Teacher Discounts

This blog post is going to share some of the easy ways to get a discount for being a teacher outside of Teacher Appreciation Week!

First and foremost, ALWAYS check your school district's employee benefits page. I have been in 3 different counties now and they all offered something different, but they at least offered some type of discounts or offers for being an employee of that county.

My current county gives their employees access to a website called Tickets At Work which offers discounts on travel, tickets, and more at places around the country. Also, check with the state you teach in because some states (like North Carolina) teachers are considered state employees which can give you access to discounts as well. I haven't tried it, but someone told me that when you stay at hotels in North Carolina as a state employee you can receive a discount.

The next 2 websites I found because my husband is in the military, but they also have a sign up for teachers as well!

ID.me

This website is the first place I look whenever I am planning to travel or purchase something at a store. There are over 500 participating companies that offer discounts to teachers. You will need to sign up with your school email in order for them to prove your status.

Gov.x

This website is similar to id.me, but it also includes more opportunities to save on travel, sporting events, theme parks, and more! You will need to sign up with your school email. I also had to put in my teacher licence state and number so that it can look up your teaching status.

This is the website that I used to get free tickets to the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, NC for 2 years in a row now.

Retail Stores Offering Teacher Discounts: (links take you to the educator discount page)

Michael's - 15% discount

JoAnn's Fabric - 15% discount

Barnes & Noble - their Educator Discount ended in April 2023, but they are offering educators a free year of their Premium Membership which includes many discounts and perks. It will cost $39.99 per year after that free year so don't forget to cancel!

Target - if you have Target Circle, you can verify that you are a teacher and receive different discounts throughout the year (as of July 2023 there is a one time 20% off your entire purchase)

Loft - 15% discount

There are many other retail stores as well, I always carry my ID badge with me and always ask if they offer a teacher discount. The worst they can say is no :) Here is also a link to the NEA website which has a list of other places that offer discounts as well.

Utilities:

Check with your cell phone provider for a discount on your plan. I have used this with Verizon and am currently using it with AT&T. 

Electronics:

Some of the big tech companies will offer discounts throughout the year. 

Apple often has a back to school deal (I scored free Air Pods one year for purchasing a computer!)

Dell has an Educator Marketplace that looks to offer 10% off year round.

Lenovo - their discount sometimes changes throughout the year, but if you sign up for ID.me above you can access their discount

Books:

Scholastic has great deals throughout the year, especially if you use their book clubs. You earn points for all of the purchases for your classroom that you can redeem for a variety of items.

First Book Marketplace - if you work in a Title 1 school you are eligible for this book marketplace. They have many discounted books available for your classroom. They also have books for free at different times throughout the year when different companies sponsor them. Sign up for emails to stay up to date!

The following apps are not specific to teachers, but I wanted to include them as additional ways to save!

Upside - This app allows you to earn cash back at many gas stations across the country and even some restaurants and grocery stores. From someone who used to travel 45 minutes to and from work each day, it does add up. I just let the money sit there until it builds up and then you have the option of cashing out for a variety of gift cards or send the money directly to your bank account. Use this CODE (MK892) to earn an extra 20 cents/gallon cash back the first time you use the app!

Fetch - This app allows you to earn points every time you scan a receipt. I love this one because you don't have to look for the items you are going to buy ahead of time, you just scan your receipt and it looks for any special offers. Use this CODE (7V6P85) when you sign up to earn bonus points after you scan your first receipt!

Happy Saving!

Do What Makes YOU Happy

I saw a post earlier today and it got me thinking. The post mentioned that this person was feeling down because they didn't feel like they were an "expert" at anything. I commented back that there was no need to be an expert at any one thing, but to just focus on the few things that this person feels they are good at.

This particular post also mentioned the impostor syndrome. This is something that I hear so much about in the education world. I absolutely love social media and how it has helped me connect with so many other educators around the world, but I hate that it makes people feel a certain way because of the people that post something super creative they use in the classroom or post about the latest and greatest edtech tool that you haven't even tried out yet or all the cutesy stuff we see from the primary education people.

Moment of honesty... I went through this. I used to be that person. I was always up to date with the newest tool to use in the classroom. I had the blog post that went viral and got noticed by a big name company. I had people following me for the things I was creating in the classroom. Then life happened. The pandemic made us all slow down and completely rethink what works in education. Health concerns made me prioritize other things. I wanted to start being more present for my kids and husband.

Also, guess what? No one can stay an expert at something for long! The world is changing. Technology has and is continuing to change. The world of education changes every single year (maybe even a week or month). The challenge of trying to keep up with everything while also continuing to work and have a life can be hard. Don't stress about being an expert at something. Find your niche. What are you passionate about? What makes you happy? What makes you get up and want to go to work each day? Those are the things to focus on. Those are the things to make yourself "good" at. No experts needed.

I used to want to be that expert. I wanted to know all the things. I wanted to create all the things. Then I realized there are so many other people out there doing the same thing. Yes, I still enjoy creating things for myself, but you better believe I search the internet to see if someone has already created what I am looking for first! Work smarter, not harder right?!

So while social media may make you feel like you are not an expert, the most important part is to stay true to yourself. Find what you are good at and stick with it!

Find YOU. Be YOU. Do what makes YOU happy.