Open Letter to Sadist Teachers



Guess what this week is? BACK TO SCHOOL!!

I'm not excited at all. Can you tell? We've had a great summer. I took my kids to New York City, Washington, D.C., and McPherson, KS - all vacation hot spots. What more could a kid ask for? We've got a couple more days to get ready for the Big Day. I plan to have the kids thoroughly clean out their closets and then get drunk on television, because once school starts they'll have to earn that privilege. (The TV thing, not the closets. They can clean closets whenever they'd like.) Wednesday will be meet the teacher and drop off all your school supplies and I can tell you right now, I still don't know the difference between a "plastic" pocket folder and a "poly" pocket folder. I guessed. I don't know what they're made of, but they're not paper and they do have pockets. I DO know my colors, so I bought green, red, yellow, purple, and blue ones as I was instructed. I was able to cross that part off my list with confidence! I also could not find the particular brand of pencils that was asked for. We got the "skippies" of the pencil world: whatever brand Wal Mart had on sale.

All in all, I'm pretty lucky with the school supplies thing though. I can't imagine having to label EACH individual crayon with my child's name! True story, a friend of mine was doing this the other night, per the teacher's request. That's just sick and wrong.

When I sat down to bitch about school supplies, I found this on Facebook tonight. No one seems to know who the original author is. I can tell you, it wasn't me. After reading this, I realized why bother? She summed it up perfectly and said it better than I ever could:



For all you Mommies dealing with this shit right now, cheers!

School Supplies

by XXXXXXXXXXXX on Monday, September 7, 20xx at 10:31am

************************************************
Dear Mrs. X:

In just over a week, you will be my son’s Grade 1 teacher. He is ever so excited to be under your tutelage. Why, since the last day of kindergarten, entering your class was all he could talk about. He gleefully thrust a piece of paper into my hand on that June afternoon, and said, “Here’s a list of the stuff I need for school next September!”

And I have to admit, I, too, was excited. I’m a school supplies geek from way back. And so, in early August, I set out to buy the items you’d listed. It was on my fourth store that the realization began to sink in.

You’re a crafty bitch, aren’t you?

This list was a thinly disguised test. Could I find the items, exactly as you’d prescribed? Because if not, my son would be That Kid, the one with the Problem Mother, Who Can’t Follow Directions.

For example, the glue sticks you requested. In the 40 gram size. Three of the little buggers. (What kind of massive, sticky project you’ve got planned for the first day of school that would require the students to bring all this glue, I cannot imagine.) But the 40 gram size doesn't come in a convenient 3-pack. The 30 gram size does. But clearly, those would be wildly inappropriate. So I got the individually priced 40’s, as per your instructions.

Another bit of fun was your request for 2 packs of 8 Crayola crayons (basic colors). The 24 packs, with their 24 *different* colors, sat there, on sale. I could have purchased *three* of the 24 packs for the price I had to pay for the 8 packs. (Clearly, you’ll not be teaching the youngsters any sort of economics lessons this year.) Even the cashier looked at me, as if to say, “Pardon me, ma’am, but are you slow?” as I purchased these non-bargain crayons. But that’s what the list said. And I was committed to following the list.

But the last item, well, now, you saved your malice up for that one, didn’t you? “8 mm ruled notebooks”, you asked for. Simple enough. Except the standard size is "seven" millimetres. One. Millimetre. Difference. Do you realize, Mrs. X., exactly how infinitesimal the difference between 7 mm ruling and 8 mm ruling is? Pretty small, I assure you. The thickness of a fingernail, approximately. But that millimetre, that small bit of nothingness, made me drive to four different stores, over the course of three sweaty August hours. And when I finally, finally found the last remaining 8 mm notebooks, I took no pleasure in my victory. I merely shifted my focus. To you, Mrs. X.

You wanna dance, lady? Let’s dance.

Because I am just batshit crazy enough to play your games. And, in turn, come up with some of my own.

On show and share day, my son will be bringing the video of his birth. It will be labelled, “Ben’s First Puppy.” Enjoy.

He will be given a list of words, and daily, he will ask you what they mean. Words such as “pedophile”, “anti-semite”, and “skank”. Good luck with those.

At some point, you will attempt to teach him mathematics. And I’m quite sure that, like most of your ilk, you will require my son to “show his work”. And he will. Through interpretive dance.

Because that is who you’ve chosen to tangle with, toots. A stay at home mom who is not entirely balanced, and has altogether too much time on her hands. But is, most certainly, A Mother Who Can Follow Directions.

Sincerely,

Ben’s Mom


Let me be clear...I LOVE OUR TEACHERS AND I AM GRATEFUL AT THE JOB THEY ARE DOING!  THIS IS JUST FOR FUN!  HAVE A LAUGH, BECAUSE IT'S FUNNY.




UPDATE:  I got an email telling me who to give credit to for this glorious letter to the teacher.  It came from the genius that is Ginny over at Praying to Darwin.

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241 comments:

1 – 200 of 241   Newer›   Newest»
Anonymous said...

Freaking HILARIOUS!!!

sherman said...

OMFG!!! That is to friggin funny. I am crying at my desk right now. What a mess.

Veronica said...

LMAO!!! I just got a text from my stay-at-home-mom best friend, bitching about the insane list of crap she had to buy for her daughter for kindergarten. This couldn't have come at a better time!!

Anonymous said...

I, thankfully, am DONE with school supplies. My youngest son graduated in June. I'll be the one that's doing the happy dance right past y'all as you're in the Back to school aisles at Target & WalMart & Office Max (and a million other stores) looking for those elusive supplies. Happy Hunting!

nubsmom said...

I'm not the only one?! DD's list called for Prang watercolors. She got Crayola.
They asked for Crayola Classic markers. Am I the only parent that is giggling? The first time they have a substitute, my kid will be coming home a rainbow of colors. Yes, she's that kid, and Crayola classics aren't washable.

Seaexplore said...

I'm a teacher and I LOVE that letter. My junior high supply list is more vague - colored pencils, no markers, pencils mechanical or other, lined paper, a 1" or larger binder, 2 page protectors (oakie white board, just add paper), whiteboard marker, old sock or eraser, and anything else they feel they'll need. Simple. However, most kids do not bother with the list. Oh, I needed that? Why didn't you tell me?

Nepsi said...

You are telling me if you were an underpaid and under appreciated teacher you wouldn't mess with the parents just a little bit :) Perhaps the unattainable list to not to determine the rule followers but to determine which parents are the suck ups?

Anonymous said...

It doesn't stop in high school either-i thought I was done, but nooooooooooooooooo....

Tara said...

I about fell off my chair reading this! My son is in preschool and (thank the Lord) we have no "list" of crap I'm supposed to bring on the first day. Something tells me I have tons of fun to look forward to before that day 1 of Kindegarden. And what the F is Pipsqueak marker???!!!

Anonymous said...

I, thankfully, live in Canada where the teachers (generally) aren't quite this bad about school supplies. Don't get me started on other aspects of their jobs though, or I may end up going bat shit crazy on your page. I have to thank you for all your amazing blogs. You say ALL the things I think on a regular basis. Keep 'em coming, Jen, you're awesome!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Shoot, I don't send in half the supplies they need on the first day of school. And I flat out tell the teacher that I am not sending them in. I will send in a few pencils (not 3 packs), one box of crayons, one glue stick, one bottle of glue, and NO tissues or GermX. If they need more stuff, they are welcome to send home a note or email me to ask me to send it in. Once I found out that the teachers were taking all the extra supplies home for their personal use at the end of the school year, I stopped. I don't mind buying a few extra supplies to help out, but my budget is way too tight at the beginning of the school year to buy all those extras right off the bat. And not one teacher has complained in the last 8 years or so.

Anonymous said...

this is hilarious- I buy my kids in general what is on the list - but its all sale items- half of the supplies go directly to the teacher for their use (my kids dont need dry erase markers for anything that I can figure out) - 1/4 of the supplies are handed out to the class- so whats left actually stays with my kids-

Showing math work thru interpretive dance has its appeal- we will begin working on this tonight

Hilary said...

I am SO glad I am not alone in this Back to School Supply Scavenger Hunt foolishness! I think it's a way for the teachers to make us feel like complete doofuses (or would that be doofi?) as well as re-inforce the whole OAM stereotype. Of course, I don't want my kid to be THAT KID, so every year, I'm doing the crazy crawl from Target to Target. Here's a sample of what was on the list this year:
5 glue sticks
1 wide-rule spiral notebook with at least 1 pocket divider
1 dozen #2 pencils – already sharpened plain yellow
1 box of crayola Twistables (recommended) or 24 Crayola crayons – no larger size box, please
1 box of thin watercolor markers
1 box of thick watercolor markers (maximum of 8 in each box)
1 large box of tissues
1 roll of paper towels
1 large container of Clorox wipes

Really? Cleaning supplies, too? Oh, and can someone tell me what's up with the oddball quantities of glue sticks? Is that like a nationwide mandate from teachers?

Anonymous said...

This is just fantastic... on so many levels! Thank you!

Jes A. Bella said...

