CHILDREN’S BOOKS
-Your local library: Sign up to be
notified by email or phone when the library cleans out the Children’s Book
section, or check regularly to see what books they have put up for sale. Books
can go for as low as $0.25 and are usually hardcover! Also ask if
teachers can check out books for extended periods of time. Some libraries
will allow teachers to keep books for 3-12 weeks, which is long enough to
utilize their resources throughout an entire thematic unit. Don't forget
to check out audio books for your listening center, as well as the selection of
children’s music and movies.
-eBay: A few years ago, I purchased 50
children's books for $34-- including shipping and handling! Books are
shipped using media mail rates, which are very, very low. Many teachers
sell books when they switch grade levels, move, or retire, and this is a great
way to build a classroom library cheaply!
-Book fairs: In central Virginia, there is a regular event called the Green Valley Bookfair. They sell new books that were over-printed,
out of print, didn’t sell as well as hoped, etc. I recently got 35 books
for $29! Check your local listings to
see what book fairs come to your area.
-Scholastic: By far the best deal anywhere for
teachers. You get points towards free books every time you or one of your
families buy books, and prices start from $0.50.
-Good Will, Salvation Army, etc.: A great source of
used books.
-Corporate donations: Many
companies have literacy outreach programs in which they donate books to
schools. A phone company used to send a representative each year to one
of my former schools to read to all of the third grade classes. Their company was associated with the First Book Program, which provides books for low-income students, and they
donated at least one book for every child. I kept them in the classroom
so everyone could read them. Over the course of two years, I obtained
about 100 books from corporate donations. Go to company’s websites or
call them, and ask friends who work for big companies to look into donations
for you.
-Internet: There are online sites where
you can print children’s books for free. Students can then color, fold, and
staple them to create little readers. Do
an internet search for ‘free printable books’ and see what comes up!
TEACHER RESOURCE BOOKS
-Buy and then resell on eBay: Lots of great stuff, some new, some used, all
great bargains! Be careful, though- it's addictive! I used to
buy, read, photocopy and take notes, then resell on
eBay. The items were considered used,
but it really doesn’t take much off the eBay value. After all, the next buyer doesn’t care if you
were the only owner or the second one, as long as the materials are in good
condition.
-Local library: You would be
surprised what your local library might have! There are usually multiple
workbooks for parents to help their kids be successful in school. I have
also seen books of reading games, early childhood school-readiness activities,
and craft books. Copy what you need, and send it back, no charge!
Do an online search and have the system send you copies of the books you want
that are at other branches. The books you see in the photo were all
top-notch resources that I borrowed for free from my library! There
aren't many copies of each title- usually one per system, but you can place a
hold on any book you see online in the library catalog and they will send it to
your local branch, free of charge.
-Other teachers: Of course
photocopying an entire resource book breaks copyright laws, so I can’t advocate
that… but do recognize that other teachers in your building have likely spent
hundreds of dollars on books, most of which they don’t use. Borrow, and
write down any ideas you like! I am infamous for sending out emails to an
entire grade level (not necessarily my own!) or even the entire school asking
for a specific resource- math games, cause/effect activities, and so on. I have an incredible assortment of worksheets
and activities because of the generosity of co-workers!
-Retiring and resigning
teachers: One retiring teacher I know set up a ‘store’ in her room on the
last teacher workday of the year. Everything was free for the taking,
although donations were requested. There were tons of resource books,
none of which she wanted to lug home to store in her garage! Ask your friends in other schools to let you
know when someone they know retires .
-Pennysaver-type newspapers: Many teachers sell their
stuff in June when they switch grade levels, take maternity leave, retire,
etc. Check the ads!
-Internet: Who says teacher
resources have to be in book form? Nowadays, just about any printables or
lesson ideas you need can be found for free online!
MANIPULATIVES
-Make them! Just about the only math
materials I have ever bought were playing cards and those cute little dollar
store erasers that come in different shapes.
I’ve spent maybe $10 total over the years. Everything else comes
from the school, file folder games, or photocopied pieces from pattern
books. I actually found a book of patterns (snowmen, dinosaurs, hearts,
etc.- the usual) at the library, photocopied what I needed, had the kids color
them, then laminated and had the kids cut them out for me. I program the
pieces using permanent marker according to the skill we’re doing, then spray
them with hairspray to remove the words and reprogram.
-Don’t be shy- ask other teachers:
Again, ask around! See what everyone else has and isn’t using. The
longer someone’s been in the classroom, they more likely it is that they have
materials they no longer use but refuse to get rid of. Put the stuff to
good use!
-Wal-Mart: I’ve seen plastic teddy bears, coins, mini-clock
matching games, and more for very reasonable prices. And be creative-
check the sale shelves to see if there’s any materials you can re-purpose and use
in the classroom.
-Dollar Stores: These are the best
for manipulatives, in my opinion. Dice, cards, erasers, action figures,
cars, stickers… and they’re all within your budget.
-Retiring teachers: From the
retiring teacher “store” I described above I got a place value pocket chart and
counters: never used.
