Calling all Teachers-Free Stuff Collected?

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

When is it wrong to ask a business to support education?

For those of you not familiar with public education, we constantly ask private businesses to give us things in support of our students. Many of them do on a regular basis.

It is hardly the equivalent of taking towels from the resorts. If Disney does not want to give these things to the teachers, they do no have to.

 

[kbmartin]

I would never ask for a million shampoos or lotions (I've never done the things on this thread but am not altogether opposed to them), but I don't typically use them personally. I know Mousekeeping is going to throw them out anyway at the end of my stay, so I usually bring them home to donate. I wouldn't give out the shampoo or lotion as a "gift" or "prize" at school, though - it would be given very discreetly to a student who really needs it. You would be amazed how many students don't bathe regularly in high school. Usually those students don't come from very loving homes. :-( Those are the kids I might give them to.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

I guess you will REALLY be unhappy with the folks in the Resort threads showing pics of all the shampoos, etc. I was given a lot over the years and donated to an organization for the homeless vets. Do you take pens from your room? There is a thread for you if you do. What about WDW donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charities. And you get upset of a teacher wanting to help a student learn by taking maps that they replace with new ones every day. Bet you get peeved when asked to have your child bring a box of tissues to school.

Edit :the post I quoted was removed by the mod.

 

[glassslippergirl]

I can see how some ideas suggested on this thread could be controversial, but that's no reason to be insulting to the people of a profession. There are nicer ways to make your point.

OP, thank you for asking that this thread be taken down. Teachers get bashed enough in our society.

 

[preemiemama]

Since the maps seem to be an issue, I suppose I should clarify. The maps I used when I taught the lesson were printable ones that Disney had posted online. So I did NOT take any items from the park to teach this lesson. I used my school printer to print a few for kids to work in groups giving directions to each other. Hands on and fun for them- and a chance to fantasize about a place that 95% of my kids will never get to see.

I am always amazed by the way teachers are vilified by people. As a PP said, corporate donations are a large part of the school culture. Walmart, Target, IBM, Microsoft- many large corporations have funds just for teachers or schools. They give away millions of dollars a year- where do you think that money comes from?

 

[RobDoc]

This topic is a great resource for many. I have a DD who taught special ed for many years and really enjoyed sharing the items we brought to her from our many WDW trips over those years.

For those who decided this was the proper place to denigrate those who educate our youth by brightening the day of young people, feel free to start your own thread on the Community Board.

Thank you katybugsmom for starting a thoughtful thread for other posters who teach or work in some capacity with young people.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

I'm not a teacher, but we would often take back stickers for DS's class when he was in elementary school. One year we stayed at the Poly and I asked for enough flower leis at the check in counter for him to take back to his class. The kids loved them and the teacher was glad that he was able to come back with some Polynesian culture(mahalo, aloha) to share with the class.

While we don't use the toiletries given by Disney I make a point of putting them up every night so that we will have more the next day. I bring these back and give them to a shelter, soaps and shampoos are often needed by the folks there. Not once have I felt like I was stealing anything.

The teachers who are making these efforts for the kids in their classrooms are obviously caring and generous people. I have a hard time believing that anyone would think anything other than that. Thank you to these teachers, please don't let the negative outweigh the positive you do every day for our children.

 

[katybugsmom]

This topic is a great resource for many. I have a DD who taught special ed for many years and really enjoyed sharing the items we brought to her from our many WDW trips over those years.

For those who decided this was the proper place to denigrate those who educate our youth by brightening the day of young people, feel free to start your own thread on the Community Board.

Thank you katybugsmom for starting a thoughtful thread for other posters who teach or work in some capacity with young people.

Thanks Doc! I will keep the thread up for now!

 

[jlhill4444]

My students also know of my love for Disney. My whole classroom is decorated in the Mouse! I enjoy having some cute free gifts to give the students on occasion from my Disney trips. I also will buy things at the Dollar Store that are Disney themed to use in the class. We do have to spend a lot of our own money for classroom supplies, that being able to get a few free items- like pens, buttons, maps, etc. is a great thing. Thank you for the list. I am staying at the Poly our next visit, so the leis would be a great gift to bring back, especially since I teach geography!

 

[RobDoc]

Thanks Doc! I will keep the thread up for now!

That is great.

I hope you get some additional helpful responses. I think the maps are a wonderful resource and THOUSANDS are thrown away every day at WDW. There is a wealth of information available on disney.com which can be printed for use too as has already been pointed out but items from the Resorts and Parks have a huge impact on children - most who will never have the opportunity to enjoy that trip with their family unless it is their schoolroom family.

 

[preemiemama]

Google maps are good, too- they let the kids see what some of the attractions look like- and you tube videos of some of the rides. I work in a school that has a very high free and reduced lunch population. The reality is that most (if not all) of my kids will never set foot in a park. So any bit of magic I can bring back that makes them happy, makes them forget about their home issues for a while, is a good thing. Thank you, Doc, for pointing that out as well.

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

I have asked DISboards to delete this thread for me. It was supposed to help fellow teachers, not a place where someone can slam them.