I am enduring this madness right now! My son will have 1 of 6 different teachers for Kindergarten this year. We don't find out which one of the 6 will be his teacher until the Friday before school starts. School Starts that following Monday. Each of them has a specific list including just enough difference to make my life difficult. One wants 10 Small Glue sticks and 6 Large Glue Sticks, One wants 8 Large and 6 small. You get my point. So in order to take advantage of the "sales" I have to buy the maximum amount that every teacher could possibly request and then "hope" I don't lose the receipt to return the extras. To top off my madness, I just went to a yard sale and purchased a woman's extra school supplies only to get home and realize she must have been a teacher and was SELLING the stuff she had leftover at the end of the year because there was a child's name written on the back of some of the supplies!!!! I know they are not all crazy, I happen to live next door to an amazing one, but really :/ I think this is going to be a learning curve for me to say the least!!! I feel this woman's pain! Oh and Hilary, I have the cleaning Supplies on my list too!!!

Blondie McBaffled said...

I am not alone!!! YES! I will be taking the items I had to collect to my son's school this afternoon and may stick a copy of this letter in the bag.

J. A. said...

As a teacher I couldn't imagine any teacher doing this! I am a high school teacher and I can tell you I am lucky if my students bring a pencil so I have to buy supplies myself, pencils, pens, highlighters, folders,notecards for research papers and notebook paper,Germ X, kleenex, markers and sometimes notebooks. We appreciate parents who do get the supplies, and we do appreciate anything parents do. We are overworked and underpaid and I assure you, most of us are not like the teacher you described, most of us are in it to make a difference which we seldom do because we are fighting a war that is bigger than all of us. If most people really took the time to see what teachers face on a daily basis, I doubt they would want to come back. We fight the parent who's child is never wrong, the drug dealer, the class clown, the smart ass, the beauty diva and special ed kid in a wheelchair all in the same classroom. We fight drugs, and sexting, and facebook and twitter drama. We fight the kid who places us on YouTube for going off on that one day when we have had just about enough. We fight the welfare kids who can't afford anything but have an iPhone and nails and 150.00 shoes. We fight the girl who is pregnant and thinks that boy will stay with her forever even though in the hall he is flirting with another girl. We are expected to fix all that is wrong with kids today all in 50 minutes that have no concept of accountability. AND I might add, we are expected to make sure they pass that freaking test because when they don't who do you think they point to finger at? US! And before I step off my soapboxI will add, teaching is the best worst job there is because when a kid comes back and says thank you it makes all the other crap ok. Trust me we are not in it for the money or the glory because you get neither. Most of the time we get crapped on!

Anonymous said...

I just ran into my daughter's teacher from last year in the parking lot of Walmart, where we were on our 3rd stop in this lovely School Supply Scavenger Hunt. In the middle of the conversation she casually said, "Yeah, I don't even remember what I put on my list of requested items this year, oh well, they don't end up even using a lot of the stuff so we'll have plenty of leftovers to choose from this year". WHAT THE WHAT???? I'm filling the supply closet for next year? OMG.

Amanda said...

Oh my! I get to buy 18, yes EIGHT FREAKING TEEN glue sticks for my kindergartner. Please explain that shit. Then I'm not allowed to label any of it? Wrong. My OCD ass will be labeling the folders and whatnot. Everyone must be wearing their crazy pants when making these lists!

Jamie said...

Our elementary school supply list is by school district.. so every single kid in the 15 or so elementary schools in our district get the exact same supply list, this turns supply shopping into an Olympic sport. I hate those darn poly pocket folders with prongs, in specific colors that walmart never orders enough of. Then, when my middle schooler got his list at open house right before school started, walmart was out of PENCILS... that's right, no pencils. WTF Walmart, school starts this week, an you didn't order enough pencils? Guess my son's teacher, that requested 48 pencils, is out of luck!

Anonymous said...

yes, last year I was PISSED when, after allowing my 1st grader to choose all her favorite pretty folders/notebooks/composition books, I discovered that the teacher threw them all in a pile, put random names on them and distributed them to the class. My daughter got some cheap ass folder that started falling apart a few weeks in, while her pretty little hand-picked folder was given to God knows who. If I'm paying for crap it sure as hell better go to MY kid (and send it home at the end of the year if it doesn't get used!).

Jes A. Bella said...

I think teachers like you are amazing and yes you do work hard...Sometimes and most likely all the time, you are working harder then the child's own parents. I give you credit and I think everyone here does. You are the ones that stand out now though.

Kelly and Sne said...

That is too funny! I am procrastinating the school supply list for my new Kindergartener (though it's gotta happen this weekend as Monday is "backpack night") as I took one look and didn't recognize half the items on there. We are new to the public school system so will be purchasing these things for the first time as daycare/preschool - in exchange for my 2nd mortgage - supplied it all. We went to New Family Orientation last night and I learned that I'd also better clear the closets for the hordes of tulip bulbs, wrapping paper and popcorn tins that the PTA will be selling all year as well. I'm sure there will be lots more punches as we learn more about our parental obligations within a public school system. They are already fucking with our schedule big time as my son will be going to "full day" Kindergarten (8:30 - 3:30 is NOT a full day to a working parent!) to the tune of an extra $300/month while my daughter's peer model pre-school program (she is getting school district speech therapy there) is only 8:30 to 11:30 M-Th and, of course, at a different school. And that doesn't even count the 13 early releases in 9 months.

Jill said...

My kid's school offers packages of school supplies for a pretty reasonable price - so far, I have successfully avoided the craziness!

Jamie said...

I write my child's name on EVERYTHING (well not individual pencils or crayons but on the boxes)in big letters with a sharpie, even the boxes of tissues and hand sanitizer. I hunted through 5 stores for those folders, you better bet your behind my child is getting them.

Peytyn's Mommy said...

Your lucky on the amount of glue sticks she needs...On my 1st graders supply list(and it was also this amount on her kindergarten supply list) she need 30 glue sticks...YES 30...

Anonymous said...

While I love new school supplies as much as the next guy, the insanity in finding all of this crap sucks all of the fun right out of it. Enter School Tool Box Program. They offered this at my kids’ old school, and you simply pay your $$ and a lovely box of all of the kids’ school supplies magically arrives at your child’s school, packaged in a neat little box. They even include personalized labels for all of your child’s supplies. And the price is comparable to what you would pay searching the city for all of this stuff. Probably cheaper, if you count all of the gas money. Nirvana, I tell you. I loved it so much, that I started a program at their new school, in part for my own selfish motives.

Jamie said...

ours started offering this also, I hesitated simply because I've seen some of those packages come in with the "crappy" supplies. Crayons that you have to push so hard to use they break, the cheap pencils and clog up the sharpeners.. etc. After I see what they are like this year, I may do that next year.

Jes A. Bella said...

You have to love the scheduling interferences!!! I have 2 children in 2 different schools and 2 different schedules. That means no family vacations until school is out because they never have off the same days!!! Oh so fun school is. I don't ever understand why people look forward to back to school!!!

Erin said...

I ordered all my school supplies this year from Amazon. No running around to 10 different stores. Saved my life. And maybe I did pay a little more, maybe not but I saved hassle of going in 4 stores, especially Wal-Mart, which I hope to not have to set foot in ever again.

Anonymous said...

My kindergartner needs 30 glue sticks and the other 3 elementary aged kids need 20 each. We will end up getting a note home mid-year asking for additional glue sticks. It is crazy! ~ Kate

Anonymous said...

This is perfect. I was JUST bitching the other day about how obnoxious the list was that my son has for his first day of Kindergarten. There's more cleaning supplies on it than school supplies. I'd be happy with buying notebooks and crayons. Instead he needs two rolls of paper towels, two boxes of tissues, hand soap, hand sanitizer, ziploc baggies... apparently they'll be doing weekly lessons on sanitation and prepping them to enter janitorial college. And when it came to actual school supplies, I had to buy him 12... yep TWELVE.... glue sticks. Ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

Oh they are complaining all right, just not to your face.

As a teacher...ouch. NEVER in 15 years have there been 'extras' to take home for personal use - in fact, I purchase a great deal of supplies throughout the year, from my own pocket, because so many parents do not send in the school supplies on the list. I didn't go into teaching to get rich, and I knew that I would be spending money out of pocket for my classroom, but I didn't expect it to be thousands of dollars. It's kind of a slap in the face to read comments like this one. :/

Anonymous said...

Our kids use dry erase markers daily... And is that teacher not using them TO TEACH YOUR CHILD?

Crystal said...

Just to express the flip side (from someone who is a parent & teacher). I do not go to the extent to have certain items labeled such as crayons, but those 5 minutes a parent has to spend labeling crayons could be to offset a future meltdown/argument when the favorite cotton candy pink crayon is missing. I'm sure there is a reason and a story behind it.

Many teachers put a lot of effort into creating a well-oiled organized classroom. For example, I do ask for different colored notebooks/folders so I can say "get out your red math notebook, to save a few priceless minutes of students not rummaging through their desk trying to distinguish if the puppy dog or the lego notebook is what they use for math... that way I can spend more time teaching lattice multiplication.

Usually, teachers are footing the bill out of their extremely small paychecks to purchase supplies for the kiddos whose parents didn't get certain things.

Although it may mean a trip to one or two stores and can be a pain for parents, but think of all the things a teacher has to do before the beginning of the school year (outside of her workday)... set up their classroom using their own funds to make a welcoming classroom which includes bulletin boards, taping name tags on desks, organizing textbooks, leveling library books they purchased from going on scavenger hunts all summer at garage sales/goodwill, hanging motivational and educational posters, trying to create a classroom layout that will benefit all types of learners, laminating, photocopying, writing/addressing 25+ "welcome to my classroom" postcards then dropping them off/paying for them at the post office, etc. Spending their own hours creating engaging lesson plans for the first few weeks of school, putting together a parent welcome packet so they can start the year off with strong home communication, etc.

