Between standardized testing, the endless hours of grading, and the pressure to teach more curriculum in less time, teaching already comes with more than its fair share of frustrations. The products you use in your classroom shouldn’t be one of them.
Headphones may not be an everyday tool in your class, but when you need them, they have to work.
These seven essentials will help you choose student headphones that won’t turn into another hassle and won’t drain your school’s technology budget.
Durability
Yes, students are amazing and talented in so many ways. But in taking care of things? Not so much.
Unless you want to put in purchase orders for new headphones every two weeks, you need to invest in something that’s durable and made specifically for kids. The younger your students are, the more durability is a concern. Headphones that are designed for school-age children tend to offer a few features that give them a longer shelf life than other low-cost headphones.
For one thing, durable models usually feature more flexible plastic that won’t snap or bend easily— crucial for any headphones being used in elementary schools. Cords that aren’t easily pulled out of the device are another must. Many brands of school headphones will say that they’re long-lasting and tough without actually explaining how, so look for details like these in the specs.
Low Price
Whether it’s the school or the parents paying for the headphones, budget is at the top of everyone’s priority list. And if you’re one of the many teachers purchasing their own classroom supplies, we know it’s at the top of yours. (Our hats go off to you!)
For the most basic uses, you should be able to find reliable options for around $20/set or even less. If you need additional features like noise-cancelling, you may be looking at a higher price point.
Even if you do invest in durable school headphones, kids have a pretty impressive knack for breaking even the most unbreakable of things, and a few sets are bound to get lost throughout the year. Affordable pricing means that replacing your lost or broken sets won’t cause sticker shock.
Kids’ Sizes
If you’re purchasing headphones for high school students, you won’t need to worry about this. But for elementary schoolers, adult-sized headphones just won’t work.
The best school headphone brands offer sizes made specifically for kids, with options to fit different age ranges.
Quality Audio
You’re probably not looking for Beats-by-Dre-quality here. For school headphones, quality audio means crisp, clear sound that doesn’t cut out.
Before you buy the cheapest headphones you can find on Amazon, make sure you aren’t spending money on something that isn’t going to do the job. Reviews from other teachers are a great way to know that you’re getting something that works and lasts.
And not to brag on ourselves too much, but teachers love our headphones. Check out why Paige, teacher and blogger at Our Elementary Lives, says Learning Headphones are the best option she’s found for her class!
Uniform Design
Nothing causes a kindergartener to meltdown faster than getting the green headphones when they wanted the blue ones. Having a uniform classroom set will save you a few headaches down the road.
If students are responsible for providing their own headphones, we recommend asking for a specific brand and model on your school supply list. This way, no child is embarrassed to have less expensive headphones than their classmates.
The Right Plug
This is any easy one, but make sure to double check your devices to see what size plug you need. You’d hate to wind up with classroom headphones that you can’t actually use.
Most devices will take either a ¼” or a 3.5mm plugs.
Recyclable
If your school provides headphones, they likely replace them every year for hygienic reasons (i.e. lice… ewww). This means that a lot of perfectly good headphones wind up in landfills.
Some brands will recycle your used headphones for you and give you a discount on your next order, but if not, try to make sure that they end up somewhere other than a landfill. Best Buy, for example, has a great program for recycling electronics!
Whether you use classroom headphones once a day or once a month, you and your students deserve something that’s reliable and affordable.
If you’d like to chat more about how to find the perfect headphones for your classroom, we’d love to help you out. Reach out to customercare@learningheadphones.com to get in touch with one of our awesome customer service reps.
