great for centers and even bathroom breaks for the students who are finished and waiting for the class to return to the school. The price and convenience of having these already done for you can be compelling. 

9. Dawn dish soap & scrub brush

Purchasing the travel-sized Dawn dish soap and scrub brush is another recommendation that may seem somewhat unconventional. Still, there is nothing more frustrating than trying to eat your leftovers and realizing that your plastic knife isn’t going to cut it. Literally. I always kept a metal cutlery set in my classroom for my lunches to combat this. Rather than taking these home daily, I would keep a small bottle of dish soap and a scrubby sponge from the dollar tree, which I would use for cleaning my cutlery and storing back in my classroom for the next day. The soap and scrub brush can also come in handy at unexpected times, like cleaning up from a painting activity or pouring on a slip-and-slide for an end-of-year party, even during class parties where food is present. Keep these on hand, and you’ll feel prepared for any food-cleaning issues that come your way! 

10. Screwdriver set, razor blade, and toolbox

Having a small toolbox can be a game-changer in your classroom. It doesn’t need to have anything heavy-duty in it. The most valuable things to keep were a hammer, a set of screwdrivers, both Phillips and flat heads, and a razor blade. Now, this box isn’t supposed to be used by your students, and it must be put away someplace separate from them precisely because of the knife. But this knife is a game changer when it comes to putting up bulletin boards. It allows you to overshoot the paper you need to cover the board, then cut it down in a straight line once you have it preliminarily hung up. It is a HUGE time saver! 

11. Art pallet

These can be great to keep on hand for class projects and holiday parties. They are easy to store and clean off and cost-effective. I’ve found that the kids get very excited when they see them brought out! These aren’t anything I recommend right away, as they are an add-on versus a necessary item to the functionality of your day. But they can make any paint times easy to set up for and clean up after. 

12. Stem Bin Items: Play-Doh, Spaghetti, and Straws

At the beginning of the year and as the year goes on, you may find the need for STEM activities. It may help foster a strong classroom community, a task for early finishers, or icebreaker activities. But you can pick up cheap and inexpensive items that can be easily converted for STEM activities. My personal favorites to always have on hand are spaghetti (uncooked), straws, and Play-Doh. It is important to note that the brand doesn’t matter on the spaghetti or the straws, but I would be brand loyal to the Play-Doh. The generic Dollar Tree versions dry out quickly after a short period of use. Properly stored name-brand tubs will last a significant amount of time. So far, these are the only items on the list that may be found in the more expensive aisle (between $3-5) versus the standard $1.25 aisles. 

13. Metal Baking Sheet

I recommend these more specifically for lower elementary teachers. They are the perfect place to use letter magnets for newer readers still learning to spell and interact with words and sentences. They are convenient because the pans can be moved quickly around the room and used in small areas versus needing an entire whiteboard to access a magnetic surface. I used to enjoy having the baking sheets as a station during my center’s time when I worked in a first-grade classroom. 

14. Fabulosa

This cleaning solution works wonders on cleaning floors, spills on tables, and any emergent things that you may need to clean up quickly. Yes, most schools have a custodial staff who is supposed to handle cleaning the classroom. But I will tell you a sad secret if you haven’t started teaching yet. Nothing is worse than having a spill that needs to be taken care of NOW, waiting an hour or two for maintenance to be located, and finding the time to come clean it up. There are many times in your day that it is easier to clean it yourself, so keeping a little cleaning product on hand may be helpful. A quality multi-purpose cleaner is another item you would want to ensure is put away out of student reach, however, because you would never want a student to misunderstand what it is and accidentally ingest it. 

15. Standing Dust Bins

Your classroom will be a mess by the end of the school day. It can be helpful to have some cleaning items that you can have volunteers in your class use to clean up. The standing dust bins, small handheld dust pans, and mini hand brooms from Dollar Tree can be excellent. I would avoid the brooms at the dollar tree; they tend to fall apart too quickly and miss a lot of dirt. In the long term, it may be convenient to invest in a small vacuum cleaner, like the kind designed to clean a dorm, but as that is a more significant expense, it may be a down-the-road investment rather than suitable when starting as a teacher. (It’s also not an item sold at Dollar Tree, so it has no place on this list whatsoever.)

Hopefully, this list of 30-Dollar Tree products will inspire your shopping as you prepare for this school year. I would love to hear some of your favorite dollar tree finds! Are there any scores that I have missed? Please comment below and let me know! 

If you’re looking for other great ideas to help you set up your classroom, remember to join my email list so you can have full exclusive access to the Free Resource Library. Click HERE to join the email list.