Teachers, what do you typically buy out of pocket each year?

[Anonymous]

Middle school math, all approximate

$300/year of pencils (I literally go through 20+ per day)
Hours upon hours of scavenging buy nothing and yard sales for free/cheap binders, notebook paper, dividers, etc. The kids literally come with nothing so if I want kids to have a binder I have to provide it.
$300/year of TPT activities in years when I have a new prep or 3+ preps, because I have zero provided curriculum from the county
$500/year of snacks to bribe the kids to stay after school for free tutoring
$50/year on bulletin board paper and borders (they only last 1 year before there are penises drawn on the paper and the borders are ripped, lol)
$100/year on expo markers, sometimes more if I use them with students on the mini white boards. We don’t have smart boards in my school.
$50/year on tissues—I’m allotted 2 boxes/month and have 75 kids a day in my room. I usually run out around the 10th of the month

Clearly this is a low income school, but it’s in FCPS. My first few years I spent thousands on materials. The PTA averages 4-6 members and has a budget of $1000ish per year. That buys pizza for TAW but that’s about it. Supply lists and wish lists aren’t a thing (nor should they be)

I taught in a wealthier school in the county once. They were literally throwing supplies at me. I’ve secured a job back at one for next year. Even with ESSER funds I’ve spent zillions this year.

There seriously needs to be a supplement for teaching in low income schools. The amount of extras (time, money, energy) that are expected of teachers in low income schools is so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Middle school math, all approximate

$300/year of pencils (I literally go through 20+ per day)
Hours upon hours of scavenging buy nothing and yard sales for free/cheap binders, notebook paper, dividers, etc. The kids literally come with nothing so if I want kids to have a binder I have to provide it.
$300/year of TPT activities in years when I have a new prep or 3+ preps, because I have zero provided curriculum from the county
$500/year of snacks to bribe the kids to stay after school for free tutoring
$50/year on bulletin board paper and borders (they only last 1 year before there are penises drawn on the paper and the borders are ripped, lol)
$100/year on expo markers, sometimes more if I use them with students on the mini white boards. We don’t have smart boards in my school.
$50/year on tissues—I’m allotted 2 boxes/month and have 75 kids a day in my room. I usually run out around the 10th of the month

Clearly this is a low income school, but it’s in FCPS. My first few years I spent thousands on materials. The PTA averages 4-6 members and has a budget of $1000ish per year. That buys pizza for TAW but that’s about it. Supply lists and wish lists aren’t a thing (nor should they be)

I taught in a wealthier school in the county once. They were literally throwing supplies at me. I’ve secured a job back at one for next year. Even with ESSER funds I’ve spent zillions this year.

There seriously needs to be a supplement for teaching in low income schools. The amount of extras (time, money, energy) that are expected of teachers in low income schools is so much.

The thing that kills me is purchasing actual curriculum. My district had no curriculum for years. I spent thousands on that. Then, over the past 3-4 years they finally purchased curriculum. Now, central office is complaining that teachers have too much stuff in our rooms and wants us to stop "being hoarders". I'm like, no, I bought all that stuff with my own money. If you want me to get rid of it or stop using it then you must reimburse me.

[Anonymous]

I teach 3rd grade. I spend $0. My PTA will reimburse up to $80, so I do make sure I find things to spend that money on, but they are purely extras.

My spouse teaches 6th grade and also spends $0, unless it is for something that will be reimbursed.

[Anonymous]

I have not spent a significant amount in over a decade. The PTA gives us a $50 gift card every year and that covers most of what I buy for the room. This year it’s been extra masks, hand sanitizer and tissues. I have plenty of classroom supplies like pencils, colored paper and expo markers so I don’t need to buy those.

[Anonymous]

^ I work with a teacher who spends $$$ on TpT, trinkets to give to the kids and food. None of this is necessary in high school. We have materials at my school and I’m not sure the TpT materials are even that great. They don’t need snacks every math class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please tell us your grade, typical items you purchase, and approximately how much you spend without being reimbursed each year.

Absolutely nothing. Every dollar I make is spent in nothing related to my job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach kindergarten and I'd say I spent at least $1K my first year and maybe $500 for the next few years. Now it's less than $250 each year. I had to buy everything except classroom furniture and basic school supplies that the students brought it. Classroom library books, bulletin board stuff for 4+ board, classroom posters, mailboxes, pencil cases, classroom rug, storage containers, classroom incentives, manipulatives, clipboards, ink for my color printer, my printer, etc. We don't have a PTA so it's all on us.

Why didn't you ask for Classroom book donations? Our school does this and the response is overwhelming.
We always send our kid with pencil cases, etc based on the supply list. Even the incentives are on the list.

Use your head.

Why do you have to be so rude? This poster may work in a school that limits what they can put on a supply list or ask parents for. Instead of assuming stupidity, consider that there may be factors that you don’t know about.

Or a lower income area where people rarely buy books and then are unlikely to want to give them away.

NP - There are lots of charities that will donate books to schools and libraries; teacher wish lists that can be funded by anyone, free-cycle and nonprofit grants. Teachers also need to let parents know that their school district is not supplying the needed items. Districts do this because they know teachers will make up the difference.

Teachers - here you go...
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/search-free-books

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach kindergarten and I'd say I spent at least $1K my first year and maybe $500 for the next few years. Now it's less than $250 each year. I had to buy everything except classroom furniture and basic school supplies that the students brought it. Classroom library books, bulletin board stuff for 4+ board, classroom posters, mailboxes, pencil cases, classroom rug, storage containers, classroom incentives, manipulatives, clipboards, ink for my color printer, my printer, etc. We don't have a PTA so it's all on us.

Why didn't you ask for Classroom book donations? Our school does this and the response is overwhelming.
We always send our kid with pencil cases, etc based on the supply list. Even the incentives are on the list.

