It's no secret that no matter how great a school is, the teachers are often left feeling under-supplied and under-budgeted when it comes to classroom tools. But who says you need thousands of dollars to deck out your class? School teachers are some of the most creative people out there, and so there are plenty of creative hacks that'll upgrade your lessons without breaking the bank. Keep scrolling for real teachers' tips and tricks for turning dollar store purchases into teaching treasures.
Make Anchor Charts Super Accessible/useful by Hanging Them on Clip Hangers
Anchor charts are a great addition to any classroom. They're there for kids whenever they need a little extra help and guidance, and they're a great way to jog their memory on things they've already learned. But it can often be hard to find somewhere to put these anchor charts. If you secure them to the wall, they can't be removed. But if you leave them lying on the desk, they'll definitely go missing.
A great teacher hack to solve that problem is to hang these anchor charts on clip hangers. You can then hook them onto a nail and hang them there for when they're next needed.
Use Play-Doh to Clean up Glitter
Glitter is a great way to get your students excited about arts and crafts, but you probably don't need us to tell you that glitter can be extremely messy. If a kid drops glitter on the floor, you'll be finding pieces of glitter in your classroom for the next few years - even if you vacuum the floor ten times! But if you want a cheap and foolproof teacher hack to get rid of this glitter, you'll need to get some Play-Doh.
By rolling Play-Doh over the glitter, you'll be able to pick up every single speck of glitter on the floor. Just make sure that you use fresh Play-Doh for this teacher hack.
Learn More Through Turn-In Bins
Classes are filled with students of different abilities, and this can be difficult to manage sometimes. Just as one student starts to understand the work and get ahead of the education game, another student is falling behind but lacking the confidence to raise their hand and ask questions. Well, buying some plastic trays from the dollar store can help to solve this problem, and give students the chance to learn more through turn-in bins.
These anonymous bins allow students to decide on their own confidence level, while also giving teachers the chance to understand which students are struggling more than most. It's the ultimate teacher hack.
Print Straight Onto Sticky Notes
No teacher's desk would be complete without a whole stack of sticky notes on there, right? They're perfect for marking students' work and giving feedback, but it's safe to say that they're also a little boring. Sure, you can buy different colored sticky notes and draw cute little cartoon figures on them, but what teacher can honestly say that they have the time to do that? We can't imagine many of them do.
Thankfully, this dollar store teacher hack can make life so much easier. By printing directly onto the sticky notes, you can personalize whole pages of them at once. Plus, you can use the printer in the teacher's lounge to make it even cheaper!
Clean School Desks With Shaving Cream
Have you ever taken a moment to really think about the dirt and germs on the desks in your classroom? Of course, you're better off not thinking about it. But if you want to get rid of these germs and breathe new life into your desks, you might be interested in knowing that shaving cream works wonders. You can pick this up for cheap at the dollar store, and then squirt it all over the desks.
When you wipe the shaving cream off, you'll see that the desks are as good as new. You could even get your students to help out if you wanted to!
Tidy Your Cables With Binder Clips
Many of the cheap teacher hacks on this list focus on the needs of the students, but teachers need their flowers, too! And if your desk is overrun with paper, books, confiscated cell phones, and enough arts and crafts products to stock a Hobby Lobby, then we're going to go ahead and assume that untidy cables could be enough to push you over the edge. There's a teacher hack for that, though.
The easiest and cheapest way to tidy your cables is to clip binder clips to the back of your desk. You can then clip your cables in place so they're still easily reachable.
Create a Full Set of Markers
Markers are like gold dust in schools. At the start of the school year, you'll have a whole drawer full of brand-new markers complete with lids and tips. But by the end of the school year, the only thing left in that same drawer is a rogue lid that seemed to appear out of nowhere. However, there is a way to make this marker game easier - and all you need is a roll of tape from the dollar store.
By sticking together one of each color, you can craft a whole marker set for each child to use. The lids won't go missing, the red won't be lost forever, and it's even more fun for the kids.
Organize Glitter in Salt and Pepper Shakers
Hands up if glitter is your worst enemy? Yes, glitter is the bane of most teacher's existences, as this stuff gets in every nook and cranny of the classroom, the different colors get mixed together, and the whole things just incredibly messy. But one of the best teacher hacks you'll ever see is putting glitter into salt and pepper shakers. Not only does it limit the chances of mingling glitter, but it also limits the chances of messy students.
Whenever the kids want to use glitter, they can just shake the salt and pepper shakers on top of their work and watch the glitter fall! It really is as simple as that.
