Some ask for your pet’s name or the town where you were born, but one of the most frequently used prompts is, “Who was your favorite teacher?” It’s a common choice because teachers leave a powerful mark on so many lives.
One of my instructors once sent an essay I wrote to the principal’s office to be published in the school paper. The rest, as they say, followed — I now earn my living as a writer.
Teachers are simply incredible. Sadly, their classroom supply budgets often are not.
Rather than allow students to lack essentials like pencils and notebooks, many educators pay out of pocket for supplies needed in their classrooms.
That might be charming if teachers were billionaires, but the truth is the average pay for kindergarten, elementary and secondary teachers is only $56,747. Many teacher salaries fall well below that.
“I make a little bit under $35,000 a year, and that’s before taxes and insurance and stuff, and then I spend about two grand a year on my classroom just to make my kids successful,” Oklahoma public school teacher Teresa Danks told NPR.
That level of outlay became unsustainable for Danks, so she ultimately took to panhandling to raise funds for classroom supplies.
Teachers aren’t just admirable. They are genuinely self-sacrificing.
4 Ways to Donate School Supplies
Want to help educators offset the cost of classroom necessities? Here are several ways to lend a hand.
1. If you can spare a few dollars, think about backing a classroom project onDonorsChoose.org.
Some contributions go toward basic items like chairs, while others help purchase technology to enrich learning.
You can choose exactly where your donation is used by subject, grade level, resource type and more. Some campaigns require as little as $28 to reach their target.
2. Set up a back-to-school donation drive using this complimentary toolkit. For instance, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department gathered nearly 1,000 items in a recent drive, including pencils, backpacks, markers and scissors.
3. Shop during buy-one-get-one-free supply promotions for your children’s school needs, then donate the extra items to their school.
4. If you already budgeted for your household’s school supplies, use these money-saving ideas to stay under budget. Put the remaining funds toward purchasing additional supplies to give away.
Rita Holloway is a staff writer at Savinly. She still misses her Trapper Keeper and troll doll pencil topper.
