The Sunday papers were flooded with ads! I always scour them to find the best deals for back to school supplies. I always dig into my own pocket to purchase my favorite things so I know I'll have just what I need. So I have two questions: do you dig into your own pocket to purchase supplies you need as a teacher? And if so, what is your spending range?
Currently, in my district, we get a small supply allowance. I usually tap that first. I buy a jump-drive for storing documents from the computer, and some other things that I know we use regularly. My favorite items to purchase are dry erase markers, composition notebooks and crayons.
This year, I'm smiling as I am thinking about all the crayons! There's a cute new picture book out by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers called The Day the Crayons Quit.
It's made it on the NY Times Best Seller list! It's all about how crayons have feelings too! They write letters to the main character, Duncan and address their concerns about how he's been using them and what they're always responsible for coloring. Check out Oliver's website for other pictures from the book...you'll never think the same of the crayons again. http://www.oliverjeffers.com/picture-books/the-day-the-crayons-quit
I was thinking of some other supplies that might quit their jobs... the eraser or the stapler come to mind for me. It's all about their point of view. What school supplies do you think might quit their jobs?
The Squeezy glue! No matter how many times you teach the kids "dot, dot, not a lot" there is always at least one child who squirts half the bottle of glue on something on several occasions. And of course the stapler...he gets punched, hit, dropped, and overused. I'm sure he'd be on the quit list!
ReplyDeleteDot, dot not a lot makes me giggle! And, you're right about someone globbing on the glue!
DeleteThe book looks adorable! My dry erase markers - they always quit at the most inopportune times.
ReplyDeleteMy pet peeve on the dry erase markers is when someone pushes the tips in-I couldn't figure out who kept sabotaging all of the markers last year!
DeleteWorking with middle school students, I would say all the supplies would want to quit. The way they are treated is awful! That book sounds so cute! I will have to look for it. At Back to School time I buy things that I know will be more expensive during the year. I just bought 65 notebooks today so that I will have extras for the inevitable lost notebooks (and/or mangled ones). I also buy glue and scissors at this time of year. I don't have a supply budget so it is all coming from my pocket, but I don't mind as long as the students will have the tools they need to write.
ReplyDeleteI know I don't mind getting them with my own $-it is good to stock up at this time of the year
DeleteIn my room, the table-top dry erase board might be ready to go on strike. Love The Day the Crayons Quit! (I blogged about it yesterday for IMWAYR.) I know your first graders will love it, too!
ReplyDeleteCatherine
Yes, in sure they will love it! I will check out your post from yesterday Catherine!
DeleteI read that book in Barnes and Noble. Can't wait 'til it comes out in paper. I hope it comes out in paper. I work in kindergarten and do reading intervention with 2,5, and 6 so what I need I buy. And I spend too much. ;-)
ReplyDeleteGood that you get what you need-it's sad that schools don't have a bigger budget for supplies
DeleteI need to look for this book - sounds really cute! In my classroom, the kleenex and the hand sanitizer are exhausted! :-) Also, tape. The preschoolers love, love, love tape.
ReplyDeleteYes, preschoolers do love tape! My soon loved it when he was 3 and 4!
DeleteOh my gosh just bought that book! Thank you for the suggestion!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome-enjoy it!
DeleteI want to buy the book. How fun, the illustrations look great too. The school I teach in gives a small allowance, but I always bring in extra paper.
ReplyDeletePamela,
DeleteYou will like the book! The illustrations are great-I agree! I love thinking about each color's point of view!what kind of paper do you bring in?
Amy, your post sent me looking for one of my favorite poetry collections, School Supplies collected by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Here's a link to a post about it by Laura Purdie Salas: http://laurasalas.livejournal.com/172877.html
ReplyDeleteI've avoided shopping for school supplies as I try to make my July as school free as possible. With August on the horizon, it's time to start checking the ads and specials. Our PTSA gives us $100 for supplies. After that, it's into my own pocket.
How wonderful of your PTSA to do give supply $. Thanks for the link to the other poems
DeleteLove this book! I'm pretty sure I'm going to cave and buy it before school starts. What a great question too...what would happen if the other school supplies quit? That gets me thinking about building community during the beginning of the school year.
ReplyDeleteYep, I think that would be a great idea! All supplies have something to give to make the learning community a special place! What can we do to help each other get along-understand each others' importance yet differences?
DeleteAs much as I hate to admit it, I love it when school supplies come out! There is nothing like a fresh, new, sharpened box of crayons. I am heading to the book store this weekend and this book is on my list (along with MANY other I might add!) I don't know which supply "might quit their jobs" but I sure wish someone would invent a pencil sharpener that would last a whole school year!
ReplyDeletePencil sharpeners are the worst tool ever-but I think they have to work harder because of pencils being made so cheaply these days
DeleteLove the crayon story. I think my hole puncher is contemplating quitting or at least a strike. He's lost his base so he shoots confetti everywhere--that might be purposeful mess making as a form of protest though. I'll have to get The Day the Crayons Quit--good humor study there.
ReplyDeleteWe get a supply allowance too, Amy. In my district it's labeled "teacher lead money." It has been as high as $250. This year it will come late September (a month after school's start) in the form of a Visa gift card for $200. This week I spent $50 on miscellaneous things: sponges, comet, soap, book shelve support pins, paper towels, air fresheners, etc. We've had to work in the classroom all week to sort through materials left there by teachers who moved to another school or retired. I usually spend anywhere from $200 to $500 on things like composition books, markers, glue sticks, pencils, paper, decorations and such. There have been a few more expensive years when I bought book shelves and or paid our Ning fee, but I won't have to do that this year.
OH, yes, the might hole puncher! Very hard worker there. I think mine might quit too.
DeleteVery nice that you get the supply allowance in the form of a visa card. Do you have to produce receipts that show what you've purchased? Just wondering...supply shopping is fun. Oh, if those supplies could talk though-I wonder what they think in the store while people are shopping for them before they are purchased. Can you imagine the conversation?
We get some PTA money and the students bring in supplies as well - but even as a reading specialist I spend way too much money out of my pocket for "necessary things." I think staplers would quit - imagine getting hit all day long! Ouch! Can't wait to get the book and loved your post!
ReplyDeleteThanks, and I agree that the stapler would probably have had enough stress...
DeleteOur students usually do not bring much...most teachers I know spend way too much-because you want your environment to rock! The most important thing though-is building the relationships with the kiddos and staff...so the book does seem to touch on that as well-how the crayons relate with each other in their roles.
I just ordered that book through Scholastic! I can't wait to read it!
ReplyDelete