Organize Headphones in a Compartmentalized Case
While some teachers have no use for headphones in their classrooms, some teachers use them on a regular basis. But these lessons aren't an excuse for kids to whip out their AirPods or their giant Beats by Dre. Instead, they need to use school-approved headphones - which are very easily tangled or lost completely. You can very easily organize these earbuds using a compartmented case from the dollar store, though.
By storing them in their own individual compartments, you can ensure that they don't get tangled together, and you can keep track of which headphones have been returned and which are still missing.
Add Letter Trays to the Bottom of Chairs
Students often use their books and their backpacks to hide the fact that they're texting on their phones or doodling in their notebooks. But what if they didn't have anything on their desks at all? Although some teachers ask their students to put their belongings on the floor, this can be a trip hazard. An easier (and safer) way to clear their desks is to attach letter trays to the bottom of their chairs.
This way, their belongings are still nearby, but they're not taking up any valuable space. Plus, you can pick these up super cheap from the dollar store, so you don't have to spend a fortune.
Hang Tote Bags as Cubbies
Most schools and classrooms are seriously lacking in storage, which means your classroom can look messy, untidy, and full-to-the-brim with stuff. You don't have to live like that, though. If you take a trip to the dollar store, you can bring to life a teacher hack that will give you more storage when you have none. And this involves some totes with handles that can be hung from the wall.
Using vertical space rather than floor space is a great way to add more storage without taking up extra room, and you can use these totes as cubbies for yourself or your students.
Cut Notebooks in Half
As a teacher, you've probably ordered or bought more notebooks than you can count. But how many of those notebooks have actually been used? It seems like such a waste when these half-empty notebooks are thrown in the trash at the end of the year, which is why you might want to consider cutting them in half. By doing this, you can turn one notebook into two notebooks for two different kids!
Of course, this might not work if you're teaching classes that require a lot of writing and classwork. But if you teach younger kids who don't write a lot in their first few years of this, this teacher hack could work perfectly for you.
Remove Permanent Marker With a Dry-Erase Marker
Every school has whiteboards, and while some schools are becoming more and more technologically advanced, we don't think that whiteboards and markers will ever go out of style. But have you ever accidentally written something on the board with a permanent marker? Or has one of your students ever tried to draw something rude on your board with a permanent marker? You may have thought that permanent marker was, well, permanent! But that's not the case.
A teacher hack every teacher needs to know is that you can remove permanent marker by writing over the writer with a dry-erase marker. When you wipe over the words again, it should go in an instant.
Add Pom-Poms to Dry-Erase Markers and Use Them as Erasers
If you regularly hand out dry-erase markers, you're very brave. These things aren't as cheap as pencils or normal pens, but they seem to constantly go missing - meaning you have to foot the bill to replace them. But what if we told you that there was a very cheap way to keep track of their whereabouts? And all you need to do is buy some colored pom-poms from the dollar store.
By adding these pom-poms to the markers, you'll always know which markers are yours - especially when they end up on the sports field. Plus, they look a lot cooler like this!
Turn Hand Sanitizer Bottles Into Hall Passes
Are you always getting sick? Are your students always getting sick? Having hand sanitizer in your classroom is one of the best ways to ensure that the spread of germs is limited, but you could also take this one step further by turning your hand sanitizer bottles into hand sanitizer. This way, you'll know that your students aren't harboring germs even if they forget to wash their hands in the sink after using the bathroom.
You don't need to do anything fancy to do this, either. Simply print off a label and stick it to the hand sanitizer bottle. Then, you can keep it on your desk for when it's needed.
Switch Glue Sticks for Glue Sponges
You probably don't need us to tell you that glue sticks are a nightmare in the classroom. Kids throw them around the room, remove the lids and hide them somewhere only they know, and they dry out quicker than you can say 'sticky.' But if you're looking to solve this problem and add some arts and crafts to your lessons, this teacher hack will definitely save the day. In fact, it's pretty awesome.
By lining a Tupperware pot with liquid glue, you can then top it with a sponge. When the kids want to use it, all they need to do is press the thing they want to stick onto the sponge and then lift it back up!
Turn Book Bins Into Student Mailboxes
Oftentimes, students can just feel like a number. They're just another student in the class, and they don't have much of a school identity. But giving them somewhere that's completely their own can help that - and you can make that happen! If you buy some book bins from the dollar store, you can then personalize them so that every single child in your class has their very own mailbox.
You can return their homework in these bins, you can recommend reading books to them, or you could just fill them with motivational words of encouragement to help them through their day.
