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Originally Posted by MJo19
Amen preach it!! LOL. I teach reading in middle schoolers and they are dirty! Just the dirt that comes off one desk, I don't think most people would allow in their own homes. I'm with you on the Clorox wipes and anti-bacterial hand gel. Anything that helps keep you and the kids possibly "germ free" and cut back on sicknesses I'm all for. Plus, I like to keep my work area (even if it happens to be a cart since I don't have an actual room) clean.
~Marissa
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Amen as well! I teach 6th grade and I keep antibacterial hand stuff on my desk and let the kids use it (I do make them ask before taking it though, trying to teach some manners). Some of the girls keep little bottles of it on their purses (we don't allow backpacks to be in classrooms during the school day). You would be amazed the number of middle school kids who NEVER wash their hands in a day. I am lucky enough to have an amazing costodian in my area that gives me extra cleaning supplies and it's considered a special perk to clean desks once a week for the kids. Maybe that's why I like middle school kids, they consider it an honor to be responsible enough to spray orange cleaner and wipe it off!
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Originally Posted by PhoenixAzul
Yikes, what a hornet's nest.
I went to Pittsburgh Public School for every single grade. And strangely, I can't remember ever getting a "list" persay. We always knew to get the basics. But it seemed like we got a lot of stuff reused or community...meaning there were scissors in the classroom, calculators were assigned to each kid by number (and if you lost/broke it, you paid for it), pencils could be borrowed from classmates or bought from teachers (this was rather common...either that or you "rented" it for the class at 10 cents, which you got back when said pencil was returned). Our arts and theatre were essentially student funded through special community performances and selling advertisements in programmes. It wasn't affluent, it wasn't comfortable, but I'm educated and it worked for many others like me.
ETA: If I remember correctly, our DECA (marketing/business club) team set up a "school store" with help from the PTA. They ordered supplies and what have you as well as tshirts and other little nicknacks, and the DECA kids ran the store as a project/business model. Seems like win-win to me. Maybe not as a DECA group, but perhaps Student Government or NHS.
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Calculators are used in the rooms (we have classroom sets, but not enough for all 1200 students to have their own) but kids can't take them home. The school does not buy any scissors or markers or anything for the teachers, that all comes out of our own pockets. I will buy enough for a classroom, but when it's stolen or destroyed I can't afford to constantly replace it.
We have a bookstore in the building which stocks all the items kids need. The woman who runs it even orders special things if we are doing projects or anything, but you would be amazed the number of kids who refuse to bring pencils to class. I had over 500 pencils stolen last year. I lent them out at first for "collaterial" like shoes and such but even then kids just waited til I was out of my room on hall duty before class and stole them. By the end of the year I refused to buy the students anymore. There were some kids who would bring 1 pencil to school for the whole day and if it broke they expected someone to give them one. Sorry but I know these kids, 95% of them have lots of supplies at home but are too lazy to bring them.
Our lists go out with team letters normally about the middle of July, and as I said all this stuff can be purchased at school too. We even include a note that if your child is on the free/ reduced lunch list all they need to do is contact the bookkeeper (who also runs the bookstore) and she can supply the things required on the list. With the exception of Kleenex (we will take cheepie brands too!) everything is pretty much standard to each grade level. All the 6th grade teachers had to agree to the same rules and materials to make it easier for everyone.
My dad is a high school social studies teacher and has been for 40 years. I was well aware before going into education I was going to have to spend my own money on things, I expected it. I don't mind buying extra materials for the classroom, but I don't feel like I should have to provide paper and pencils for 120 students out of my own pocket. I hope that doesn't sound harsh, but it's not asking a lot. All my kids need are pencils, paper, 2 black 1" binders, 2 composition books, and a red pen for the whole school year.