Blogger advice? Plus some other fun stuff
Hi everyone!
So, in the mean time, I have so questions I need answered (pretty please):
1. Why don't people leave feedback on TPT? I mean c'mon guys! I've taken the time to create a product for my fellow teachers that I hope will be helpful and fun. The least you could do is give me some credit! I always make sure I leave feedback on everyone's page when I purchase something - especially freebies! Even though they are free, doesn't mean it's not worth your time to leave feedback. I would argue especially when it's a free item. You are getting a quality product for free! You didn't have to pay for it - you should at the very least say "thanks". Is that too much to ask?!
2. I recently sent a note to my TPT followers, and because I'm a dork and follow myself, I received the note as well. I noticed that all of the html codes I put into the note so people could click on my items just showed up as is in the note! I use the same html codes I always do, which work when I blog, but it didn't work in the note! How do people make the links clickable in their TPT notes to followers? Any advice?
3. MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IN NEED OF SERIOUS ADVICE!
So I'm a spoiled brat, and have been working in a private, state-funded therapy school for students with behavioral disabilities. I never had to pay for anything (unless I wanted to keep it) - everything was reimbursed or bought for me! If I needed more folders, paper, glue sticks, etc., I just walked down to the Administrative Assistant and ask her for a key to the supply closet and I would stock up. If I needed new book bins, I would purchase them, give my boss the receipt and get reimbursed the following week. Of course it wasn't a free-for-all; I did have a budget, but it was like 1,000 bucks each year, and after my first year, that 1,000 dollars felt like unlimited cash because I had all the "classroom staples" I needed.
Now, it's a different story:
I'm a teacher in a public school now and have no budget! NO budget! How do you all do it?! What do I do?! When I showed up to get the keys to my classroom, I was handed one stapler, one glue stick and a pair of scissors. That's it! I need book bins, I need white boards, I need dry erase markers! I know that teachers shell out lots of dough from their own pockets to fund for a lot of things, but I honestly don't have the money for that! We just got married and are desperately trying to save to buy a house in the next couple of years. My husband, who is not a teacher himself, nor has any close teaching friends, does not understand how I could possibly be expected to pay for things on my own for a classroom that I just got! (He also doesn't understand how much time I spend on lesson planning, back to school decor stuff, and classroom management visuals...causes some fights in our household around this time...but that's a story for another day). So, he's less than supportive when it comes to withdrawing money from our house fund to pay for crayons! And I don't blame him! I haven't had to deal with this for the past 7 years of teaching - we've been used to getting all the money back that I've spent on things like school store prizes, book club books, and art supplies. So my question to you is: HOW DO YOU DO IT?! How do you get your classroom supplies that you need without using up your entire September salary?! Please please PLEASE chime in on your advice on this topic! I'm desperate to figure out what to do!
*BEST SELLERS*: Common Core Standards Checklists: K-2 ELA & K-2 Math
Common Core Standards Checklists: 3-4 ELA & 3-4 Math
*BEST SELLERS*: Quotation and Dialogue Packet, Punctuation Practice Packet, & Monster Place Value Activity Pack
Kindergarten Daily Warm Ups: September & October
Some of my favorite, new products for classroom management and games: Behavior Management Starter Pack, Classroom Materials Icon Cards, & Getting to Know You Fortune Tellers-Back to School BUNDLE
*BEST SELLERS*: Listening Center Pack & Fidget Break Cards (my personal favorite product in my store!)
Don't forget about my FLASH FREEBIE going on now! Don't want to wait to purchase my Common Core Standards Checklist for grade 3 & 4? Get them NOW while they are free! All I ask is that you leave some feedback (please read my rant above...) and please try to omit the word "free" from your comment- it won't be free forever! Act fast!!!
Oh, and check out my Mini-Me below...not the most "professional" looking one, but I like my Little Rae :)
Cheers,
Quick post highlight:
Learning Specialist and Teacher Materials posted a wonderful post on reaching kinesthetic learners. It highlights some very important teaching strategies and methods to help your most squirmy and active kiddos. This is a list of strategies that ALL teachers should read, especially if you have special needs Littles in your class! Check out this post here for more :)My pleas for help:
So I realized today that I have less than 2 weeks until I have to report back to school for PD...and less than 3 weeks until my kiddos are here! YIKES! I know many of you are back at school, or will be sooner than me, but I'm not ready yet! I've been into my new classroom, but the old teacher's stuff is still in there, so I can't make much headway until that's all gone (next Friday..............yes, NEXT Friday!!). It's crunch time man!!! A'int nobody got time for this!So, in the mean time, I have so questions I need answered (pretty please):
1. Why don't people leave feedback on TPT? I mean c'mon guys! I've taken the time to create a product for my fellow teachers that I hope will be helpful and fun. The least you could do is give me some credit! I always make sure I leave feedback on everyone's page when I purchase something - especially freebies! Even though they are free, doesn't mean it's not worth your time to leave feedback. I would argue especially when it's a free item. You are getting a quality product for free! You didn't have to pay for it - you should at the very least say "thanks". Is that too much to ask?!
2. I recently sent a note to my TPT followers, and because I'm a dork and follow myself, I received the note as well. I noticed that all of the html codes I put into the note so people could click on my items just showed up as is in the note! I use the same html codes I always do, which work when I blog, but it didn't work in the note! How do people make the links clickable in their TPT notes to followers? Any advice?
3. MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IN NEED OF SERIOUS ADVICE!
So I'm a spoiled brat, and have been working in a private, state-funded therapy school for students with behavioral disabilities. I never had to pay for anything (unless I wanted to keep it) - everything was reimbursed or bought for me! If I needed more folders, paper, glue sticks, etc., I just walked down to the Administrative Assistant and ask her for a key to the supply closet and I would stock up. If I needed new book bins, I would purchase them, give my boss the receipt and get reimbursed the following week. Of course it wasn't a free-for-all; I did have a budget, but it was like 1,000 bucks each year, and after my first year, that 1,000 dollars felt like unlimited cash because I had all the "classroom staples" I needed.
Now, it's a different story:
I'm a teacher in a public school now and have no budget! NO budget! How do you all do it?! What do I do?! When I showed up to get the keys to my classroom, I was handed one stapler, one glue stick and a pair of scissors. That's it! I need book bins, I need white boards, I need dry erase markers! I know that teachers shell out lots of dough from their own pockets to fund for a lot of things, but I honestly don't have the money for that! We just got married and are desperately trying to save to buy a house in the next couple of years. My husband, who is not a teacher himself, nor has any close teaching friends, does not understand how I could possibly be expected to pay for things on my own for a classroom that I just got! (He also doesn't understand how much time I spend on lesson planning, back to school decor stuff, and classroom management visuals...causes some fights in our household around this time...but that's a story for another day). So, he's less than supportive when it comes to withdrawing money from our house fund to pay for crayons! And I don't blame him! I haven't had to deal with this for the past 7 years of teaching - we've been used to getting all the money back that I've spent on things like school store prizes, book club books, and art supplies. So my question to you is: HOW DO YOU DO IT?! How do you get your classroom supplies that you need without using up your entire September salary?! Please please PLEASE chime in on your advice on this topic! I'm desperate to figure out what to do!
My Link-up & Sale:
Okay, in less whiney, panicky news...I've linked up with Kindergarten Kel's linky for the TPT Back to School Sale! I posted yesterday on the sale, only this time I'm using a fun little image to show you the goods :)
*BEST SELLERS*: Common Core Standards Checklists: K-2 ELA & K-2 Math
Don't forget about my FLASH FREEBIE going on now! Don't want to wait to purchase my Common Core Standards Checklist for grade 3 & 4? Get them NOW while they are free! All I ask is that you leave some feedback (please read my rant above...) and please try to omit the word "free" from your comment- it won't be free forever! Act fast!!!
Oh, and check out my Mini-Me below...not the most "professional" looking one, but I like my Little Rae :)
Cheers,
I don't think non-educators can ever truly appreciate how much money we spend on our classrooms. The most I've ever been given from a school was $100, but I'm sure you know how quickly that was gone. My biggest piece of advice is to prioritize what you really NEED versus what would be nice to have in your room. I buy books during the Scholastic warehouse sales, garage sales, and thrift stores. And don't be afraid to beg, borrow, and steal. Okay... maybe don't steal. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Rae,
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the lack of supplies! Yikes! I would be in the poor house if my school didn't supply the basics. We have a supply closet that allows us to take pencils, crayons, dry erase markers, etc. We are also given a quota of paper to use for copying.
At the end of each school year, each grade level and specialists are given a certain amount of money to buy supplies for the following year. Unfortunately, it's been drastically cut in the last few years.
To make up for it, teachers at my school send out their supply list at the beginning of the school year. It's not the perfect answer to put the financial burden back on parents but it does help. We also have a "Giving Tree" that hangs in our school entryway. Teachers post notes of items they might need in their classroom...kind-of like a wish list. It usually is small things like more markers or crayons. Finally, our PTO has been super gracious and given each teacher in our building $100.00 to buy supplies or larger items for the classroom. Perhaps you can ask them to help you out. Are there other specialists that you could borrow from? Can your principal help out?
Stacy
The Rungs of Reading
PS. And I love your mini-me!!!
I am stalking your comments for the next few days, because I, too, desperately need an answer to #3!!!!!
ReplyDeleteRAM
http://drowninginapplesauce.blogspot.com
I am lucky because our district (I teach self contained sped) gives me a $1700 yearly budget (about $800 for resource teachers), and we have a supply closet at our school that has everything we need. I also senda supply listhome before school starts (on my to do list for next week) for hand sanitizer, clorox wipes, etc. That leaves curriculum and books that goes out of my budget. But I still end up spending my own money. As for suggestions, I would send a supply list home to your students now so you'll have them when school starts. Ask families that can afford it to send in extras, ask families to send in $20 to buy extras throughout the year. Don't be afraid to send out a supply list at other times during the year. Write a Donor's Choice grant for supplies. You can write several a year. Send out a plea over social networks and emails to friends and family. At the end of the school year, collect left over materials from your students. Finally, check and see if your community has a cheap supply store, as bigger cities tend to have this. Then buy at the stores that are currently having back to school sales. For $20 you can geta bunch of stuff. Don't forget to tell your husband you can write off $200 on your taxes each year, and if you consider it a charity, since it is non profit, you can probably write off more. If your husband is not happy with the current situation, he can email or phone the legislators in your state to fund public education, because this is the way it is all over the US. Ok, hopes some of this helps.
ReplyDelete