5 Ways Must-Have High School Teacher Supplies Make Your Day Easier

Stay organized & engage students

Finding the right high school teacher supplies is one of the keys to successful instruction. Not only can these tools help keep you organized, but they can also make lectures more dynamic, get students interested in learning and hold their attention throughout the class session.

At Walmart Business, we know that spare time is short and budgets are tight for teachers. This list will point you toward tools that can help set your classroom up for success.

Learn more about how Walmart Business can help you today.

5 ways the right high school teacher supplies can make class time better

1. Staying organized

Even in the digital world, paper remains a fixture in American education. Tests, worksheets and more pass through the classroom. As a teacher, you need ways to keep all those pages orderly.

One of the simplest but most effective high school teacher supplies is a reliable stapler and staples. Investing in a sturdy stapler is especially important if students will also use it, as they tend to treat tools more roughly.

Paper clips are more flexible, allowing you to reorganize stacks quickly. When storing sheets for the long haul, file folders and filing cabinets are affordable and space-efficient.

Filing cabinets can also store class materials other than paper in a pinch. Whether they hold drum practice pads for band class or safety gear for a science lab, you can use file organizers to keep them tidy.

Leading an organized class starts with an organized mind. Using a teacher planner gives you a place to design lessons, track progress and take notes on students. Look for one with a layout that fits your subject and schedule.

2. Executing the lesson plan

Whiteboards are a great way to help students focus on the day’s lesson. During lectures, you can use dry-erase markers to highlight key points, draw diagrams and outline charts to communicate your lesson. If you have a test coming up, you can prepare questions and have students answer them on the board.

Whiteboards also support classroom discussions. You or your students can take notes on the conversation to keep everyone on the same page. Use a timer to ensure discussions, labs and other activities run on schedule. That will help you cover everything you have planned for the day.

When activities end, try ringing a wireless doorbell to gently but firmly bring student attention back to you.

3. Keeping students engaged

Dynamic visuals can help keep students engaged with your lessons. To make your lectures more exciting to students, consider incorporating a projector into your lessons. Projectors are an effective way to display pictures, videos and slideshows for the whole class to see. Many even come with built-in speakers for playing audio.

Combining your projector with a slide clicker allows you to be more mobile as you deliver a presentation. You can stand at the board and lead the class, or wander the classroom to ensure students are paying attention. Add in a laser pointer to highlight presentation elements from across the room.

4. Incorporating technology

Students who receive laptops as part of their high school classroom supplies gain several advantages. For one, they can write and edit work more quickly and easily, which also allows for more comprehensive note-taking. Internet connectivity lets them access class materials anywhere and collaborate with remote classmates.

Tablets and styluses offer similar advantages to laptops, but are especially useful as art class tools because they allow for intuitive drawing and handwriting.

Research shows that these kinds of devices can boost student exam performance.

Technology can also upgrade your presentations. Interactive digital whiteboards come with many useful capabilities, from virtual rulers to live class polls. Investing in an interactive whiteboard can save on dry erase markers and erasers in the long term.

5. Decorating for success

Classroom decorations set the tone for what happens inside. As high school teacher supplies, they give you a chance to put students in the right head space for your lesson.

Light covers can soften harsh fluorescent lights and smooth out flickering, making the classroom a more pleasant environment. Many covers are easy to change out on the fly, whether you want a simple color change, a seasonal feel or a topic-appropriate design.

Posters related to your subject are an easy way to add life to your classroom. Social studies teachers can use maps, chemistry teachers have the periodic table and so on. Alternatively, hang student work on the walls to inspire your pupils and show them you care.

Finally, decor is an opportunity for you to express yourself. Students connect with teachers as much as they do subjects. If they know who you are, they’re more likely to trust you—and listen to your lessons. Consider hanging up simple printouts of funny, class-appropriate memes or comics related to your subject.

Get supplied for less with Walmart Business

If you need to stretch each dollar as far as it can go, Walmart Business can help. With a free account, you can browse thousands of high school teacher supplies at low prices. Spend more than $35 on an order and you can qualify for free shipping.¹

Want even more savings? Sign up for a Walmart Business+ membership. When you do, you’ll unlock free delivery from a nearby store on orders over $35,² plus 2% back in Walmart Rewards on orders over $250.³ All told, you could save over $500/year.⁴

Click here to start your membership.

How to save money while reducing office furniture waste

While buying sustainable and ethically-sourced office furniture may seem more expensive up front, there are a few ways to mitigate the cost to help you save money while procuring equipment responsibly.

Look at the long term

The easiest way to justify the cost of sustainability is to look at how much your business will likely pay for furniture over the long term. 

Sure, a cheap set of desks and chairs might be less expensive this fiscal quarter. However, if you’re buying new equipment every year to replace rapidly deteriorating furniture, your business might spend more money over several years than if you’d purchased long-lasting, sustainable furniture in the first place.

Be sure to do the math. Look at the average lifecycle of the furniture options you’re looking at, and price out how much it would cost to replace less sustainable options more frequently. You may find that sticking with the eco-friendly option is better for your bottom line.

Buy second-hand or refurbished

One of the best ways to save money is to avoid buying new products—and this is especially true for office furniture. 

While it’s tempting to shop for new chairs or desks to ensure you’re getting the longest lifespan out of your products, many second-hand options can be just as reliable and last as long as their brand-new counterparts. 

Look for office closeout sales or certified refurbished options right from the manufacturer to save money while keeping perfectly usable furniture out of the landfill. Plus, many certified refurbished options come with a manufacturer’s warranty, giving you peace of mind along with savings.

Find out how to equip your office with all the furniture essentials by reading Office Furniture for Sale: The Owner’s Guide to Furnishing Their Workspace.

Avoid “fast furniture” or easily-damaged materials

Just like the world of fashion, the furniture industry has its own chain of highly trendy yet cheaply produced products currently clogging the market. These “fast furniture” options sold for $4 billion between 2019 and 2021 but are being thrown out at a rate of 12 million tons each year. 

These products are not built to last. They’re often made of flimsy materials that degrade rapidly from use and are difficult to repair, making them candidates for the dump after just a few years. Not only is this furniture waste deeply impactful to the environment, but it’s also financially wasteful, forcing companies to spend more money to replace poorly constructed furniture sooner than they might have anticipated.

By sticking with elegant, durable, tried-and-true designs, you won’t need to spend a fortune replacing your office furniture every few years—and you’ll keep the environment healthy in the process.

Balancing sustainability & cost

Sustainability doesn’t always have to break the bank. By examining your current needs and planning for the future, you can find quality, eco-friendly furniture options that may even help you save money in the long run.

Looking for more resources to improve workplace harmony? Browse the Walmart Business content hub for marketing tips, financial guides and more.

For your other business needs, sign up for Walmart Business to get low prices and bulk buys on workplace must-haves. Already have an account? Take advantage of free delivery from your local Walmart store as fast as the same day on orders over $35 with a Walmart Business+ membership.¹

¹ Restrictions apply.