I'm shocked at the responses on this thread. My DD is a teacher here in FL and spends a good deal out of pocket to provide things for her students including shoes. Picking up buttons , maps, etc does not cost any of you. I'm a shareholder and it's no big deal and it helps kids.

Am I missing something? I don't see any posts bashing teachers...maybe I'm just a latecomer to the thread.

I don't *take* anything from Disney per se, but a couple of trips ago, I made a little sign saying "I (heart) World History!" and I took pics with many of the character holding the sign (I'd roll it up and keep it in the backpack between uses). I display those pics around my classroom.

 

[katybugsmom]

Am I missing something? I don't see any posts bashing teachers...maybe I'm just a latecomer to the thread.

I don't *take* anything from Disney per se, but a couple of trips ago, I made a little sign saying "I (heart) World History!" and I took pics with many of the character holding the sign (I'd roll it up and keep it in the backpack between uses). I display those pics around my classroom.

Am I missing something? I don't see any posts bashing teachers...maybe I'm just a latecomer to the thread.

I don't *take* anything from Disney per se, but a couple of trips ago, I made a little sign saying "I (heart) World History!" and I took pics with many of the character holding the sign (I'd roll it up and keep it in the backpack between uses). I display those pics around my classroom.

Admin deleted those posts!

 

[GPC0321]

My people!

I'm a teacher too, and my students last year got to listen to me go on and on about my upcoming (then) WDW trip and then all about it after I got back. I have a Mickey key chain on my lanyard with my school keys, a Mickey magnet stuck to my filing cabinet, Mickey sticky notepads, and a Mickey pen (that I threaten anyone who touches it within an inch of their life, LOL!) I didn't bring anything for my students, but when we return next year, I'll probably keep my eyes peeled when shopping around the World Showcase. I teach World Literature, so I'm always interested things I can either use in my lessons or to decorate the classroom. Interestingly, this past Christmas I had them research and do presentations on the different "Santa" figures from around the world. I had no idea at the time that the World Showcase has some of the different "Santas" at the various pavilions explaining their Christmas traditions. When I was researching for our trip next Christmas, I saw "La Befana" in Italy and knew all about her because my students had researched her and done presentations on her! Cool!

One of the projects I'm going to give mine next year is to design a theme park based on the literature we read (possibly Macbeth for the seniors and Dante's Inferno for the sophomores). So I'll probably swipe some park maps (they're free anyway, right?) to have on hand for them to reference. Of course, they can use the online maps too, and Google Earth. It should be a fun project.

 

[momof2cuties]

Wonder if the ak wilderness explorers would give a few books and stickers to teachers. Some cool stuff to learn.

 

[katybugsmom]

My people!

I'm a teacher too, and my students last year got to listen to me go on and on about my upcoming (then) WDW trip and then all about it after I got back. I have a Mickey key chain on my lanyard with my school keys, a Mickey magnet stuck to my filing cabinet, Mickey sticky notepads, and a Mickey pen (that I threaten anyone who touches it within an inch of their life, LOL!) I didn't bring anything for my students, but when we return next year, I'll probably keep my eyes peeled when shopping around the World Showcase. I teach World Literature, so I'm always interested things I can either use in my lessons or to decorate the classroom. Interestingly, this past Christmas I had them research and do presentations on the different "Santa" figures from around the world. I had no idea at the time that the World Showcase has some of the different "Santas" at the various pavilions explaining their Christmas traditions. When I was researching for our trip next Christmas, I saw "La Befana" in Italy and knew all about her because my students had researched her and done presentations on her! Cool!

One of the projects I'm going to give mine next year is to design a theme park based on the literature we read (possibly Macbeth for the seniors and Dante's Inferno for the sophomores). So I'll probably swipe some park maps (they're free anyway, right?) to have on hand for them to reference. Of course, they can use the online maps too, and Google Earth. It should be a fun project.

Christmas is my favorite time of year to visit Epcot! I love all the storytellers! Lots and lots of activity sheets and ideas to take back with you! There are videos on YouTube you can show your kids where people have filmed the storytellers too! Pere Noel, Father Christmas, La Befana just to name a few!

 

[msk]

I have taken pictures of the great informational signs in AK. I had my students use those as a model to create signs for their animal projects

 

[GPC0321]

This probably goes off-topic and into "resort" territory, but has anyone here stayed at Swan/Dolphin with a teacher discount before, and if so, did it seem like a good deal? I'm not even sure how much the discount is.

 

[hippiechicken]

I'm glad I missed the negative teacher comments!! I taught 5th grade US History and geography a few years, so I have a large map collection. I have WDW and DL maps, as well as state maps. You can go to each state's visitor center online and request maps and visitor's guides. WDW will mail you maps, too. I teach literacy, so I collect all kinds of reading material, like any brochure sitting around a resort and the welcome packet. (Colleges and Arts organizations will send you brochures for your classroom, too.)
I collect stickers, too. When a CM is handing them out, I always ask for extras for my students. (Trader Joe's gives stickers, too, sometimes even Scrath-n-Sniff.) We take our students camping each year, so I always bring home the extra toiletries, just in case...
I never thought of the birthday buttons for my students. That's a great idea!!

 

[denecarter]

I get the Spanish language maps to bring back for the Spanish teacher.

They have many different languages for the maps... our school also offers French and German.