I can't explain how excited I am to head back to familiar territory! Already I have been working out lesson plans in my head and thinking back to prior years and reflecting on what I liked, what worked well, and what I need to change. I have also have been thinking about what I have learned over the last two years that I can take with me to the middle level. This elementary background makes me a much more well rounded teacher and I know that my elementary background will help me be a better teacher.
One thing I am looking for are grants to help get the technology I want in my classroom. I have a vision of what I want in my room and will have to seek out other resources to accomplish my goal. Here are some ideas I have run across:
Online resources:
- crowdsourcing
- Donor's Choose
- GoFundMe
- Classwish
- Freecycle--see what people are offering to give away in your area...I haven't had any luck here...wondering if this is better in the big cities
School resources:
- PTA/Booster Club
- Parents/family donations--I've had good luck with this...I send home a short text or letter listing the items we will need for the year like: TP and paper towel tubes, glue sticks, masking tape, old digital cameras, etc.... Also, in the past I have had a list of items I hoped to get for the classroom and put them on hands during open house and encouraged parents to look through and grab a hand if they can help. We were able to get some comfy chairs for reading in because parents were getting rid of them at home! Often you may find parents who work somewhere that have the resources you are looking for that they can get donated...that's how I got tubes from a trailer building company and microscope slides from a local lab!
- Start a class fund--let parents and community know your goal and ask them to donate to your classroom project
- School budgets--find out what categories have money and see if you can justify purchasing one item in a nontraditional category...example...I wanted graduated cylinders for science, but there was no money...however, there was math manipulative money and because this item can be used to teach scale and volume (which is in the Common Core Standards) I could get the items I needed using the math funds!
- Talk to the local ESD...often they know of resources or have extras laying around somewhere that they need to clean out anyways. I actually was able to get a Promethean board and clickers thanks to a school closing down--they were tucked away in a closet at the ESD and they needed to clean it out!
Community:
- Garage Sales: our town has an annual city wide garage sale event...the city prints out a map and short list of items for sale--very helpful. We also have another event later in the year that has a community drop off site for a rummage sale--donations are accepted...otherwise it is free! I was able to pick up craft items for my classroom as well as a shelf two years ago! Great finds!
- Goodwill/Salvation Army: if you aren't a regular at these sites you need to be. Get to know your sales people, find out what their schedules are for putting new items out and how others are marked down! Also, be sure to check out these stores when you are traveling...hitting up college towns goodwills are great for teachers! Especially teaching colleges towns! I have found all kinds of curriculum I wanted as well as the books I love to use in the classroom in hardback! At no more than $4...they are all a steal! Remember a lot of people are cleaning out their dorms, homes, and classrooms in the spring--its a great time to hit the stores!
- Local Grants...it is surprising how many organizations have funds available...casinos, local foundations, lions clubs, stores like Walmart, etc....
- Local businesses--I needed tubes for designing a roller coast STEM project and our local trainer building company was able to donate and cut all the tubes I needed forever..see their carpet for the trailers comes on sturdy tubes...now I have a resource forever as long as the company is around...these are just throw aways for them...why not donated them to a teacher in need! Not only do you build a long term relationship...but perhaps a link to the real world for your students! IF you aren't sure what kinds of businesses are around you, talk to your local Chamber office...they might have some ideas on where to ask!
Now that I have shared all my ideas...I guess it is time to start following my own advice! To work I go!
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