Use Bubble Wrap to Teach Letters
If you teach young children, you may be tasked with teaching them to read - and this is a big job! Some kids pick this up quicker than others, and some teachers can feel like they're letting their children down when they don't get it right away. But it's important to remember that children learn in very different ways, and you may need to get some arts and crafts involved for some kids to pick it up.
In fact, using bubble wrap is a great teacher hack. By writing words on this bubble wrap, you can then get the kids to trace the letters and pop the bubbles at the same time.
Organize Your Pencils in Buckets
If you head to the dollar store, you won't have to wander too far until you come across a child's bucket and spade set. So, why not add a few of them to your shopping cart? If you ditch the spades and keep the buckets, you can use them to your advantage in your classroom. This is especially important if you're constantly having to deal with dull pencils that need to be sharpened.
By organizing your pencils into 'Sharp' and 'Dull' buckets, you can really keep track of which pencils need to be sharpened and which ones are ready to be borrowed - or stolen!
Make Your Own Board Eraser Mitts
You don't need to be highly skilled in arts and crafts and DIY to make these board eraser mitts. All you need to do is buy some large microfiber cloths from the dollar store and cut them up into smaller pieces. Then, stitch up three of the edges so that you're left with a pocket that you can put your hand into. This will be super cheap, but also super effective.
If you have a load of these handy at the start of the term, we guarantee that they'll last you until the end of the school year. Plus, you have the bonus of knowing that you made them yourself.
Organise Your School Supplies in a Caddy
When you think of a shower caddy, you might think of cheap motels or college dorms. And while it may have been a while since you bought a shower caddy from the dollar store, you might want to add it to your shopping list. That's because shower caddies can be a great way to organize your school supplies, from stationery and calculators to midday snacks and a spare pair of glasses.
With their handles, these caddies can be taken from classroom to classroom and then taken from the staff room to your car and back to your home. They'll just make your life so much easier.
Add a Personal Touch to Pencils
On a daily basis, how many pencils do you hand out? There's a high chance that you've lost count of the amount of pencils you've lost to the tiny little hands of children. And while that's part and parcel of the job, have you ever considered adding a personal touch to these pencils? This DIY dollar store hack is super easy to recreate in the classroom, and you'll just need some pencils, paper, and tape.
You can then write personalized messages onto the paper and stick it onto the pencils with the tape. Alternatively, you could just write, 'PROPERTY OF MRS. SMITH - PLEASE RETURN.'
Clean Your Whiteboards With Toothpaste
As a teacher, there's nothing more annoying than a whiteboard that's not longer white. The stains can be extremely irritating and ruin your lessons, and you might assume that there's no way to solve it. But there's a teacher hack for that - and it involves some toothpaste! Of course, you can pick this up very cheaply at the dollar store, and all you need to do is wipe it over your whiteboard with a cloth.
The mildly abrasive nature of this toothpaste should be able to cut through the stains. But if that doesn't work, you could also try a mixture of water and white vinegar.
Teach Fractions With Paper Plates
Most kids don't like math, and the idea of learning fractions can often send them to sleep! But if you're looking for a way to teach fractions while still keeping your students engaged, you might want to head to the dollar store and buy a few packets of paper plates. With these in tow, you can create your own DIY fractions that are full of colors and visual, mathematical representations.
Using visual aids like this can really help some students, and they're super easy to bring to life. You'll just need some scissors and, ideally, different colored plates to differentiate between the sections.
Store Scissors in the Bottom of a Crate
If you have a spare crate lying around your classroom, you may have asked the janitor to throw it in the trash for you. But you might want to rescind that request, as crates can be extremely useful - especially if your students love their arts and crafts. In fact, if you turn a crate upside-down, it serves as the perfect storage solution for your scissors. This means that you'll be less likely to lose them!
Of course, you should always store the scissors upside-down, too, to avoid any unwelcome injuries. But when you've done that, you can decorate the crate however you and your students would like.
Craft Stick Name Puzzles
One of the first things children learn in terms of their alphabet is the letters of their names, and being able to spell their names is super important. But if you're struggling with some of your students, you might be interested in learning about this teacher hack. By using popsicle sticks, a picture of the child, and some glue, you can help them learn to spell their names in no time.
If you break apart these popsicle sticks and then ask your students to spell their names, it'll be both fun and enriching for them. And we bet it will be for you, too!
Create a DIY Whack-A-Mole
Having trouble getting your kids engaged in math? We don't blame you. Math is often the most-hated subject among students, and they believe it to be incredibly boring. But it doesn't have to be that way! By whipping out your arts and crafts skills and making your own DIY Whack-A-Mole, you can make math fun again. To do this, you'll need an old shoebox, scissors, ping pong balls, and a small hammer.
