Well I went to Lakeshore today and spent a bundle! I still have lots of other things I know I'm going to need to get before school starts. My hubby is getting pretty upset with how much I've been spending too. I'm the only one with the proffesion right now; he has one more year of college. This past year was my first year of teaching, so going into my second year, I know of things I should get to make this year a more managable year. I'm just wondering how you do it? If you're in a somewhat situation like me, how do you get by with the cost of teaching and for those of you who have been teaching for awhile, does it get better? Is it just the first couple of years where you spend a bundle or does it continue no matter what year of teaching you are at? Thanks for your comments!
I must admit...my first three years I spent a lot.....but this past year it wasnt so bad...I also moved to a district with more money so more supplies were just given to me! When I was in private school, I looked for sales, tag sales are always a good place to look! I also almost always asked for gift cards to teacher stores....that way the shopping is guilt free!! Good luck......
Hi Teaching1st ~ You must have been shopping at the Lakeshore on Ray Road - ha ha - I was there too today for their sale. Thankfully, I didn't spend too much but that's because I've been shopping over at Teaching Stuff as well. I love buying teaching supplies. There is something fun about it! However, some of the ways I've cut back is by visiting $1 stores, garage sales, and thrift stores. Also e-bay has been huge in helping me save. I think the most important thing is deciding what you need and what can you politely put on your "wishlist" for parents to buy. You'll be amazed at what they'll get. I remember my mentor teacher had listed gift certificates to Lakeshore and Teaching Stuff and she did have some parent's who got that for her. Ask and you shall receive (sometimes....lol). Good luck! Have a great summer! Katie www.kyrene.org/staff/kjensen
I was shopping at Lakeshore off of Ray Rd. I was there forever! You're right about it being fun shopping for teaching supplies. It gets you all pumped up and excited about the upcoming school year. I will have to try some of the places you mentioned for supplies. I will also have to ask for gift cards more often then other things too. Thanks for your reply and have a great rest of the summer!
After a while it DOES get more manageable. You have the posters and the borders and the room decorations as well as all the orgainizational stuff. It doesn't stop you from picking up the occasional new thing, but the cost does go down.
Right, as the years go on, you will find yourself acquiring so much stuff. Just like moving into a new house- you start out with some stuff, but always need more and then eventually your basement is cluttered. How'd that happen????
So what's my excuse,,,,, no kids yet( although a husband w/ a ton of memorabilia Mets, KISS, etc) and a cat . I keep saying what's going to happen when kids come along
Piece of advice- Do not go overboard buying your first year. Try to share things and/or buy only the bare essentials or yes, you will go broke fast.
I am very fortunate to spend very little money on teaching supplies. Each December my school district allows us to purchase items from two categories, and room supplies. Equiptment is anything over $100. You basically have to justify the purchase. Most teachers ask for a new rug, bookcase, teacher's chair etc. and it is usually gotten. As far as actual supplies go we can order anything from A to Z. Again, we just have to justify the purchase. Normal classroom items, pencils, crayons, scissors, rulers,colored paper, writing paper, chart paper, etc. are ordered off of a giant bid sheet so they don't count toward our own classroom list. Basically I order reproducible books, interesting science kits, sticker books, games, etc. I basically have about $400 to spend and never come close to spending that amount. IIf I need to purchase during the year the office has a petty cash fund for items under $10. Each teacher in my school also sends home a supply list for the upcoming year. The children and parents enjoy shopping for items to fill their plastic pencil boxes. If someone does not have the item or box it is supplied by the teacher. Most of the teacher's in my school order through Scholastic and we use our points to fill up our classroom libraries. When the PTA sponsors a book fair they have a WISH LIST for each teacher. Books that a teacher would like can be purchased by parents and they are given to the teacher with a book label in it listing the child's name who donated the book. The PTA also buys any books on the list that were not purchased by parents. My school district is very generous to both teachers and students. I am very lucky to work for such a district.
