I wanted to share this....as a teacher, not a parent. I have read so many posts about what school supplies parents are requested to purchase for the beginning of the school year, and I understand that it can be a financial burden and quite expensive! In the defense of teachers everywhere, I just want to explain that we would never ask for items that arent truly needed in the classroom. Yes, most of us (not all) are given supply money by our school. However, when that amount is divided by the number of school days, it results in us having a little more than $1.50 per DAY to spend. I see nearly 100 children every day, and that would equal about $.15 each...which isnt very much and certainly wouldnt cover even a minimal amount of basic supplies. I know that all teachers spend their instructional money on materials to add to their instruction, thus enhancing learning and moving beyond just a textbook. But - those materials arent cheap, and we arent left with a lot of money for the extras we need to make school fun & inviting for our students! Thats where teachers reach into their OWN wallets and make sure our students have what they need. All of the frilly things we use are usually purchased with our own money (dont even get me started on teachers salaries! LOL.) Trust me- I have never put suckers, candy, kleenex, pencils, paper, folders, composition books, erasers, clorox wipes, or hand sanitizer on a purchase order request...EVER, and I actually spent $20 this week on M & Ms!!! LOL (Crazy, I know....but my students will remember it!) And while Im on my soapbox, let me add that Im willing to bet that MOST of the beautiful classroom decorations Ive seen this week were purchased with that teachers own money and the time spent to create and hang their new creations was during time they were not being paid, and will not be reimbursed for- I have used my instructional money for educational games, magazine subscriptions for every student, workbooks to help them practice newly learned skills, educational software, document cameras, personal white boards, books for my classroom library. ..you get the picture. There are lots of students to educate, and a predetermined amount of money with which to do that...its just like having a budget for anything else. Although Im sure that could be a whole other post, its not an amount that is decided at the school level or even district level...and we cant change it now, so we might as well make the most of what we have! So, what Im trying to say is that when you see a teacher wish for things like pencils, kleenex and clorox wipes, its not because we love having a large collection of these items! Its because we want to make sure our students have everything they need...not just the basic necessities! Okay....Im done. Sorry about the rant! LOL P.S. Ive already spent $250 and counting...
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 14:56:51 +0000
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