Volume 24
I’ve never felt so conflicted with emotion as I did during this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week. To celebrate, the LCG Foundation distributed over $50,000 to educators by helping clear as many Amazon classroom wish lists as we could. We helped more than 400 teachers during this week and they shared their joy with notes, student art, and even videos.
Although we were able to bring many smiles to teachers’ faces, clearing lists was bittersweet for our team. Can you guess what teachers request most on their wish lists?
Most of the time, teachers wished for basic classroom supplies. Paper, pencils, glue, scissors, dry-erase markers, crayons, tissues, books, and snacks for their students were the most consistently requested items. There were some dream items on teachers’ lists too, and our team jumped at the opportunity to buy items like mini-fridges, air conditioners, laminators, printers, STEM kits, flexible seating, school gardens, and organizational supplies.
It takes a lot of vulnerability for an educator to create and share a wish list asking for help. In fact, most educators do not, and 90% end up spending their own money, which is estimated to be more than $500 every year. To top it off, most teacher wish lists are cleared by other teachers!
Amidst all of the funding swirling around K-12 education, it’s clear that much of it doesn’t make it to the classroom teachers -- the people who need it the most. This bothers me to no end, and it is why we started our foundation -- to help and support educators as much as possible.
As the end of the school year approaches, it’s not too late to show your appreciation for teachers. You can #ClearTheList for teachers on Twitter, reach out to our foundation to help you give back to educators, or deliver coffee and donuts or hosting a pizza party at a local school. Whatever you decide to do, we hope you’ll show support and appreciation for teachers this month and throughout the year.
Take care,
Meet Us at ISTE
Porter and Elana will be in Philadelphia for ISTE! We will be providing free informal audits of your social media, community, or content marketing efforts. Book your free 15-minute audit here. PS: LCG will also be having a party Tuesday night! RSVP here.
EdTech Conference Planning Social Media Checklist
Headed to ISTE? EdTech brands can follow this checklist to make the most out of the biggest EdTech conference of the year.
Teacher Time-Saving Tips and Digital Wellness: A Conversation with Shelly Sanchez Terrell (podcast)
[Popular] 13 Do’s and Don’ts of Using Emojis on Social Media (blog)
[Timely] A Year-Round Teacher Appreciation Guide for EdTech Companies (blog)
Love our podcast? Share your thoughts by leaving a review.
Marketing & Community
New Report Highlights the Best Times to Post to Social Platforms in 2023 - Social Media Today
Widely Viewed Content Report: What People See on Facebook (Meta)
Five things community builders can do to battle the myth of self-sustaining communities - Rosieland
The 2023 Guide to Social Media Reputation Management - Hootsuite
Improved Product Tagging, Restructured YTA Revenue Page, Super Thanks Decoration, & Shorts Scrubber! - Creator Insider on YouTube
Education
Three Questions to Center Equity in Your Edtech Procurement - Digital Promise
School District and Community Factors Associated With Learning Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic (PDF) - Harvard University
Breaking Into EdTech - Jack McDermott on Medium
What AI Will Disrupt But Never Replace - Reach Capital
Bending the Market - Katie Boody Adorno, Ground Shifts Substack
This is your friendly reminder to listen to educators as much as possible.
What it feels like to be an educator in May. (@riodannyjai on TikTok)
What actionable steps can your district do to retain teachers? (@support_a_teach on Twitter)
What it’s like to teach gen z. (@fishin4clout on TikTok)
Should Teacher Appreciation Week be moved to November? Or March? When do teachers really need it the most? (@JasonAlbin on Twitter)
Director of Operations - Forthright Advising
News Literacy Ambassadors - News Literacy Project
Executive Director - NCSE
Communications Associate - Whiteboard Advisors
Account Executive - Charlene Blohm & Associates
Codesign Curriculum Designer & Facilitator - LeanLab Education
Bonus: Sign up your company for the Virtual EdTech Job Fair on June 20.
[BONUS]
During our endless scrolls in the wonderful land of TikTok, we learned about these lesser-known teacher websites and tools that we’d like to share with you!
Flippity