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7 Must-Have Special Education Teacher Bag Essentials

13th January 2022

Special education teachers need various types of tools while teaching children with various special needs. They have to come across different challenges in their classrooms. Between home and school, SEN teachers have to carry back and forth many things. Even though there are a few challenges, teaching children with special needs is a rewarding career itself!

So, what are the essential things for special ed teachers that they have to carry?

We have narrowed it down!

Essential Supplies for Special Education Teachers

Here are 7 great items every SEN teacher should have in their bags ---
 

1. Visuals
   
   While teaching children with various special needs, visuals are almost a lifeline! Visual cues have been accepted to be a big success with special needs students into their general education classrooms. Visuals help special students to express their thoughts.  If executed properly, visual supports will let learners with special needs access to the wide-ranging education curriculum. This will also help immensely with the inclusion development.
    
2. Cash
   
   Certainly, cash is one of the most important things that everybody has to carry, right? Save yourself the disturbance of having to track down cash every time you have to chip. Carrying minimum cash is the easy way to make sure you’re always ready.
    
3. Reader Trackers
   
   Students with learning disabilities or students with attention difficulties generally struggle to maintain track of the words they are reading. They frequently skip lines which critically affects their reading precision and hampers their understanding. Try using highlighter strips or reader trackers as a tactic to keep them focused.
    
4. Manipulatives
    

   In special education teaching, hands-on manipulatives are a critical learning tool. Manipulatives support to make an intangible idea a tangible concept. Learners can physically explore a math problem to reach a solution, for example. This will transform their mode of thinking from a simple practical understanding to a more theoretical understanding. Some of the basic manipulatives include - Mini erasers, Magnetic letters and numbers, Teddy counters and so on.

5. First Aid Supplies
   
   This is top 5 essential items for any teacher. We are sure, there’s not a single person who hasn’t needed a bandaid at some point during the school year. From a small papercut from handing out assignments to a headache, there will certainly come a time you'll need these. Carrying a few supplies along with emergency meds into your teacher bag is an easy way to know you’re always set.

6. Sensory Resources
   
   Another must-have item in your bag! Some of the essential sensory resources are - Liquid timers, Sequin message board, Resistance bands, Stretchy string toy, Rainbow teether, Touch and match board and so on.

7. Craft Supplies
   
   You need to have a range of craft supplies. Here are the basics that you will need –

• Pompoms
• Card
• Feathers
• Googly eyes
• Pipe cleaners
• Paint
• Crayons
• Pencils
• Felts
• Stamps

Use them well but also to keep it organised.

So, we can see there are quite a lot of essential things that a special education teacher has to carry right? That’s why the great teacher bags are also very important.

We recommend these bags that are the best for special ed teachers ---
 

• Jansport backpacks
• Vera Bradley bags
• Lands’ End bags
• Under Armour backpacks
• Thirty One Large Utility Tote
• Extra Large Travel Laptop Backpack

Now, after knowing all the essential supplies and bag-options, here we have shared a few more necessary items in general ---
 

• A Protein Bar/Shake/ Emergency Chocolate
• A Spare Spoon
• Hair Bands
• Hand Sanitizer
• Personal Care Supplies
• Personal organizer/calendar
• Lunch bag
• Tissues

The Bottom Line

These are things that we have found to be the most helpful and beneficial for special education teachers. If you are planning to teach children with special needs, SEN Teacher Training program is the best career move for you. We hope these things will be super helpful for you too.

If you found this blog post really helpful, please consider sharing this!
 

Written By: Aditi Ghose