Organizing learning materials and supplies can be a big challenge for both classroom teachers and homeschooling parents. An even bigger challenge for teachers is moving these things from one room to another. A perfect solution for this is rolling carts. It can save you a lot of time in organizing and moving stuff, even heavy and bulky ones.
If you’re thinking of getting a rolling cart, here are some things to consider.
Lightweight and Easy to Carry
An ideal utility cart for teachers is something easy to move around and carry. Since you’ll be loading it with different materials, it has to be lightweight yet capable of holding much.
Good Layout
Teachers keep lots of things. You’re going to want a cart that provides optimal capacity for you to organize your stuff from pens and markers, books and paper, props and even toys. The best rolling carts should make it easy for you to take out and place back items needed for the day to day class. You wouldn’t want to spend a lot of time rearranging things at the end of the day. For homeschooling parents, you’d want a cart that makes it easy for your children to find, get and return in the proper place the materials they need.
Durable Materials, Handle and Wheels
Rolling carts used almost daily must be able to last for several years. It is important to look at the type of material it is made of and its ability to withstand pressure and damage.
Comparing different kinds of rolling carts to see which suits you best can be taxing, so we put together a list of ten best rolling carts to help you organize everything whether you are a classroom/online teacher or a homeschooling parent.
Best Rolling Carts For Teachers
This 3-drawer rolling file cart provides teachers and homeschooling parents with a compact storage solution. It has a large lower drawer that can fit books and reams of bond paper. It also has two small drawers perfect for organizing art and craft materials and school supplies. The Safco Onyx Mesh Cart comes in sturdy steel design with a powder coat finish. It also has four swivel wheels for mobility and two lock wheels to keep the cart in place when not in use. This cart, however, can be very bulky to take on the go and is more ideal for classroom and home use only; but because it provides a large drawer that can fit a laptop, two small drawers and a tray provision on top, allowing it to carry and store a considerable amount of stuff.
This rolling cart is for teachers who take their class on the go! Husky Rolling Tote Bag provides maximum storage efficiency with its 18 pockets- best for organizing art materials, books, realias and other teaching materials. Its telescoping handle makes it easy to carry around and store when not in use. You’ll also love its very durable 600 denier polyester spun fabric and dual zipper system. This rolling cart is also water resistant!
This cart is a teacher’s best friend. It can keep your files, documents and teaching materials organized when you need to take it from home to school. This Quik Cart Pro Wheeled Rolling Crate is built to last. Its lid supports up to 280 pounds, so you can even sit on it or use it as a stepping stool. Since it is collapsible and has a retractable handle, it can easily be stored when not in use. Though the cart has no compartment for organization and you may need extra containers to put small materials like pens and crayons together, it has a large storage capacity making it useful in carrying bulky materials like globes and maps. A plus for this cart is the durability of its materials making it heavy duty and lightweight.
This is a budget friendly, heavy duty ready to roll cart perfect for teachers who are always on the move. ECR4Kids MemoryStor Universal Rolling Cart can hold up to 65 lbs of your must have teaching materials. It is great for carrying books and documents and small school and office supplies with its 30 compartments and pockets. This rolling cart provides ease in organizing. It sports a convenient folding design for easy storage and transport.
This sturdy plastic tote is another budget friendly option for teachers. It is great for storing all of your materials in one place. Educational Insights Teacher Tote-All Cart can haul almost anything and can carry even large materials and props. It is lightweight with extendable handles and smooth running wheels. Though this is another cart that does not provide an extra compartment for small materials, it is easy to carry and easy to store because it can be folded flat.
This ECR4Kids 4-tier mobile storage organizer is great for organizing and storing school supplies, art materials and books. You can easily move it around. It is also space savvy. You can place it at a small corner in the classroom or in the house after use. It is made out of a powder coated steel frame and has four casters for easy mobility. The cart offers limited capacity, especially in storing large materials but it compensates for this by offering adjustable shelf height during assembly and it includes a plastic liner to contain small items.
You will fall in love with this elegant rolling cart. Its multiple storage capacity makes organizing different school supplies quick and easy. Seville Classics 10-drawer organizer is a great storage cart for home and classroom use. Its tall and thin build makes this rolling cart space savvy providing you with plenty of areas for keeping a tidy classroom. Its four casters and tall handles make the cart easy to push and pull. Though this cart is only suitable for carrying and storing small and light materials, the removable trays allow you to carry the drawer contents wherever you need it.
The Copernicus Kids Reading and Writing Center is an all in one rolling cart that does not only provide storage trays but also comes with a white board and snap-on chart hooks. This is a good cart for preschool and primary level teachers and homeschooling parents. Markers, erasers, story books and small manipulatives can be stored in the trays. It provides quick access and keeping of materials during interactive classes.
If you are looking for a portable storage cabinet/computer desk, this Stand Steady audio-visual cart is for you. It has a retractable keyboard tray, includes a 15 ft. power cord and a built in lockable cabinet. Even though the AV cart is built for specific functions and doesn’t have much to offer for organizing school and office supplies, it still provides easy movement and set-up between classrooms and workspaces.
This rolling cart would be a great help for teachers who are always mobile. dbest Collapsible Rolling Utility Cart can carry and transport multiple materials like books, folders, and art and office supplies. This cart is one of those big boxes with no extra compartment but if you have lots of things to move from one room to another, this cart is great for you. It is also collapsible, foldable and easy to store. It is lightweight but can handle up to 110 lbs of load.
Conclusion
Rolling carts are great for keeping the classroom or the home organized. Shopping for rolling carts and deciding on its design, layout, functions and how it may fit your school, home and office needs can be very taxing; so if you are planning on getting a rolling cart, refer to this list. Whether you would like a single compartment or a multiple compartment cart, we recommend only the best rolling carts for teachers and homeschooling parents.
How To Keep Your School Supplies And Teaching Materials Organized?
A clean and well-organized classroom can make students learn better. It is also one way of leading them to follow by example so they can grow to be well-organized adults. Following these tips can help you keep your classroom organized all throughout the school year.
Create a Designated Learning Materials Station
Having a specific area in the classroom where learning materials are stored helps the students know where to get materials during class activities and where to keep it afterwards. This kind of set up encourages students to be independent and saves the teacher lots of time in distributing the supplies to the students one by one.
Categorize Supplies to Make Things Easy to Find
Putting everything in its proper place is the key to finding needed materials quickly. You can do this by using small separate containers, drawers and dividers. You can also label the supplies so the students clearly know which boxes or cabinets to return them after use.
Invest in a Mobile Storage Cart
Any teacher can’t deny the amount of materials and supply in the classroom every school year. Using storage carts doesn't only help you cut down on the clutter, it can also give you versatility in moving the supplies around and to another classroom.
