Teacher Appreciation

Hello Friends,

One of the realities of education is that teachers often spend hundreds of dollars of their own money on classroom supplies. Instead of spending personal funds, teachers should have access to the tools they need to be successful. Unfortunately, many teachers never ask their principals for classroom supplies because they assume the answer will be no or believe purchasing those materials is simply part of their job. With this in mind I created a Teacher Supply Closet.

The closet is stocked with a wide variety of classroom supplies, including colored paper, color cardstock, Kleenex, pencils, pens, Clorox wipes, composition books, folders, notebook paper, scissors, rulers, markers, and many other essentials. My goal is simple: if a teacher needs something to support instruction, it should easily available to them.

The first year I created the closet, I had my department chairs pick up supplies for their teachers. Since this was a new concept for many, I wanted to prevent unnecessary hoarding while everyone adjusted to having access to needed supplies. By the second year, teachers understood that the closet would remain stocked, so they were able to get their own supplies when they needed them.

The supply closet is located near my substitute coordinator's office. Teachers simply stop by, and she unlocks the closet so they can get what they need. When inventory begins to run low, she works with our financial clerk to reorder supplies. Whenever possible, we purchase items through our district warehouse because it provides the lowest cost. If an item is unavailable through the warehouse, we order it from office supply vendors.

I also make it clear that if a teacher needs something that isn't in the supply closet, all they have to do is ask. If it is a unique item for their classroom, I purchase it for them. If it is something I believe other teachers could also may want, I order additional quantities and add it to the supply closet.

A teacher supply closet demonstrates that you value your teachers, support their instruction, and appreciate the difference they make in the lives of students.

Join the Teacher & Staff Appreication Facebook Group to share ideas, celebrate our amazing educators, and spread a little extra gratitude with over 125,000 members. Let’s make sure our teachers feel the love all year long! https://www.facebook.com/share/g/17K84qs8Yc/

Bring me to your District!

I offer engaging, fun, and hands-on professional development for campus leaders designed to increase teacher retention. You can find more information about presentations and workshops on my webpage.

Bring me to your School!

Looking for fun and impactful professional development filled with amazing instructional strategies for your teachers or looking for a mentor to work with you and/or your administrative team contact me at Kathleen.Eckert@iCloud.com.

Newsletters

Sign up for and view all of my Newsletters about Teacher Appreciation on my webpage.

Thank you for loving teachers,

Kathleen Eckert

Check out my book, School Transformation Through Teacher Appreciation, available on Amazon, for more teacher appreciation ideas.