Do you ever feel like you spend approximately 2% of your time actually IN your classroom or office? And the other 98% of the time, you’re running around the rest of the school building putting out fires or trying to get your students some fresh air? Well, this sign pack is designed to help you let students and other staff know where to find you during those times!
It includes the following in 15 colors:
– The Social Worker is…
– The School Counselor is…
– The School Psychologist… – The Speech-Language Pathologist is…
– The Teacher is…
– I am…
It also includes the following in color and black and white:
– absent
– sick today
– going to be right back
– gone until :
– out for a bit
– out of the building
– at the elementary school
– at the middle school
– at the junior high school
– at the high school
– meeting with students
– meeting with parents
– at lunch
– at recess
– outside
– at a meeting
– at an IEP meeting
– at an RtI meeting
– visiting a class
– 2 blank (write your own)
What I ended up doing was laminating each page and assembling the location signs into a coil bound book. Then, I punched a hole in the bottom center of each page so it could hang like a calendar. When I leave the room, I just flip to the page I need. So get out your laminator and enjoy!
This one tends to be a bit frustrating for me. If you scroll to the bottom of 
This is huge! Obviously, it’s a lot easier to get a project funded when you only need $175 rather than $800. Also, as a donor, I can say that it’s more fun for me to see the money I give make a big impact. I usually don’t feel super motivated to give $25 if the teacher still has $700+ to go!
As any successful business knows, image is everything. Choose a picture for your profile that is engaging and personal. While clip art of an apple may be cute, it doesn’t tell me anything about your classroom! Pick one that conveys the smiles, excitement, and energy found in your room. I want to see the kids I will be helping! Then, clearly describe the items you are requesting and how your students will use them. Explain any challenges faced by your students, but don’t bog prospective donors down with sob stories. Keep it positive! Lastly, make sure your project is free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes. Nothing turns me off more than the prospect of donating money to an English teacher who doesn’t proofread their own work!
At first, I used to think it was frowned upon to donate to your own project. However, I quickly realized that not only is it allowed, but many people do it! By donating to your own project, other people can see your dedication when you’re willing to personally financially contribute (even though you probably already do privately)! It also looks nicer on DonorsChoose’s main page to see that a project is already partially funded. Donors often like to fund projects that are already on their way. When I donate to my own projects, I often just write something like, “I donated to this project because my students deserve the best I can possibly give them,” or something like that. Also, don’t be afraid to use a matching code if there’s one available (a quick Google search can often give you some ideas!) Then all of a sudden, $10 becomes $20 or whatever!
Along with giving to your own project, I highly recommend becoming a monthly giver. No, I’m not being paid by DonorsChoose or anything to say that. The reason is, that in addition to giving you good DonorsChoose karma, you earn badges on the site for being a monthly giver or supporting other projects. As a donor, I personally look to fund teachers who make the sacrifice of supporting other DC projects as well. I just kinda feel like what goes around should come around. Plus, it makes you feel good knowing that you’re helping hundreds of kids besides your own. What could be better than that!?
