No, the header isn't a typo. I really can't believe it myself. Not that it's a national newspaper or anything, it's for the local newspaper, but it's still sort of exciting.
Here's the deal. Over the summer I signed up for a class set of Whisper Phones on the website Donors Choose. If you're not familiar, DonorsChoose.org is an organization that helps supply classroom teachers with materials for their classrooms through donations by the general public. This is the first time I've used it, so I'm pretty excited to see how things come together.
Anyhow, the local newspaper is doing a series on teachers and how much we spend out of pocket for classroom materials. She found my name on the Donors Choose site (you can search by area) and contacted me through e-mail for an interview.
Any teacher can tell you (unless you are blessed to work in an unbelievably wealthy district/school) that we spend a ton of money on school supplies. I remember when I started teaching (in an urban school district; see earlier posts!), I was given a box of office supplies: a stapler, a staple remover, a tape dispenser, masking tape, scissors, some thumbtacks, and some extra stapler strips. That's it. I had to use whatever furniture was there to arrange my room (which isn't uncommon), but I literally had nothing else, aside from the curriculum books and teaching guides. No paper. No class library books. No computer games. No games at all (learning or otherwise).
In addition to my classroom decorations and necessities like a calendar and alphabet line, I bought my plan book, my gradebook, writing paper, construction paper, craft materials, games for learning, number lines, games for indoor recess, computer games, a tape player to listen to stories, mailboxes, desk organizers, chalk, chalkboard erasers, extra office supplies, books for the class library, flashcards, math and language arts manipulatives, science models, learning posters, and at one point, my own copy paper for the copy machine because the district couldn't afford it. Oh, and did I mention that most of my materials had to be bilingual or I had to buy two sets (one in English and one in Spanish) because my school had a very high ESL population? Listen closely. That's the sound of money sprinting out of my pocket.
My husband and I tallied up my expenses, and I was averaging $200 a month in extras for the class. Most of it was books and paper, but it was still a lot. And even then, thanks to good old Uncle Sam, I didn't spend enough to get more than a few hundred back. And the years I did spend enough to get more than that small sum back, it still wasn't enough to get back all of what I'd spent; only a fraction.
The students brought in items from a list given on the last day of school the previous year. They had to bring most of their learning materials, and if they didn't have them, couldn't afford them or get them from somewhere else, guess who was responsible? The list wasn't just pencils and a notebook. They had to bring their own pencils, crayons, markers/colored pencils, rulers, calculators, notebooks, folders, glue, scissors, pencil boxes/pouches, erasers, pencil sharpeners, and binders. They were also expected to bring paper towels, tissues, and wipes.
Now I work in a school with an actual supply closet (!). I don't go crazy with it; I just get what my students need because I know what it's like when you need something to do your job and it isn't available. That's more stress than necessary. I still spend quite a bit, but not nearly as much as I used to spend.
It cracks me up to hear some of the teachers complaining about how there aren't any materials or that the brands aren't what they would have bought. I think they should just be happy it's there. Let them go to my former district and try it for a bit. Puts things in a whole new perspective.
So I'm curious to see what this reporter asks me. She may just get an earful.
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