How To Help 15 Middle School Teachers: Shop Their Amazon Wish Lists

Help teachers support their students this upcoming school year.

The nonprofit Adopt a Classroom surveyed 5400 teachers about the 2020-2021 school year, and those teachers spent an average of $750 out of pocket on school supplies. That's the highest amount ever. 30% of teachers spent $1000 or more.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 94% of all public school teachers spent some of their own money on classroom supplies, with an average not-reimbursed spend of $478 — and that was back in the 2014-2015 school year.

That's why we asked teachers on BuzzFeed to share their Amazon Wish Lists with you, our readers, so we can all support them together this Prime Day, when some of the items might be on sale.

We received significantly more responses than we expected — which shows the level of need — so we'll continue to find ways to highlight different teachers and their wishlists over the next few months. 

Here's more about this project, plus 15 Pre-School and Elementary Teacher Amazon Wish Lists and 15 High School Teacher Amazon Wish Lists. 

Amazon Wish Lists are relatively simple to shop from, especially if you're buying off of one Wish List at a time.

For buying off of one Wish List at a time: you simply click into the Wish List, add as many items to cart as you'd like to purchase for that teacher, and go to check out. Amazon will ask you which address to ship to; select the teacher's hidden gift address. Finish your checkout, where Amazon will charge your account for the gift. 

For buying off of multiple Wish Lists at a time: As you're adding items to your cart from different teachers Wish Lists, keep track of which teacher requested which item. When you check out, Amazon will ask you which address to ship to; click "Ship to multiple addresses" near the top right. Then, use the drop down menus to assign the correct teacher's address to each item. From there you can finish checkout, and Amazon will charge your account for all of it. 

Here are some of the middle school teachers who need your help for their students.

1. Misty, a seventh and eighth grade math teacher who's looking for classroom decor and supplies to help with limited resources.

Courtesy of Misty

What they said: "I teach seventh and eighth grade math on a Native American reservation. We are a Title 1 school with limited resources. I love what I do and my students, and I am excited to help them fall in love with math." 

Get Misty supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

2. Meghan, a sixth grade world geography teacher wanting to provide their students with books and posters that'll take their minds on a trip around the globe.

Courtesy of Meghan

What they said: "Hi! I teach sixth grade world geography in a small, rural city. Most students never get a chance to travel and see the world, so I try to expose them to as many different cultures as possible." 

Get Meghan supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

3. Megan, a middle school special education teacher who hopes for puzzles, books, and games that are fun *and* educational.

Courtesy of Megan

What they said: "I am going to my eighth year teaching special education; my third year teaching in this middle school self contained classroom for children with autism. Learners in this classroom have a range of behaviors and communication skills. Wanting to add items that are functional and will help increase independence in the classroom and beyond!" 

Get Megan supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

4. Ms. González is a sixth through eighth grade English to Speakers of Other Languages teacher, and wants their students to have access to classroom materials like pens, pencils, and markers.

Courtesy of Ms. González

What they said: "I teach ESOL to students in sixth through eighth grade. Most of my students arrived to the United States in the past two years. My students love learning, and even though they are predominantly from lower income households where they have extra duties at home to do other than being a child, it does not stop them from trying to learn as much as they can. They always try their best, and that's what matters." 

Get Ms. González supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

5. Allison, a middle school art teacher looking to provide their students with paint brushes, sculpting tools, and other art supplies.

Courtesy of Allison

What they said: "I will be teaching middle school art in a Title 1 school that hasn't had an art program in at least two years. Because of this, we are LOW on supplies. Arts teachers do not receive any extra money for supplies in my district, so my whole budget for the year is approximately $200. Any help is very much appreciated!" 

Get Allison supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

6. Katie, an eighth grade history, geography, financial literacy, and film studies teacher who lists sticky notes, folders, and lots of books they hope their students love.

Courtesy of Katie

What they said: "I teach eighth grade history and geography as well as financial literacy, and film studies! I absolutely love my school! Our students are a combination of affluent and low SES and are extremely diverse! I strive to make my class as inviting, interactive and welcoming as possible." 

Get Katie supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

7. Jessica, a fifth and sixth grade science and social studies teacher hoping for fun glow-in-the-dark classroom supplies as well as books and games.

Courtesy of Jessica

What they said: "My name is Jessica and I am the fifth and sixth grade science and social studies teacher at Meadows Elementary School in Ralston, NE. Meadows is a Title 1 school, and many of our students come from families who have faced many struggles. This is why I love teaching the subjects I do. I get to immerse my students in the world around them, allow them learn about the things that they see, and give them the opportunity to learn about the things they have never seen. I appreciate your time and generosity. " 

Get Jessica supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

8. Molly is a world history and world geography teacher, and they added things like educational maps and disposable headphones.

