Meet Danielle! She’s a 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teacher in New Jersey. Read her story below and help clear her list here.
Today, most educators are either returning to school, starting new hybrid programs, or beginning the academic year remotely. 2020 has presented countless problems in education, but one quick and easy way to support educators during this time of great uncertainty is to get the materials they need into their hands. Whether it’s PPE, socially distant or remote learning tools, or the usual school supplies, teachers are asking for help!
Mitch and I have the utmost respect for educators. They empower our children, help them realize their potential, and instill a love of learning in them. They shape the future of our country. And while teaching is an incredibly rewarding career, it’s also a grueling—and often times thankless—job. In 2020, it’s a scary job, too. Educators are up against the impossible, and many are even risking their health and their families’ health.
The underfunding of public education classrooms was a pervasive problem long before 2020—and teachers have been resorting to buying supplies on their own, even when they can’t really afford to, for decades. (Another discussion for another day.) But this year, educators need more materials than ever (!!!) since most are engaged in remote, hybrid or socially distanced instruction for the first time.
In 2019, Courtney Jones, an elementary school teacher, launched a Twitter campaign to help teachers in need. Very quickly, it went viral. And it was hugely successful.
In many ways, it’s sad that teachers have to turn to crowdsourcing to secure basic and essential materials for their students and their safety. But in other ways, it’s encouraging. It goes without saying that it helps students, but it also draws attention to this long-ignored serious issue.
The #clearthelist movement has helped to fund classrooms across the country through sites like Amazon, DonorsChoose.org (which Mitch and I relied on heavily!), and GoFundMe. And today, I’m highlighting the Amazon wish lists and projects of a few very special educators who also happen to be blog followers. (MORE TO COME!)
Please consider helping them. Every little bit makes a difference!
And thank you, educators. You are heroes.
Note: I am sharing every story that is submitted this month. I don’t have control over who decides to reach out, but I’m actively working to promote a diverse group of educators. Please pass this along to anyone and everyone who needs help. ❤️
In an email to Kelly@kellyinthecity.com with subject line #clearthelist, include your:
Name: (First is fine.)
Title: (Example: High School Math Teacher.)
Location: (City or state.)
Story: (Bring yourself to life!)
Amazon Wish List: (Link.)
Photo of yourself (Without students’ faces.)
Name: Jen
Title: Elementary Special Education Teacher
Location: Connecticut
Story: “I am an elementary special education teacher starting my 22nd year of teaching. This year has been the most challenging yet. I teach students with emotional behavioral disabilities in a public school in Trumbull, Connecticut. We are going back to the classroom full time in person next week. I can’t wait to see my littles! Thank you for helping!”
Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/7W6R88OG0JKU?ref=cm_sw_sm_r_wl_ip_55xAruAVCrimQ
Name: Brenna
Title: English Language Teacher
Location: Minnesota
Story: “I’m an English Language teacher at a Title 1 suburban Minnesota elementary school. I have about 50 English learners at my school, K-5. These wonderful students are working hard to learn English while they also learn grade-level content.
While being bilingual is a talent and skill that should be fostered, it does make distance learning even more of a struggle. There was already an academic performance gap between the ELs and their native English speaking peers, and distance learning has only made that gap wider.
The items on my Amazon Wishlist will help engage my students in distance learning through better use of technology and diverse books. Any extra support for these kids would get would be greatly appreciated!”
Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/ZHL5JFKBF542?ref_=wl_share
Name: Evelyn
Title: Kindergarten Teacher (Evelyn also used to be Lucy’s daycare teacher before the pandemic! 😭)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Story: “I recently got hired with Chicago Public Schools as a Kindergarten teacher. I did not want to pass up the opportunity as I could definitely use the help!
also very dedicated to helping them get the supplies they need. Many of them will not have the needed supplies to effectively engage in learning via Google meets. Some of the things that can be found on my list are dry-erase boards, composition notebooks, clipboards, glue, magnetic letters, etc. I would love to get my hands on all of these supplies to be able to provide each student with the tools that they need during our remote lessons, even if that means delivering kits to each one of their homes! It will make a world of difference for my kiddos. Thank you!”
Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3965ZUR1PA7GU?ref_=wl_share
Name: Courtney
Title: Fourth Grade Elementary School Teacher
Location: Boston
Story: “My school district is in an urban area and very large, with 59 percent of students whose first language is not English. 76 percent of the student population is considered high needs according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and 59 percent of students are economically disadvantaged. All students receive free lunch in my school.
I began teaching fresh out of college when I was 22. I am heading into my fourth year teaching while also pursuing my Master’s Degree in Reading Education. I have supplied my entire classroom library with my own funds, and would like to continue to grow my library to include more diverse and authentic literature. During my past three years teaching I have personally purchased rugs, pillows, bookshelves, clipboards, art supplies, paper, notebooks, etc. for my students and my classroom.
I would be SO grateful if even just a few items on my list were purchased! My main goal is to continue to expand my classroom library with rich texts that reflect my students’ lives and texts that allow them to explore other cultures, parts of the world, and lifestyles.
Another item on my list is dry erase clipboards. These will be easy to disinfect and wipe down after student use. A last high-priority item on my list is a document camera so that I can write, do read-a-louds, and model activities for my students while we engage in remote learning.
Any little bit helps! I really appreciate this!”
Name: Lindsey
Title: Kindergarten Teacher
Location: Kansas
Story: “This is my first year teaching at a new school, as I recently relocated from Chicago. I teach English Language Arts in a unique Chinese Immersion program, which means I have a large number of students. I have over 40 Kindergartners on my roster this year!
I want to make it as safe as possible for my students, so I am trying to buy many baskets and book boxes for the students as well as personal items to extend their learning. I am over the moon that I will get to see my students in person, but am very anxious over the responsibility of keeping all of my little ones safe while also protecting myself.
Also, if any of your followers have little ones that need something to do, I used my time in quarantine to record read alouds for little ones. The handle is @readwithmisslindsey for anyone that is interested. :)
Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2LCJBNHVA5KQ8?ref_=wl_share
Name: Karen
Title: Second Grade Elementary School Teacher
Location: Washington
Story: “I teach second grade in the most diverse school district in the state of Washington. My students come to me at least a year but mostly two years behind in reading, writing and math. (Last year, I had to teach three of my students how to write their names.) We also have a lot of students who are new to the United States and therefore don’t speak or read English.
My district is good about providing [basic] supplies like pencils; however, organizational items and things like headphones and dry-erase boards are up to the teacher to provide. I try to instill my love of books on my students, yet the books we are provided with do not reflect who my students are by skin color, nationality and culture. My Amazon list is full of books that would help me curate a classroom library that reflects my students and provides them with stories to help them with social emotional learning.
This year, we are starting with remote teaching and moving to hybrid as soon as it is safe. I will be able to use the magnetic items in my remote teaching and all the books for read alouds daily. Just because we are home doesn’t mean we won’t still be learning how to be kind and control our emotions, and learning about different cultures. Once we move to hybrid, all items on my list will be used daily, too.
Thank you for any and all donations. Even with all the unknowns and stress added to this school year, I am excited to be able to have another class of awesome students to teach, guide and love.”
Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1GLC2PEJ91KX1?ref_=wl_share
Name: Danielle
Title: 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Elementary School Teacher
Location: New Jersey
Story: “My name is Danielle and I am a teacher for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. I teach at a Title 1 school, and I am returning to my classroom! I am so overwhelmed with excitement as well as fear but I cannot wait to meet my new students. I’m also excited to see my students from last year that I did not have a proper goodbye with.
This is a picture I took of myself to post on my Google classroom in April to remind my students that everything will be all right. Although we are still living in times of uncertainty, I will always remain a light for my students. I am praying for the day when I can give my students a hug or high five, the day when I can see my students smiling without their masks covering it, and the day when they can see me smile. I know that those days are ahead!
Any donation would be appreciated and the smallest of donations could go so far!”
Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/39AGYAI6P78OW?ref_=wl_share
Title: Fourth Grade Elementary School Teacher
Location: Virginia
Story: “Hi, everyone! First year teacher here! This year, I will be teaching 4th grade at a Title 1 school, which means a large percentage of our students are low-income. My school district, which is located in Virginia, made the decision to start out completely virtual. While I would love the opportunity to see my new students in person, I am determined to make this an incredible year until things are safe enough to go back in person.
