TEXAS, USA — Paige Tubbs is just one of the many educators who is preparing for the upcoming school year.
In her school district, she helps kickstart a child's primary education and will soon be taking on a new role of teaching special education students.
Her job requires lots of tools, equipment and supplies.
"I needed some things that were probably a necessity before we started the year, so headphones, weighted animals, fidgets that's a big thing for special education to use," Tubbs explained.
Those are items that she would like to have for her students and that the district doesn't necessarily provide. School districts do supply the majority of essentials, but teachers like to add their own flair to make their students feel at home and meet their needs.
Teachers across the country often spend their own money to provide for their students and classrooms. Tubbs told 6 News she can spend up to around $2,000.
"A lot of teachers don't even care, they just purchase it -- we just do it," she said. "We're able to get up to $500 back on our taxes, but that's it. We pour a lot of our hearts and our wallets into these kids."
As the upcoming school year approaches, and as Amazon has big discounts, teachers across the country are sharing their Amazon wish lists. It contains items they want and need.
It's a way to give back to those who give so much.
"We love to feel appreciated and valued," Tubbs said. "We do feel that when we're at school with our students and our administration, but having community support too, it really helps us. It's not about the money. It's not about any of that. It's a difference that we make on these kids lives each and every day."
Click here if you want like to help clear Tubbs' wish list.
Raise Your Hand Texas, an education advocacy group, reports Texas is $4,000 behind the national average in per-pupil spending and ranks in the bottom 10 states.