Back to School Costs
September marked the beginning of autumn, football season and a new school year. This was an exciting time especially for parents, students and teachers as they prepared for the start of a new academic year. As parents and students were choosing backpacks and new school clothes, teachers were busy purchasing the numerous supplies for their classrooms. Although exciting, this can be a costly endeavor for all parties involved.
According to the National Education Association (NEA) based on analysis conducted by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), public school teachers nationwide shell out an average of $459 of their own money on school supplies for their classrooms each year. This figure sadly does not even include the money that gets reimbursed by their school districts. Unsurprisingly, the amount is even greater for educators who teach at schools with high poverty rates. Additionally, this can be especially expensive for first-year teachers who are starting from scratch and setting up their classrooms for the very first time. All of this on top of the fact that according to business.org, teacher salaries are on average 6.7% less than the national average salary.
Having been a teacher myself, I know the struggle is real! In order to make a classroom efficient, effective and inviting for students, teachers go out of their way (and out of their pocket books!) to make this happen. While doing this can be costly, no matter what grade level they teach, most teachers are still excited about the new school year and willingly pay the money because they genuinely want to create optimum enriching learning environments for their students.
Our Mission: The Gift of Giving
The reality is, however, not every teacher has hundreds of dollars to spend. Luckily, there are various programs that offer teachers grants to help mitigate some of the costs of setting up a classroom or with purchasing of materials for specific class projects or experiments.
As part of our mission to leave a legacy, last month ThinkTwyce proudly participated in the “Adopt-a- Teacher” initiative, a similar program aimed at helping both new and veteran teachers obtain some of the items they require for their classrooms by connecting them with donors. Teachers request specific supplies or materials needed for their classroom. Donors then voluntarily “adopt” a teacher by offering to purchase some or all of the items on a teacher’s wish list.
Our mission at ThinkTwyce is to give back to schools, teachers and students, so Adopt-a-Teacher seemed right up our alley. It was our first year participating in this fantastic initiative and ThinkTwyce was thrilled to “adopt” two teachers! We donated various supplies for their classrooms in hopes of ensuring they both have a great start to the school year! We’ve since followed up with the teachers to see how they’re doing.
Meet the Teachers
Haley O.
Haley is starting her first year as a teacher at Press Elementary in Texas. She is teaching first grade and is so excited to have landed what she deems her “dream job.” She is extremely grateful for all the support she has been receiving from her school as well as Adopt-a-Teacher. She says being a first year teacher she was basically “starting from scratch” and had few resources or supplies for her classroom. Support through Adopt-a-Teacher and the donations she received allowed her to get some key items she needed for her classroom that she could not afford to purchase herself.
Haley included “Base Ten” magnetic math manipulative sets on her wish list because she needed replacements for the current foam sets in her classroom, which were a challenge to keep sanitary. “I want my students to explore numbers with base ten blocks safely,” she said and these will make cleaning much easier for her and therefore, safer for her students.
ThinkTwyce was more than happy to be able to donate several sets for her classroom. She plans on using them in her Place Value Unit and is also excited to teach her students extended forms of numbers. She was so grateful for the Adopt-a-Teacher initiative and “the amazing people” who helped take some of the financial burden off of her first year. Haley told us “I really appreciate everyone’s donations and help.“
When asked about how her first year of teaching is going so far she shared “I [am] learning and growing alongside my students…I am still trying to figure out classroom management and routines, but I am keeping my head up and putting a smile on my face every day. I know this year will be a wild ride, but I am so excited to start my teaching journey this year.”
Her advice for others? --“Treat people with kindness.” We couldn’t agree with you more, Haley! And we couldn’t be more excited for Haley to embark on her first year of teaching. We wish her and her students all the best!
Nikki A.
Nikki is another teacher who said she “desperately” needed materials to help her get started this year. She is happily teaching preschool/UPK (for the first time!) in New York and was grateful to be adopted since she teaches students with different abilities including autism and sensory processing disorders. She needed items that would both help her students as well as benefit her as a first-time preschool teacher. Nikki requested a daily planning book (essential for all teachers!) designed especially for pre-school, as well as number and alphabet flashcards. She also asked for display boards. Nikki had a specific idea in mind, wanting to create “circle time boards” she could use repeatedly with her students, whom she knew would need the visual support. She requested these materials to help her bring her ideas to fruition.
Nikki said the assistance was “greatly appreciated and a blessing to my kiddos!” ThinkTwyce was happy to step in and support. Have a great first year, Nikki!
Leaving a Legacy
We’ve probably all heard the adage, “Leave the world better than you found it.” Every day teachers go into their classrooms and by educating the next generation they inherently leave this world a better place. At ThinkTwyce we strive to do the same. Some may say that making jewelry doesn’t have the ability to achieve such a lofty goal. To those people we say, “think twice.” The proceeds from all purchases allow us to continue making contributions to teachers like Haley and Nikki. And as we continue to grow as a company, we hope to give back in even bigger ways. It means the world to us to be able to fulfill our mission of leaving a legacy by giving back to something as important as education. We can’t think of a better way to start the new school year and the beginning of fall…
Whether you’re a teacher back at school or preparing virtual tailgate parties during football season we’d love to hear how your fall is going!
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