I have to say, it sounds like you are in a wonderful situation! I have never heard of a district offering so much to their teachers. :wow:
I bought SO much for the first few years. I haven't bought anything this summer. With a baby coming I would rather spend $ on the room etc than the classroom. I do get any school supplies I need from the school. I have more books than I know what to do with. I just don't feel I "NEED" to buy anything right now. It will get better though
I bought a lot the 1st few years as well. I don't need too much this coming year but I always find myself purchasing things throughout the year. I do plan on getting glue sticks and other small things for the classroom. I got a credit card I am going to use just for school purchases so I can keep track of it. I bought a lot of things from ebay last year! So don't forget to check that out.
I have been looking through some of the Teacher supply catilogues and want so much......... uggg...Even homeschool teachers want the "cool" stuff for the class room.
WOW!!!!!! I don't know what the situation is in my new district, but my current district I received $125 for the entire year and we had to provide EVERYTHING for our kids. So, $125 is supposed to cover all of my construction paper, crayons, markers, pencils, erasers, whiteboard markers, teaching supplies, resources, etc. etc. etc. Needless to say it doesn't pay for much so I have spent a ton of money out of pocket in the last year and a half. I am on a very strict budget this year with my move so I hope my school has what I need at the beginning of the year or I will be doing a lot of borrowing til I get paid in September.
It's nice to know that it will get better as the years go by. I keep telling my hubby that. Like Aliceacc mentioned, I will have the posters and the borders and the room decorations as well as all the orgainizational stuff, so I would only be buying occasional things. So that makes me feel better. I wish my school district would provide us with that much money and supplies. They do provide some things, but not as much as I would like them to.
And, pretty soon you will get very, very tired of reorganizing everything all the time and you'll just want to throw a lot of junk out. That's the way I feel right now. I couldn't possibly even find all the resources I have at the times I need them. My poster box is so heavy that it rips when I try to move it. I still buy, but only what will really be practical.
I wish I could get that much! We get $200 for our purchase orders. Last year, which was my first year, I talked them into $500...but the classroom I ended up in was literally gutted (and I'm glad they saw that). However, this year I was able to order more fun things with my purchase order money...such as an easel (which I've wanted desperately) and still have lots of every day supplies such as markers, const. paper, staples, etc. left over from the bigger order last year. I spend way too much at the teacher store too, but I think the amount I spent will go down eventually....maybe... :-D
I spent way too much of my own money this year... and I didn't bother getting it reimbursed from the school... which makes me kinda happy in a way because it means so much of the stuff my co-teacher came ot depend on this year leaves with me after summer school is over in 2 weeks. But, then again, I'm kinda bitter that she came in in January and got rehired whereas I didn't...
I just got a job teaching at a private school this year. Thankfully, they have been around for many years and they have a decent budget for school-supplies for the teachers. I will have my own classroom, (2nd or 4th grade) and I'll also be teaching art after-school 3 days a week. I like a lot of visual aids to teach art (makes sense) and garage sales are awesome for this. However, I can't resist a brand new glossy book on Mattisse or Van Gogh. However, in my old age I have learned to have a keen eye and spot such wonderful things at estate sales, etc. Thankfully, my father taught design for 30+ years and he's got a garage full of stuff himself! However, I do know I'm going to be spending some money, and I want to be really careful. I live in a small space and I can only store so much stuff here! I will say that LakeShore is a really great store, but man...talk about expensive! I need self-control to stay away from that place, lol. Happy shopping. It is fun to buy teacher supplies, especially for a brand new job, it's all very exciting.
I don't even want to think about having to buy stuff. We are so broke right now that it makes me sick to my stomach. I won't get paid until late August (two weeks after school starts) and my wife only gets 10 dollars an hour. Mind you, we have a baby to take care of as well.
TexasAggie -- I hear ya on the broke part and I don't even have a baby to care for. Be thankful you have a wife though, it's just me and we don't get paid until September 15 even though school starts August 14.