DECORATIONS
-Make them! Craft stores sell
special markers that let you draw on windows. Use the die cutter (if your
school has one) to cut out shapes to spruce up wall displays. Use what
you have, what your school provides, and the things other teachers are willing
to share to make your classroom beautiful.
Don’t get caught up into thinking that things have to be fancy or
store-bought.
-Have kids make them! My kids have
made posters explaining how to solve math problems, displays of different
geometric shapes in the classroom, a ‘quilt’ of their favorite books,
etc. Use their work rather than store-bought posters. It’s more
meaningful to the kids, and tells visitors more about what’s happening in your
classroom. Large paintings done by children always look beautiful, no
matter how young the students.
-Focus on useful displays. A
pretty poster is just taking up wall space unless it’s helping the kids learn,
retain, and utilize their skills. Hang up your text connections poster,
tricks for remembering multiplication facts, directions for long division, a
calendar with important dates and events for your students clearly marked, the
correct friendly letter writing format, etc. Refer to the posters often
and your kids will, too.
-Teacher’s Magazines: Lots of
times there are free pull-outs in teacher magazines. If your college or
public library subscribes, ask if you can take them out.
-Don’t change bulletin boards
frequently and keep them generic: There’s no law that says you have to
have new bulletin board displays for every holiday. Pick bulletin board
paper that will work all year long and change the border, if you must.
(For example, red is nice for fall leaves and apples, then for Christmas, later
for Valentine’s Day, and finally for a general or thematic display towards the
end of the year). I buy one versatile set of borders for each
bulletin board I have and leave them up. I have frogs, planets,
calendars, paintbrushes, designs, plain colors, and other themes not associated
with any particular time of year. Also, remember that your border does
not have to correlate with the stuff that’s on the board, as long as the colors
and styles complement one another. A bulletin board about transportation does
not have to have a train border: a plain blue one will work just fine.
-Display a minimum of seasonal
decorations: I try to pick borders that don’t need to be changed- I have
way too much to do to worry about having snowflakes up in May! In fact, I
rarely display kid’s seasonal work, focusing on thematic displays or things
that look good all year, such as “Our Best Work”. When I do hang
seasonal work, I try to do it at least a month before the occasion to get the
maximum usage out of it.
-Go online to find ideas: type in the
materials you have, or the end product you want, and check out other’s
teachers’ ideas.
OFFICE SUPPLIES
-Wal-Mart: The absolute BEST prices…BUT you MUST wait until
their back-to-school sales! Prices really hit rock bottom then. Go
in right away before everything is picked over, then right before (or after)
school starts, go back and collect all the colorful cardboard boxes the
supplies came in and are ready to be disposed of.
-Dollar store: Quality is not as
good because dollar stores carry off-brands. But things such as erasers,
rulers, file labels, etc. are readily available here.
-Parent donations/ school supply lists:
Put what you need on the students’ school supply list, if possible. I
always ask for hand sanitizer, sticky notes, slide-loc plastic baggies, and dry
erase markers. These things are just too expensive to continually
buy. Even if only 5 kids bring them in, hey, that saved me $30 out of my
own pocket! Many times I only have to ask for certain supplies every
other year. For example, two years ago I had so much glue and so many
rulers left over, I didn’t ask parents to purchase them the next year.
Now for the coming year, I need those things again, but I have tons of
left-over sticky notes and bags, so I won’t request those. I also send
home requests before winter and spring break asking for donations. Most
parents don’t send anything, but the ones who do really make a difference.
It’s worth asking, if you can. There is also a trend in some
schools for teachers to ask parents for $20-$35 and the teachers purchase all
the school supplies. This way they can often get bulk discounts and
can make sure every child has the right supplies. Leftover funds can go towards
additional classroom materials. (This method may be more costly for
bargain-shopping parents who generally spend far less than that amount, even if
it is easier on them time-wise, so be sure to think about your demographics and
get your principal's permission).
MISC.
-Highlights Magazine: stickers, organizers, CDs, and more!
This is a fantastic resource- you send home a slip asking parents to
subscribe. They check yes or no, and for every slip returned to you, you
get points for merchandise. Even if the parents says no, their slip still
counts for the same amount of points! I have gotten an overhead
organizer, carbon-copy notes, sticky tack, two huge and sturdy pocket charts, a
craft idea book, stickers, four classical music CDs, and much more. The
best part is, the quality of the products is excellent- materials are extremely
durable. Highlights also publishes Puzzle Mania and Math Mania,
offering the same deals for those publications.
-Yard Sales: Books, toys, games,
and much more. Don’t forget flea markets, silent auctions, church
auctions, community yard sales, garage sales… check the newspapers to see
what’s going on near you.
-Trade with other teachers each year in June when you clean
out your room. Make a stack of all the things you could consider parting
with (I know, it’s hard!) and get together with co-workers and teacher friends
from other schools. This is especially tempting for teachers who are switching
grade levels or schools- be sure to personally invite them. Swap your materials
and ideas, and walk away with brand new stuff, less junk, and money still in
your pocket!
-The Teacher's
Attic is a FREE version of eBay for teachers to list all types of
items they want to sell.