One goal I have is to create a diverse classroom library for my students, so a majority of my list consists of books with a range of characters.
I am feeling very nervous about the upcoming year but I know that all educators are feeling this way right now, so I know I’m not alone!
Any support you could give would greatly appreciated and mean the world to myself and my kiddos. Thank you for taking the time to take a look and help make this an amazing school year!”
Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2W7707MA55RMZ?ref_=wl_share
Name: Catherine
Title: Kindergarten Teacher
Location: Pennsylvania
Story: “My name is Catherine and I teach kindergarten at a Title 1 school in Pennsylvania. I’m trying to prepare for when students are permitted to return to school. Due to COVID-19, our school board opted to start the year online, and once we are allowed to return, I’m worried that newly implemented procedures will take some of the fun out of kindergarten. Through my wish list, I am trying to get items that will add some of that fun back into learning while also addressing the need for social distancing and avoiding shared materials. Even though this year will be like no other, I’m determined to make it as exciting as possible to make sure my ‘fishies’ start off their educational careers right and love school! Thank you so much for your time and consideration.”
Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3QNA20FYC5YV1?ref_=wl_share
Name: Brittany
Title: Reading Intervention Teacher
Location: Baltimore
Story: “When I started at my current school, I had transferred from a school I taught at for nine years. I was told by many I would be teaching “the most challenging” group of students. These were third graders; how ‘challenging’ could they be? Well, the first week of school left me wondering if I would be able to survive the entire year with this group of 30 kids. But let me tell you, this has been one of my favorite groups of kids I have ever taught. They needed me. I needed them. Sometimes we lose sight of why we got into teaching. But this group of kids not only challenged me the entire year but made me realize the importance of the work I was doing.
An anecdote:
The growth I saw in this student and the rest of my students over the year was astronomical. Not only did their academic growth skyrocket, but their social-emotional growth did too. We became a family over that year, and we celebrated successes, cried, and lifted each other up. By the end of that year, this group of students went from the class everyone knew because of how ‘challenging’ they were to the class everyone knew because of how amazing they were. My students met my expectations daily and knew how much they were loved.
I can’t wait to work with another group of students as a reading intervention teacher for this upcoming school year. I know how challenging and unknown virtual learning is as I embark on this new role at my school, but I know that I will have an impact on students [who are] learning how to read. I am excited about this new role and hope with some books, technology, and additional resources I can support my students.”
Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1JW0G45DY3W7N?ref_=wl_share
Name: Alessia
Title: Kindergarten Teacher
Location: Massachusetts
Story: “There is always joy in setting up a classroom, but often a price tag. Whenever I shop for my classroom, I never say to myself that I don’t have the money; I somehow just buy it without guilt… until you realize in September that you’ve spent over $300 yet you would never spend that amount on yourself.
This year is tougher. This year, there is a stigma that going back to school, children will feel like they’re in ‘jail.’ I don’t feel that this [needs to be] true. You can still bring beauty to a classroom and and socially distance them safely! I am in the process of decorating and setting up, and my spending is high. My wish list includes manipulatives that can easily be wiped clean before and after each use. (Most items I currently have cannot be used because they can’t be easily cleaned.) I also need books that will help continue to spread love and embrace diversity in my classroom library. Lastly, we need floor cushions because sitting on tile will not be comfortable!
As educators, we will do whatever it takes to brings smiles to faces! I wish I could buy each and every product I would like to see in my classroom, but affording it is very hard.”
Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/23JG6QEQ5B2IA?ref_=wl_share
~
Note: I am sharing every story that is submitted this month. I don’t have control over who decides to reach out, but I’m actively working to promote a diverse group of educators. Please pass this along to anyone and everyone who needs help. ❤️
In an email to Kelly@kellyinthecity.com with subject line #clearthelist, include your:
Name: (First is fine.)
Title: (Example: High School Math Teacher.)
Location: (City or state.)
Story: (Bring yourself to life!)
Amazon Wish List: (Link to your Amazon Wish List. Make sure you’ve set up a shipping address.)
Photo of yourself (Without students’ faces.)
