Save in the Classroom
- Have parents donate a book to your class library in lieu of bringing cupcakes on their child’s birthday. Write the student’s name, birthday, and year on the inside cover so you and all of your students will know who the book was celebrating.
- Use plastic plates as individual dry-erase boards for each student–they are reusable and less expensive than a personal white board (and you can usually find them at the dollar store!).
- Invest in fade-proof paper to back your bulletin boards. It will last all year.
- Apple, Disneyland, Barnes & Noble, and many of other retailers offer teacher discounts–be sure to ask about them!
- If you’ve used your teacher discount to purchase an iPad, take advantage of the thousands of digital children’s picture books that you can read to your students from your iPad. For a low price, you’ll have these books forever with no torn pages.
- Don’t be shy–ask for donations! One of our Facebook Fans, Lisa, suggests this site: Donors Choose.
Save Paper
- Email (or Blog) your class calendar, permission slips, and donation list to parents. Or try this free service that allows you to text parents without ever exchanging phone numbers.
- eBooks – You don’t just save money on shipping costs, but you can also project worksheets on the whiteboard for students to complete or participate in without printing copies for each student.
- Encourage group work. Have students work in pairs to avoid printing a worksheet for each student.
- Invest in dry-erase pockets so you use can re-use printed worksheets.
Save on Crafts & Manipulatives
- Use macaroni or other pastas in different shapes for math counters and art projects.
- Recycle broken crayons by melting them down into one big crayon.
- Save every butter container, coffee tin, and soup can! Store anything from pencils and crayons to game pieces and glitter. You can even use them for your next craft or science project.
- Make your own craft dough.
Save on Student Rewards
When it comes to rewarding students your favorite place to shop, if it isn’t already, should be the dollar store or a chotchkie bulk store where you can get erasers, stickers, mini-toys, and more for much less than the average retailer. To save even more, skip the store! Reward your students with extra recess time, a positive phone call to the parents, or a free homework pass.
Bonus Freebies
- Like Us on Facebook – we offer our fans free worksheets, exclusive offers, and giveaways!
- After you deposit your paycheck at the bank, ask for extra deposit slips. What a terrific real-life math lesson for your students?!
- Go to your local travel agency or city commerce and pick up extra brochures and maps–the social studies lessons are endless!
- Visit a carpet store for unused or discontinued carpet squares great for circle-time or games.
