This post is not meant to upset or offend. So if you are offended easily, whine and complain about schools, teachers and supplies... then you should probably just keep on scrolling and skip this post. It is not guided toward any certain person... just my personal thoughts. Happy reading and have a great day. Oh by the way, Oklahoma and Arkansas (other states too and some coming up) are having their TAX FREE WEEKEND for school supplies and clothing this weekend. Google to find the list of items that qualify and dont. I also apologize in advance for any grammatical errors and typos. It is after all summer break and I am not going to proofread it. lol My previous comment about complaining was brought on because of all the whining and complaining I have been hearing and reading. But the latest to get me to speak is about school supplies. Yes, the lists are out. Yes, there are things on lists (items do vary by school, grade and teacher) that you might not agree with. But you are to busy complaining instead of thinking about it. Ear buds: various uses for them and most kids have them already. Ask yourself, do you like for YOUR child to put things in their ears that other people have put in theirs? Do you share YOUR ear buds? I dont! (Not even with my kids) Clorox wipes: Do YOU use them at home? Why? Do YOU like for YOUR children to spread germs? How about bring home germs? Are YOU one of those parents that sends their kids to school with fever and then ignore the calls from the school because you know the policy is they cant have fever at school (therefore you are causing germs to be spread)? Dry erase (expo) markers: Have you read on the package somewhere that they are for teacher use only? Kleenex (aka Puffs, tissues, etc): What do you blow your nose with? Pencils: Ever try doing school work without them? Baggies: Guess you dont use those at home for all things kids. You dont believe in the tooth fairy either do ya? (baggies carry home lost teeth from school). Plates: You dont do crafts with your kids much do you? Or eat snacks? Nap mats: Do YOU lay on the floor with no blanket, mat or pillow for a nap? (I bet you lay on your cushy bed or couch) Markers, crayons, glue, paper lunch sacks, yarn, etc, etc, etc. Again, you dont do crafts with your kids much do you? You dont like to get the pictures they colored or the sack puppets they made just for YOU do you? I can go on and on. As a parent, I have to pay for all the same things. I dont like the bill and I dont like that I have to replenish throughout the year (when I know other people arent therefore their kids are STEALING it from mine), but I know it has to be done and there is a reason. Why do we need items on the lists? Paper: Obviously so we can make sure your child has it when needed (since you are so good at sending it when they run out). Pencils/Pens: So they can do their work. (Yes some younger grades might have a basket on the table for all who sit there, but they ALL share-isnt that a lesson we teachers have to teach because parents are too busy complaining and telling their kids to not let other kids use their stuff) EXPO markers: Moving along with the times, teaching methods, saving paper and other things... some teachers actually have the small dry erase boards for their students to use and the kids need markers for them (Have you tried using other writing materials on those boards??? It doesnt wipe off so easily) Kleenex: Well I guess we can just tell the kids sorry use your shirt or if you let it run long enough you can lick it off (gross). Students in my classroom can wipe and blow their nose all they want. Baggies: Susies necklace broke, Timmy lost his tooth, Joey broke his crayon box and needs something to put all his crayons in, etc. etc. etc. Plates and all things crafty: Some supplies are used for crafts, some are used for other things as well. I guess we can throw creativity out the window and just dont do these things. Kids love it and they love to bring it home to you, the parents. You can do that at home right? I guess we can not give snack to the little kids, since you dont want to supply plates. Guess you dont need to buy index cards, because your kids know their multiplication facts, shapes, sounds, etc and we dont need to make flashcards. Some classes use them for note taking (imagine that, we prepare them to use methods they will need for college) and vocab. Clorox wipes: Well I use them at home to disinfect and clean. Why would school be any different. I dont have desks, I have tables. I place a wipe on each table a couple times a day and the kids love to get to be the one to wipe the table down. I also have a different class each hour, so there are a lot of kids that come through my room. I could go on and on, but I will stop with the itemized lists here. As a teacher, I will tell you that I spend a lot of money out of my own pocket all throughout the year because the whining, complaining and someone else can supply that for my kid parents dont do it. We as teachers go beyond for all the children that come through out classes, and we do it without a second thought. You parents that are complaining, we feel your pain with the cost of things, but I dont think you feel our pain throughout the year as we pay for your children and let our own needs go. School budget cuts are a fact all across this country. Supplies that parents should be willing to supply are a way of helping with those cuts. I hear parents complain because the school doesnt supply Puffs or Kleenex brand tissues. Really??? The classes I teach vary by year and most generally I do not know what that will be in time to be included on the supply lists. In the past I was able to use money our school allowed in each classroom to help cover what I would use (as did all teachers) but that unfortunately had to stop a couple years ago. I send home a separate small list and most dont bring it. I ask for paper, pencils (academic team members only), tissues, 3 ring binder, highlighters and this year I would like clorox wipes. My school does supply cleaning supplies, but I find clorox wipes are much better for classroom use than squirt bottles. They also supply tissues, but lets face it, the kids go through a lot of them. My school also does its best to supply things that we need and use in our classroom, but NO SCHOOL can supply everything for every child in that school. This post is not meant to upset anyone, it is just me stating my thought after seeing and hearing enough complaining about schools and supplies. We are all in this sad economic cycle together, we should support each other and just know there is a reason. I do not and never will ask my students to supply things for my personal use, just their own. (Same goes for most teachers) Instead of whining and complaining, ask yourself what would I use that for and I am sure you will find why the teacher asked for it. If not, ask your teacher!
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 19:33:44 +0000
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