The 4 Things I Would Buy Again For My Classroom!

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links, which means I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase using the links, at no cost to you. I never include links to anything I haven't purchased myself.

The Fourth of July has come and gone, and now Amazon Prime Day is upon us! And like Independence Day, Prime Day may make you feel like celebrating - if you score a good deal, of course. Since Amazon Prime Day starts Tuesday, I'm sharing the four things I would buy again for my classroom (and three of them are available on Amazon.)

Many teachers choose to decorate with matching bulletin board sets and select particular color themes to use in their classrooms, and that's wonderful! Their rooms are beautiful! But if you're more of a minimalist teacher like I am, investing a little bit more in just a few items that add to the comfort of your room and pack more of a punch is probably more appealing to you.

When I shop online, I tend to shop for necessities. It's rare for me to simply browse or purchase something decorative rather than practical. However, there are four items that I have purchased for my classroom over the years for enjoyment and making my room a happy and relaxing classroom environment that I would absolutely purchase again, and I'm sharing them with you today!

But before I do, here's a quick tip! One of the advantages of being an ELA teacher is that books are also decorative! You can use your books and bookshelves to create a beautiful and functional focal wall. My bookshelves are certainly the focus of my classroom. If you're looking to organize your shelves and give them a little upgrade, check out my post Creating And Adding To Your Classroom Library!

I just love my bookshelves! If you're wondering about the super cute READ sign above them, I wish I could take credit for it. However, the teacher who taught in the room before I did left it, which was so sweet!

Winning Classroom Decor

Poster

I got my 18x24 The Movie vs The Book Original Literary Art Print for about $25 from the Etsy store Echo Literary Arts. (They also have an Amazon storefront.) I'll be honest, the poster sat in my online shopping cart for a while. It felt like a lot to spend on a poster, but it really is beautiful, my students love it, and it adds a lovely pop of color to my room.

Over the years, my students who have an artistic flair have enjoyed creating little characters to put in the boat on the poster. Most recently it was a mallard.

The poster came with a pretty hilarious unexpected bonus - laughter. I can't tell you how many students have come up to me and whispered, "I just realized this poster isn't the cover of a book! It's saying that the book is always better than the movie!"

Click Here To Get The Poster

The frame the poster is in was donated, and I honestly can't remember any brand information for it. It's very simple though. The frame is aluminum, and the back is cardboard.

LED Lights

I've had two sets of LED lights in my classroom. My first set lasted nearly four years, but toward the end of the fourth year, the colors started to get wonky in specific places and no longer matched. I have to say though, for $14, I certainly got my money's worth.

Funny story, I didn't read the instructions when I put up the first set and used Scotch tape to hang them up.

Folks, the back of the light strip peels off.

The back ... peels off!

I just shook my head and sighed when I made this discovery while hanging my second set of lights. I could have saved myself so much time!

I like indirect lighting, and LED lights could cause sensory issues for some students, so I angled them behind my board to create a nice glow effect. I have been told on more than one occasion by my students that my LED lights make my classroom "vibey". It's a middle school compliment that I am happy to take!

I bought the 40-foot strip of lights, and it wraps all the way around my whiteboard with a little extra to spare. I would love to show you a picture, but SO many things are piled against my whiteboard right now while my room is getting a nice summer scrub down that it isn't possible right now. However, you can click the link below to see the same set I've got in my room on Amazon.

Click Here To Get The LED Lights

The Chairs That Give My Classroom An Extra Cozy Feel

Chairs - The Black Sierra Scoop Chair

Like most ELA teachers, I have dedicated independent reading time incorporated into my schedule, and I love having an independent reading nook. It makes me happy to see my students snuggled up in a comfy chair reading a great book!

There are many flexible seating options for reading nooks, but when I searched for them, I found that they were mainly for younger kids and wouldn't fit my middle school students. I was struggling to find an option that would work for my students.

The cozy chairs in their cozy corner ... just being extra cozy!

After sharing my conundrum with my mother, she suggested looking at collapsible camping chairs at sporting goods stores for independent reading nook seating, so I can't take credit for this idea. I was hesitant at first, but after a quick visit to Dunham's Sports, I realized that camping chairs were the way to go! (Thanks, Mom!)

I bought two different styles of chairs and six chairs in total. All were Black Sierra brand chairs.

Two of the chairs had arms, but the arms didn't hold up for long. I ended up bringing those two home and will continue to use them on my back porch until the weather delivers the final blow to the fabric. They were good chairs, but just couldn't hold up to six hours a day with middle schoolers.

Poor chairs!

The scoop chairs pictured above, however, have been used daily for two years in my classroom and are still going strong headed into their third! I bought them on sale for $30 each at Dunham's Sports. They are cozy! They are so cozy, that my students and I actually call them "the cozy chairs".

A quick side note about the "cozy" chairs - If you have the chairs placed right up against a wall, the tops of the poles on the backs of the chairs will scrape the wall when your students sit down because of the way they are angled. While I'm sure there are many ways to prevent paint scraping from happening, my solution was to zip-tie tennis balls to the backs of my chairs.

The binder clips keep the tennis balls from sliding down. I have had multiple students remove the clips, walk up to my desk, hand them to me, and say, "Someone put these on the backs of your chairs!" I laugh every time!

While the other links in this post will send you to Amazon, the link below will send you to Dunham Sports. Amazon carries Black Sierra chairs, but not the scoop chairs.

Click Here To Get The Chairs

A Click-Free Classroom Is A Happy Classroom

Noiseless Computer Mouse

While I'm the only one who uses this last item on my list, everyone in our classroom benefits from it! To me, there is nothing worse than interrupting quiet classroom readers with the click of a computer mouse, and my students agree. This noiseless mouse takes care of that issue!

My cute, quiet little computer mouse. It's wireless too!

When I say I would buy this mouse again - I mean it, and I already did! I liked it so much I bought one for my home computer too. So, I have one in purple in my classroom and one in mint green at home.

Click Here To Get The Noiseless Computer Mouse

Final Thoughts

I hope my list provides you with some inspiration for decorating your classroom and making it both practical and cozy!

Whether you're more of a minimalist when it comes to extras and decor, like I am, or you go all out with colorful bulletin board decor and glitter, I hope you know that your students appreciate the time and effort you've put into making your classroom warm and welcoming!

What's the best classroom purchase you've ever made? Share in the comments below!

Until next time! Lauren