How Teachers Can Save Money on Classroom Supplies
Have you heard? On average, teachers spend between $500 and $750 of their own money each year on their classrooms (according to the NEA). Well over 90% of teachers are purchasing supplies for their students and classrooms. And I know that my first year teaching, I spent much more than that just to get started.
Obviously this is one of the ways that the current education system is failing our teachers and students. Ideally, teachers and classrooms would be well supported to help students succeed. In the meantime, teachers need creative ways to stock their classrooms without dipping into their personal incomes (because that money is needed for things like… I don’t know… groceries and electricity - you know those modern luxuries).
Here are a few ideas of how to get the things your classroom needs on a tight budget:
Buy Nothing Groups
“Buy Nothing” is a project where people share things with their neighbors for free. If you haven’t already joined a group in your area, check out the Buy Nothing website to find a group near you. This may be on Facebook or through the Buy Nothing app.
Some items you might find offered there that could be useful to your classroom include:
School supplies (pencils, paper, clipboards, binders)
Children’s books
Educational games
Puzzles
Storage furniture (bookshelves, throw pillows)
Cleaning supplies
Your Local Library
You are probably well aware of how useful the library is for books and DVDs. But I encourage you to take a look at what other things your library may offer that can assist your students. Here are some resources libraries may offer:
Borrowing equipment (such as a telescope or microscope)
Online educational apps such as language learning software, online reference books, eBooks, educational videos
Homework help
Bookmarks
Summer reading programs
Suggested book lists by grade level
Community events
Printing services
Grants and Donors Choose
Have a big, more expensive project in mind? Crowdfunding and educational grants could help you make your dream a reality.
Get Creative
There may be less expensive or free ways to achieve your classroom goals. For example, instead of buying classroom decor, you can use your students’ art projects to decorate the walls. (Quick tip: I often attach student work to a piece of construction paper so I can then poke holes in the construction paper border rather than the art itself)
Any local offices remodeling or moving to a new location? They may be ready to part with some furniture or whiteboards. Looking for some worksheets on a particular academic subject? You may be able to find free or low cost choices online. There are also federal agencies that offer free curriculum on topics such as safety and economics.
Can’t afford a field trip? See if a local expert would be willing to come to your classroom and share their insights. As an example, my mother was blind and would often come to my classroom to talk to my classmates about blindness, show them Braille books, and let them try writing in Braille themselves using materials from the National Federation of the Blind.
Ask Fellow Teachers
Your peers at your school are the best resource for knowing how to stock your classroom. They may have items you can borrow temporarily. They may know a teacher who recently retired who has supplies to give. They will also know what local stores and organizations donate to the schools or give teacher discounts.
Conclusion
With inflation high and everything more expensive, it is so important that teachers be able to keep their personal income for their own families as much as possible. If you do need to use some of your own funds to supply your classroom, keep in mind there is an educator expense deduction that can soften the blow a bit. Let’s keep spreading the word that this is an issue, so that people speak out for teachers and the need for classroom funding.