Back-to-school season is in full swing! Teachers are adjusting classroom layouts, planning units and lessons, reconnecting with one another... and submitting DonorsChoose projects for classroom resources. Add these top trending tools to your next project to make sure your students hit the ground running!
Flexible seating: the hype is real
As teachers arrange their rooms for the first day of school, it’s no wonder that flexible seating is a priority. Why is flexible seating so popular? Flexible seating gives students choice in their learning environment, increases focus and engagement, and overall improves student wellbeing. Of all the resource choices available, two stand out as the most popular: Wobble stools and balance balls. Check out example projects from all-stars Ms. Moreno from Washington and Mrs. Moncrief in Texas.
These aren’t your Bronze Age tablets
When it comes to technology, tablets are the most-requested — often because teachers value their mobility and range of uses. Check out Ms. Pratt’s classroom in Florida for a great, basic request, and see how Mr. Hammer in North Carolina uses tablets when counseling students. Tablets were also Ms. Hjemvick’s choice when she wanted to use tablets to help develop literacy skills of students with disabilities. The #1 tablet accessory? An Apple Pencil for the iPad.
Basic supplies never go out of style
The basic classroom supplies teachers are asking for most as they go back to school are pencils, glue sticks, and dry-erase markers. Even though these items are necessities, writing about these items in a way that shows donors why these resources are important can be a challenge. Check out these projects from teachers who have cracked that nut: Ms. Alvarado in Florida asked for daily planners so students could organize their learning. Coach Hills in Georgia explained the importance of having classroom supplies for the future leaders in the classroom.
“My hope is to teach my young geniuses how to be organizational experts.” - Ms. Alvarado
Extra! Extra!
Mrs. Smead in Nevada recently requested a subscription to TIME for Kids, and she’s not alone. News magazine subscriptions for students are very popular these days, and recently TIME for Kids has become the top choice for our teachers. A teacher's subscription of TIME for Kids includes all-inclusive print and digital materials, teacher’s guides and curriculum with each issue, and access to the TIME Vault for 95+ years of historic TIME magazine content.
The DonorsChoose bestseller list
Across the country, classroom libraries are being built and refreshed with new books! Yangsook Choi’s The Name Jar has become an increasingly popular choice. How many of the top 10 have you read?
- The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
- A Little SPOT of Emotion 8 Book Box Set (Books 1-8) by Diane Alber
- The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
- Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen
- I Am Enough by Grace Byers
- New Kid by Jerry Craft
- A Letter From Your Teacher: On the First Day of School by Shannon Olsen
- Wonder by R.J. Palacio
- Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
- Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Virtual Field Trips
Okay, so virtual field trips aren’t a specific material resource, but this request category has become so popular on our site that we thought it was definitely worth a shout-out. Over the last couple of years, teachers have gotten really creative with developing fun virtual opportunities for their students. Ms. Laurel from Texas took her students on a virtual trip to Washington, DC and Mr. De La Pena helped students register for a virtual 5K run.
If you need more inspiration, check out all the classroom requests from your fellow teachers
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