New Teacher Survival Kit

Each year at back to school time I make my students "Back to School Survival Kits".  You can read more about how I create those HERE.  For the past few years I have also had a student teacher begin the first week of school as well.  I want this person to feel as welcome to my room as all my students do on their first day.  

This past year I found these adorable empty small paint cans at Dollar Tree and I knew I would find a use for them. You can use almost anything as a container for the survival kit, but I like the "cute factor" of these cans. I decided to use one to make my Teacher Survival Kit for my student teacher. You could also make these kits for new team members at your school or just as a great back to school gift for your colleagues.

Inside this can I put jumbo crayons, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, starburst candies, animal crackers, paper clips and rubber bands.

If you would like to get your own super cute 

EDITABLE RED CHEVRON 

label like this one click on the image below:

I created a label, printed it my colour printer and then made a sticker using my Zyron Create a Sticker maker.  I got this puppy last summer at Walmart and found a million and one uses for it. You can print out almost anything, run it through the sticker maker and voila, create a great sticker you can use immediately.  I made cute chalkboard labels for all my school supply bins last year using this machine.  LOVE IT!

I found the adorable ribbon I tied to the side of the survival kit at Walmart too!

I hope this post has inspired you to make your own "Teacher Survival Kit" for a student teacher, a colleague or a teacher's aide.  

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Back To School Survival Kit

I know I am not the only person who uses the "Back to School Survival Kit" idea each September.  In fact, when I went back into the classroom from being a consultant many years ago, I found the idea on the Internet.  I was surprised by the reception this little gift garnered at my school the first fall I was teaching there.  My colleagues thought the idea was very creative and new!  I guess I thought the idea was pretty obscure too, until I went on Pinterest this year!  There are LOTS of versions of this, what I would now call, a "back to school classic".  I still LOVE to do this each year, and I change it up from year to year, depending on what materials I have available.

Get your own copy of the NEW UPDATED printable list by clicking this link and download from my TPT store.

 Some years I have used coloured paper bags, like the one pictured above.  I have found the best selection at back to school time.  When I DO find them I try to stock up and keep them for future years.  You can also just use a "brown paper bag", I have done this and the kids love it all the same. 

I have also used plastic pencil boxes (when I used to be able to get them from Costco for less than a $1 each.)  Those days are gone, but you can still sometimes find boxes like this on sale at back to school time.  I have seen other pencil box type containers at dollar stores that would work well.

  This year I decided to do something different.  I ordered these neat pouches from ForTeachersOnly.com.  Why?  Well if you have read my earlier posts, you know I love to order personalized pens from this company as and end of year gift for each student.  I have never been disappointed in their products.  I have also ordered their personalized pencil sets.  The quality and service is awesome!  This year when I was ordering my pens, I looked at the pricing for the pouches and thought to myself "This could be a neat container for my back to school survival kit, it has multiple items included already and it's less than $1 each!"  I ordered them at the same time as my pens in order to have them ready for final assembly in August.  I intend to put the final items from my printable list in each pouch and then print, label, sign and attach one copy to each pouch. 

I put these "survival kits" out on the student desks the night before school starts...(along with some BELL work....I'll save that for another post.)  The students love them, the parents love them and I find this is an essential part of how I build rapport with my class at the beginning of the school year.

P.S.  I also make one for my student teacher each year.  The teacher candidates I host start the first day with the students, so I like to include them in my yearly ritual too (but I usually use a MUG and put some different items in their own "survival kit").

What are your favourite back to school classics?