This is all done early in the morning or after 3:00, because they spend the week or two before school starts, in various district meetings reviewing common core, mission statements, new technology, differentiation strategies, IEP meetings, etc.

Then they have to rush to their grad. class they are taking/paying for so they can eventually get a few thousand dollar pay raise so they have even more money to put into their classroom.

Then maybe around 10pm, they can go to Wal-mart or any other store that is open late to purchase their own kiddos school supplies, making sure they get what the teachers have asked for, because they know how important it is to have in their classroom.

Before you complain about having to find a pack of 6 Elmer's glue sticks (because the generic sticks dry out VERY quickly... the teacher has experienced this over and over. They have had to make a few last minute runs to the store to purchase the Elmer's glue that was originally asked during the school year, when all the generic glue sticks have dried up and are needed for the Mother's Day poem/craft that is being done.) try to think about why they are being requested.

Curious to see how many of the same parents that complain about the teachers and refer to them as "skanks & crafting b$#%&@" are the same parents that will spend Thanksgiving night waiting in line for the Black Friday specials and the "must-have" toy/game of the year without a single complaint.

Alright, I am done with my ramble... I know this was meant as a joke, and I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but to a teacher who has made it one of her goals to make a difference in your child's life, it can be frustrating to read.

Yes, this is the career path many of us chose to take and absolutely LOVE it. But it does take some of the excitement out of it, when teachers are shown such little respect by parents and society.

Nicole said...

Here in South Louisiana we start school later this week so Meet and Greet the teacher and dropping off school supplies happened last night. My daughter has had this teacher before so everyone's a known entity and even though I hadn't completed the list, I wasn't worried, telling myself that she knew I could be counted on later in the year when a desperate plea goes home for more (circle one: glue sticks, pencils, dry erases markers). But it is a new year, so I mention the missing pack of card stock anyway and am told to send it in when the stores restock. And that's when I thought to ask if she would prefer colored card stock and I watched her eyes light up. "Pastel or bright?" I asked with a smile. Off to get the bright card stock. I'm thinking it's going to be a good year.

Unknown said...

That is why a lot of teachers specify brands ... so when things become communal ( i don't know if all teachers do this but I know my mom's school that she teaches at does from the young grades) one kid doesn't miss out on the awesome crayolas just to get a shitty rose art that dries out in a week.

Anonymous said...

very well put, "Anonymous."

Crystal said...

Definitely agree about the slap in the face! Have you ever taken the time to ask the teacher what they use them for... I can bet they can list off 100 things! I don't know many teachers who need 50 dry erase markers for their personal use.

Anonymous said...

20 Gluesticks here...ridiculous! Also, orange and black poly two pocket folder (along with 5 other colors that not one store sells all 7 of the same folder). I had to pay triple for the black folder. And yes, we had to label each and every last crayon in the box, 2 dozen sharpened pencils and every glue stick with our childs name. Sure...No problem, I've got noting better to do with my time...really.

Anonymous said...

couldnt have said it any better!

Anonymous said...

Perfect response!

Kim said...

High school English teacher here. I want my kids to have paper, a pen, and a folder. That's it.
I have bought paper, pens, and folders for the precious snowflakes that can't be bothered to bring what I would consider "basic" supplies.
What I love is that I send home the "school supply" list, and I am inundated with emails about what type of paper, pens, or folders (braded, what color, pockets....)
I was baffled by this behavior until I had my own children and realized the training that parents receive in elementary school.

Amanda said...

I get it. And I'm the asshole that buys the better folder brand because 'that's what I would want". But can a class really go through say 500 glue sticks in 9 months?! And can kids not LEARN how to sharpen their own pencils? Stand up there and make that awful grinding noise like the rest of us had to lol.

nicole @ I am a Honey Bee said...

I'm surprised my mom didn't kill me every year when I pulled that list out of last years backpack about 3 days before school started.

Anonymous said...

I agree. They are definitely talking about what tightwad you are in the teachers lounge. I can't stand people that expect others to foot the bill for their kids. Uh, let me guess...not enough cash for school supplies, but I'm sure you come up with enough for things like beer or cigarettes.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the first anonymous. Our teachers work their tails off. Every summer, I shop the weekly ads, and wherever there's glue for a penny, I go and buy 20. When rulers are 5 cents, I buy as many as they'll let me. My budget is tight, but I make my pennies count during all the office supply store back-to-school sales. My children learn an active lesson in charity and doing their part when we do our one big splurge ($10) and buy an extra backpack, which we fill with some of our well-priced supplies, and give it to the principal to do with as she sees fit.

Anonymous said...

Also please consider the fact that they take them home to keep them safe from the sticky fingers of other teachers and students who filch throughout the year! It's not like every teacher is given a vast supply closet to store all that stuff. Some of them have to take home the overflow and dole it out to the kids throughout the year. As a parent with several teacher friends, I can understand this. All of my teacher friends say, what the heck do parents think I need with 1000 glue sticks?

Kari said...

I'm actually irritated with the stores who carry the supplies. They are thoughtful enough to supply a rack of supply lists from the area schools, for those of us who leave the list at home on the counter, but they don't actually carry the supplies requested. EVERY local school list says, in bold letters "NO ROSE ART SUPPLIES". I agree, that stuff is crap. However, the stores have enormous bins of Rose Art glue sticks, colored pencils, crayons, markers... The Crayola and Elmers is gone in a week and the late shoppers are driving from store to store, searching.

Marie T said...

Queen Bee you are awesome and I thank you for everything you do! Keep on keeping on because even if you only make the difference in ONE kid, that one kid needed you to be there. Thank you!

Amy C said...

I agree. I'm a first grade teacher. Teachers are specific about supplies because some are better quality than others and will last longer. I spend hundreds of dollars on supplies for my classroom because parents don't send enough or none at all. I also buy most of the books in my classroom, decorations, rugs, curtains, items for special projects, pretty much everything in my classroom that isn't a desk, chair, or cabinet, I have purchased with my own money to make my classroom a welcoming, happy learning environment. It's not asking much for parents to spend $25 on supplies.

J. A. said...

AMEN! I am a teacher too and crap like that pisses me off! I have already posted my soapbox! Spend the day in class or a week, people will have a new appreciation of teachers when they realize all the crap that goes on, all the red tape and the whinning...................

Amy C said...

My first graders use dry erase markers daily. We use them on white boards to practice spelling words, writing sentences, math facts.....

Sara@iSass said...

Agreed!

Jennifer said...

Awesome!!! Your words are so true I have seen it my self many times

Anonymous said...

Every year my children's teachers take the extra supplies and divide them up among the kids. We have had glue sticks, crayons, paints and much more come home with my kids telling me that the teacher told them to bring them in for next years class. I also found out that our 2nd grade teacher last year about mid year had to buy more pencils for the class. This was because not everyone sent in supplies and several of those that did sent in the cheap ones that break so they need sharpened more often.

Unknown said...

That is THE BEST! I think it's elementary teachers that like to test us parents the most with their lists.

Anonymous said...

The paper towels and Clorox wipes are to clean up your kids snot, spit and drool they leave behind especially when they are sick because "mommy needs a break" or "mommy just cant take the day off work" and will likely make every other kid in the class as well as the teacher sick with yet another cold. Have some consideration, spend a few dollars more and send in a second container, if you don't send it in then the teacher will have to buy it herself, she is after all only trying to protect your child too.

Anonymous said...

I know the post was a joke, I laughed along and can relate.

Now that everyone is done bitching, I challenge you to get IN the classroom and volunteer help the teachers. In my experience, the majority of my kids' teachers have all been hardworking, dedicated individuals who spend too much of their meager salary on their kids (aka your students.)

Anonymous said...

Love this!

Mama Moo said...

I'd love a teachers take then. If I don't find the 3 pack of glue sticks but elmers 6 pack I find on sale for $1 do you care that I "didn't follow directions" and send all six? that happened with multiple supplies this year. Cheaper to buy larger multipacks than to just by the smaller amount. I guess I'll be "that" parent.

Kristin said...

As a teacher, I think that the supply list my school publishes and puts in the local stores is overwhelmingly ridiculous. I have my own, much simpler, list that I hand out on the 1st day (in our district, I don't find out who's in my class until the day before school starts so I can't get bit out sooner).
I'm more concerned about the stuff I DON'T want kinds to bring. Like staplers, sharpies, etc. I don't really care how many crayons they have.
As for classroom supplies, if you, as a parent, think that I'm going to go out and buy clorox wipes, spoons, and forks for your kid to use every darn day, you're wrong. He/she won't be able to eat the yogurt you sent for lunch, because you forgot to include a spoon. They also won't be able to sanitize their desks before or after lunch without the wipes. It's your child who suffers when you're not willing to donate to the classroom he/she spends their days in. Not me.
P.s. I guarantee I spend more time at the back to school sales looking for deals than any parent does.

Julz said...

That was hysterical and very share worthy!!

Anonymous said...

