Top 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers
Through 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic truly shifted the field of teaching into a completely new world. Like the rest of the world, it has had its challenges, with moving from the classroom to the home and learning a different teaching style along with it.
As an educator, teaching an entire classroom from a distance can be tricky, but online learning can also be revolutionary to a child’s ongoing development, as long as teachers can continue to inspire, interact and engage with their students, and develop their virtual classroom management strategies.
For a long time now, teachers have needed unique learning supplies (distanced or not), but have not always been provided with them. Since we are pretty much fully virtual now in our lessons, the need for virtual and as we go into a new world, physical supplies will be crucial for teachers to teach at a high level and engage kids from a distance.
Teachers sometimes have to pay for their school distance learning supplies out of their paychecks for their students.
Related: ‘I am a scavenger’: The desperate things teachers do to get the classroom supplies they need
We sometimes forget that if we are teaching kids from a lower socio-economic background, what some people perceive as simple things to buy for their kids, other parents may find it impossible. So supplying kids with effective virtual materials can be tricky.
Check out this video by Michelle from Pocketful of Primary to talk about some essential MUST HAVE items needed for virtual teaching | distance learning.
For teachers to continue working at home and educating their students, we must get them what they need when they need it.
Getting the right materials and tech at home is vital for our educators to succeed, and that’s why we have developed a list of the top 12 essential distance learning supplies for teachers to ensure they continue to.
Let’s take a look at the best essential distance learning supplies for teachers.
As you know, prices and availability change, especially as Amazon runs various promotions, but as the time of writing, all prices are correct and all products are currently available via amazon.com.
#1 of 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers:
Blue Light Glasses
Whether you usually wear glasses or not for teaching, blue-light-blocking glasses are a must-have for any teacher who spends hours a day staring at their computer or tablet screen. Eye strain is a real problem and can cause long-term damage, and as a teacher, you need your eyesight.
At the very least, looking at your computer screen for too long can cause headaches and discomfort in your eyes. Help yourself out by removing one stressor and buy yourself a good pair of blue-light-blocking glasses.
Stylish Blue Light Blocking Glasses for Women or Men, Amazon Price / $17.95
#2 of 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers:
Daily Planner
Even if you teach the same classes every day, time management is more challenging when conducting distance learning. Get yourself a nice 1-year daily planner that you can leave open at your workspace, so you do not accidentally miss a class or an important meeting.
If you are feeling extra fancy, get yourself a planner that you can customize that adds pops of color to your workspace and a bit of excitement to your life.
HARDCOVER Academic Year 2021-2022 Planner: (June 2021 Through July 2022) 8.5″x11″ Daily Weekly Monthly Planner Yearly Agenda, Amazon Price / $21.95
#3 of 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers:
Ring Light
You do not have to be a Youtuber, a TikTok star, or Instafamous to benefit from owning a ring light. Even if you are working in a well-lit workspace, ring lights can be a great addition that will help to enable your students to see you better and anything you may want to show them on a whiteboard or props you may bring to class.
Do right by your students and help them have the best possible opportunity to see you and what you are teaching them. After all, one of the perks of distance learning is that no one has to sit at the back of the classroom, so everyone should visualize your content and be super engaged.
Neewer Ring Light Kit:18″/48cm Outer 55W 5500K Dimmable LED Ring Light, Light Stand, Amazon Price / $91.99
#4 of 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers:
Dry Erase Board with Stand
Even super tech-savvy teachers can benefit from having a magnetic dry erase board with a stand that they can keep behind them. You can use it to write homework, lesson objectives and hang things on it that you will reference during the lesson.
Related: The Benefits of Using a Physical Whiteboard During Virtual Learning
If you get a small dry erase board with a tripod stand, you can still sit or stand in front of it so your students can look at you and the board simultaneously. Keep in mind, you probably do not need a full-size dry erase board because the camera view is not that big.
Mobile Dry Erase Board – 40×28 inches Magnetic Portable Whiteboard Stand Easel, Amazon Price / $83.51
#5 of 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers:
Magnets
If you have a magnetic dry erase board, why not take advantage of it and make things a bit more fun with magnets. Whether you are teaching math, English, or any other subject, a good set of magnets can come in handy.
You can use letter magnets for teaching spelling, phonics, and vocabulary. Number magnets come in handy for teaching counting and basic math functions. You can also get some simple magnets for hanging things on your board that you may reference during class time.
JCREN Magnetic Letters Magnets Alphabet and Numbers Toy ABC 123 Fridge Plastic Toy Set, Amazon Price / $9.99
#6 of 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers:
Adjustable Standing Desk
Whether you usually are a teacher who sits at the front of the room while teaching, stands behind a podium, or paces around the room, you can still benefit from a standing desk. One of the most challenging parts of distance learning is being confined to a small space in a sitting position.
In other words, not being able to walk around the classroom, walk to the cafeteria for lunch, or take a break in the teacher’s workroom.
Getting a standing desk not only helps to keep you from sitting down all day, but it also helps you to easily position your camera and computer at eye level while you are writing on your dry erase board. As well as that, it can be excellent when you’re showing your students a prop during the lesson.
