5 Tech-Free Tools Every Teacher Needs in Their Classroom

23 April 2018

Teachers are the guardians of our children’s education, and as such, are responsible for helping prepare them to be fully ready and equipped for today's fast-paced, technological world.

This responsibility, of course, means educating students on how to use technology properly. But it also means demonstrating that more and better tech is not always the answer.

Add this to the fact that school budgets are strained and every day teachers are having to come up with original ideas to keep their students engaged, and reverting back to some of the “old school” teaching methods, that have already stood the test of time, starts to make a whole lot of sense.

These low cost, sustainable, and educational tools are available pretty much anywhere and can add a whole new dimension of fun and engagement to the technology-focused culture of today.

1. Mini Whiteboards

A huge stack of these learning tools are available for very little upfront investment and can last through years of use and abuse. Kids love using them for classroom activities, particularly math, reading, and spelling games. Teachers can also put them to use in gaining immediate group feedback from students or performing a full class assessment in just minutes. As an extra conservational bonus, the regular use of mini whiteboards will also save you a bunch of paper.

2. Giant Dice

These fun and colourful teaching tools are most often seen in elementary level classrooms, but they really have no upper age limit.

Giant dice are great for cognitive skill development, making decisions, and playing out probability activities with the students. They can also be used in P.E or any type of lesson in which you want to integrate math with entertainment and movement.

3. Novelty Awards

Although there is an argument by some educators that rewards should not be given solely on the basis of good grades, there are plenty of other helpful and skill building uses for novelty awards in the classroom.

For younger to older students, they can be used as recognition for the learning of new skills, proper treatment to other students, and personal achievements. It's best to introduce them in an informal and lighthearted way so as not to initiate a strong sense of competition amongst the class. Simple, fun awards cannot only drive students to work hard but also help improve their self-esteem and engagement levels in the classroom.

4. Timers

The timer is a classic teachers companion that helps them keep everything on track and the flow of activities going at a good pace during the day. But timing portions of the day out cannot only be beneficial for you, but also for teaching the students about time management and goal completion. On top of that, using a timer to create limitations for quizzes or tests can help improve the focus of students and is a great way to get them accustomed to the concept of deadlines.

5. Stickers

Creating a sticker board to display at the front of your class is a fun and memorable motivational
tool for many students. Even though they lack any real value, stickers never fail to instill a great sense of achievement in children and help them visualise their journey toward reaching their goals. Invest in a diverse sticker set, and there are literally unlimited ways in which you can use these creative and fun tools
in the classroom.

Anything from skills improvement to homework monitoring, game scoring to school trip planning, the options are endless.

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