NORFOLK, Va. - Jessica Miller puts her heart and soul into decorating her 3rd-grade classroom.
From the reading couches to the brightly colored posters, each wall and corner of the room is thought out. This effort is also put into classrooms across Hampton Roads.
"It's not just the materials to instruct them. It's also the materials to make the room feel like a home. We are the last basti on of love, hospitality, and family for a lot of these students," said Matt Ployd, a teacher at Smithfield High School.
Matt Ployd is a teacher at Smithfield High School. He said it's often hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket for teachers to make their classrooms feel like home.
"[My] walls are constantly packed with art so everything you see has been from my pocket. Not one ounce of that has been supplied by school systems," he said.
In recent years educators have taken it upon themselves to make Amazon Wish Lists. Wish Lists are a compilation of items the teacher needs/wants for their classroom.
They'll ask for everything from decorations and treats to practical items like clipboards, tissues, or paper towels.
"I can easily say there is no one to point blame. This is not the district level. This is not an area level. This is not a state, you know, problem. This is a pervasive problem within our society," Ployd said.
It's also a similar story in Norfolk. Norfolk Federation of Teachers echoes that when you help fill these gaps and empower teachers, students reap the benefits.
"I can't tell you how many fields trips I paid for, for 17 years," said Thomas Calhoun.
Thomas Calhoun is the President of the Norfolk Federation of Teachers. He said he remembers when he paid for field trips out-of-pocket and day-to-day supplies so kids weren't left without.
"You're not gonna sit there and see them lacking something, and just don't do nothing," he said.
Calhoun said the best way to help an educator is just to ask what they need.
"It's not just back-to-school, it's not over on Labor Day. The teachers spend their money all year long," he said.
In agreement, Ployd said, "don't wait to be asked. Send your kid with an extra binder [or] send some extra loose leaf paper. They can give it to the teacher [and] the teacher can distribute it as needed."
Below you can find a list of teachers' Wish Lists. This is not an exhaustive list.
Smithfield High School
- Mrs. Kania
- Mrs. Richmond
- Mrs. Andrew
- Mr. Wellons
- Mrs. King
- Mrs. Geromin
- Mrs. West
- Mrs. Greenberg
- Mrs. Rosenthall
- Mr. Holland
- Ms. Small
- Mrs. Elzie
- Mr. Ping
- Mrs. Mankel
- Mrs. Davis
- Mrs. McCann
- Mr. Hogan
- Ms. Campbell
- Ms. Hattemer
- Ms. Schreiber
- Mrs. Eng
- Mrs. Pullen
Norfolk Public Schools
