Every year at this time, my colleagues and I would get an email from the secretary requesting our teacher budget for next year. We had to create a list of classroom supplies and resources we would like to have for the following school year. I always wanted to make the most of my teacher budget money and find resources and supplies that could be used year after year and for all levels of classes. Because let’s be honest, you most likely teach a bunch of different levels, or each year your course load could change.
So, what should you spend your teacher budget on? Which supplies will last the longest? Which can be used for level 1 through AP? Here are my suggestions for getting the most out of your classroom supplies purchases.
Story Cards
Having story cards is like having an emergency sub plan, fun activity, fast finisher activity, and more all rolled into one! Your students will never tire of these cards, and the possibilities for activities are endless. With story cards, you pass out a few cards to each student or group, and they use the images to create their own story or even just a rich sentence.
Tell Tale Cards – I have personally used Tell Tale cards many times in my classroom. Each card has two images (one on the front; the other on the back). I give 4-6 cards to each group and have them write a story. They may end up with cards that have nothing to do with one another, like an alligator, a guitar, an ambulance, and a witch. Cue the creativity!
Story Cues Cards – These cards actually tell a visual story, and students have to describe what happens in the sequence of events. It requires much less creativity and focuses more on using transition words and writing.
I always walk around to provide students with essential vocabulary, especially if the images include words that are not in their Spanish vocabulary. I’ve even had students write their stories on large white boards, then rotate to another group’s story to either draw it, make corrections, or change the tense.
Plus, this teacher budget item doesn’t cost much. You really only need one set of cards per class because students just need a few cards to create a story.
Large White Boards
Of all of my suggestions for your teacher budget, this is my absolute favorite. I used these every single day while teaching in the classroom. If you search “large white board” on Amazon, you’ll find results for over $100. I’m here to save you hundreds of dollars with this trick! If your school allows you to use purchase orders and buy from any store, then you will want to head to Lowe’s or Home Depot. Purchase large, free-standing white boards! I recommend getting about 5 or 6 boards for your classroom. My students usually work in small groups, so I purchased enough for my typical six groups of students. I kept the boards in the back of the classroom and we pulled them out when we used them… which was almost EVERY class! The possibilities with these boards are endless!
- Gallery Walks – tape images/text on the white board and students rotate, describing what they see or answering questions about the text
- Short Stories – each group writes a short story and rotates to the next board to read it and annotate or make corrections
- Group Presentations – Rather than creating a PPT, students share their information on the white board (it saves tons of time!)
- Jig Saw Readings – As students read their section of the text, they take notes on the large white board to share with the class
- Drawing – Students draw what they hear you describe or they draw a section of a story you are reading. They use the drawing to retell the story.
- Brainstorming Sessions – When starting a new unit, let each group brainstorm everything they know about this topic
- So many more ideas!!!
Classroom Organization
I always had my student desks arranged in small groups of 4 or 5 students. Groups would work together on most assignments. For example, during interpretive readings, they would all take turns reading aloud and annotating together. Or during a presentational writing task, they would collaborate to write a story on the large white board (see above).
I found it easiest to keep each group (and my classroom) organized by providing each set of desks with their own basket of supplies. Each basket contained 4 different colored highlighters, post its, my annotation bookmark FREEBIE, dry erase markers, white board eraser, and a Spanish-English dictionary. So, I only needed 6 baskets. I kept the baskets in a cubby in the back of my room and when we needed them, I directed the group to go grab a basket. This saved time because everything they needed was in one spot… and they didn’t leave my supplies all over my classroom!
Make Your Walls a Resource
This is my most popular blog post! You may be tempted to purchase papel picado, South American flags, or even posters of your favorite Latin American destinations. You can only decorate so much, and while that is good and beautiful, our walls should help our students acquire the language! Purchase posters and word wall material that will help your students expand their language and vocabulary.
For example, my favorite bulletin board was inspired by my students’ overuse of the word “bien.” I wanted them to expand their vocabulary, so I created an emoji word wall with synonyms to help them better answer the question “¿Cómo estás?” Check it out below and you can purchase it here!
Professional Development
If you are a veteran teacher, then you most likely have enough supplies. You may be looking for opportunities to expand your knowledge of world language pedagogy. Administration may permit you to spend your budget money on professional development opportunities and conferences! Becoming a member of ACTFL or your regional/state professional organization can be very beneficial. Your teacher budget may be able to cover the cost of your yearly membership to one organization.
Attending conferences with your teacher budget can provide you with wisdom, resources, and connections for years to come! Here are some of my favorites! Some of these conferences are free, but if you want to upgrade to have access to the videos at any time, you do need to pay a fee.
Free Voluntary Reading Library
Implementing Free Voluntary Reading (FVR) into your classroom routine has so many benefits. Steven Krashen, himself, even said, “Free voluntary reading, reading because you want to, is one of the most effective tools we have in second language and foreign language education. It is also the easiest and most pleasant to use.” Read more from Krashen here in this brief summary of FVR.
I built my classroom library on a budget and you can, too! From yard sales to Scholastic warehouse sales, I found tons of Spanish books to add to my collection. However, if you’re looking for classroom readers or sets of books, these are some great websites: Spanish Cuentos, Wayside Publishing (Fluency Matters), and Señor Wooly graphic novels. You can also print out news articles, short stories, or legends and create binders of texts. It is important to have a variety of genres: fiction, non-fiction, historical, biographical, science fiction, humor, etc.
And once you’ve set up your FVR library, print out these FVR reading review cards for FREE! Keep a bunch next to your library of books so students can complete reading cards after each story or book!
I hope this helps you and your colleagues this year as you decide what to purchase with your teacher budget. I’d love to hear about the other resources and products you spend your teacher budget on that have made a great impact on your classroom and students!
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