can you help rebuild my classroom warchest

[demtenjeep]

https://www.gofundme.com/26wffbg#

For the last 5 years, I had been teaching in a setting that did not allow for hands on project based learning. Due to Sam Brownback and his hatred toward Kansas schools, my former program -which did such good for my students-was closed. Since my program was closed, I was placed into a middle school US History class needing to start all over.


i will need everything from binders, spiral notebooks, index cards, paper light, white to many colors, construction paper to poster board colored pencils, crayons, markers, glue sticks, tape, lots of it, scotch and packing tape, clear shelf liner to protect student's work. Then i will need supplies to display the finished products. Yarn, string, lightweight fishing twine , kite string, and a whole host of endless supplies.

any help would be wonderful.

if you feel so inclined.

thank you

[amerikat]

1. Posted a question on your gofundme page.

Looking for other ways to help after a monetary donation.

[demtenjeep]

4. i currently don't have many photos...new phone, different school computer since i was moved

we use old milk/juice cartons, potting soil and dowl rods and nuts and bolts to 'mine for gold'

i take students around the outside area and 'recreate' observation much like Lewis and Clark might have done and have students journal and then make diaries as if they were doing the expedition like Lewis and Clark might have done.


13 colonies mobile is always a fun one

we have made paper mache' globes

a ton of foldables for vocabs and essential question/answer

Civil War generals trading cards

important battles of the Civil War cubes



just anything i can think of to make it touchable, visual to make it come alive for my students

[amerikat]

8. Got it. Thanks

Donated. Wish I could give more but there are so many good causes that need help .

[demtenjeep]

10. thank you so much

it is deeply appreciated

[demtenjeep]

9. thank you so much

you have no idea how much i appreciate this

[Lucinda]

2. KNR and a question....

Have you looked into posting a shopping list at Amazon? I think you can set a public access wish list where people could pay for some items and have them shipped directly to you.

Just a thought...I know some here are pretty anti-Amazon!

[demtenjeep]

6. that is a great idea

i had no idea about that.

thank you

[demtenjeep]

12. a friend of mine just found out today he is going to MS as well he is more upset than i

was teaching for 18 years in HS now to go to MS he was planning on retiring in a couple years...might be earlier now

[noamnety]

3. Before paying retail for all this

Last edited Sun May 29, 2016, 02:00 PM - Edit history (1)

I would spend June/July stalking the free section of craigslist. Most of this is stuff that in my area comes up in the free offers fairly regularly.

I would also break down your costs better on the gofundme page to explain where the $5,000 figure came from and where it's all going. I'm saying this because that's about double what a typical art room budget is for the year where I teach; and you're using the supplies for art-related activities in a history class, so that can be hard to understand.

I took a look at the items you listed, and priced them out on amazon, trying to be overly generous in quantities, and it didn't even come out to a third of what you are requesting.

$100: 50 3 ring binders
$175: 125 spiral notebooks
$24: 2000 index cards
$210: 10000 sheets colored light weight construction paper
$84: 20000 sheets white copy paper
$160: 500 poster boards
$202: 72 packs of colored pencils, 24ct
$110: 60 boxes of 24ct crayons
$30: 90 glue sticks
$50: 30 rolls masking tape
$20: 20 rolls generic scotch tape
$13.50 12 rolls of packing tape
$83: 48 packs of fine point markers,
$106: 48 packs of thick markers
$100: 375 ft of clear shelf liner to protect student's work.
$50: 2,800 yards of yarn in 20 assorted colors
$16.50: 3,000 yards of lightweight fishing twine
$28.50: 5,000 feet twine/kite string

Total: $1562.50
It seems like "another 3400 in other miscellaneous expenses" is a lot to request through gofundme.

The teachers where I work have the best luck with gofundme when they ask for something very specific and can quote a price - like "this projection machine - here's a link and the price." It comes across less like a slush fund going to the teacher's pocket with no accountability.

[demtenjeep]

5. IT IS ONGOING ALL YEAR AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY KIDS I WILL HAVE

that was not an exact list

depends on the students, the units, the time, the behavior the inspiration

all i know is it is expensive and i have not had a raise in 8 years

[noamnety]

7. Maybe an initial list of specifics for now would get a better result

and do another request next school year when you have a better idea of class sizes and needs.

I think most teachers begin the year without an exact student count - the best we can do is base estimates on previous years. And then we have supply lists that are specific to the projects we know we will be doing.

I've just never seen a successful gofundme request that was in the form of "I need thousands of dollars and I have no idea what most of it is for and can't account for what I'm going to do with 2/3 of what I am asking for."

[demtenjeep]

11. i got an email from a small surrounding district

they are closing their middle school and offered me all their binders


such a blessing

[Rhiannon12866]

13. I donated on the thread in Education, but I can certainly K&R this one! Good luck!