Amazon Prime for Teachers
If you’re like me, Amazon Prime is your go-to for almost everything. Why spend time going to a store and strolling the aisles in search of what you need? With Amazon, you can quickly locate what you need (and what you don’t need) and have it delivered to your home within 48 hours. But, Amazon not only makes personal shopping easy. Amazon Prime for teachers also makes classroom shopping a breeze.
In this post, I will share my favorite Amazon Prime deals for the classroom and ways Amazon is helping teachers.
*This post contains affiliate links.
Amazon Teaching Resources
When going to Amazon Prime for teachers, you can quickly and easily find many of the resources and tools needed for the classroom. Best of all, Amazon is typically cheaper than most teacher stores. Amazon Prime also offers free two-day shipping on most products. Here are my top Amazon Prime purchases for teachers and how I use them in my classroom
Individual Whiteboards
Without a doubt, my absolute favorite classroom tools are individual whiteboards. I use these for so much in my classroom. Here are just a few examples:
- During guided instruction, students write responses and complete activities on the individual whiteboards.
- During partner work, students write their answers on their individual whiteboards. Then, they swap boards and check each other’s work.
- For a form of formative assessment, play a game where you display questions on a SMART Board. Give students a limited amount of time to write their responses on an individual board or a team board. When time is up, students hold up their boards. Those with the correct answer earn points.
Individual whiteboards provide a new way to perform activities students often do every day. I have found that students are way more engaged when they can write responses on whiteboards.
Dry Erase Markers
If you have individual whiteboards, you also have to have something for students to write with. I use Expo markers. They can be purchased in a variety of colors. You may be wondering, “what about erasers?” Well, this is one area where you can save your money. I cut up old shirts and towels that I have lying around the house. Then, I have students use those as erasers.
Highlighters
Another type of marker I cannot live without in my classroom is a highlighter. As an upper elementary teacher, highlighters can be a handy tool for teaching math and ELA.
For math, I use highlighters to help students understand place value. Students can just highlight one place value when stacking numbers to solve a problem or can use different colors to highlight different place values.
For ELA, I use highlighters to help with test prep. I have trained my students to highlight certain things whenever they are given a passage to read. For example, they may highlight things such as the title, paragraph numbers, vocabulary, and text features. Highlighting these things makes it easier for them to answer comprehension questions.
Whatever subjects you teach, highlighters are a must for upper elementary!
Click here to find this Ruby Bridges passage and task cards.
Construction Paper
Anyone else like using things such as foldables and sorts to help students review information? If so, that means you will need lots of construction paper throughout the school year. I like to stock up on both the standard 9 x 12 construction paper as well as the larger 12 x 18 construction paper. Having both available opens the door for even more types of projects and foldables throughout the year!
Anchor Chart Paper
I often see the most beautiful teacher-created anchor charts on Pinterest and Instagram. Unfortunately, I am not artsy enough to create anchor charts like those, but anchor chart paper still serves a purpose in my classroom. I often use anchor chart paper during guided instruction for math and ELA. Having the notes for each group on anchor chart paper is helpful because I can pull those notes out for each group from day to day. If I write the notes on a whiteboard, they get erased and I can’t reuse them.
Pencils
As a teacher, you can never have too many pencils! I like to stock up at the beginning of the school year. I determine how many pencils I have and divide those by the number of weeks in the school year. Then, I only distribute the number of pencils I know I have available each week. Using this system, I never run out of pencils halfway through the year.
Amazon Prime Deals for Organization
When searching Amazon Prime for teachers, there are more than just tools that can be used as part of instruction. Amazon Prime also offers tools and resources to help with organization and planning.
Storage Bins
I am one of those strange people who loves to organize things. Seriously, I could spend all afternoon organizing an area of my classroom and have fun doing it! For this reason, I like organizational tools that make the planning process easy.
I always have at least two of these three drawer plastic storage containers in my classroom at all times. I label each drawer with a day of the week. Then, I put all the materials I need to teach for each day in the appropriate drawer. This could include things like worksheets, books, and/or materials I need for a center. This storage tool has made planning and organization so much easier in my classroom!
Photo Storage Boxes
Another organizational tool that I cannot live without
Click here to get these Fraction Word Problem Task Cards for free!
Magazine Holders
Not only is it important for teachers to stay organized, but it is also important for students to stay organized. I am a big believer that students should have time to read for fun each day. But, it is super frustrating when students waste that time “looking for a book to read.” To solve that problem, I have all students keep a book bin throughout the year. All book bins are stored in one area of the room. Each student must always have reading materials readily available in their book bins. You can learn more about how I use book bins in my classroom by reading my blog post, “Daily 5 for Upper Elementary.”
