As a child — all the way through high school, even — I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. I’d play school, bossing everyone around, and thought, “What could be better?” Now that I’m an adult, and some of my closest friends are amazing teachers, I know that their job isn’t all about telling little people what to do. (Ok, sometimes it is.)
Being a teacher is about going in to your classroom weeks before school — and a paycheck — starts, just to be sure everything is set up for a perfect first day of school.
Being a teacher is about going through supplies and realizing that — even though your budget stops at a certain number — your needs don’t. So you go shopping with your own money. Again.
Being a teacher is about listening to — and thinking through — parents’ many requests that come in long after “work hours” are over (or have begun).
The fact of the matter is, teachers give more than we can imagine of themselves and their personal resources:
- 92% of teachers report spending their own money on classroom supplies
- The average teacher spends $1,000 out of pocket each year on essential classroom supplies
- The total out-of-pocket amount spent nationally by teachers on classroom supplies each year is $1.3 billion
Astounding, right? So I love that I get to share the good news too. Office Depot has great ways to reward teachers and their outrageously generous contributions to schools.
Teacher Appreciation Events: Office Depot celebrates hard-working teachers beginning in late July. They recently hosted their annual, complimentary Teacher Appreciation Breakfasts to kick off eight days of teacher shopping advantages. I was able to attend one in my area (see pictures) and thought it was such a great way to give teachers that extra thanks they deserve. Not only did they provide free breakfast, they gave each teacher a special gift with each purchase, a 20 % instant discount on qualifying items, and 30 points on every $1 spent on products from event’s sponsors (typical rewards are 10 points/$1). Teachers, you can visit this link to see if there are any remaining events in your area.
Teacher Rewards Program: Members receive personalized promotions on products or services that are relevant to them, access to special in-store events and exclusive pre-sale offers on new products, allowing educators to choose how they get rewarded.
5% Back to Schools Program: To help teachers, parents, and schools earn free supplies and alleviate out-of-pocket expenses, every School Supplies Checklist that a teacher creates links to their corresponding school code so that shoppers who use their teacher’s list can help their schools get 5% back for free supplies.
While there are all kinds of great ways to support teachers, this is one of the simplest I can think of. So, teachers, I hope you’ll sign up and take advantage of the Office Depot Star Teacher program. (After all, we already know you’re a star!) And families, you can sign up for Office Depot Rewards just in time for back-to-school shopping too.
What are your ideas for helping your children’s teachers get off to a great start this year? Teachers, what support would you ask for if you could?
Disclosure: I am participating in the #ODRewards campaign sponsored by Office Depot. For more information, about Office Depot Rewards, visit their website.
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