Student I’ve never met: “Are you a kid? Or are you an adult?”
Sometimes even I don’t know the answer to that one!! I couldn’t help but laugh today when a kindergarten student at our school asked me this question. I’m not sure what it was exactly…maybe the way I was dressed? My hair? At any rate, it made me smile.
One of the things my grandma always said growing up was, “Age is a state of mind and if you don’t mind, it don’t matter!”
And while I’m still “a baby” in the words of many of my coworkers, I can’t help but realize as each day goes by how much further I am away from elementary, middle, and even high school. And while I like to think I still do a pretty good job relating to the students I work with, I find myself having to work harder and harder to remember what it was like to be a kid.
But if there IS one thing I remember about being a kid, it was all the crazy and fun adults I knew: a camp counselor who played practical jokes on the boys, my level 3 swim teacher who made up ridiculous songs to help us remember each stroke, my 4th grade teacher who invented dances with us at recess. These people remind me how important it is to sometimes “stop being an adult,” and meet kids where they are.
By putting our adult-ness aside every once and awhile and not being afraid to look goofy, we have a chance to impact kids in a way other adults in their lives maybe haven’t before. We have a chance to stand out, create fun memories, and make a difference!
So laugh a little louder, spend some time at recess, skip down the hallway to your next IEP meeting, or do some arts & crafts. Go be a kid with your kids today!
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!?
