Blogs on New-Teacher Support

For those of us in the field of educating young minds, we often find that summer does two things rather well. First, it helps us remember a time when our first names weren't Mister or Miss for the majority of the day and when we didn't have to break out into a vibrant soliloquy whenever the tenor of a room didn't feel right. Secondly, it abruptly breaks us out of our own routines for how we go about our days. We don't follow the bells or the crowds swooshing past the hallways to their next stations.

Late August or early September is a make-it-or-break-it time for educators. The non-stop, brutal schedule that is a school year starts with all the finesse of trampling elephants, and doesn’t relent for the next nine months (not coincidentally, the same amount of time it takes to gestate a baby). That makes starting the year right important -- and there are few more critical pieces to an educator's success than collaboration.

According to a study by the National School Supply & Equipment Association, teachers spend an average of $356 out-of-pocket on school supplies and resources (NSSEA, 2011).

Fortunately, there are ways to reduce these costs. If you're in need of supplies and the school year is either looming or already begun, here are some ways you can save money while supplying your learning environment with the (stunningly wide) variety of items that are needed over the course of a semester or school year.

This month, the U.S. Department of Education kicked off Connected Educator Month, with engaging keynotes, panel discussions, book chats, and more. During this month, educators in the U.S. and globally will have opportunities to connect themselves and their communities, online and in-person, to support their professional practice. The timing couldn't be better, as most teachers are preparing to hit the ground running as they gear up for back-to-school!