People like to donate to their school, their student’s classroom, and their student’s teacher, and that is why having a Teacher Wish List is so important.
The holidays are upon us, and with that, many parents, students, and businesses like to get teachers gifts and show their support for their local schools.
As a teacher, we all appreciate getting small tokens of appreciation from our students and their families, but sometimes what a teacher needs most is some items and resources that will make their classrooms and classes better and give students more opportunities for learning.
Your Teacher Wish List can come in lots of different shapes, sizes, and programs, and we want to share several options for you to consider in this post.
Where should you put your Teacher Wish List?
Once you get these wish lists in place, create a pdf, handout, or little card you can hand out when the opportunity presents itself.
You can hand out the wish list during back to school, during conferences, send the wish list home in student folders, and mention it in your emails to parents.
What should you put on your Wish Lists?
Everything you may want or need for your classroom and students.
Putting together a Teacher Wish List for your classroom is kind of like putting together a wedding registry. This is a time to consider your needs, those of your students, and the things that would just make your classroom better.
Make sure to include items in lots of different price ranges, and don’t be afraid to include some more expensive items and items and resources that just cost a dollar or two. You never want to put yourself in someone else’s wallet. Just because you wouldn’t buy that item for yourself doesn’t mean that a parent-owned business won’t donate it to your school and classroom. So put that Tpt bundle you’ve been eyeing on that list because it never hurts to throw it out there!
Different Class Wish Lists to Create
Tpt ClassFund
If you use Teachers Pay Teachers, then putting together a Tpt ClassFund is a great option for your classroom.
In the Tpt ClassFund, people can donate to teacher-created campaigns. (It is kind of like DonorsChoose, except they create their fund based on what Tpt resources they want and why.) This allows the purchaser to pick exactly what they want to buy for the class. Having the option to pick what they want is nice for donors because then a parent who values math can get a math resource, or the local dental business can donate a science resource.
To learn more about the ClassFund, click here to get started!
Tpt Gift Cards
Did you know that you can get gift cards for Teachers Pay Teachers?
Well, you can, and it is a great option for parents who are looking to get their teachers something useful for the classroom. With the Tpt Gift Cards, teachers can go into the massive Tpt database and find resources that will give their students exactly what they need.
To learn more about Tpt Gift Cards and learn how to purchase them, click here!
DonorsChoose
When you set up a DonorsChoose campaign, you can fill your campaign with things that you need for the classroom, and then you can share your link with parents, businesses, and anyone else who may be looking to donate to their student’s classes.
Amazon Wishlist
Using your Amazon account, you can create a wish list of items that you need or want for your classroom. This is a fantastic option because this is a great place to put together a list of all the ‘stuff’ that it takes to run an engaging classroom. You can get awesome tools and supplies that your class would otherwise not be able to afford. This might be consumables like markers or craft supplies, or your wish list from Amazon might include new seating options for students or book sets or STEM-related toys for indoor recess.
Tip: Always make sure the shipping address is set up with your name clearly marked, or people won’t be able to ship the items to you. The address is hidden from buyers, though.
When people don’t want to buy from your Wish Lists
No matter how many lists you set up for people, sometimes they still just want to buy the teacher something that is completely for them, but our students and their parents have no way of knowing what you like or don’t like.
It never fails that the teacher who doesn’t drink coffee goes home with 5 Starbucks gift cards and mugs, or the teacher who is on the keto diet receives several different King Sized candy bars.
We don’t want the students or their parents wasting their money, so do some work upfront and make sure that your students know what you like.
You can do a fun activity in class where everyone shares their favorite things, and you can add in some of yours. For example, you could say I don’t like coffee, but I love (Hint) water, and show the students a bottle of it.
Another option is to have students bring in some of their favorite things, take pictures of each student and yourself with your favorite things, and post them to the class social page.
There is no shame in wanting to make sure that parents and students use their resources in a way that isn’t wasteful.
You could also approach your school PTO about creating a teacher interest inventory that could be sent out to parents during the holiday season to help parents streamline their shopping efforts.
Spend time this holiday season really thinking about what you want for your classroom. This is a time to dream and really consider what would be awesome to have for your class and students and make some Wish Lists that you can share with parents, your PTO, or anyone else who asks.
Make planning for the holiday season easy with this post: Planning for the Holiday Season in your Elementary Class Made Easy
