'It's A Way To Support Them': Oklahoma Teachers Using Amazon Wish Lists To Share Classroom Supply Needs

With back to school around the corner, many teachers take to Amazon, creating interactive wish lists of classroom needs. Amazon wish lists allow the creator to choose products that people can then buy for them; anything bought from an Amazon wish list is then shipped directly to the creator.

News 9 put out a call on Facebook this week to see if any local teachers were still in need, and the response was overwhelming. We've received over 4,000 comments from teachers saying any little bit helps. The question is, why do they go above and beyond for their classrooms, and often out of their own pockets?

"I call it the lightbulb," said Valerie Grantham, a 3rd-grade teacher at Little Axe Elementary. “When we're doing a lesson and there's a kid who's still not quite getting it. You can literally see it in a child’s eyes, boom they get it."

Gracie Kitzel, a 5th-Grade teacher at Tulakes Elementary, has the same passion.

"I like little lightbulb moments," said Ms. Kitzel. "When they finally get the thing you've been teaching them, they're so proud of themselves. And it makes you really happy to know that you facilitated that."

They both say this is why teachers do it, but sometimes those lightbulb moments need a little push.

"There's not just one style of learning," explained Ms. Kitzel. "Not just every child is going to succeed with a book in front of them."

Districts provide the framework, but it's the teachers who provide inspiration.

"We get our furniture, and we get our curriculum," said Mrs. Grantham. "But kids are creative and they want to learn and they want to do it in a fun way."

"Some kids need to touch, some kids need to move around," explained Ms. Kitzel. "So, I need to figure out different ways to teach it. So, for one lesson plan, I may need to have five different methods."

Oftentimes, this falls back on the teachers.

"Like 85-90% of my room is from me," said Mrs. Grantham.

"If there's nothing in here to make it fun then there's no reason they want to come to school," said Ms. Kitzel.

Mrs. Grantham and Ms. Kitzel, along with thousands of other Oklahoma teachers, have Amazon wish lists.

"It's a way to support them and say ‘Hey I see you I see what you're doing,’" said Ms. Kitzel

“You have no idea how much that actually impacts teachers," said Mrs. Grantham.

One small donation could lead to a lightbulb moment in their classrooms or thousands across the state.

CLICK HERE for the Facebook post where thousands of teachers have commented and shared their Amazon wish lists.