My little one started kindergarten. I was so excited for her to start public schools and I was no longer going to pay for pre-k! I saw $$$$ in my eyes for all the free money I was going to have. WRONG! The supply list was a doozy and I was all for that. I had to get 20 glue sticks! Got some gluing going on at the school! :) Next, the dress code. None of her clothes were approved for the dress code.....new wardrobe. Next, the very first meeting with the teachers they are giving you handouts and requests for money. It has been just a week and have forked out over $300 and there is more to come. I am not complaining about the school supply list, nor the request for money on a constant basis, nor the wardrobe (well, maybe that a bit!) just sad that I am not seeing all the free money after daycare. It is going somewhere. :)

Wanderlust said...

I was crying reading this. I teach 8th grade science and my supply list is a 3 ring binder (with looseleaf paper), pencils and colored pencils...that's it. LOL My pre-school daughter had a rather long list, almost all of which was to be "shared" with the class. They also have a school store that I can pay $20 and they will have a bag of all the supplies ready for me on 8/20. I sent in my $20 and let them put it all together since it's shared stuff anyway. I did get my daughter some of her own small things.

Anonymous said...

I'm a music teacher in a public school but never reap the benefits of giving my students a supply list! So the dry-erase markers, pencils, crayons, Kleenexes, notebook paper, hand sanitizer, and Clorox wipes has to come out of my classroom budget (which I'd rather use to buy...I don't know....MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS???) or out of my wallet. Sometimes at the end of the school year, if teachers have extras (usually Clorox wipe, Ziploc bags, and Kleenexes), they do share.

I'm also a parent who is purchasing them for her child and can't believe that A) Walmart was OUT OF FREAKING #2 pencils!) and B) why they sell you things packaged in groups of a bajillion when you need ONE.

Unknown said...

My son will be a senior this year!!! He will show up with a binder filled with the last of the paper I bought over the last 20 years,(he's the youngest) a mechanical pencil, and a bottle of hand sanitizer. I'm sure there will be a very detailed list but since it comes home on the FIRST day of school, I'll give it my best shot at Walmart and maybe Staples. By the first day of school you are fighting your way through the Christmas decorations looking for school supplies. I am so not an OAM anymore.

Lisa said...

I would just like to say that as a parent who just purchased all of the much needed supplies, I do not fault the teachers. Our kids need these supplies, and I would rather spend the money than have our poor teachers have to do so. In a perfect world, there would be enough in our education budget so that the school actually provided most of the supplies..hello tax money! But, we all know that's not the case. Our teachers give so.much. to our children. I don't want them giving their pay checks too. While we are far from wealthy, we do whatever we can to relieve their load.
To all the teachers reading this post, let me assure you that not all parents feel this way, and you are APPRECIATED!!

Anonymous said...

Do you think the janitors at your child's school actually clean the surfaces of their desks? Sanitize everything for your precious little one? Let me clue you in - they don't. Trash can emptied, toilet swished, scratchy paper towel supply replenished, then on to the next room. Be grateful your child's teacher attempts to manage the germs.

J. A. said...

Thank you!

J. A. said...

Thank you!

lovetoread600 said...

I have 3 kids that are supposed to bring in 2 containers of disinfecting wipes each. I guess that is to add to the 100's of containers that I saw stored all over the school at the end of last year?? If I thought our teachers actually took an inventory and requested the items they actually needed instead of just copying and pasting the list from last year I might be a little more committed to buying everything on it. But when I look at the 4th grade list and it STILL doesn't have a recorder or a copy of Treasure Island on it, I know that no such review takes place. Both of these items were requested for 2 of my children with 12 hrs. notice. Thanks a lot.

And is it too much to ask for the teachers to tell us WHERE to find these very specific items that they simply cannot teach our children without? If you know you can only find the red poly art sketch book at Hobby Lobby then let us in on your little secret please. Setting up an adversarial relationship isn't a great way to start off the school year. At least meet the parents half way.

tanya said...

I don't mind buying school supplies... even when I know half of mine will go to provide for the kids who show up empty handed. I don't think the author does either.
I do HATE the treasure hunt for obscure items, such as my favorite 3rd grade "Non perforated, wide ruled, three subject spiral binder, in ROYAL (NOT Navy!) Blue" Not sold at: Office Depot, Wal Mart, Target, or Staples, but did find one at Kmart. Oh, by the way, they used about 20 pages of that $5.00 binder.
Seriously? I <3 the teachers who keep it simple.

LOVED even more when my elementary school had an optional supply service/ fundraiser, Sign up and pay up front and a box would be at their homeroom on orientation. Had the added bonus of making teachers really consider what they put on the list, because if it wasn't available through the supply service, odds are it would be a pain in the a$$ to find in the store.

Anonymous said...

I admit...I am a first grade teacher that is guilty of requesting school supplies. I think "Mrs. X" sounds a little bit OCD control freak ridiculous to be requesting such specific supplies. But I do feel the need to speak up for my fellow teachers.
In my district I am only allowed a budget of $150 for the ENTIRE school year! Running a first grade classroom on $150 is impossible. Requesting nominal supplies from parents is necessary. And it's a REQUEST not a demand... I usually only have about half of the reccomended supplies come in. I hit sales all summer to help stock up my classroom (money out of my pocket) and I have NEVER taken home extra supplies for my personal use. Some items are communal, which is why I specifically request #2 yellow pencils that all sudents can access from a central location in my classroom (and so they aren't arguing about who's spongebob pencil belongs to who). I also have large Zipocs labeled with student names that contain all of their supplies. When a student needs more crayons/glue/erasers, I check their bag, and at the end of the year any extra items in their bag are sent home.
Teachers are not out to get you, or trick you, or test you! The supplies are something necessary to help run a classroom for a successful school year. With all of that said, go easy on your child's teacher...I can guarantee they spend plenty of their own money for your child's class.

Anonymous said...

this is awesome. I have twins & had to get double of everything... talk about 24 Jumbo glue sticks & 8 reams of paper.... to start ;?

tanya said...

^^^^ EXACTLY. :)

Jill said...

I'm a teacher too, and I'm not going to get on my soapbox or anything - it's been done already in the comments and quite well...

But let me just say that the glue thing might sound crazy but it is totally necessary! Last year I asked for 3 glue sticks per child and we were out by January. Perhaps that was partly my fault for not explicitly instructing my first graders on how to use a glue stick (which I didn't think I needed to do)... regardless, I upped it to 4 glue sticks per child this year! :)

Unknown said...

Thanks for being that teacher. I had so many like you growing up. Every chance I've had as an adult I've gone back to say thank you (if I could afford it, a little gift card tucked inside a card).

Unknown said...

Agreed. I spend many hours at the school (classroom, library, lunchroom, PTO Whereever) and I never even thought to bitch about the supply list. When it is cheap at the beginning of the year I buy multiple extras because I know that it runs out and I'll be asked to send more. I also don't bitch about sending clorox wipes, kleenex, paper towels. At least the teacher is trying to manage the germs so I don't have to miss work.

Unknown said...

AGREED! We aren't rich but if it helps my kid, I'll buy whatever you need. Our teachers are also told on the first day, "If there is something that you need, let me know and it will be here within 2 days."

Jill said...

Ours had Crayola brand markers and crayons, Elmers glue sticks, and every thing else seemed pretty normal too. It's just SO much easier, and then I know she has exactly what she needs.

Anonymous said...

And I'm going to be very polite and say "I'm so sorry". And then I'm going to add a "but". My friend teaches 3rd grade. She manages to get by without requesting tons and tons of supplies from their parents. It is RIDICULOUS to ask for 10, 12, or 20 glue sticks from each parent. And I'm sorry you don't like the generic brand crayon, but its what some families can afford, so you will have to deal. I have a thing about hand sanitizer (I can't stand it), so my child won't be bringing it in. Tissues, pencils, and folders I get. Even the folder in a specific color (though the year my middle school requested yellow binders, there was a mutiny among the parents when none could be found). Asking for 80 different types of markers is a little much, too.

Guess what? I'm on a budget, too. And I can afford to supply my kid, but I can't provide for 20 others. So you'll get enough glue sticks that I think can get my kid to Christmas. And you'll get tissues, crayons, and markers that will see my kid through. But I won't be bringing 3 tubs of hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes (seriously, a rag and some soap was just fine when I was in school 15 years ago), or 9 boxes of Ziplocs. If you need Clorox wipes that badly, go ahead and buy them. Or get the rag and soap.

My friend spends her extra $$ on her classroom. She goes nuts with decorating, prizes for the kids, and everything else. And she limits her school supplies list to the basics. I have never heard her whine about it.

I understand teachers put a *LOT* of effort into their job (she stays until 7 most nights). But there is a limit to my sympathy and 20 glue sticks that have to be Elmers is it. Sorry.

Shelley in So. IL said...

I kept track of the money I spent on school supplies for my classroom of first graders for a few years. If I wasn't moving rooms or buildings (thank goodness not grade levels, but that happens too) when the cost goes up because I bought all the storage and shelves and rugs and reading chairs, not to mention bulletin board supplies, file cabinets, math tubs, math manipulatives, poetry binders, and on and on.

I spent, on a good year, no less than $2500 of my meager salary on my classroom. Some lists are crazy, I agree, but there is ALWAYS a reason for the stuff. I never had too many tissue boxes left over. One snotty kid in the class one week means 4 the next and that means we are running through those babies 2 a week.

Parents who don't send in the supplies deserve their own special punch in the throat.

Shelley in So. IL said...

So you won't supply glue sticks for the other 20 kids but the teacher should? I bet your teacher "friend" has some things to say about slacker parents to other teachers.