The aim of this game is for students to whack through the ping pong balls to answer the questions. So, in this instance, they'd whack down the balls until there were just five left.
Create Math Facts Name Tags
When you think of name tags like this, you probably think of speed dating or awkward high school reunions. Of course, you're not going to make your kids do anything like that - but you can head to the dollar store and buy these tags to make math more fun for them. Instead of getting them to write their names, you could get them to write a mathematical equation on there.
Then, get the class to wander around the room, solving each other's problems! This will take the pressure out of math, and make the whole thing more engaging for everyone in the class.
Use Lego to Build Brick Letters
Kids develop at their own pace, but it's down to their teachers to keep them on track and help them in any way possible. So, if you have a kid that struggles with reading and writing in your class, you could help them by adding some LEGO bricks to your dollar store cart. But you're not doing the building... the kids are! In fact, all you need to do is print off some letter cards.
You should then ask the children to build the letters using the building bricks to get them more familiar with the shapes and sounds of these letters. It's also super fun for them.
Stock up on Tidy Tubs
As a teacher, you should already be pretty familiar with Tidy Tubs. After all, these things have gone viral on social media, and it seems as though teachers from around the globe want to stock up on these things. And you can! Although legitimate Tidy Tubs are a little more expensive, you can pick up cheaper alternatives at the dollar store - and they can be used in so many different ways.
You could use them to store your stationery, you could give your students their own tub for their belongings, or you could use it as a way to keep the classroom tidy. The options are endless.
Make Glue Caps Harder to Lose
Pens and glue sticks are notoriously hard to maintain in a school. Anything piece of stationery that comes with a separate lid is just asking to be lost, and that's often the case with glue sticks. Of course, losing the cap quickly renders the glue stick useless - as it'll quickly dry out and need to be thrown in the trash. But this teacher hack will ensure that you never have to throw a glue stick out again.
By using cheap adhesive colored dots from the dollar store, you can label glue sticks and keep track of everything that's coming and going. Plus, they'll be much easier to spot.
Play Math Facts War
Struggling to get your kids into math? You're not alone. Getting kids interested in learning math can be hard when you're just writing numbers down on a board and expecting them to understand. There are so many DIY games you make to make math fun, though. And one of our favorite games in Math Facts War. To play this game, remove all of the face cards and keep all of the number cards.
Then, get the kids to decide on a mathematical operation to practice (division, for example) and get them to turn two of their cards face-up. The student with the highest number wins everyone else's cards!
Buy Duct Tape to Cover Notebooks
Students conveniently lose their notebooks on a regular basis, and it can feel like you're constantly handing out new notebooks to the same few students who just don't take any care of their belongings. But that's normally because they don't have any emotional attachment to their notebooks - and that's exactly where you can come in. In fact, that's exactly why you need to take a trip to the dollar store and buy patterned duct tape.
With this in tow, you can get students to choose the pattern and color of their choice and then cover their notebooks with this tape. It'll make it more personal, and harder to lose.
Polish Stainless Steel With Dryer Sheets
Do you have a sink in your classroom? Whether you use it to clean up after arts and crafts or you just like to encourage cleanliness and clean hands, it's also your duty to keep this sink clean. But if you've tried every DIY sink cleaning option in the book and still have scuffs and stains, you might want to consider buying some dryer sheets. If you can, opt for unscented ones.
By rubbing a dryer sheet over the stainless steel sink, you can instantly lift off dirty fingerprints and give it that extra shine it desperately needs. Plus, it's a super cheap hack.
Stack Plastic Cups
Go into any dollar store, and you'll find rows upon rows of plastic cups. And while these cups are normally red in color, you can opt for any color you like for this teacher hack. That's because you won't be drinking out of them - you'll be getting your students to stack them as part of an educational game instead. To do this, write some math facts on paper and stick them to the cups.
You should then get the students to stack the cups and solve the math problems as they go. This is a great way to get students involved in math - even if they're not fans of the subject.
Use Dice to Make a Math Game
Next time you head to the dollar store, you might want to stock up on some dice. These small rectangles can instantly turn the most boring math lesson into the world into the most fun math lesson in the world, and that's because you can DIY your own roll-and-write numbers game. The aim of this game is to get the kids to roll the dice and then complete sums based on those numbers.
This cheap teacher hack is extremely effective and one of the best ways to get kids engaged in using their minds and working out these sums in their heads. So, give it a go!