Before we dive in to my tried and true sped teacher must haves, I have to say that you truly don’t NEED anything. What do you truly need to give your students if you ask me? Most importantly, your students need love, relationships, and validation. But when it comes down to actual sped teacher supplies that don’t break or fall apart, these are what I would consider my sped teacher must haves that have proven to be most reliable!
*By shopping through these links, I do earn a very small commission. I appreciate you using my links to shop since it doesn’t cost you anything extra. That is to say it helps make up for the time it takes to compile and share my favorite things with you all. Thank you so much in advance!
This is at the top of my list on purpose. It’s probably one of my most used things in my four years of teaching self contained. Though your school might have one, it’s nice to have your own in case the school one is ever broken. Sometimes making and laminating visuals CAN’T wait! In other words, you really need to have access to one if possible.
This is definitely in the pricier range of things. If you don’t have to buy one, then don’t! This is simply my recommendation if you are looking for one. There are two things I want to talk about here. Firstly, is HP instant ink. This is a service that automatically monitors your ink levels and they will ship you ink when you are running low. You can get one month for free by using my link! They have different plans available based on your needs and I cannot recommend them enough. Secondly, is a HP instant ink printer. My holy grail! This printer has failed me zero times in four years. That’s a pretty good track record for a printer if you ask me!
3. Velcro Dots
First of all, buy yourself the velcro dots! You deserve them. I have tried to save money and get the cheaper velcro dots. I have tested probably about 10 different brands and VKEY is the best quality in my opinion!
This is yet again another thing I have tried about 10 different brands on to try to save money. But no one wants lamination that is going to fall apart after some wear and tear. Above all, Scotch brand is the best!
5. Sheet protectors
I have so many uses for these in my classroom! I recommend buying the bulk packs so that you can have a stash of them to grab as needed. Bonus tip- if you are in a pinch and don’t want to laminate something, you can always use these as a short cut.
Gallon and quart sized zip lock bags are one of the most used objects in my classroom! This is where we store those tangible pieces that belong to various work tasks and file folders. You can never have enough.
If you are still using anything OTHER than a magic eraser to erase things, do yourself a favor and buy a box of these! It makes it so much easier to erase dry erase markers. Bonus tip- I like to cut mine into mini cubes to get the most bang for my buck.
8. Magnet Hooks
We use these to hang adapted books, visuals, and so much more to our white boards. They are heavy duty and can hold a lot of weight.
I use these for all my paperwork needs. I love that they can hold an entire IEP which avoids me having to staple it together before needing to. Furthermore, they are colored so you can use them for color coding purposes!
10. Fidgets
These I am certain you will accumulate throughout the year. I don’t see a need in buying a ton up front, however, it is necessary to have some options for your students from the beginning. As a result, you will be able to quickly see which ones they gravitate toward the most.
11. Flexible seating
This is another thing that I don’t think you need to invest in up front. Actually, most of my flexible seating options, I have found for free. Think, old office chairs that spin, yoga balls, and bungee chairs. These are some things I always like to keep an eye out for at garage sales, Facebook marketplace, or even sending out an email to staff asking if anyone has these items that they don’t use anymore.
12. White Cardstock
I ended up using way too much cardstock in my opinion my first couple years. I prefer to print on normal paper. But there are very specific things that I use my cardstock on. For example, adapted books and visuals that I need to last but aren’t handled daily.
13. Timers
Not all timers are created equally! I have tried several to try to save some money and I always come back to these lakeshore ones!
These come in a pack of 12 on Amazon and they’re so helpful if you plan to color code your class. They may not be colored, but this is an easy fix. Simply use astrobrights paper to add a colored cover on the front sleeve of the binder.
15. Light Covers
Consider the lights in your classroom. For example, the intensity of your classroom lights. Light covers and lamps can help soften the lighting in your room! Furthermore don’t forget to consider the windows in your room for natural light.
Astrobrights paper comes in handy many times in the classroom. For example, color coding. We often don’t have a specific color folder or binder that we need. This is an easy fix with Astrobrights. We simply print on the colored paper we need and use it as a label to identify the color of something!
These are so good for setting up independent work systems in your class. Keep your eyes peeled for these at garage sales!
Classroom Supply Buying Tips
I hope this list of what I consider to be SPED teacher must-haves was helpful. By all means please do not buy all of this at once. Firstly, I would hold off until you follow these classroom buying tips below:
- Are there parents asking for specific things they can contribute to the classroom? Provide them with an “optional donations” list
- Is there a school sped budget that you can use to purchase some of these items?
- Does your district reimburse when you spend up to a certain amount on classroom supplies?
- Have you checked facebook marketplace or Goodwill for any of these items?
- Can you make an amazon wishlist to share with friends and family?
In conclusion, I hope this list of sped teacher must haves gives you a good start on what SPED teachers actually utilize and need. Above all, keep in mind that although all of this useful, it is not necessary. Your students will always remember how you made them feel over what kind of laminating pouches you purchased.
Lastly, be sure to check out my other SPED teacher related posts here!
Happy Teaching!
Sofie