I know what you mean! After 6 years home and one Catholic School teachers's salary, I'm returning to school in Sept. Every time a bill comes in I tell Peter to just hang in there until mid-September and we can start to dig ourselves out!!
Umm I see a few of your are from Texas, Illinois, and North Carolina. Are they Public Schools? In Illionis you can only do this if you work for Chicago but for Texas and NC I believe it is the entire state--- RUN right now to www.donorschoose.org sign up write a mini grant (keep the price low for the first few) and watch the supplies come pouring in---! ETA I still spend a good deal of money out of pocket more than I should---mostly on books ang games that I bring to school temporarily and then return to my home--- but I have won grants that have given 1,000's of dollars of supplies to my classroom. Oh and Lakeshore is a place you can order from....
That is a nice website. I will have to register once I find exactly what I want for my classroom. I keep thinking that I want each of my students to have their own little whiteboard. That way I can be talking about something and then I could ask them all a question. They could use the whiteboards to answer my question. It would cost around $200 dollars for the whiteboards and then probably another $100 in pens to write on it for the entire year.
P.S. We too only get $100.00 per year too. I also spend MOST of my out of pocket expenses on lamination because the laminator at school is flimsy and if I want things to last for awhile I can't depend on the quality of the school laminator. At least Office Max and Kinkos give good discounts---
I'd register right NOW and play around with it. You can write proposals and "save" until later (not post them right away)--- which also allows you to browse what they have to offer---One sad thing is Amazon is not a vendor that can be used anymore---Sometimes I browse lakeshore or school specialty or somthing and think THAT WOULD BE SO COOL. Then I go and write a proposal for it. You could do it in a part 1/part 2 if you want but 300 is a good amount--- Over 500 is where it could start to take A LONG time for funding-----look at other peoples proposals for examples---I LOVE Donorschoose---
Individual whiteboards will cost you about fifteen dollars. Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get a shower board cut into individual boards. The students can provide their markers.
I HOPE THIS HELPS!! Go to Menards/Lowes/Home Depot, what ever home improvement store is in your area-- Go to the PANELING section and buy WHITE TILE BOARD for less than $10 for a 4x8 sheet and cut it into the sizes you want for your students. Send out a supply list to your students and request that they purchase 2 dry erase markers (fine tip or wide tip) on their school supply list!
I've been meaning to do this! Thanks for the reminder. Like you TexasAggie2323, I want all my students to have whiteboards so that when I ask a question, they can put their answers on their white board and I can do a quick check on who understands.
A veteran teacher I've worked with in the past did this for her posters. She took a desk and flipped it upside down so the legs were pointing up. She took two pieces of particle board and placed them inside the legs so that they basically form a "v", and put the posters inbetween the particle boards. She had so many that the "v" became two parallel lines and the posters were protected from damage.
After 5 years it's getting much easier. Last year was the first year I remember saying to myself in August, "You really don't need much beyond the basics (desk plates, name tags, pencils, etc.) this year. You have most of the bb sets and borders you need!" Very exciting! I still picked up the occasional book or border, but much easier to handle than it had been. The school in one of the nearby rural towns was burned up by an arsonist last week. The school board isn't sure where the classes will be held this year. Can you imagine all the materials those poor teachers lost in that fire? That would easily be hundreds of dollars gone up in flames for me.
"The school in one of the nearby rural towns was burned up by an arsonist last week. The school board isn't sure where the classes will be held this year. Can you imagine all the materials those poor teachers lost in that fire? That would easily be hundreds of dollars gone up in flames for me." The school I student taught at had a fire in December, a week after I left---the teachers lost SO much even though it was not burnt up--the water and smoke damage took a major toll. 3 years later they are still trying to get things back to where they were. They were back in the building the following spring, but it was a huge challenge. Students were spread out all over the district--even in some churches....very difficult situation!
