Teacher Survival Items I Actually Use (and... It's Not the Pinterest-Perfect Stuff)
- Caroline Williams
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
There’s a version of teaching that exists on Pinterest where every pencil is color-coded, every desk sparkles, and no one ever loses a marker cap.
This is not that post.
This is about the things I actually use—the things that get shoved into my bag at 6:30 a.m., tossed onto my desk between lessons, and relied on when the day is loud, long, and emotionally heavier than expected.
If you’re an unorganized teacher (or a formerly organized one who is tired), this list is for you.
The rule I live by
If it doesn’t make my day easier, calmer, or less painful—it doesn’t stay.
Cute is optional. Helpful is not.
Writing tools I don’t guard with my life
I love a good pen, but I refuse to be precious about it.
A basic set of felt-tip pens that write smoothly without bleeding
A mechanical pencil doesn’t snap every five seconds
Hands down the best No. 2 pencil available on the market - Ticonderoga
These are tools, not collectibles. If one disappears, I survive.
The water bottle that follows me everywhere
I will forget to drink water unless it is:
Insulated
Spill-proof
Easy to grab between transitions
This Owala water bottle lives on my desk, under my chair, and occasionally on the floor next to my feet. It keeps my water cold long enough that I actually drink it.
The snacks I keep on hand so I don’t crash by noon
I learned this the hard way: If I don’t plan for food and water during the school day, my body will remind me—loudly.
Not in a gentle way. In a headache, shaky, irritable, why-do-I-feel-like-this way.
I don’t need elaborate meal prep. I just need things that are:
Easy to grab
Quiet to eat
Not dependent on a microwave
Forgiving if I forget about them for a few hours
I loved to keep a variety snack box for an easy, filling grab.
Shoes that don’t punish me for standing all day
I stopped pretending I could do “cute but painful.”
I need shoes that:
Support my feet
Work with jeans or work pants
Don’t make me think about them at all
If I’m thinking about my shoes at 10:45 a.m., the day is already harder than it needs to be.
I love a neutral but stylish Reebok or Nike flat sneaker for long wear, and versatility.
The small desk fan that saves my nervous system
There is nothing more overstimulating than:
A warm room
Thirty moving bodies
And no airflow
Cuts through stuffy air
Gives me a physical reset
Makes the room feel survivable again
It’s not aesthetic. It is essential.
A phone stand (because I’m done craning my neck)
Whether it’s:
A timer
A reminder
A quick message
Or background music
A simple phone stand keeps me from hunching over my desk like a gargoyle by November.
The heating pad I didn’t know I needed (until I did)
This one surprised me.
On days when:
My shoulders are tight
My lower back aches
Or my body is holding stress I didn’t notice
A heating pad during planning or after dismissal helps me reset before going home already depleted.
The tote bag that holds everything (and nothing gracefully)
My teacher bag is not curated.
It contains:
Papers I meant to grade
Snacks I forgot I packed
Emergency supplies
Random notes
A sturdy tote with wide straps means I’m not fighting with zippers or shoulder pain before the day even starts. This is one of my favorites and it comes in SO many colors.
What I didn’t include (on purpose)
You won’t find:
Color-coded binders
Matching containers
Trendy desk décor
Not because those things are bad—but because they don’t actually help me teach or live better.
Final thoughts (from one tired teacher to another)
You don’t need more systems. You don’t need to be more organized.
You don’t need to become someone else.
You just need a few things that make the day feel less heavy.
I’ve linked the items I use here so you don’t have to hunt for them—and so you can decide what actually supports your version of teaching.
You’re allowed to be unorganized. You’re allowed to choose ease. You’re allowed to survive the day and still count that as enough.
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