Amanda said...

I am also from Canada. My sister who teaches grade 2, went with me to Walmart to shop for my daughter's grade 2 school supply list. She asked me to email her a copy of my list to bring to her school so that all the Calgarian teachers can laugh at the loser small town Sask school lists, because they are just that insane. We need 50 #2 pencils, *NOT PAPERMATE*. Well psychos, I have 45 papermate pencils left from last year's list which specifically ASKED for papermate. I am sending those, so you can all bite me.

Allison said...

Yay! A new blog to start reading! I LOVE that lady!

lindsay said...

After reading all of these comments here are my thoughts:
Parents should respect the fact that teachers make these requests for a reason. They (for the most part) know what they need and why they need it. Parents should remember that if they refuse to buy the supplies then either 1. The teacher is forced to buy them with her own money or 2. The classroom won't have what it needs and all of the children will suffer. Teachers should be less picky about the specifics such as the size of the gluesticks, notecards, ect. Teachers may also have to concede on what brands they want parents to purchase. I used to work in an elementary school and I really admire teachers and am amazed by their dedication, including spending their own money on their students.Maybe we can all make a commitment to track down one former good teacher and thank them

Crystal said...

I bet after being in a classroom for a day and you see how many sneezes, coughs, nose blowing, saliva, etc. gets all over EVERYTHING, you might actually become a fan of the hand sanitizers and clorox wipes. Really... do you think the teacher wants all of that stuff for her? No... it is to keep kids healthy and not spreading constant germs around.
Again... I wish some parents would keep in mind why things are requested. It is a supply list for YOUR child and their education/where they spend 6-7 hours of their day, 5 days a week.

RawBodyGoddess said...

Um, I don't remember needing all this shit when I was a kid. You suppied your own stuff for each class and you picked whatever you wanted. I neer got a supply list sent home with me. But that was 30 years ago...guess times have changed.

As far as everyone who is bitching goes(and don't get me wrong, I think they are valid points) I have an easy solution for you: Homeschool.

carly said...

As a teacher, I take inventory of all of the supplies I already have before making a list for the next year. The reason I ask for supplies on the first day of school is because when I do run out of pencils, facial tissue, etc. and I DO send e-mails asking for donations at the end of the year when everything has run out, parents DO NOT send them in. My budget is already spent by the end of the year, too, on other supplies I need in my classroom for the end-of-year projects and teaching, which let's face it, are pretty pointless the last month of school because the kids brains are DONE. BUT it's my job and I teach up until the last day.
On a side note, I don't make my students come to school with everything labeled with the kid's names. That is just nuts.

carly said...

Teachers TEACH a lot of required information by using the white boards...those markers don't last very long when they are used pretty much all day every day. In order for students to see the board from the back of the room, the markers need to be fairly bright = new. Also, many, many teachers have their students write for daily practice, as Amy wrote above. There are a lot of ways teachers allow students to use the dry erase markers so that they can learn by DOING, not just seeing or hearing.

carly said...

Yes, cleaning supplies. The custodians might not clean EVERY room EVERY day, and when kids neglect to wash their hands they get dirty. Desks get dirty, germs spread and kids get sick, then teachers get sick.

Glue sticks...well I'm guilty of requesting an insane amount of them as well. On average I'd say two kids could share one per day, and that's if they don't use an excess amount or actually take the time to twist it down after it is used so it doesn't get stuck in the lid OR if the lid is put on tightly so that it doesn't dry out. Plus, let's face it...glue sticks are cheaply made so a lot of the time students have to use a lot to make sure it sticks. I do a lot of project-based learning and journaling so that requires a lot of glue sticks.

carly said...

Amanda, I get it too. But yes, a class can really go through 500 glue sticks in nine months. Trust me. If I weren't a 10-year teaching veteran I wouldn't believe it, either...but that's how it is.

carly said...

Well said, Crystal. I, too, am a parent and a teacher so I see it from both sides. My son has an insane list for school this year...and he happens to be in the grade I teach but in a colleague's class. All four of us teaching 4th grade sat and spent almost an hour thoughtfully writing out our supply list for this year. Some of the things on the list, I actually won't use in my classroom so I will be giving them to the other teachers.

Teachers can't be expected to differentiate instruction to each and every child using the bare minimum. To enhance each and every student's learning to the best of our ability there are some things we have to have.

If parents wonder about an item on my supply list, I would hope that they ask me about it instead of being passive-aggressive by putting a copy of "Mrs. X's school supply letter" in with a child's school supplies.

Spend a few days in your child's classroom...THEN make a judgement on the teacher's teaching or their school supply list. Until then, support them and the time they take to teach your child!!!

carly said...

Anonymous- YES!
medicmom- YES!

carly said...

Lisa, I wish that more parents had your point of view. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I am a former teacher, and let me tell you that it is disruptive to learning to have 20+ kids get up and sharpen their pencils all the time.

And while I think it's sad that school districts don't provide some of this stuff for students, I'd rather do my part and chip in than have the teacher have to pay for it out of her own pocket.

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing this, it made my night!

Jamie said...

I get both sides and I'm not BLAMING the teachers, however, yes it is my job to provide what MY child needs not 24 other children. IF the teachers ask for donated items, I usually buy stuff off the wish list also. I don't mind helping out people whose kids are less fortunate, I do mind being told my child needs 48 pencils, or 30 glues sticks or 6 24 count boxes of crayons, just ask for what each child really needs and then ask for donations of extra supplies. And no I don't think the teachers should have to supply it, I DO think the school should supply cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer and tissues... etc. That said, my mother works at an Elementary school in Pennsylvania, the kids only have to bring a backpack to school. the PUBLIC school district provides ALL of the supplies. Should have moved back there..lol

Anonymous said...

My son's list still says "no Trapper Keepers" and I am so tempted to go on ebay and buy an early 90's trapper keeper and send it in with him. No trapper keepers? really? I think we got the message when they stopped making them years ago.

This Is Fifty With Lil said...

Today I tweeted: Woo Hoo! First time in 15 years NO Back-To-School Supplies List shopping to do!! I feel like I've conquered the world! However, still found myself at Target. Man, it was packed with loads of families stocking up.

High school is so much better - they're happy if your kid shows up with a wadded up piece of paper to write on and lipstick to write with. Kidding... but they do give extra credit for bringing in tissue boxes. Harvard here they come.

Anonymous said...

One glue stick? That will last a week. Also, as a fellow teacher in an affluent, private preschool, like others I spend a lot of my own money. When I taught K in a Title I school, I spent even more. We are not asking for supplies to take home. We are trying to meet the needs of all our students. I find this post and many of the comments mean, snarky, and cheap. Your kids are getting a FREE education and you are bitter over spending $50-$100 on school supplies. Please don't feel so entitled and help your child's teacher, school, and peers by chipping without resentment.

Lori said...

What stinks is being a high school teacher. We get NO supplies like Kleenex or sanitizer unless we supply it. The dept. used to provide a few things, like some black dry erase markers, staples, tape, and copy paper, but even that is limited. If I want to do an art or creative project, I have to provide supplies like markers, paper, and scissors. Last year,a lady saw me buying $25 worth of supplies at the dollar store and, upon realizing I was buying for my students, she threw $5 in my bag. So sweet. I ask the kids for just one box of kleenex or bottle of sanitizer, but I rarely get more than 5 out of 90 kids a semester. And they eat their way through the pens/pencils I provide. But if I didn't have the basic supplies, I couldn't teach. So I buy them. I get frustrated because I have two kids in elementary, and I hate footing the bill for their supplies when no one brings in any for me. But there is no point perpetuating the problem and making another teacher suffer. Anyway, just thought I'd give you another perspective. If you can help out a school or teacher, it will be appreciated! :)

Anonymous said...

This should not be a parent vs teacher debate. The School Dept should be supplying everything necessary for the child's education.

Anonymous said...

My son Kindergarten teacher last year requested labeling every crayon, glue stick, pencils...etc. I thought it was insane, and I was the un-cooperative mom who refused to do it...LOL. and his first real teacher was a nightmare, she was actually mean...I was not the only parent who had issues with her meanness! Now I have a son who is dreading 1st grade.

Meg_vt said...

Let me say a couple things. First, I am sick and tired to DEATH of teachers pissing and moaning about your low pay. Shut your front door. In my state, hundreds of kids missed days of school while your counterparts were protesting for more pay. I live in a remote, small town in Vermont. Our elementary school has no such list because there are so many children that qualify for free lunch that no child has to regardless of income. Even after all of this, there are teachers making 60-70 grand a year. After a few years! Let me tell you that as a mental health and substance abuse counselor to adolescents, I don't make even CLOSE to what the teachers in my podunk town make...Try finding loan repayment for a counselor...Right. There aren't any. We in the mental health field get paid crap for dealing with tragedy. Not saying I don't love my job, but I am tired of hearing teachers bitch. Jesus God. I have been in the field 10 years and just started grossing 42 grand a year. Yup. So shut it.

Anonymous said...

