24 Awesome Teacher Hacks to Keep Your Classroom Under Control

Everything you need this year to make your life a little bit easier in the classroom. Because we can use all the help we can get!

1. Quiet Spray

Via: The Lemonade Stand Teacher

The quiet spray always works wonders. It brings a bit of mist and lots of smiles on your students’ faces!

2. The Tattle Phone

Via: Coyne’s Crazy Fun Classroom

Probably the best invention ever made. Kids report their tattle to the phone connected to the teacher’s private voicemail. Have the kids write their names on a piece of paper and dial the secret number for a fine motor exercise beforehand, and keep the kids in control at any time.

3. Pencils with motivational messages.

Via: Pernille Rippe

Great idea to remind your students every day they’ve got what it takes, and they can move mountains. Sharpies work perfectly on all pencils!

4. Wrap a rubber band or a hair tie on your hand sanitizer bottle.

Hand sanitizer with rubber band over dispensers it disperse a small amount each time

Via: A Turn to Learn

Avoid the mess!

5. Ouchie Lotion.

Via: Miss Giraffe’s Class

This works wonders in pre-k, kindergarten, and lower elementary classrooms. Simply stick an “Ouchie Lotion” label on a regular body lotion and watch the magic happen with any boo-boo.

6. Dry-erase circle vinyls on the tables to make learning fun!

Green dry-erase circle vinyls on desk for students to write on

Via: Kinder Keri – The Connected Teacher

7. Smart & fun way to appoint tasks to each student.

Via: Better Homes & Gardens

Write a different task/exercise on each ping-pong ball. Then let each student pick away!

8. Easy & cute pencils/pens/paintbrushes/dry erase markers/etc. organizer.

Toilet paper rolls creating compartments in show box for different types of pens & pencils

Via: Clutter-Free Classroom

All you need is a shoebox and toilet paper rolls! Find other cheap DIY hacks for the classroom here.

9. A no-name board.

No name sign, with clothespins hanging papers

Learn how to make it here: 3rd Grade Thoughts

You know, for all those papers that are turned in with no names on, no matter how many times you reminded them not to forget to write their names at the top!

10. A cell phone jail.

Via: School Counselor Central

Control the cell phone madness in your classroom. See more fun phone jail ideas here.

11. Colored numbered stickers on the floor.

Colored number stickers on floor for students to line up on

Via: Kleinspiration.com

Great way to get kids to line up without fighting, pushing and running everywhere.

12. Stay organized with these cute cheap DIY binder clip tabs!

Learn how to make these here: Literacy Loves Company

13. Plastic plates work just as well as mini whiteboards. Plus they’re much cheaper!

Plastic plates from Walmart work as dry erase boards

Via: Elementary Nest

14. Cheap stress relief for “those” moments in class.

Via: The Pin Junkie

Good for the students as much as the teacher!

15. Silent Sprinkles for those chatty kids!

Via: Learning Adventures With Mrs. Gerlach

Simply fill up a sugar shaker with rice to make sure nothing comes out of it, and watch your class quiet down in a second!

16. Easy & fun reading set-ups.

Chairs turned upside down on floor making little couch for students to read in

Via: Building a House of Love

Turn over chair and read! Find more reading corner ideas here.

17. Cool Down Cubes

Via: Crafty Counselor Chick

“Great for students who have difficulty with anger. Using a permanent marker, write a safe “cool down” strategy on each ice cube. For example, count to ten, walk away, talk to a friend, take three deep breaths, etc. Leave a few of the cubes blank so that the students could come up with their own strategies.”

18. I’m Lost Bin

Via: Miss Giraffe’s Class

“Students will have a place to put those things for the time being and not have to ask you about it. Then, you can look through it at your leisure to help put them away or make it a responsible students’ job.”