Amazon can be very convenient. Sometimes too convenient. Like you order things without even thinking twice because you can.
Over the years I have tried to limit my consumer purchases. What do we really need? We are at a point in society where just thinking about the possibility of wanting a new item means buying it and having it with little to no friction. Sometimes I watch videos of teachers setting up their classrooms, particularly new teachers, and see all the things they are buying and wondering if we’ve all gone crazy?! Do we really need all this stuff? How long will this purchased item last? WIll I use it for years and years or is it just a novelty that will wear off soon after purchasing? Don’t get me wrong, I love decorating my classroom. I’m not afraid of making a purchase that’s warranted and that will actually add value, whether in my classroom, or at home, but there is a line. So please, consume responsibly and only purchase what you actually need!
Now that the 2025-2026 school year has concluded, it’s time to slow down and do a little planning for next year – just thinking about it a little bit, it’s too early for real hard-core planning, plus I don’t officially know what classes I’m teaching yet.
Since Prime Day starts today, I did want to share some things that I use regularly in my classroom that I prefer to purchase on Amazon, either because they are hard to find elsewhere or I can get a good deal there. Many of the supplies I use in my classroom come from Walmart and Target when they have their back to school sales (which haven’t started yet so I know there’s still time to enjoy summer), but there are still a number of things I use from Amazon.
I hope this list is helpful in setting up or restocking your classroom. I’m noticing more and more knock-offs of quality educational materials online and I hope this list will help you find more appropriate quality resources. And I hope you can score some deals and save money because we could all use that in today’s economy!
Consumable School Supplies for Student Use
While I expect students to come to school with their own supplies, I find it helpful to have a stock of certain supplies that we use frequently in the classroom. I don’t want lack of materials to be a barrier to the lesson for any student. Below are the supplies I purchase on Amazon most frequently.
Amazon Basics or Elmer’s Glue Sticks
Using interactive notebooks in my classroom, we go through a lot of glue sticks. I have both glue sticks and white glue available in my classroom based on student preference. Bulk packs of glue sticks tend to be a better deal on Amazon (when they have deals, like they do for Prime Day!) than at local stores during back to school sales, but I always price check. And while Elmer’s does tend to hold up better than other brands, I haven’t noticed a significant difference in things falling out of notebooks. It usually has more to do with how things are applied than the glue itself. I also do buy the 1 Gallon Refill for the Elmer’s White School Glue and that lasts a long time.
Extra Fine Point Dry Erase Markers
I buy plenty of dry erase markers for my classroom. I do use the traditional chisel tip markers for the whiteboard and students sometimes use those, but I keep a classroom set of extra fine point markers for writing on individual student whiteboards or dry erase pockets and the things I use these for really work best with the ultra fine point markers (even the fine point is often too thick).
Consumable Teacher Supplies
Paper
Some schools have a wide variety of copy paper in the copy room and some don’t. I really like Astrobrights cardstock (in Classic, Bright, Happy, or ECO) for my self assessment cards and numerous activities throughout the year. Astrobrights paper (in Classic or Brilliant Assortment) comes in handy for interactive notebook tabs, critical notes that I want to highlight, cover pages for packets, as well as activities that don’t need to be as durable as cardstock.
Laminating Sheets
I think this is self explanatory. This brand is a great value and the 200 pack has lasted since 2020!
Teaching Aides
These are tools that I use to teach or explain math concepts. If your school gives you any budget for purchasing items for your classroom, definitely use it for these before spending your own funds.
IPEVO Document Camera
I have used a few document cameras over my career. The IPEVO ones are the most affordable while still having good video quality and being easy to use. At school, I have an older version of this one, but I know the IPEVO document cameras are great. As a teacher that teaches in multiple classrooms, the portability of these cameras are a definite plus. Great for live projecting notes and worksheets or math manipulatives as well as recording videos. As a teacher who uses both interactive notebooks and scaffolded note packets, I find being able to project exactly what I am doing in my notes very helpful for students.
Magnetic Dry-Erase Coordinate Grid
The one I use in my classroom did not come with counters, but this one does. I only have a whiteboard in my classroom. While I often do most of my graphing on paper or calculator using the document camera.
Geometric Solids – 10 Piece Set
I use these daily during our Area and Volume unit. Having the 3D visual really helps students understand the concepts better when breaking down the parts of these solids. We also make geometric solids out of printable nets that students cut and glue together but these plastic shapes are much more durable and easier to grab for quick reference.
Geometric Volume Shapes
The link above is for the Learning Resources version of the volume set. There are 14 solids that you can fill to compare volume in the solid and then derive the formula for volume. These are a little on the small side. I actually prefer this set from EAI. Even though I purchased it from Amazon it seems to be no longer available there.
What Amazon classroom purchases do you recommend?