Since I became a teacher long after I was a parent (career switcher), I "had a heart" when creating these lists. I just ran into a parent in Walmart over the weekend doing the shopping, and she pulled me aside to ask if she had the correct list. We had a good laugh over my comments on the list such as, "I promise your child will need at least 6 composition books; no I don't care what color or line spacing, and you might want to stock up on them now. Just don't send the spiral ones as the pages fall out and your child will try to convince us his homework was on that page. Folders? At least 6, maybe 10. Depends on how often your child loses them. Pencils? Yes please. Lots of them. Extra erasers are worth their weight in gold. Colored pencils, markers, and crayons? We're in 4th grade now...let them pick the best bargin and the ones they feel they can be the neatest with. Glue sticks? Grab a few please. Please send scissors, but not something capable of removing a limb or so dull as to reduce your child and me to tears from the blisters. Tissues, hand sanitizer, and paper towels are good too; or you can send in toilet paper. That's what I kept on my desk last year when the tissues ran out in October. Binders or a good way to keep all the papers together. Usually. I'm not picky as long as your child will use it. Subject dividers are needed, but if you don't see something cheap, recycle your file folders. I will loan you the hole punch. Finally, and the only required item on the list, is a Starbucks gift card. Any denomination. It's how I keep up with all your darling children. (just kidding of course)."

Anonymous said...

I had to respond to the last comment, last time I checked my kids weren't getting a FREE education. I pay a lot in property taxes to my town. 75% of my town's budget goes toward education, therefore 75% of my tax bill is going towards my kids education.

FYI - I send in the school supplies requested in case you think I'm cheap.

Samantha said...

a pipsqeak marker is a small child size marker.. made by crayola. Serves no other purpose than being smaller than a regular crayola marker.

Carrie said...

I find it amusing that one of your ads just asked "Are you snoring yourself to death?"
How would one tell? And can one really snore themselves to DEATH??
These are the thoughts I come away with after reading your post. A little off topic, but still, important questions!

Anonymous said...

My favorite is the request for 24 "sharpened" pencils. Well, the cheap ones aren't sharpened, so I end up sitting there sharpening 48 pencils since I have 2 kids. Fun times...

Samantha said...

i respect teachers. I am have many friends who are teachers.. So all reading teachers please don't take this as an attack..

I have 2 children for which i purchase school supplies as per the list, ever year. I also buy a plain sale back pack, fill it with someone extra supplies (not a full list) for the less unfortunate child. I always jump when told that something is needed for the classroom, even as far as paying for another child's field trip.

Now with that said..last year i purchased a grand total of 43 glue sticks throughout the school year. not ONCE did my child bring home a single paper that had a stitch of glue on it. So someone, somewhere got great use from that, but it wasn't my daughter. i have seen on the last day of school, unused folders, markers and crayons being thrown in the trash "because they wouldn't be good by next year".. well effing christ why ask for the mountains of shit if you aren't going to use it, OR you are going to give it to your friends classroom. my child isn't in your friends classroom, so truthfully i don't give a rats ass what she wants for her students.
I honestly and truly HATE listening to teachers complain about their salary and how they just cant wait for spring break or summer. I cant fully imagine how your job is because I don't do it. However I have a job where peoples lives are literally in my hands, and even with mountains of overtime, I will not net what a teacher does through the year. and please bear in mind.. i don't get a spring break or summer. My last "vacation" was a 4 day trip to the coast with leaving directly after work and returning to work pretty much the second i returned. I would LOVE to have a summer off.

Seriously, i have seen more of you teachers on here complaining that you have to make your classroom "perfect" and you spend so much money on that. No child or parent gives a shit that you have glowing planets hanging from the ceiling, or comical cartoon monkeys labeled with each child's name on the wall. The parents care that at the end of the year they have advanced in math and reading and every other subject that you are paid to educate them in. This educating can be done without pictures of Hippos or Monkeys or smiley face stamps on each page. Spend less time complaining about your pay , and how you are SO overworked you just cant make it to summer, and more time dealing with what actually matters.

I respect what you do and cant imagine what it is like, but you cant honestly say you didn't know when you went into it..

Teachers.. for real.. ask parents for what their child needs, not every other student whos parents KNOW you asked for 50 folders so there will be enough if they don't bring any. Hold parents who DON'T provide whats needed responsible.

just for the love of god, quit asking for so much random crap at the beginning of the school year, then a month later begging for more.


I seriously try my damnedest to help my child's teachers in any way that I can.. but the next teacher that bitches because they just don't make enough as they drive to work with their manicured nails and their Hummer.... I am going to drive my raggedy ass 10 year old, held together with duct tape, Ford Taurus right us your snarky ass!!

I'm done now and I WELCOME any teachers who want to challenge me.. :0)

Samantha said...

I don't sharpen them at all anymore. I used to sit and do the same things.. only to find out my child was getting the "communal" unsharpened ones....

Anonymous said...

I just finished, no, almost finished school shopping with the kids today. We are still on the hunt for a red binder. Shopping today made me appreciate this post that much more! Since when did teachers start demanding a specific brand of #2 pencil?!?!

Samantha said...

I had a teacher last year put "starbucks via (caramel or vanilla) on the school supply list.. I was thrilled when I saw this was not my childs teacher.. I was simply appalled...

but i so appreciate your honesty and willingness to accept supplies not exactly of the normal.. ( the file folders for subject dividers and the like. )

Samantha said...

i agree.. and for the record.. I make less than you :0( ...

Samantha said...

Carly, did you seriously just admit that you ask parents to provide supplies that you WON'T use and you give them to other teachers? Do the parents know you are doing this, or do you just blindly have them purchasing things to fund classrooms that their child won't set foot in. That statement alone thrills me that you are not my childs teacher.

Anonymous said...

Well, I guess you are the reason I, as a high school teacher, she'll out hundreds of MY OWN MONEY at the beginning of the year to get things like paper, pencils, etc. oh and tissues. And I have never taken extras home, first of all because there are none. I usually have to replenish the supplies mid-year.

mandiessugarbowl said...

I don't mind buying my kids the supplies they need, but I can't and won't supply the ENTIRE class. We are a one income family in NY and it's expensive here. I tell my daughter and I advise her teacher that if she is low or has run out then to please let me know and I will send in more. The only thing I send more of is pencils. Which is why I buy like 500 at a time. my child is rough on pencils. And crayons. Think I should invest stock in Crayola and the pencil producing market. This year her teacher has asked to label everything. Every.Single. Damn. Crayon and every stinking damn pencil. And erasers. Tissues (each box which 5 were requested. My kid doesn't use 5 boxes of tissues. never has). I get that other children are not given enough by their parents, but I can't supply the world. And I'm not neccessarily cheap either. I perfer buying them the brand name over the cheap crap because I know the brand is better and last a bit longer. I also donate when and where I can. My best friend and her husband were just killed in a car accident leaving their two children behind. When I went shopping for my child's supplies I also bought them everything they will need plus 2 new backpacks.

Anonymous said...

Where do you live?

Samantha said...

Texas

Anonymous said...

The reason I ask if because I live in Scottsdale and even in this wealthy city, I have never seen any of our teachers come in a Hummer or super expensive car or look as you described.

syeds said...

I think its a common debate. Common for common man.



Teacher Complaint Letter

Mama Moo said...

I bet the request has more to do with the Velcro. That noise is super obnoxious. As a kindergartener my mom recalls that no Velcro shoes were allowed. The teacher said we should be learning to tie anyhow and could not stand it when kids would sit at story time and mess with their Velcro. I can totally understand that request :)

Samantha said...

There is more than 3 elementary Teachers in my childrens school district who drive a hummer, one even purchased a new one last year. While i do understand maybe they come from old money or their spouse has money. It is very irking for the ones who work incredibly hard, just as teachers do and will never amount to a teachers salary, to sit back and listen to them complain about it. I have many a friend that are teachers and I will leave the room or change the subject when their pay is brought up. I honestly dont know what it is like to be a teacher, I have never been one. I am a Police Dispatcher who sometimes is scrounging to find the lunch money for her kids.!

I have met only a handful of teachers in probably the past 3 years that did not have manicured nails. and at the risk of sounding trite... those manicured nails could have bought alot of glue sticks!!

I have always and I will continue to assist my childrens teachers in any way that I possibly can. If i find school supplies, or teaching supplies ( reams of paper, binders, dry erase markers etc.) on sale throughout the year I grab what i can afford and donate it to the teacher. But I can not afford to supply for every student whose parent can't or won't.

I continue to provide an additional backpack (whatever functional item is on sale, not a barbie or thor)stocked with a reasonable amount of supplies for one student who the teacher feels or observes needs it. I will continue to do this until I financially can't, or the teacher takes advantage of it, which has sadly happened.. ( see my previous comment about a teacher asking for donations of Starbucks Via instant coffee)

Anonymous said...

Dang, I'd be grateful for any supplies. We're not alllowed to ask the parents to buy anything. Supposedly the school provides what we need. It's never enough. I always buy more.

Anonymous said...

Oh, sheesh. No one is saying teachers can't request things or that parents shouldn't provide supplies. Or any nonsense even remotely like that. Just how about you teachers actually spend an hour going to a stores where parents actually shop and see what they sell. If you want something that is impossible to find at a place like Target or Walmart then you should provide info on where this stuff you just have to have can be found.

Samantha said...

Im sure my previous post came off as offensive, it was not meant to be. Just a parental rant!!

I have no issue, like many other parents here with buying my kiddos school supplies. However, the cost alone of such items are enough to bankrupt a small country, let alone for multiple children.

The glue stick thing i honestly will never understand.. I do crafts ALL.THE.TIME with my kiddos and i dont use 50 glue sticks.. I am fully convinced there is a "get out of homework for a week" glue stick eating contest going on here...

btw, im kidding about the glue eating contest..