Use your head.

Why do you have to be so rude? This poster may work in a school that limits what they can put on a supply list or ask parents for. Instead of assuming stupidity, consider that there may be factors that you don’t know about.

Or a lower income area where people rarely buy books and then are unlikely to want to give them away.

NP - There are lots of charities that will donate books to schools and libraries; teacher wish lists that can be funded by anyone, free-cycle and nonprofit grants. Teachers also need to let parents know that their school district is not supplying the needed items. Districts do this because they know teachers will make up the difference.

Teachers - here you go...
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/search-free-books

Please understand that in some districts, teachers are forbidden from telling parents what they need in the classroom. Forbidden as in lowering your rating which can lead to being dismissed. I have gotten many books from different charities or from parents in MY neighborhood (not the one I teach in). Many books that come off of free cycle or other places are either not at my grade level, are old and out of date or are unusable for other reasons. For example, Half Price Books will give any teacher who asks boxes of books. I was so excited when I got 4 boxes of books. They asked my grade level and said they'd give me books at that level. 90% of those books had to be given away to someone else. Almost none were for my grade level. I was grateful to have the 10% that worked though.

Districts which don't provide what teachers need are doing so because the budget is so limited, not because teachers will make up the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ I work with a teacher who spends $$$ on TpT, trinkets to give to the kids and food. None of this is necessary in high school. We have materials at my school and I’m not sure the TpT materials are even that great. They don’t need snacks every math class.

None of that is necessary in elementary school either.

ES Teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ I work with a teacher who spends $$$ on TpT, trinkets to give to the kids and food. None of this is necessary in high school. We have materials at my school and I’m not sure the TpT materials are even that great. They don’t need snacks every math class.

None of that is necessary in elementary school either.

ES Teacher

It is if you don't have a curriculum and are expected to not only teach whole group lessons but small groups as well. And food is necessary for kids who eat lunch at 10am and are hungry at 2pm when school ends at 3:30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ I work with a teacher who spends $$$ on TpT, trinkets to give to the kids and food. None of this is necessary in high school. We have materials at my school and I’m not sure the TpT materials are even that great. They don’t need snacks every math class.

None of that is necessary in elementary school either.

ES Teacher

It is if you don't have a curriculum and are expected to not only teach whole group lessons but small groups as well. And food is necessary for kids who eat lunch at 10am and are hungry at 2pm when school ends at 3:30.

There's no use to talking to people like this. We all know teachers who do the very bare minimum. They don't care and they won't suddenly start caring because someone on DCUM said to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ I work with a teacher who spends $$$ on TpT, trinkets to give to the kids and food. None of this is necessary in high school. We have materials at my school and I’m not sure the TpT materials are even that great. They don’t need snacks every math class.

None of that is necessary in elementary school either.

ES Teacher

It is if you don't have a curriculum and are expected to not only teach whole group lessons but small groups as well. And food is necessary for kids who eat lunch at 10am and are hungry at 2pm when school ends at 3:30.

I understand if you work in a low income school where kids are really hungry and don’t have food. But I don’t have patience for the teachers supplying snacks to all and then the kids are eating your junk food instead of what we actually packed. That’s what one of mine did. Yes, he preferred the choc covered granola bars or mini muffins to whatever I packed back in k. I am also a teacher and have given good when kids are actually hungry and I worked in a school where they had nothing. Some teachers think that’s all kids, every day and it’s just not true. They like to play the martyrs and complain about spending their own money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ I work with a teacher who spends $$$ on TpT, trinkets to give to the kids and food. None of this is necessary in high school. We have materials at my school and I’m not sure the TpT materials are even that great. They don’t need snacks every math class.

None of that is necessary in elementary school either.

ES Teacher

It is if you don't have a curriculum and are expected to not only teach whole group lessons but small groups as well. And food is necessary for kids who eat lunch at 10am and are hungry at 2pm when school ends at 3:30.

I understand if you work in a low income school where kids are really hungry and don’t have food. But I don’t have patience for the teachers supplying snacks to all and then the kids are eating your junk food instead of what we actually packed. That’s what one of mine did. Yes, he preferred the choc covered granola bars or mini muffins to whatever I packed back in k. I am also a teacher and have given good when kids are actually hungry and I worked in a school where they had nothing. Some teachers think that’s all kids, every day and it’s just not true. They like to play the martyrs and complain about spending their own money.

Well, I do teach in a high-poverty school. The poverty rate is 95%. Only one or two students bring lunch to school. The rest of the students rely on free lunch (and breakfast too). You know kids are hungry when kindergarteners eat more than my teenage son on Monday mornings. They obviously haven't eaten much over the weekend. We save some of the breakfast items for snacks but sometimes it isn't enough. Go visit a inner city school and see for yourself what hunger looks like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ I work with a teacher who spends $$$ on TpT, trinkets to give to the kids and food. None of this is necessary in high school. We have materials at my school and I’m not sure the TpT materials are even that great. They don’t need snacks every math class.

None of that is necessary in elementary school either.

ES Teacher

It is if you don't have a curriculum and are expected to not only teach whole group lessons but small groups as well. And food is necessary for kids who eat lunch at 10am and are hungry at 2pm when school ends at 3:30.

There's no use to talking to people like this. We all know teachers who do the very bare minimum. They don't care and they won't suddenly start caring because someone on DCUM said to do so.

A teacher is only caring if she buys stuff? Not buying trinkets, snacks and TPT lessons doesn’t mean the teacher doesn’t care.

[Anonymous]

Spin off question. Why does Turbo Tax specifically ask if teachers how much of their own money was spent in the classroom? BTW, I have known neonatal nurses to purchase clothes for long term care babies without any reimbursement.