If you didn’t see our Valentine’s Day segment on WCCO, check it out!
AdoptAClassroom.org Executive Director Ann Ness joined 7th-grade history teacher Mark Westpfahl on WCCO this Valentine’s Day to talk about the everyday purchases teachers make for their students. Westpfahl was able to speak to the needs teachers face every day because he spends hundreds of dollars a year of his own money to ensure his students don’t go without supplies.
Westpfahl’s supply needs aren’t unique to his classroom, or even his school. The average U.S. teacher spends nearly $600 a year on classroom supplies, and nearly 20 percent of teachers spend more than $1,000 annually.
Here are the top five classroom supplies that teachers purchase, along with the percentage of teachers who purchase them, according to an AdoptAClassroom.org survey:
Art Materials: 82%
Storage/Organizational Items: 78%
Writing Tools: 75%
Food: 74%
Books: 70%
Help Westpfahl raise funds for classroom seating options by making a donation to his classroom page. Learn more about Westpfahl and his classroom here.
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