Anonymous said...

i think it is ridiculous and ignorant that you think teachers 'get paid too much'. my mother has been a teacher for close to 25 years and she makes maybe 55,000. if you would love to have the summer off, maybe you should have considered that when you chose your job, especially if you believe that teachers salaries are so much greater than yours. i am in school and i want to be a teacher and i know it is not easy, but people like you make it a lot more difficult, when you aren't grateful for all the time and effort teachers put in to help keep your students busy, excited, and learning 8 hours a day. YOU ARE WHAT IS WRONG WITH EDUCATION IN AMERICA.

Unknown said...

Hahahahaha! I wish I could have had this letter last year, when my son was in preschool. His shopping list was craycray, and I became The Mother Who Refused To Follow The Damn Directions. A crayon is a crayon, no matter what size the pack is!!

This year I have taken on the monumental task of homeschooling my son (yep, we are now THAT family) so my shopping list has become whatever the heck I want it to be. Life is good. :D

Anonymous said...

Don't bother returning the extras...by mid year the teacher will probably be requesting more, and prices will be way higher. Kindergarteners are very hard on glue sticks, crayons and pencils!!

Lisa said...

New school district this year. Only items needed are a backpack, two pocket folder and a check for $50. They use that for supplies. I'll gladly write it v. hunting down 8 packs of crayolas.

Anonymous said...

$25 is a LOT of money to spend on 1st grad supplies. Especially if you have a total of 3 kids in a school system. Not everyone has $75 to spend on paper products!

Anonymous said...

I'm the above person.. god.. I just read that parents are bitter for spending $50-$100. Of course we are. We aren't made of money too! That would cost me $300 for supplies for all my kids. Absolutely ridiculous. There is no way I could afford to sent all those things in. If the teachers really need all those things, then why not send in smaller need lists through out the year. Surly 3 packs of crayons aren't needed on day one. 1 pack should work for at least 2 months or so!

J. A. said...

Haven't you heard? It's all the teacher's fault. We are skanky, crazy and apparently have no morals we steall supplies to take home. You are right it is the school's job, but they will not do it. They are fighting for the doors to stay open due to state budget cuts! Thank your goverment for that!
Thank you for your sweet comment. This type of stuff just makes my blood boil.

J. A. said...

I live in Texas where I have been a teacher for 17 years and I make 43,000. There are no unions only teacher organizations. We do not strike, or demand pay raises, we take what we get each year, which some years there are no pay raises. I applaud your health care worker job, we who are at the mercy of the goverment and it stinks! Like you and your job, teaching is the best worst job!I am sorry you have such a bad outlook on teachers. Like you also we are dealing with all kinds of people and sometimes it just stinks!

Anonymous said...

I think you might be right! I am a teacher but I don't require supplies other than paper, pencil & folder (middle school). I am also a parent. If it says buy Clorox wipes, I don't. Get a rag and some bleach water, lady. If it says buy Crayola, I buy Rose (half the price). 2 boxes of tissues? Try toilet paper from the school bathroom. 10 pack of dry erase markers? Nope, too expensive for a teacher/mom of 3, so I'll leave that to Ben's mom, who can follow instructions and has the money to pay for them.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I get it - I clean the desks EVERY DAY because my students are pretty messy & I like a clean classroom. I have a spray bottle of bleach water and several rags. The cost (and WASTE) is cut drastically. And the results are just as good - clean desks and chairs.

Glue sticks are also ridiculous (and cheap, so I've always bought them when requested) because of the amount of waste they produce. We are creating a generation of wasteful children who use something once, don't bother to put the cap back on tightly and throw it away. Try paste or good old Elmer's in a bottle. It works, and I've heard the paste is pretty tasty!

Anonymous said...

If you cannot afford to buy the supplies for ALL of your children, maybe you should not have had that many children. As a teacher, I have to buy for my 2 children, and very often, for the 20 kids in my class. It is not cheap. But if it is your child, then it is your JOB, as a parent, to buy your child what is required for school. It is not the teachers out to get you, I assure you. I have also tried sending home notes throughout the year for things we need and I am ignored. We get a better turn out if we ask at the beginning of the year and that is when it is on sale, anyway. And tissues...you are complaining because the teacher wants tissues???? What are the booger nose kids supposed to do??? Run to the bathroom for toilet paper all day??? Do you have any idea how many tissues a class goes through during cold season??? Try a box a day.

Anonymous said...

Please...teaching high school is a much different ball game than elementary school. Obviously a 15 year old does not need glue sticks and crayons. Your comparison is irrelevant.

Christinebnr said...

Wow yes, I'm sure no one will find your post offensive. Have you done a survey on those teachers manicures? Are all women in other professions not allowed to have painted nails either? Does it matter if teachers buy nail polish and paint their own nails?

Jen Piwtpitt said...

I totally would mess with the parents, just to see who is fun and who is annoying.

Anonymous said...

I don't think asking for Kleenex is asking too much. Do you want your child sitting next to Susie Sneeze who sneezes all over and picks her nose then touches your child's desk? A little hand santitzer and some Kleenex can go a long way to keeping everyone healthy.

If you don't want to get all the glue sticks, which does seem like a lot to me, don't get them or send in one a month. They do dry up, get lost, and get used up.

The color coding of the folders will go a long way in helping your child become independent in the future. Save the cute folders for at home.

Remember teachers are outnumbered and being told by the States to teach more curriculum that is beyond the reach of some our children.

There aren't too many jobs that are told to have 100% of the population pass a test or else some "manager" will come in and straighten up the school. Do doctors need to have 100% or their patients 100% healthy? Does Congress need to have 100% to pass laws?

As far as I know it is a suggested school supply list and should not be mandatory. Some families can't afford it and any good teacher will not make a big deal about it and make sure the child has the supplies needed.

Off topic a little but in our job description is: nurse, social worker, parent, referee, counselor, classroom management, curriculum expert, enrichment specialist, intervention specialist, mainstream knowledge, computer tech, 21st Century teacher, etc.

Teachers do all this and make a difference in the future. Do you?

Morgan said...

I get just as annoyed about parents who complain about the cost of school supplies as the rest of you do about teacher's requesting supplies. My theory is simple, my children will get more out of school than my tax dollars will put into it. I do not pay tutition for public school so basically my children are getting a free education. I think it is extrememly selfish of parents who don't buy the requested supplies because that means the teacher will usually end up spending their own money to get them. That means parents are not also expecting their child to be educated by the teacher they are expecting the teacher to foot the bill. I was once in line at Walmart when the lady in front of me was complaining about having to buy communal supplies for "all the little Mexican children." I flat out told her that my children's last name was Chavez and when they went to school I would not only buy everything on the list but make sure to by extra for all the children's parents who refused because their racists heads were too far up their asses. And true to my word I bought triple what was on my daughter's 1st grade list so I could give the teacher the extra this year. I will also be more than happy to provide Kleenex, hand sanitizer, pencils, etc... throughout the year because I do not want the teacher to be burdened to educate my child. All of you whiny parents would do go to remember that!

Shelley in So. IL said...

I taught for 12 years, before leaving to stay at home with my quads because no way did my pay cover the cost of childcare for 4, and I had just broken 40K. I had extra classes, just short of a masters degree and my husband, with no HS diploma was making more than I would ever make. Maybe we should have moved to Vermont.

Jeff said...

You know, it's even at the Daycare level, now, too.

My son gets a monthly calendar. Every week has a theme and every day on that calendar is labeled in some cryptic shorthand that I'm expected the decipher. "Beach book" was yesterday's notation. I thought it meant to bring a book about the beach to class, as the day before was "sunglasses".

Little did I know that they were going to do some sort of arts and crafts project to MAKE a beach book. I mean, luckily, we had a book about the beach that he could bring. Otherwise, how awkward would it be to be the kid who doesn't have sunglasses... or doesn't have a beach book.

Oh... and today's was "lemonade". I hope I didn't have to send him with some of that - all I have is the single-servings of powdered Crystal Light... and god knows I don't want to stunt his 2'9" frame with the stuff in that chemical mix.

Anonymous said...

well said!

Anonymous said...

To the above poster... that first sentence was incredibly rude. I'm so glad I don't have you as my children teacher. Teachers and parents being rude to one another is not in the best interest in the children and that's what school is supposed to be about. Not everyone earns a teachers salary.. and yes I know you don't make a lot of money, but you certainly make more than some other people. I can afford school supplies for my child, but to be told what brand of crayons to buy, to be told to buy sizes of glue sticks that don't exist, or a "3 ring 1 1/2" binder that has clear plastic pockets on each side and is a red" (try finding that binder when 200 other kids in town also need one) is absurd. That is what takes supplies which could cost under $20 and drive them up to $100. Spending $300 out of one monthly budget is a lot of money. It would also help to have supply lists sent out very early to give parents time to bargain shop. Lists don't show up until the 1st day of school and by then all the bargains are gone and done! I have no problem buying tissues for my child and have even sent boxes for her when she is sick. It isn't my job or a teachers job, in fact, to pay for all the other kids. If the school system can't afford it call the parent or have the nurse call home to explain the problem. I'm willing to bet not all parents check backpacks for notes. Its funny that schools can afford basketballs, but can't afford pencils and paper for kids. Heck, our school just put in smart boards in every classroom, but is still asking for tissues! It is time that school systems start looking into what is most important....learning and balance their budges accordingly!

