What To Put In Your Teacher Tool Bag
Posted by Jacinda Miller on
Whether you teach at the same location, your own studio or if you are teaching at multiple locations, having a teacher tool bag is a must! All teachers need to have several items that are quickly accessible and easy to grab. Here's what I have in my teacher tool bag:
Speaker (for most of my classes, I use the Tronsmart speaker. It connects quick and easy and is super light for transportation.
Band-Aids - most of us teach kids, need I say more? In all seriousness, occasionally kids get scrapes and scratches and having a band-aid is helpful.
Hand Sanitizer - hand sanitizer was a great idea prior to Covid-19 but now is a must. I have kids hand sanitize when arriving to class and as they leave.
Extra Baton - No baton? No problem! I carry a 23" baton to all of my classes - it's manageable in case my itty bitties forget theirs and my older kids can still be somewhat productive with this size too.
Water Bottle - Bring a water bottle especially if you teach outside and especially if it is hot. You might need it or a twirler might need it.
Ice Pack - I carry 2 of those "poppable" ice packs in my bag ALL.THE.TIME. You just never know what might happen and an ice pack can often help with basic scrapes or bumps and bruises.
Now for the fun stuff...
Stickers - I like to reward my students so whatever reward system you use having that reward ready to go every week is a must! We have awesome "TWIRLER" stickers that we give out and the kids love them!
Tootsie Roll or Suckers - My coach used to toss a piece of candy to the kids at the conclusion of the class and if they caught it then they could have it. (They could have it either way but it was a fun game.) Kids love catching a piece of candy and I say, "Twirling issss" and they have to say "Catching" when they catch the candy. It's a positive way to end your class.
Lesson Plan including Games - I bring my lesson plan written out every class including which games I plan to play. This ensures that if we have a lull in class that I have something exciting for them to do! 10 minutes of planning equals better engagement and happy students! Check out our sister company, Baton Twirling Unlimited, we have loads of free resources on our Facebook for you to download.
Props (especially for little kids) - Scarves, Dots, Ribbons, Baby Batons and Pom Poms just to name a few! These are absolutely the best for teaching so many of the concepts that twirlers need while also keeping your class engaging and fun! Check out our Teacher Tool Kit by clicking here!
What do you have in your Teacher Tool Bag? Feel free to comment and share with us!