These magazine holders on Amazon Prime make the perfect book bins. They are inexpensive and do not take up much space in the classroom.
Large Binders
When I am planning my lessons, I try to think beyond the current school year. As I plan, I try to think of ways to organize my lesson plans and materials to make planning easier the following year. One way I have done this is by creating large binders for every subject. Each binder is divided into units using page dividers. Then, I fill each unit’s section with all the printed materials used to teach that unit. First, I put my lesson plans followed by all the worksheets I used with those lessons. I try to keep the worksheets in the correct order. The last pages of each section are any assessments I used.
I like to use binders that are at least 3 inches thick. Even though I buy large binders, some subjects still require multiple binders to fit all the materials. Since I have started using this organizational system, planning from year to year has gotten much easier.
Three-Hole Punch
If you decide the go the binder route for organizing your printed materials, you will also need a three-hole punch. I have found this to be one teaching tool that is worth spending a little more money on. When I have bought cheap hole punches, they usually break or are unable to punch through more than one piece of paper at a time. Eight years ago, I purchased a high-quality three-hole punch and it is still going strong!
Click here for fourth-grade morning work.
Click here for fifth-grade morning work.
Amazon Prime Devices for the Classroom
Amazon Prime for teachers also has LOTS of digital tools that are great for the classroom! Some of my favorite Amazon Prime deals are devices that simplify my life and make learning more fun for students.
Cricut
A Cricut is a DIY teacher’s dream! With a Cricut, you can cut out shapes and letters in a variety of fonts. Not only are the letters great for bulletin board displays, but you can also make all kinds of fun things for your classroom and students. Some of my favorites are:
- labels for bins and storage
- desk labels
- gifts for students
- classroom decorations
Laminator
At first, I was opposed to the idea of buying my own laminator. I didn’t understand the point of buying something that my school offered for free, especially when teachers already spend so much money out of pocket. But then, I became frustrated with having to wait weeks to get my materials back from the school’s laminator and I caved. A personal laminator isn’t able to laminate large posters and displays, but it does save a ton of time by allowing you to quickly laminate smaller materials and labels for the classroom.
Amazon Kindle
If you want tablets for your classroom, but can’t afford iPads, Amazon Kindles are a great option! The Kindle Fire allows students to read or listen to books. There are also lots of apps that can be downloaded to help students review skills they are learning in all subjects. This is a fun learning tool that students love!
Amazon Echo
Have you ever had this happen? A student asks you a question, but you do not know the answer. So, you tell the student you will look it up and let them know later. Sometimes, you actually remember to look it up after school. Other times, you completely forget and the student’s question never gets answered.
An easy solution to this problem is the Amazon Echo. The Amazon Echo is a voice command device. Ask it a question, and it will respond with the answer almost immediately. The device also has many other uses in the classroom. For example, you can use it as a timer or have it play music softly in the background while students work. The possibilities for the classroom with this device are endless!
Amazon Prime Teacher Discounts
Teachers spend a lot of their own money every year, so it is important to find all the best deals when making classroom purchases. While Amazon Prime already offers some of the lowest prices and free shipping on teaching resources, there are also a few other things teachers can take advantage of to save even more money.
- Free Reading Materials: In addition to free shipping, Amazon Prime also offers things like free books and magazines to members. The free book library features a wide variety of both picture books and novels that can be shared with students on a Kindle.
- Amazon eBooks for Education: With this program, teachers do not have to purchase individual copies of e-books for each Kindle in their classroom. Instead, one copy is purchased with a license to share the e-book across devices. Then, the e-book can be synced across all the devices being used in a classroom.
- Amazon Prime Student: Many teachers are pursuing additional degrees while they work. If you are a teacher and going to school, you are eligible for Amazon Prime Student. This program gives members six months of Amazon Prime for free. After the six months, members can continue with Amazon Prime at a discounted rate.
- Amazon Prime Free Trial: If you are not a student, you can still get at least one month for free by signing up for a free trial. With the trial, members receive 30 days for free. After the trial, members must pay the regular annual rate.
- Amazon Business for Education: If you are an administrator, make sure to sign up for an Amazon Business for Education account. With this, the school receives tax-exempt purchases, discounts on certain items, and free two-day shipping.
Conclusion
If you are a teacher, you need to be on Amazon Prime! Not only can you find almost anything you can think of for the classroom, but you can also find most of those items at a cheaper price than in stores. Amazon Prime for teachers also saves time, which is something teachers are lacking. I hope Amazon Prime deals and discounts help you to stock up your classroom and save money!
