New teacher, I cannot afford to set up my classroom…

[Anonymous]

You do not have to spend your own money. When I was first starting out, I got a lot for free on Craigslist and even the side of the road. Now I have been teaching for over 20 years and have kids of my own with lots of outgrown toys and bins of mixed legos I would love to donate. If you create an email address and post I will contact you and I am sure others will too. We are in Northern VA.

[Anonymous]

Ask your grade level teachers what the school provides. Ours has rolls of bulletin board paper and free laminating but that's about it. We do leave tons of books and boards, posters etc in new teacher's classrooms. Setup an Amazon wishlist and Donors Choose accounts. They often get funded right before school starts. The dollar stores have great borders, materials containers, etc in the summer.

[Anonymous]

First, know that it's OKAY not to have an over-the-top decorated, themed room. In fact, it's BETTER... research shows that heavily-decorated classrooms disrupt learning & attention.

https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/heavily-decorated-classrooms-disrupt-attention-and-learning-in-young-children.html

See what you can get on Buy Nothing or neighborhood listservs. I would focus on things like making a cozy reading area (couch, pillows, yoga balls) and the things that *YOU* need to function. If you have a pet or a family, put pics of them up... your kids will love that. Have the kids create self-portraits or other artwork during the first week to decorate the space.

--teacher who much prefers calm, cozy rooms to over-decorated over-stimulating primary-colored eyesores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, know that it's OKAY not to have an over-the-top decorated, themed room. In fact, it's BETTER... research shows that heavily-decorated classrooms disrupt learning & attention.

https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/heavily-decorated-classrooms-disrupt-attention-and-learning-in-young-children.html

See what you can get on Buy Nothing or neighborhood listservs. I would focus on things like making a cozy reading area (couch, pillows, yoga balls) and the things that *YOU* need to function. If you have a pet or a family, put pics of them up... your kids will love that. Have the kids create self-portraits or other artwork during the first week to decorate the space.

--teacher who much prefers calm, cozy rooms to over-decorated over-stimulating primary-colored eyesores.

+1 In general there's too much visual stimulation in elementary classes. So keep it simple. A photo of your pet is a great idea. Or you doing something you like to do (e.g. a sport, reading) or a place you love. Things that invite talk with you to build your relationships with students. Preserve your energy for creating great relationships with your students and let your classroom decor gradually and organically evolve with student artwork.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a nieghborhood listserve? There are probably a bunch of lego boxes, books, and games gathering dust on a few shelves. Monitor freecycle Can you do a DOnors Choice request?

reddit used to have sponsorships for teachers before fall semester. Anybody can pick a teacher and fulfill the wish list on amazon.

[Anonymous]

OP,

What school (or even school system)?

[Anonymous]

If the OP is still around, she really should post the area because there are local resources that can help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m just in tears, since I’m not currently getting paid, I do not have any extra funds. My coworkers are talking about buying legos for back to schooo night, wallets for their class cash, prizes for the treasure box. I can’t even afford a bookshelf to my books on! I don’t have decorations, posters, supply carts, organizers, clipboards….I don’t have anything and I don’t know what to do. I mean I always knew teachers had to spend some of their own money, but I never realized how much. It’s a low income school so we also have to make sure to have extra supplies on hand for the kids who do not bring anything. We also cannot ask parents to donate. I’m just so discouraged and have cried all day.

I was in this position. I did an intensive alternate certification program, and our student teaching was a twelve week, twelve hour day deal before we got our own classrooms. I hadn’t been paid in four months when I started my first teaching job. I ignored everyone’s “suggestions” for things to buy until after I got my first paycheck. I won’t lie, even writing was a struggle in the first couple of weeks. I couldn’t buy a new pencil sharpener so we were using those flimsy little plastic ones and my kids (elementary special Ed) couldn’t stay on top of it. If you think I’m exaggerating, I was taking public transportation and literally using coins for the fare and limiting non walking trips because my stash dwindled from quarters to dimes to nickels. My boyfriend at the time was paying our rent (on his own pitiful graduate student salary) in total because I had nothing left. Then, I’d come in to work and my supervisor would make a comment about the work I created not being printed in color. It was awful.
I have nothing to say, but that time was really formative for me. Do the best you can with what you have, and take it one day at a time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just in tears, since I’m not currently getting paid, I do not have any extra funds. My coworkers are talking about buying legos for back to schooo night, wallets for their class cash, prizes for the treasure box. I can’t even afford a bookshelf to my books on! I don’t have decorations, posters, supply carts, organizers, clipboards….I don’t have anything and I don’t know what to do. I mean I always knew teachers had to spend some of their own money, but I never realized how much. It’s a low income school so we also have to make sure to have extra supplies on hand for the kids who do not bring anything. We also cannot ask parents to donate. I’m just so discouraged and have cried all day.

