Infographic: Teachers Spend Their Own Money on Classroom Necessities
Teachers spend an incredible amount of their own money on classroom necessities including instructional material, school supplies and classroom supplies during each school year. Take a look at the infographic which addresses the important educational questions of just how much are teachers spending, is it a teacher’s responsibility to pay for classroom necessities and are there solutions to this problem?
We are curious to hear how much you are spending on your classroom,whether you think it is justifiable for teachers to be spending their own money and what the solution is to this issue so please let us know.
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If you enjoyed this infographic take a look at one of our most popular infographics and see if an elementary teacher’s salary is really so bad!
I am a Teacher, yes we do spend our own money. Its a choice. I love what I do, that’s why I do it. It would be great for businesses to visit schools and ask teachers for a wish list and help meet the needs of educating students.
Milissa, Hertz Furniture hears what teachers like you are saying and wants to help. We’ll soon be announcing a Classroom Supplies contest on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/HertzSchoolFurniture) so make sure you like our page and are following our posts.
I have already spent over $600 in materials for my class. I will probably spend over$1000 before the year is out. That does not include time given for free. We are forced to spend our own money if we want to be “effective” teachers. Imagine having to teach measurement without rulers. I had to do that my first year because I needed so many things rulers didn’t make the top of my list until my 2nd year.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Celina. It sound like you are doing your best to be an effective teacher. What do you think is the solution to this problem?
Teachers spend a lot that’s the fact, but actually spending is not all that makes teaching effective, there are some little little things like proper classroom management and good teaching qualities that are needed.
I recently Transfered schools. I moved from a school in an affluent neighborhood to a school in a low income area. I was surprised to see how few supplies this school has. I have had to buy basic supplies so my classroom can run smoothly… Such as baskets to organize my books (which I’m still working on purchasing), art and center supplies so my kids can enjoy the fun side of learning, wires and other computer supplies to make my smart board actually work, as well as the every day supplies….
Wonderful infographic and the statistics are sad but true. Teachers are undoubtedly some of the most underpaid, underrated and neglected professionals in the world. Educators who are passionate about their work understand their students often need much more than the school systems are willing to provide them. Thanks for recommending organizations like RAFT and Adopt-A-Classroom. We need all the resources we can find!
Lots of professionals in other fields do the same. Sometimes the red tape isn’t worth the wait. Sometimes you really believe in something that your bosses can’t understand. It happens.
The difference is, for other professionals there is an eventual payoff. At some point going the extra mile pays off in a raise, promotion, better offer or something.
In teaching, that money is gone forever. And next year you do it again. And again. And again. And then your governor says you’re lazy and overpaid, cuts your compensation by 12% and removes your union protection.
And then the next year you do it again. Why?
You are right to point out that in other professions, people lay out money from time to time, as well. You are also correct that in education that financial investment doesn’t often yield financial returns.Why do it again, you ask? I suppose the answer to that question is a subjective one. But I know many teachers who keep at it year to year because despite the financial strain, they are driven by a deep desire to help young people reach their potential. What do you think?
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I’m not a tax expert by any means, but I’m pretty sure that in the US if a teacher properly documents such necessary classroom expenses, that at the very least there has to be a way to make them be tax-deductible to the extent the expenses weren’t repaid by the teacher’s employer. Documenting those expenses, in terms of actual items bought, not just total dollars spent, ought to be an important point in negotiating next year’s budget. It has the merit of being the sort of expenses that parents can understand, so it ought to be easy to get attention on the items.
Working at a school in a very low income area I spent $200-$500 a month on supplies, snacks and incentives like pizza parties. I would not have been able to do many experiments in my science lab if I wasn’t willing to foot the bill. I could easily have spent even more. I could never seem to get enough pencils, notebooks, boxes of kleenex, or granola bars. US Teachers are allowed to claim $250 a year on their taxes for classroom expenses.
Every single year I spend a minimum of $200 out of my pocket just to start the year. Then, throughout the year I spend $ $100-$200 more to buy rewards, incentives, odds and ends for individual struggling students, etc. For a profession where our salaries do NOT offset the amount of money we spend on continuing education, it is unbelievable how “deep” our pockets are so that we can remain effective. Yet, we do it for the love of what we do. I am quite certain that other professionals outside the education world would be willing to do the same. They would expect reimbursement. Rarely an option in education.