Teacher Appreciation

[firedancer10288]

Last summer a bunch of us posted wish lists for supplies that were needed in our classrooms. I was thinking of maybe doing that again since teacher appreciation week is coming up. I feel weird asking for stuff, but our district has also banned us from creating donors choose projects. Thoughts?

[stephm0188]

It ticks me off that we can't use Donor's Choose in our district.

[sugarbear]

Why can't you do Donors Choose?

[lo]

Yeah that really sucks. I would have no carpet, teaching easel, listening center, not to mention lots of supplies, without DC!

[CrazyLucky]

Oh wow. I wonder what the reasoning is behind not allowing donor's choose projects? I've only ever seen a few at my kids' school and I wish they did more. I think our school must not allow teachers to do amazon wish lists because I've asked for one several times and I get no response.

[stephm0188]

Ours originally said because of taxes, but when someone pointed out that DC is a charity, they came back and said it makes the district look bad. We don't want parents to think we can't provide for our students.

[firedancer10288]

The reasoning they gave is that it becomes this weird territory of who do the supplies belong to? Are they the teachers’ since they raised the money and got them (so if the teacher leaves they are free to take everything with them) or does it belong to the school because they were donated to a specific classroom within that school? the unspoken reason is that it makes them look bad.

[lo]

It stays with the school if the teacher leaves. That’s DC policy and you agree to it when you sign up. Saying that, all the teachers I know have taken their stuff with them when they left.

[firedancer10288]

Apr 29, 2018 22:21:31 GMT -5 lo said:

It stays with the school if the teacher leaves. That’s DC policy and you agree to it when you sign up. Saying that, all the teachers I know have taken their stuff with them when they left.

Which I’m sure is what happened here, so they just said no across the board.

[auroraloo]

Apr 26, 2018 16:44:08 GMT -5 stephm0188 said:

Ours originally said because of taxes, but when someone pointed out that DC is a charity, they came back and said it makes the district look bad. We don't want parents to think we can't provide for our students.

Lurks in.

This ticks me off. Of course we want them to know we can't provide for students! WE DO NOT GET ENOUGH MONEY FOR PENCILS. If we continue to do more with less nothing will ever change. 

Lurks out.

[wildfloweragain]

My BFF gets a lot from Donors Choose. She did move schools and she did leave it all at her old school.

But from what I gather from her and from the one time I tried it to get books, the teachers who out tons of details are the ones whose projects get funded. That's TMI for me and for my school to be cool with.

This is an exaggeration, but
"All of my class qualifies for free or reduced lunch. Look at these poor children who need your help, and they are so very poor as am I. Here is our picture on this public site. Fund us!! (No offense, parents, whose families I am talking about, and creepers, just look away!)"

Sent from my SM-G900V using proboards

[stephm0188]

May 1, 2018 14:08:56 GMT -5 auroraloo said:

Apr 26, 2018 16:44:08 GMT -5 stephm0188 said:

Ours originally said because of taxes, but when someone pointed out that DC is a charity, they came back and said it makes the district look bad. We don't want parents to think we can't provide for our students.

Lurks in.

This ticks me off. Of course we want them to know we can't provide for students! WE DO NOT GET ENOUGH MONEY FOR PENCILS. If we continue to do more with less nothing will ever change. 

Lurks out.

Yep. I totally agree. It's depressing. My Amazon list is miles long. My kiddos deserve decent library books to read :\

[auroraloo]

May 1, 2018 16:50:46 GMT -5 wildfloweragain said:

My BFF gets a lot from Donors Choose. She did move schools and she did leave it all at her old school.

But from what I gather from her and from the one time I tried it to get books, the teachers who out tons of details are the ones whose projects get funded. That's TMI for me and for my school to be cool with.

This is an exaggeration, but
"All of my class qualifies for free or reduced lunch. Look at these poor children who need your help, and they are so very poor as am I. Here is our picture on this public site. Fund us!! (No offense, parents, whose families I am talking about, and creepers, just look away!)"

Sent from my SM-G900V using proboards

this is my DC narrative, and I don't think it's exploitative, or TMI. I've had over 10K in projects funded: 

 My students learn through real-life, authentic experiences that grow them as amazing and motivated producers and artists. We are an inner-city creative arts magnet school in the heart of downtown. Every student in our school is introduced to different paths of art from sculpture to dance to theatre, digital arts (3D printing, audio production, photography), creative writing, literary publishing, and instrumental and vocal music.

Our students are incredibly talented and focused on their development as scholars and artists.
We are diverse and dedicated to our academic and artistic growth as well as our school community. Arts are a very real part of our students' identities and purpose. Our students are, quite simply, amazing.

[Jalapeñomel]

I feel bad asking my friends and family for money for my classroom over and over again.

[auroraloo]

May 2, 2018 17:57:07 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I feel bad asking my friends and family for money for my classroom over and over again.

I don't ever post to my social media. I did at first, but after two projects I quit doing that. I still get funded by strangers. 

[Jalapeñomel]

May 2, 2018 19:47:51 GMT -5 auroraloo said:

May 2, 2018 17:57:07 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I feel bad asking my friends and family for money for my classroom over and over again.

I don't ever post to my social media. I did at first, but after two projects I quit doing that. I still get funded by strangers. 

Maybe I'll try this then. I need chemicals.  And about four brooms. LOL

[auroraloo]

May 3, 2018 7:13:08 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

May 2, 2018 19:47:51 GMT -5 auroraloo said:

I don't ever post to my social media. I did at first, but after two projects I quit doing that. I still get funded by strangers. 

Maybe I'll try this then. I need chemicals.  And about four brooms. LOL

Full disclosure, I'm in a high poverty, urban district, so people donate to me to feel better about themselves. 

I do like DC though. #1 tip is to ALWAYS look for a match, and finagle your wording to match the requirements. For instance, I'm a librarian, and I needed a circulation desk last year. There was a literacy match, so I called my circ desk request an "Information Literacy Desk" for students to get books, information, and research help. Boom. Matched and funded. 

Second advice, get people to give $1 donations. DC's algorithm puts projects with lots of donors/donations at the top of their "check it out" type pages. So, say you're planning on giving $10 to your project. Give 10 people a buck and say "Can you donate this to my project?" You'll get more press in front of strangers. 

Good luck!