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As a very new middle school English teacher, I have very little in the way of classroom supplies (decor, books, posters, etc.) and as my budget is quite small...I'm wondering where other teachers find things for free or lo-cost. I did peruse the online sites, and sent away for a couple free posters, but would like some more ideas. How do you decorate your classrooms? What have you found that works well? I have some ideas but am open to hearing others. Thanks!
P.S. If anyone is retiring in the English field and is wanting to get rid of or donate anything (6+1 traits items, movie posters, book posters, teaching books etc. ) you can PM me. I'm willing to pay shipping. Thanks.
I'm a K teacher, so some of this might be different for you. But...
1. The teachers in my school leave out things in a central place they don't want anymore. Everyone goes through it, picks out what they want, and the rest gets tossed before the school year starts.
2. I don't tend to put up many commercial posters/decorations. Most of my stuff (other than alphabet sound-spelling cards, stuff like that which comes in the curriculum kits anyway) is stuff the kids do, or that we do together. For instance, I'm big on pictorial input charts, and on diagrams of things we study in science (i.e., anatomy of a goldfish - we sit together with my chart paper, I draw a rough outline of the fish to get started, and they tell me the important parts to add and label). We do a lot of shared and interactive writing too, so those go up and get rotated as I run out of wall room. So at the beginning of the year, my room is pretty empty - it's not one of those "bulletin board" type classrooms. But I think it's better. And practical - I've got enough to do without sitting around cutting out Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom trees and attaching them to the wall.
3. I occasionally buy a book on a subject for an activity, but mostly I make use of freebies. The school has storage rooms full of old curriculum, and last year the library cleaned out books - I must have gotten 200 books from that alone - good ones too, not junk. And I borrow from other teachers.
In the end, I rarely pay for any decorative materials. I've been lucky enough to find most of the other equipment I need in discard piles. For those other things (for instance, I haven't yet found an ant farm and I want one), I buy them.
I belong to a yahoo group called Freecycle for the area I live in. Once I joined I post items I need and wait for replies. I have received ring binders, an industrial strength hole punch, lots of materials from retired teachers and empty nest parents. There should be a group in your area. Go to yahoo and click freecycle.com. You must have a yahoo account to participate. You can also post items to give away, therefore keeping materials out of the landfill.
Thanks for the freecycle idea. I see that the closest group is about an hour drive from here (we're in a rural area) but might be worth trying. I found a few outdated posters in the cupboards of my classroom, but do want to make the room more inviting with some up to date things. I have an idea for a "Graffiti Wall" in on section of my room where students can put up pictures that they have drawn, poems they have written, etc.
I think the hardest things to find would probably be readers. The book suggests you look at yard sales, and that might work. I would also suggest you request books on the reading list that were purchased for summer reading but are no longer needed. I think books stay on the reading list year after year, so you would probably be safe buying something from next year for the following year. Try to start an in class library, if possible, and look for the classics; they seldom go out of style.
That's not bad, if one can get more than one poster shipped for that price. Thanks! I'll check it out.
I have boxes of books I've been collecting for my classroom library. I volunteer at the library book sales so can usually find deals. I would like to find one of those wire book carousels for my room, as they take up less space.
If you know someone who scrapbooks and has a Cricut machine, s/he might let you use it to diecut letters, symbols, shapes, etc. Some Michaels craft stores have a night where they provide the supplies and you do the work to make cut outs. I have never done either of these things, but have a few colleagues who have. Also for decor, you might check the education books at your local library. Sometimes they have reproducibles you can use.
If you are a good photographer, have a few of your favorite pictures blown up to adorn the walls. My students rarely leave the neighborhood (downtown is less than 10 minutes away, but few have even been there - when we drive through it on the way to a field trip, they ooh and ahh over the tall buildings, the Tower of the Americas, etc.) and love to see pictures from trips I have taken. I used to assume this was just for trips like those to France or England, but have found they are just as enthralled with those from vacations to California or even just day trips to towns an hour or two away.
There are a few websites, such as All Posters or art.com, that often have posters for $5. These vary, but have included movie posters, travel posters, as well as more traditional posters. You could also get a state map from your state tourist bureau - these are usually free. If there are any authors from the state, you could mark their locations on the map (either birthplace or where they live now), as well as marking any famous locations used in books.
My school has a machine - we call it the postermaker, but I don't know its official name. One can create and print out a document - Word document, such as classroom rules, or something else that you have created with graphics - and the machine scans it and blows it up. Your school or district might have something similar.
Most of my books are from library book sales as well. I have also made some good purchases in the clearance section of bookstores. There is a Scholastic book club for middle school - can't remember if it's Arrow or Tab? Each flyer usually has at least one or two books for $1 each. If you pass out the flyers to kids and they do book orders, you will earn bonus points which you can also use to buy books. Also, if their parents order online, you get a coupon for a free book.
If you have Dollar Tree stores in your area, they sometimes have good stuff (in their Teacher Tree area) - not always, but sometimes. Dollar Tree as well as the $1 sections of Target and Michaels also sometimes have organizational products you might use. When shopping at various stores, you might find yourself looking at things not designed for the classroom and thinking of ways you can utilize them in your room.
Sign up for the teacher club at Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, Big Lots, any local teacher store, etc. Some let you earn points for purchases, some send you coupons... Many of the office supply stores will be having Teacher Appreciation Day soon. They usually give you a reusable bag with a couple of office supplies thrown in there. Sometimes there are vendors with other freebies as well.
I think the hardest things to find would probably be readers. The book suggests you look at yard sales, and that might work. I would also suggest you request books on the reading list that were purchased for summer reading but are no longer needed. I think books stay on the reading list year after year, so you would probably be safe buying something from next year for the following year. Try to start an in class library, if possible, and look for the classics; they seldom go out of style.
You might want to look into this for possible funding of things like a classroom library. You can also ask on freecycle.com or craigslist.com for your city.
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