[00:00:20] ellie: So Brittany, let's be honest, many middle schoolers are not known for their organizational instincts. Pencils disappear into the void, notebooks get left in lockers for weeks, and nobody knows where the glue sticks went.

[00:00:35] brittany: Yeah, they are not, which is exactly why organizing supplies isn't just about making your classroom look nice. It's about creating systems that keep learning moving and cut down on the daily chaos.

[00:00:49] ellie: I love cutting down on the chaos, but I do wanna say for those listeners who have middle school students of their own, parents, and they have middle school students, and those students are organized, we love them because there are some gems out there who are very organized and they're so appreciated.

[00:01:05] brittany: Yes, yes.

[00:01:07] ellie: Welcome to the Teaching Toolbox podcast. Today we're diving into a quick supply survival episode. What you actually need from middle school students, how to store it all without losing your mind, and how to make it work, whether students stay in your room or rotate between classes.

[00:01:23] brittany: As we often do, let's start with the why, because some teachers skip supply systems altogether and just hope for the best.

[00:01:32] ellie: Yeah, I guess that's true. Maybe when you're first starting out, it's something you don't think about. I don't know if I really did. I can't remember. It's been a long time. You're more concerned with the curriculum and like what you're teaching and the actual lessons and the worksheets and activities and all of that.

[00:01:49] But organized supplies can lead to smoother transitions, less downtime, and fewer behavioral issues. Plus you spend less time hearing, I don't have a pencil.

[00:02:00] brittany: Yes. We did a whole episode about the pencil dilemma. That was episode 17, and we'll link that in the show notes.

[00:02:07] ellie: Mm-hmm.

[00:02:09] brittany: Organized supplies though also give students independence. When they know precisely where to find what they need they don't have to interrupt you or their classmates or sometimes feel silly or stupid.

[00:02:23] ellie: And organized supplies can actually cut back on waste. When materials are easy to access and track, things get lost or broken way less often, or we don't have to go out and buy more because we can't find what we already own.

[00:02:39] brittany: Also, let's not forget the vibe of organization. A well organized supply system just makes your room feel calmer and more structured. Decluttering and organizing have been shown to reduce stress and induce calm, which helps everyone, especially students with executive functioning challenges.

[00:03:02] ellie: Okay, so we know why we're gonna organize our supplies, so we're gonna do that. But what supplies are we talking about that are actually worth organizing? Middle schoolers don't need everything from the elementary list, but they definitely need some things.

[00:03:17] brittany: Yeah, you'll want some of the usual suspects like pencils, erasers, dry erase markers, highlighters, and lined paper. I think even scissors and glue sticks are debatable whether kids need them or not, though it depends on the class.

[00:03:31] ellie: Mm-hmm. Yeah. It depends on if you're gonna be doing interactive notebooks or things like that, that , might be using those for.

[00:03:38] post-its and index cards are super handy for group work, quick responses or review games. And then basic calculators for math class. Sometimes we had students bring them, but we usually provided some. And after experimenting with different organizational systems,

[00:03:54] I kept them in one of those shoe holders on the closet door and they had numbers on each one so that, uh, they would be returned. But we'll get more into that how part of organizing in a minute.

[00:04:08] brittany: For community use, you might keep color pencils, rulers, tape, maybe those glue sticks and scissors, and a few extra notebooks or folders for students who forget or lose theirs.

[00:04:20] ellie: And if you do use interactive notebooks or other hands-on activities, you can think about bins for glue, sponges, envelopes, and yarn even.

[00:04:29] brittany: And if you're departmentalized, you may want smaller sets of supplies at each station or table so students don't have to carry everything from class to class.

[00:04:40] ellie: Mm-hmm. I did that.

[00:04:41] brittany: Now for the fun part, how to actually store it all without ending up with a junk drawer of doom.

[00:04:50] ellie: So one idea is kind of like we said, is to sort supplies by table or group. You can use small bins or caddies that just stay put. So students always know it's available, they don't have to get up and go across the room to get it. It's right there at their table or at their group.

[00:05:05] brittany: You could also set up a self-serve station. Just label everything clearly and include a spot for returns. That way students borrow and return without needing to ask.

[00:05:17] ellie: Mm-hmm. Things like pencils and dry erase markers that constantly vanish, you can use sign out systems or pencil rentals where students like leave a shoe or their ID card and return it later on.

[00:05:32] brittany: Vertical storage is underrated. Over the door shoe organizers like Ellie's calculators or magnetic bins on the board, save space and keep supplies visible, but out of the way.

[00:05:45] ellie: I actually put my task cards in one of those too. I had like all of my task cards in the shoe organizer for a couple years. and don't underestimate student jobs. You could have a weekly supply manager who restocks the bins or tidies the supply zone. It gives them ownership and it saves you time.

[00:06:04] brittany: Also label everything. Seriously. Even if you think it's obvious, the labels will help students to stay accountable and keep the system running. They also remind students to return things, they remind other kids to remind students to return things, and they say to people who find them on the floor, oh, this belongs to Mr.

[00:06:27] Davis or Ms. Radavatree. A simple bit of washy tape, masking tape, sharpie marker, whatever will do, and you can be more creative with plastic spoons, flowers, or whatever your heart desires if you wish.

[00:06:41] ellie: yes, we had flowers once, flowers on the pens. That was fun. They never walked away. Organizing supplies might not be glamorous, but it's one of those behind the scenes things that makes your whole classroom run more smoothly. And it's a great summer night task.

[00:06:57] brittany: And the best part is you don't need fancy containers or a Pinterest perfect setup. You just need a system that students can follow and maintain.

[00:07:07] ellie: Yeah. Start with what you actually use, store it in a way students can access, test it out and make sure it works, and then make it part of your classroom routine.

[00:07:18] brittany: And if you're looking for ideas of what supplies you may need, I have an Amazon list of supplies that will be in the show notes. And if you're looking for those cute classroom labels, I have a resource with over 150, colorful and editable labels in five different sizes. I can also create additional labels if you find something I've missed.

[00:07:43] Check them out in the show notes.

[00:07:45] ellie: Awesome. I never had really cute labels. If you found an idea for your supply system today, send this episode to a teacher friend who is still deciding how to set theirs up.

[00:07:58] brittany: And we'd love to hear your favorite middle school supply hack. DM us on Instagram or leave a review so we can share your ideas with our community.