What's in my Bag: ESL Teacher Essentials

One of my big goals this year is to have systems that help everything run smoothly and give me peace of mind about having everything I need and everything organized. So, here are the things I always keep in my bag to make each class go smoothly!

Teaching Things:

Two USBs—I keep all my lessons, PowerPoints, videos, and extra materials on my USBs. I always use two, that way I have a backup. The computers at my school are super virusy. In case one USB stops working or in case I forget one in another classroom, I’m ready to go with my second USB. (Another tip: I always buy unique USBs. That way, in case I do forget it somewhere or let someone borrow it, I can always easily identify it again.)

Extra markers/chalk—I’ve learned not to rely on the markers or chalk in the classroom. Dry erase markers always dry out, someone forgets to put the cap back on, the chalk turns into nubs, or teachers steal them from classrooms for their own classroom. My school now uses white boards, but in the past, I bought a small box of chalk to carry with me. Now, I just throw an extra dry erase marker or two into my bag and always carry them home with me as well. 

Extra pens for students—Undoubtedly, a student will need a pen. Of course, they could ask their classmates, but each year, there are always a few special students. Sometimes these students don’t get along with classmates, sometimes they have social anxiety, or sometimes they’ve just transferred to the class and they don’t feel comfortable with their new classmates yet. I like knowing I can help them out, and still be able to take attendance with my own pen. (Another tip: I always buy cheap pens I wouldn’t mind losing. Students don’t always remember to return the pen!)

A pad of blank paper—This is one of the most important things in my bag! I’m always surprised how many students forget their textbooks or a notebook. Students know I always have extra paper for them to use, which means they never have an excuse to not participate in an activity! 

Schedule—Especially during the first few weeks of the semester, I always like to double-check my class time or class location. Usually I save this in the “Favorites” folder on my phone or set it as my phone background for easy access. 

Attendance sheets—For keeping attendance each class, obviously.

Highlighters—I use highlighters to code my attendance sheets to keep track of attendance and participation. I’ve written a full blog post about my system here if you’d like to hear more about it: 

Textbook—Can’t forget that!

Notebook—I always carry a very private notebook with me. This is mostly used to help me remember names. On the first day of class, I write down notes about what each person looks like. 

PPT Clicker-- I used to just use the keyboard to change the slides in my PowerPoint, but at my new school, the classrooms are giant. I knew I needed to bite the bullet and finally buy a clicker. And I should have done that a long time ago. It’s so nice not to have to think about changing slides. 

Playing cards—These are my secret weapon. I always keep them in my bag so I can whip them out any time there’s an exam or anytime I need to separate the class into teams for an activity or game. If you want to see more about how I use them for exams, I wrote out more details here: https://www.atlasteaching.com/classroom/conversationeslexamtips

Personal things: 

            Water bottle— Gotta stay hydrated.

Chapstick—When you talk for hours on end, things dry out, and no one wants to see chapped lips during a two-hour class.

            Face wipe—Being in the south of China, it gets pretty hot. I like to use a face wipe to feel more refreshed between classes.

            Hand sanitizer—Because COVID.

            Mints—In case we’re in close quarters, my students won’t have to suffer.