Resourced Challenged: The Classroom’s Bare Supply Closet – Part 3 – Pain: How This Impedes Performance
We’ve established that there is a huge trend of students attending school without having the proper school supplies — a bare supply closet, if you will — and that teachers are paying significant amounts of money from their own pockets to try and combat these odds.
Who else does this problem hurt other than the teachers?
The students!
Apperson conducted an anonymous teacher survey to get direct feedback on how a lack of student preparedness impacts classroom performance.
Teachers said that their students are impacted socially and emotionally by not being equipped with the proper school supplies in addition to having lower classroom engagement and lower classroom success.
These four problems are HUGE! These present serious disadvantages that students are facing by not being prepared for class.
One teacher said students “are ridiculed [by not having the proper school supplies] and it delays the learning process because they cannot immediately begin lessons.”
When asked, 71 percent of teachers said that they attempt to combat these odds by purchasing supplies for the classroom with their own money.
One teacher said: “I spend money on… cleaning supplies to keep them from getting sick, snacks because several of [my students] come hungry every day and cannot concentrate, school supplies because they either don't have them or they don't bring them… and art supplies because I love for my kids to do modeling and I don't want anyone left out… my budget has been redirected drastically! With limited resources, I can only do so much to give [my students] a decent experience when I have to pay for so much — including extra copies on the printer if we run out…”
Teachers are working incredibly hard to educate the next generation and prepare them for successful futures, and they are not getting the support or funding that they need.
Our goal here is to raise more awareness about this issue, get people talking, and come up with an action plan to help address some of these problems.
How do you address these issues? With your classroom? With your school? With your district?
Participate in our next survey!
Our next post in the Resourced Challenged article series will delve into futility and how traditional school fundraisers aren’t necessarily the best option. Be sure to check it out and let us know what you think!
About Our Sponsor
Apperson is an industry leader in educational technology, helping to streamline teacher workflow and improve learning outcomes for over 20 years. We are bringing our expertise to a new program: Class Packs by Apperson. By combining school supplies with a fundraiser in an easy online shopping platform, we are making life easier for parents, teachers, and schools across the country.
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