If you have ever thought it would be nice to chip in a little something to support our work here at the Institute, then please stay with me through this post. Because I'm going to ask you to take help some teachers start off the year via Donors Choose.
Yes, I am in absolute agreement that in a just and proper nation, Donors Choose would fold up and waste away because no teacher would need help buying supplies and resources for their classroom. I mean, imagine a country where Donors Choose was for the army, or a doctor's operating theater, or a Congressperson's office.
But we live in this nation as it is right now, and right now, teachers can use the help. So if you are big on supporting teachers, here is a real, concrete way you can help out. You could also contact your local school, or a teacher in it, and ask, "What can you use?" But Donors Choose makes it easier, and I am going to make it even easier still. Here are some projects to choose from. Scan the list, pick out one you like, and chip in.
Sound It, Build It, Stamp It, Write It
Full disclosure--this is the teacher for one of the twins. She's looking to add letter beads and write and wipe boards to help grow some literate littles.
Getting Comfy With Our Feelings
Full disclosure again--this is the other twins' teacher. She's looking to add some flexible comfy seating for small group work.
Okay, last disclosure. This is a friend of mine who would like to add a set of ukuleles to her elementary music classroom, which would be extraordinarily cool.
A second grade classroom in Arizona is looking to beef up math instruction with some manipulatives, dry erase boards and a bare bones tablet. I figure anyone teaching in Arizona can use a boost.
I'm a sucker for reading furniture for the littles, and this kindergarten classroom needs rugs for the littles to sit on. And they're in Florida, which means they can use all the help they can get.
Musical Literacy and Quality Literature
Ms. Kochel out in North Dakota is looking to add some books that connect songs, images, art, and reading, which strikes me as an absolutely delightful idea.
Yeah, it's a symptom of how messed up school funding is that this reading specialist in North Carolina is looking for decodables for her PreK-2 students.
I could go on all day, but for today let this be enough. None of these are big ticket projects, and every little bit helps. Or you can search around on Donors Choose. Amazon has a similar program, but I can't bring myself to send more money their way.
These are all real, concrete ways to help real, actual classroom with actual students in them. As the new year starts, it's worth lending whatever kind of helping hand you can. This is something I regularly do; as a retired teacher in PA who lives a pretty simple lifestyle, I think it's important to give back, and this is one way to do that. I encourage you to join me in finding ways to help classrooms and teachers do the work.
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