I am incredibly fortunate to work for a school with ample supplies. If there is something I need for a lesson or my classroom, I am given the means to acquire it. However, this is not the case for the majority of teachers across this country. The average teacher constantly is dipping into his or her savings to supplement their students' learning. Over the course of a year this amounts to about $2100.
This was my reality my first year of teaching. From figuring out how to repurpose everyday materials to hoarding supplies to deep diving for free books at the used book store, I would do everything to gather supplies for my students. At the end of the day there were still holes that needed to be filled with new supplies.
This is why a non-profit such as DonorsChoose is a lifeline for teachers. Teachers write a proposal for what supplies they need and how they will use them in their classroom. Donors then get to browse the website to see which classroom they want to support. Once the project is fully funded, DonorsChoose will have the materials delivered to the classroom.
Before I even became an educator, I volunteered with them through my corporate job. I loved how a donor could pick a project that spoke to them. They could donate locally or look for a project that resonated to them from their childhood. It was shocking to see how many projects were listed on the site. It speaks to how dire the situation is in classrooms.
On this #GivingTuesday, consider donating to DonorsChoose and picking the project that you want. Your gift will:
Take stress off an already burdened teacher
Bring joy to students
Influence students to love school
Give opportunities