Eight Ways to Save Money on School Supplies

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Terry Heick is an Edutopia contributor and educator focused on social improvement through learning innovation.  He is the Director of Curriculum for TeachThought and the Social Learning Facilitator for the Institute for Habits of Mind.  We are happy to share his post:

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.

Read Terry's 8 Tips to Save Money on School Supplies >>>>

Ten Totally Random Tips for Teachers

Vicki Davis is the author of The CoolCat Teacher.  She's also written two books and hosts her own radio show, in addition to her full time teaching career.  Her vision is to help you teach with better results, lead with a positive impact and live with greater purpose.  We're thrilled to share her post.

There are some little things I have and do that make life a little easier.  Just thought I’d share some.

1) Keep a Snack Shelf 
I have a shelf in my cabinet with my favorite drinks (Fuze and Cranergy Drinks – which taste fine at room temp) and some healthy snacks like almonds.  When I’m having a rough time, I just go to the shelf and am not tempted to binge on candy bars in the machine. I restock this twice a month!

2) Use Sandpaper to Sharpen Scissors
We do so many creative things that I end up with dull, sticky scissors – I keep a large piece of sandpaper and just cut the sandpaper a few times and it sharpens the scissors. It works on a papercutter too.

3) Keep a Paper Towel Tube of Power
OK, so you have to carry things around all the time. When I am inundated with those plastic bags from the grocery store and get to the end of a paper towel roll, I take the cardboard roll and jam it full of plastic bags and take it to school and put in a drawer.  I never know when I’ll use these but they come in handy.

Read the rest of the tips...