Courtesy of Molly

What they said: "I am a 14-year veteran of a middle school classroom in South Carolina. I have taught world history and have now transitioned into teaching world geography, which I'm getting to know and love! I created this wish list in an attempt to update a lot of my tired and worn out art materials, as well as bring some new technology to my students! I appreciate any and all help the readers of BuzzFeed could give! I am a huge fan of BuzzFeed, starting with Worth It and Buzzfeed Unsolved!!" 

Get Molly supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

9. Tracey, a sixth grade math and geography teacher looking for Command Hooks, candy, and math games because math *can* be fun!

Courtesy of Tracey

What they said: "This will be my ninth year of teaching. I teach in a rural, Title 1 school. I began my career teaching littles, but I had the opportunity to move up to sixth grade math, and I absolutely love it. Most of the things I need for day to day operations are provided for me by my district. Some things just aren’t, though. Art supplies (I also teach geography), bulk supplies to share, decorations, storage solutions, and many other things come out of my own pocket. My goal as a teacher is instill a love of learning, and that means solid relationships, respect, and some FUN!" 

Get Tracey supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

10. Caitlin, a seventh grade special education teacher wanting to provide their students with fun books like Seriously, Cinderella is So Annoying helpful reading strategy posters.

Amazon

What they said: "Thank you for helping us teachers!" 

Get Caitlin supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

11. Nicole, a seventh and eight grade ELA teacher who's hoping for motivational posters, Sharpies, and the Screaming Goat game that everyone loves.

Courtesy of Nicole

What they said: "I currently teach both seventh and eighth grade ELA in Howard County, MD. This will be my eighth year teaching. I love finding unique and engaging ways to involve students in their learning, and many of the supplies I’m asking for will help me do this, as well as create a welcoming environment for ALL my students." 

Get Nicole supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

12. Molly is a sixth through eighth grade special education and life skills teacher, and wants their students to have anxiety relief workbooks and brain games.

Courtesy of Molly

What they said: "My class is sixth through eighth grade special education and life skills in Philadelphia, PA. My students have been tossed around from teacher to teacher in the last few years, as the school couldn’t find anyone to stay longer than one year with the program. 

When I accepted the job, it was with the contingency that I could create my own curriculum and bring resources into the school myself. This is because when I toured the classroom, the only books were first grade level, for sixth through eighth graders!! The materials were so below age appropriate, and the few books they did have were torn and worn down. 

Every one of my students gets school meals, and most often their winter clothes, backpacks, and notebooks are school-provided. My only goal coming into this school year is to bring these students into a classroom that is stocked with books, materials, games, toys, and more. I want to show these students that I have invested in them because they deserve that. They deserve to see that their teacher is rooting for their success and that their classroom reflects that. 

My community has been incredible in donating supplies, but the neighborhood I am in struggles with poverty and opioid addiction — most resources go to keeping the neighborhood safe and keeping schools open. I am so excited to get into this program and build it up from where it is now. These kids have been shuffled through a system that has failed them and underestimated their ability due to their differences. My classroom will be a place where they can invest in themselves and their education and know that they are valued and trusted with materials and resources of their own!" 

Get Molly supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

13. Mandy, a sixth grade teacher looking for pencil sharpeners, staplers, and classic board games for their students.

Courtesy of Mandy

What they said: "I am going into year 14 of teaching, the last nine years being in sixth grade, which I love! In my district, sixth grade is considered elementary so I teach all subjects. My school is in an area where we provide a lot of free and reduced resources. Many of my classroom items have been well loved and are needing to be replaced. I try to make my room a safe space and a community that kids feel comfortable and welcomed into each day. Thank you for your help!" 

Get Mandy supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

14. Ally is a middle school social studies teacher and they added things like classroom furniture and a whole lot of books on a variety of topics.

Amazon

What they said: "I am social studies teacher in MN trying to build a classroom library for my middle school students." 

Get Ally supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

15. Katie, a seventh and eighth grade ELA teacher who hopes for highlighters and folders.

Courtesy of Katie

What they said: "I teach seventh and eighth grade ELA in Sparks, Nevada at an absolutely incredible school. My students are so hard working, and absolutely deserve to have all of the materials to make learning FUN again! This year I will have the same students as I did last year, and hope to continue to show them the joy that comes from learning, even in spite of all the challenges in our current world. They are very much still kids, and I hope to use these materials to help them soak up these wonderful years." 

Get Katie supplies from their Amazon Wish List. 

To help you navigate these Wish Lists, we've broken down some of the submissions from teachers into three categories: 15 pre-school and elementary teachers, 15 middle school teachers, and 15 high school teachers. Plus, here's more about this project and 5 more teacher wishlists. They could all use our help. Happy shopping!

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

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