I was in this position. I did an intensive alternate certification program, and our student teaching was a twelve week, twelve hour day deal before we got our own classrooms. I hadn’t been paid in four months when I started my first teaching job. I ignored everyone’s “suggestions” for things to buy until after I got my first paycheck. I won’t lie, even writing was a struggle in the first couple of weeks. I couldn’t buy a new pencil sharpener so we were using those flimsy little plastic ones and my kids (elementary special Ed) couldn’t stay on top of it. If you think I’m exaggerating, I was taking public transportation and literally using coins for the fare and limiting non walking trips because my stash dwindled from quarters to dimes to nickels. My boyfriend at the time was paying our rent (on his own pitiful graduate student salary) in total because I had nothing left. Then, I’d come in to work and my supervisor would make a comment about the work I created not being printed in color. It was awful.
I have nothing to say, but that time was really formative for me. Do the best you can with what you have, and take it one day at a time.

I'm a teacher and I think it's shameful that there is no salary for student teachers. My son was paid for all of his college internships and so were his friends yet the student teachers get nothing. Why? I student taught for an entire school year for my Master's and there is no way I could've done it if I wasn't living at home during that time. I worked part-time in order to pay for my car, insurance, etc and I was exhausted. FT student teaching, PT job and classes at night from 4-9pm M-Th. If you want to attract more people into education, you need to look at all of the barriers. Not paying student teachers is an easy place to start.

[Anonymous]

Look into your local "Buy Nothing" group on Facebook and once you get the hang of it, post requesting materials. Teachers do this on my group all the time.

Others set up Amazon wish lists and request purchases from friends and families.

Also, think about buying secondhand on Facebook marketplace or from teachers getting out of teaching. Ask around from veteran teachers and they may know someone willing to sell cheaply or just give you some stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Damn, this is making me sad. I'm not local but I'm going to see if any of my local teachers need anything. I have tons of random art supplies I'll never use.

On the other hand, this is making me angry. It's absurd teachers have to do this, much less feel bad when they don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Damn, this is making me sad. I'm not local but I'm going to see if any of my local teachers need anything. I have tons of random art supplies I'll never use.

On the other hand, this is making me angry. It's absurd teachers have to do this, much less feel bad when they don't.

+1. I've just decided to return to teaching. I have most of what I need and can buy incidentals with no hardship although I shouldn't have to. So many of my coworkers cannot do this. I work in Special Ed. My new colleagues are begging for markers, file folder organizers, Lysol wipes, sensory toys, light covers, and beanbag chairs on Donors Choose and stressing because they're being told to set up calming corners that they can't afford. Districts are desperately trying to attract Special Ed teachers. This is not the way.

[Anonymous]

We had a new special ed teacher burst into tears after an IEP meeting because she was chastised for not having a calm down corner in her room. She told me "I barely have enough money to pay my bills." I told her to email the principal and say that she was told to implement a calm down corner in her classroom and she needed to know what her budget should be for this. I told her that she needed it in writing that this was required for a student in her classroom. The principal said she would reimburse her for up to $50. Now she knows that if something is required in her classroom, she should expect it to be paid for out of the school's budget.

[Anonymous]

A lot of good suggestions here. Title 1 schools receive a lot of extra money and have corporate and community partnerships. Ask the Principal's AA where to start, she has the keys.

[Anonymous]

Why are you not getting paid? Most school districts pay year round even though schools out? For that alone, I say it’s fake.