Teachers connected with supplies and mentors from community pages

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Teacher wishlists are flying around social media and people are stepping up to help, especially in the Brazos Valley.

Adopt A Teacher Bryan College Station ISD has 1,600 members compiled of people from the community, current teachers and retired teachers. Courtney Eeds teaches 5th grade science in Bryan. When she joined the group, she learned it’s much more than just finding supplies.

“I got adopted by another teacher in Bryan. Her name’s Angela. She was a high school teacher for quite a few years and so it was really cool to get to meet her and it wasn’t just like she donated school supplies and stuff like that, which she did, but it was more like that plus self-care and then we would meet for dinners and stuff so it was really cool to build that relationship and have an actual mentor, not just in my school,” she said.

Seeing the success and connections made on the Bryan-College Station page inspired Brenda Ruiz to create her own. The idea was to support her kids’ schools and teachers with Adopt A Teacher Robertson & Milam County ISDs.

“My kids go to school in Gauss. We also have Hearne Elementary, High School and then there are schools in Bremond, all over in that area there are a lot of smaller schools. I’ve volunteered some of my time in my kid’s school and I wish when I’m in there that I could do more, you know, that I could afford more,” Ruiz said.

Less than a year after starting her page, there are over 300 members. Both women say the connections made throughout the year on these pages is priceless. But, as the next school year approaches, they’re focused on making sure our teachers are ready.

“I can’t imagine being a teacher, I’d probably spend all my salary right back into my classroom. I’m pretty sure that’s what happens every day but you know that probably is what they’re gonna do regardless. We can’t change that, but maybe we can help,” Ruiz said.

“Classroom decorations and things to help with like organization and stuff and really making the classroom not just another room for the kids to go in but they’re there for eight hours a day. So it’s like trying to create a little home for them. You’re with the kids so much throughout the week you want to make it an enjoyable place and something welcoming to them where they feel safe and comfortable,” Eeds said.