This FEZIBO dual-motor sit-stand desk is a bit on the pricey side granted, but, you will definitely be future proofing yourself, and will not have to replace it for numerous years.
FEZIBO Dual Motor Height Adjustable Electric Standing Desk with Keyboard Tray, 55 x 24 Inch, Amazon Price / $339.99
#7 of 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers:
Headphones
Even if you plan to sit down while you teach, wireless headphones are a must-have for distance learning. You do not want to be getting tangled up in your cords, fighting with not being able to hear students because of background noise around you, or accidentally pulling your laptop on the floor.
You can get an inexpensive pair of Bluetooth headphones to make your workspace cleaner and your life a bit easier when it comes to distance learning. Pro tip: Plug in your headphones during your lunch break so they are ready to go for afternoon classes and meetings.
This Plantronics model even comes with its own mobile app where you can set your own EQ frequency to tune out those annoying sounds you want to block out.
Plantronics BackBeat GO 810 Wireless Headphones, Active Noise Canceling Over Ear Headphones, Graphite Black, Amazon Price / $69.99
#8 of 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers:
Printer
One of the plus sides to distance learning is that you do not have to make thirty copies of everything you need before class begins. Though you may still want to print sight words, charts and graphs, examples of projects, and other things to easily hold up or hang on your dry erase board for students to see.
Related: Education Services: Helping You Stay Focused on Education
You do not have to have a fancy or an expensive printer to get the job done. Just a little, inexpensive printer that you can sit on your desk or top of a file cabinet so that you can quickly print off things you need before class begins.
Brother Monochrome Laser Printer, Compact All-In One Printer, Amazon Price / $199.99
#9 of 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers:
Extra Monitor
An extra computer monitor may feel a bit excessive, but when you have a class of 20-30 students on Zoom for a distance learning class, you want to be able to see all of your students while also being able to see your notes and PowerPoint that you’re using for class.
An additional monitor like this HP 1080p example, allows you to more easily multitask so that you can see students and notes for class. It can also allow you to more easily keep your email or work communications open if you need to quickly access those while using your computer to teach a class.
HP M27ha FHD Monitor – Full HD Monitor (1920 x 1080p) – IPS Panel and Built-in Audio – VESA Compatible 27-inch Monitor, Amazon Price / $246.99
#10 of 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers:
Files
Even if you are not printing off all of your students’ assignments or collecting paper homework and classwork, it’s still a good idea to keep files on your students’ progress. You can also keep digital files for each student on an external hard drive or if you have cloud access, but having physical copies of significant projects and tests can also be great for creating portfolios.
Keeping files on your students can also help you track patterns that may be harder to see on an online platform. Plus, if you are only doing distance learning short-term, it would be nice to have a portfolio to pass on to the next teacher of that student or give to the student’s parents when the opportunity presents itself.
24 Pockets Expanding File Folder/Accordian File Organizer with Expandable Cover/Portable A4 Letter Size File Box, Amazon Price / $14.98
#11 of 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers:
Easel Pads
You do not have to be an art teacher to benefit from easel pads. Easel pads come in different shapes and sizes with blank pages, lines for handwriting practice, and graph paper. No matter what subject you teach, consider getting a large easel pad.
They are especially great for things that you want to write and keep for later. On a dry erase board, you would erase it quickly, with an easel pad, you can pull it out again later when you need it.
Melissa & Doug Tabletop Easel Paper Roll (12 inches x 75 feet) – 2-Pack, Amazon Price / $12.42
#12 of 12 Essential Distance Learning Supplies for Teachers:
Healthy Snacks
It is true when you are doing distance learning, you are only a few feet away from your kitchen. Let’s be honest, though. It is a lot easier to grab a bag of chips than to cut up some fruit or veggies to munch on. Help yourself out a bit and have some healthy snacks ready to go before you start your workday.
That way, you are more likely to make better food choices that give you the energy you need to make distance learning classes fun and attention-grabbing for your students. Good, healthy snacks can also help you feel less sluggish after sitting in front of your computer all day
GLUTEN FREE and VEGAN (DAIRY and FIG FREE) Healthy Snacks Care Package (28 Ct): Cookies, Bars, Chips, Fruit, Nuts, Trail Mix, Gift Box Sampler, Office Variety, College Student Care Package, Amazon Price / $46.95
Final Thoughts
A sudden shift or a contemplated decision to shift to distance learning can be overwhelming and stressful. However, you can set yourself and your students up for success by being as prepared as possible. Remember the number one rule of being a teacher: Always be flexible.
Technology messes up, accidents happen, we even embarrass ourselves in front of the whole class sometimes. Still, if we remain flexible and be prepared, we can be successful, even in a distance learning classroom.
If you know of any distance learning supplies that have worked well for you in your classroom, let me know in the comments, it would be great to share the knowledge with other educators, so we can all benefit!
Catch you soon
Hey, I’m Kris Taylor. I’m a Learning and Development professional currently in the healthcare field, with over 8 years of experience in the area of corporate education. I have created numerous instructional content for various corporate projects including eLearning, in-person facilitation, and virtual training across a wide variety of learning interventions and sectors. On Taughtup, I discuss topics ranging from how to succeed through K-12 to college all the way to instructional design tips for L&D designers.
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