Books and Sensory Supplies for Jillian Guier

My name is Jillian Guier, and I’m a first-year special education teacher at Lena Whitmore Elementary School in Moscow, Idaho. I work with students in kindergarten through second grade at a Title I school, where many of my kids face real challenges outside the classroom. For some of them, school is the only consistent, safe place they know—and I take that responsibility to heart.

My position was newly created, which meant I walked into a completely empty classroom—no inherited materials, no resources stocked up over the years. I had just two weeks before the school year started, and while my colleagues generously shared what they could, I began the year piecing things together from scratch, using what I could afford on my own.

Even with those limitations, I poured everything I had into my students. And it paid off: I was honored to be named Rising New Teacher of the Year for the Moscow School District. But I know I can do so much more—not just academically, but emotionally and socially—if I have the right tools to build a space where my students can thrive.

I’m hoping to have the materials by mid-August to prepare for next school year. Every item has been thoughtfully chosen to help turn my classroom into not just a place for learning, but a refuge—a space where students feel safe, valued, and excited to be.

My students need a classroom that feels magical—colorful, calming, inviting. Many of them come in carrying stress, fear, or trauma, and I want my room to be the place that sparks their curiosity and helps them believe that school can be a joyful, welcoming escape. I want it to be a place where they feel peace, where they’re free to explore, create, grow, and be themselves.

I currently buy snacks out of pocket to make sure no child is hungry, but that’s becoming harder to sustain. These wishlist items would directly support my students’ academic, emotional, and behavioral development—and help me create the kind of classroom that doesn’t just meet their needs, but inspires them to dream bigger.

They deserve that. They deserve the best. And with your help, I can give it to them.