25 Favorite Things From WeAreTeachers Readers This Week

From Wordle in the classroom to Flair pen deals, what we’re loving this week.

Collage of products and articles loved by teachers

Whether you’re hoping to snag some inexpensive classroom rewards, find fun and easy lessons inspiration, have a laugh or vent frustrations, download free resources, or add some supplies to your wish list, you can count on your fellow teachers to have the best tips. To make things easier, we’ve gathered up all the articles and deals WeAreTeachers readers loved the most this week.

See something you love, but it’s not in your classroom budget? Check out our tips for setting up a DonorsChoose project or an Amazon wish list.

(Note: WeAreTeachers may collect a small portion of the profit from links within this article. We only showcase items we love!)

The Condescending Absurdity of Posting a Year’s Worth of Lessons

Posting a Year's Worth of Lessons

Legislation like Indiana’s Bill 1134, which requires teachers to post their lesson plans for an entire year, shows no awareness of the reality of teaching. Unfortunately, it’s one of many similar bills currently on the table across the country.

Armbrust Mask Sampler Kit

Armbrust Mask Sampler

Take a look at our recent review of this sampler pack to see how real teachers felt about trying out the different types of masks and which ones they each liked the most.

Assistant Principal Calls Out Teacher Salaries Lower Than Chipotle’s

ADVERTISEMENT

Screenshots showing starting teacher salary vs. Chipotle starting salary

A North Carolina assistant principal shared a post comparing starting salaries for educators in his state to those at Chipotle—and to say it struck a nerve is an understatement.

7 Teacher Ideas for Supporting Students Who Aren’t Doing Any Work at All

A student raising their hand amidst a lot of missing and late school work.

Penalizing students who aren’t doing any work doesn’t solve the problem. There are other ways we can help.

34 Black History Month Activities for February and Beyond

Black history is American history, but Black History Month provides the necessary opportunity to dig deeper. Honor our shared history with activities.

Molly, by Golly!: The Legend of Molly Williams, America’s First Female Firefighter 

Cover of Molly, by Golly book

Molly Williams’ brave story as a cook who volunteered to help the New York City Fire Company tackle a snowstorm in the 1800s is one of our favorite Black History Month books for kids.

Love from the Crayons

Cover of 'Love from the Crayons' book

There’s still some time to snag lovely Valentine’s Day books like this story from the beloved Crayons series before the sweet holiday arrives.

55 Easy Science Experiments Using Materials You Already Have On Hand

Collage of Easy Science Experiments

These activities are all easy enough for anyone to try, and you probably already have all the materials you need on hand.

High School Teachers Are Tweeting How Their Students Roast Them and We Can’t Stop Laughing

Tweet of high school students making fun of teachers

Teens aren’t one to pull the punches, and don’t we teachers know it! Some students make fun of teachers behind their backs, but some do it openly.

30 Piece Mini Pop It Fidget Toys

Multicolor mini-fidget pop toy keychains

These fun little pop it toys make great classroom rewards or inexpensive gifts for students.

ZNNCO Push Pop Fidget Toy Fidget Bracelet

Collage of pop it fidget bracelets

These wearable pop it fidgets are a creative twist on the toys. Psst: Have you checked out fidget rings, a more stylish grown up option for us adults?

34 Black History Videos for Students in Every Grade Level

Collage of video stills from videos for Black History Month

At times, we’ve all navigated conversations about racial injustice, but it’s more important than ever to dig deep and be the leader our communities deserve.

Tropical Vacation Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens

Pack of assorted color flair pens

You just can’t beat these classic teacher pen favorites—especially considering they’re on sale right now!

PILOT FriXion Fineliner Erasable Marker Pens

Multicolor pack of Frixion erasable markers

Several members of our WeAreTeachers Helpline and Deals Facebook groups say they love these more than the classic Flair Pens.

Ticonderoga Assorted Color Striped Wood-Cased Pencils

Colorful pack of Ticonderoga pencils

We love this colorful spin on the long-favored brand of trusty #2s!

School Districts Are Trying to Ban More Books. People are Fighting Back One Judy Blume Tweet at a Time.

Judy Blume Tweet

Twitter users soon realized Judy Blume was trending this week because two of her classics, “Blubber” and “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret,” are just two of the 850 “divisive” books a Texas representative is attempting to ban from school libraries.

Milliard Reading Pillow

Milliard reading pillow

This cozy pillow is a perfect addition to any classroom reading nook or flexible seating options—and it’s on sale.

SadoTech Wireless Doorbells

SadoTech Wireless Doorbell

Who knew these could be so helpful in the classroom? Take a look at all the clever ways teachers are using doorbells before adding this popular one to your cart!

X-ACTO School Pro Electric Pencil Sharpener

X-ACTO School Pro Electric Pencil Sharpener

A reliable pencil sharpener can make a huge difference in the classroom. This 5-star, budget-friendly option has more than 30,000 happy customers saying it stands up to hundreds of pencils a day and works quietly.

IPEVO VZ-X Wireless 8MP Document Camera

IPEVO VZ-X Wireless Document Camera

This is a popular choice when it comes to the best document cameras for teachers. One glowing review said, “I use my IPEVO doc camera along with my projector every day during my science classes. It is 3 years old and still going strong. I’ve even recorded videos with it for Google Classroom.”

How Teachers Are Bringing the Magic of Wordle Into Their Classrooms

How Teachers Are Bringing the Magic of Wordle Into Their Classrooms

Have you caught the Wordle bug yet? We asked teachers to share how they’re using it in the classroom!

33+ Awesome Team-Building Games and Activities for Kids

Best team-building games for the classroom.

Team-building games and activities are a fun way to help students learn to work together, listen carefully, communicate clearly, and think creatively.

Adidas Running Puremotion

adidas Puremotion running sneakers

Sneakers are an understandably popular choice when it comes to finding comfy teacher shoes, especially when they’re cute staple styles like these.

Allbirds Women’s Wool Runners

Allbirds Women's Wool Runners in gray

According to a teacher’s in-class review of Allbirds, this brand can make it feel like you’re walking on clouds even on the longest teaching days.

UGG Rianne Low

UGG Rianne booties

UGG has a ton of cute options like these stylish booties that are just as comfortable as their classic boots.

Did we miss your favorite product or freebie from this week? Share with us, and find more awesome products in our WeAreTeachers Deals group on Facebook.

Want more shopping content? Subscribe to our newsletter to get it sent directly to your inbox.