Anonymous said...

Rude?? And the posts on here by all of the complaining parents are nice??? Sorry. But I chose to have 2 kids. I spaced them apart so I could easily handle what I had. I did not pop out kid after kid and then expect someone else to pay for their school supplies...least of all the "rich" teacher. Somewhere along the way, you had to say, "Wow. Am I going to be able to afford all of these kids?" And for everyone's information, there are many elemetary teachers who ask for little. We don't get a choice as to when to send home a list. Many don't even have a class list until school starts. The district I work for puts a list online mid summer and it infuriates me because half the stuff they ask for is not age appripriate and not what we need. I simply ask parents to send in crayons, glue, hand sanitizer, tissues, and a smock. I get the rest. But for my kids' school I have a long list. I went to Staples and got everything on it and did not complain. Most of it was specific and I was told not label it. I know that the teacher will put all of the supplies in a closet and hand them out as needed. That is fine with me. I got decent supplies, not generic crayons. I wouldn't want my kid to get stuck using cruddy stuff, so I am not about to do that to someone else's kid. And really, people, the hand sanitizer and wipes are for YOUR benefit. We don't want your kids sick, we don't want to be sick, and we know you don't want to miss work. Why are we evil for wanting to keep kids healthy and keep our rooms clean?

carly said...

Yes, Abbie, I did! You read that correctly. Our school does a grade-level list, not an individualized list for every teacher. I use my SmartBoard more than my white board and I don't need a bunch of Expo markers. The other teachers I work with use their white boards more than I, so I keep a few packs of markers and give them some when they are out. Us teachers end up sharing A LOT of things besides school supplies, like lesson plans, ideas, tips, etc.

We don't get our class lists until right before school starts, so parents wouldn't know which list to look at to buy supplies. Every student in our grade will be in each of the grade-level teacher's classrooms, because we ability-group and differentiate for many subjects (that means all the kids will go to other classrooms throughout the school year for many reasons). I am glad I'm not your child's teacher, either..But if I was, I wouldn't be rude to you for not sending in the supplies I requested, nor would I treat your child any differently.

carly said...

In ten years of teaching, I have never worked with another teacher who drove a hummer OR had their nails manicured. Going into my eleventh year of teaching, I will be making about $41K. I NEVER throw away unused supplies (I can actually be found after the last day of school lets out going through the huge garbage outside in the common area pulling out perfectly fine folders and other supplies that other teachers and students have thrown away - and yes, I sanitize them before they are given to students to use). I recycle glue sticks, glue bottles, folders...everything I can to use in my classroom FOR my students.

Maybe the manicured-nails and Hummer phenomenon is a Texas thing...

Anonymous, comment above, THANK YOU! I agree with your comment...especially the last sentence.

carly said...

Well-written, Morgan. Thank you!

Kristin said...

Thank you, Lisa! Most parents I work with have this mentality. It seems to be moms I "meet" on the internet who don't...hmm..

Kristin said...

And parents who don't send in supplies on PURPOSE because they are irritated that they have to, heaven forbid, support their children are even worse.

Kristin said...

I'm also sorry you have a poor outlook on teachers. When someone complains because I have the summers off and they don't, I say that maybe they should've been a teacher. Honestly, we all got to pick a major in college, right??

Kristin said...

Thank you Anonymous! I'm a teacher and I've never had a manicure in my life. I drive a 2006 Hyundai. Any questions??

Monica Fox said...

You get SO many comments that I am ALWAYS a bit skeptical to leave one, but alas, I couldn't pass this one up.

My sons kindergarten teacher requested 22 glue sticks. Yep, that's effin right 22. I told them they were CRAZY!! I gave her 6.

WTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 22!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I was a teacher for years. I took home all kinds of stuff the kids left behind. Supplies, lunches, hats..lol.

Quiana said...

Is this what I have to look forward to someday?! My daughter's only 2 and obviously school supply lists have evolved greatly since I was a kid. My school had it so you could just order your full year kit and have it there ready for you. I'm praying when it comes time for my daughter to go to school there's something similar otherwise she'll end up with a bunch of odds and ends I scrounge up at Odd Lots!

Anonymous said...

This is absolutely hilarious! "They can bill me - or bite me. Their choice" is my new motto for this school yet, lol.

Anonymous said...

Seriously lighten up.

Samantha said...

i NEVER said teachers make too much. I simply stated that the majority of teachers I know complain more about what they make than any other thing. I did think about what my schedule and hours would be like when i chose my profession which is why i dont run around complaining about it. I dont make anywhere near 41k, and i deal with it. I also stated that i was unsure of the situation of the ones who have manicures or drive hummers. Futhermore, I NEVER stated that i was unappreciative of the time and dedication teachers put forth. I use any available time I have left at the school helping the teacher with project or even making copies for her. I ,also, did not blanket ALL teachers into my comment. My comment was based on my experiences with certain teachers. I was not impling that YOU were the subject matter. I am fully aware that there are wonderful teachers out there,my children have been blessed with a few of them. If you want to honestly believe that I am whats wrong with education in America, screw you honey!! You don't know me, and thats an extreemly easy thing to say hiding being "Anonymous". I do my best to help my childrens teachers. Rather than throwing random BS statements out based solely on a comment that meant NOTHING to you, since it was not about you or the 06 Hyndai driver, how about you read the entire thing and notice what you missed about how i do give to my kids teachers.. Instead you would rather play the high and mighty bitch card. I respect teachers, more than you know, because you DONT KNOW ME!
It is possible that the hummer things is just part of where I live.. But, seeing as how i have only ever lived here, how am I supposed to guess that it is not the same for teachers everwhere. I am not all knowing.. BUt i am guessing Anonymous is.!
I enjoy my job and that is why i put up with the hours, the pay and everything else. If you dont believe that we are abused in a similar manner as teachers, sit in with your local dispatcher, its eye opening..

On that note, since I am "whats wrong with education in america".. I will HAPPILY be one of those parents who contributes NOTHING to my childs teacher and be fully supportive of you paying out of pocket for it all.. Would that please you more your highness?

Oh, yeah.. Did i forget to mention the box of 100 dollars worth of extra school supplies i gave to the school.. But, i am guessing that doesnt matter since you know.. the flaws of the education system are all on me.. You'll be an AMAZING teacher, im quite sure someones child will be better qualified to work at mcdonalds thanks to you!

Samantha said...

Carly, please advise me of where I stated that I would NOT bring in the correct requested supplies! All I meant was that parents could be told about this, instead of it just happening blindly!

I am sensing a lot of misreading and conclusion jumping here!!! I always buy what is on my child's list AND then some so the teacher has extra, if I knew it was going to another teacher I doubt I would care. However, knowing would be nice! I have had teachers give an additional list after the first day of school based on what they specifically needed for thei classroom. Guess what, I sent in those supplies as well. But, like many of the teachers posting on here, you are reading the parts you want to read and interpret them as YOU choose. Read the posts in full, you might be surprised that they aren't as bad as you are making them!

Samantha said...

i am both in awe and cracking up about the Teachers reponses to these comments. Most of which are hastily made it seems. I have been attacked and told that "I was what was wrong with the Education of America" because i thought teachers shouldnt complain about what they made in a year. We are ALL underpaid and over worked. Not just teachers. In that SAME comment i explained that i do whatever I can to help out my childrens teachers, including but not limited to gifting of supplies throughout the year, additional supplies at the begginning of the year, assistance in their classrooms during the year and doing and getting anything their teachers ask for. But the only commenting recieved back was how horrible I was for saying that they shouldnt complain about what they make.. For teachers you can't seem to read very well. Since it appears that you are reading only the parts you choose too and interpreting it however you want..

Samantha said...

Kristin, are you sure you aren't just grouping some of the parents you "meet" on the Internet into those other kinds of parents, you were quick to be snarky on my comment, but seemingly failed to notice that I provided just as much information about how I do what I can to help the teacher. Why did that single part go unnoticed. You seemed to ask your response upon a comment about teachers in my area, even after I explained I did not know their situation.

For what it's worth, and I'm sure not much.. Since I've already been told I'm the wrong in the education system (ha) I spent whatever off moment I have helping teachers at my kids school, not just THEIR teacher. I gift what I can in the area of extra supplies when I find them and when I can. I gift extra lunches and extra money for field trips when I can...

I may not like listening to teachers complain about pay, but that doesn't earn I dont respect you and that I'm not thankful that my kids have been blessed with amazing teachers which bettered them!


But those parts go unnoticed because the teachers here labeled me as " that parent!"

carly said...

Maybe you are right. But you DID make an assumption in writing: "There is more than 3 elementary Teachers in my childrens school district who drive a hummer, one even purchased a new one last year. While i do understand maybe they come from old money or their spouse has money. It is very irking for the ones who work incredibly hard, just as teachers do and will never amount to a teachers salary, to sit back and listen to them complain about it."

None of us are perfect. Everyone complains, nothing will ever happen to make the system perfect nor will everyone on all sides be happy with the situation. I didn't go into teaching for the money, or summers off. I did, however, go in blindly - not realizing how much of my own money I would spend on my classroom/students, how much time everything would take, and how much EXTRA I would be expected to teach (BESIDES the core subjects...Math, Language Arts, Reading, Science and Social Studies). When I went into teaching I wasn't aware of all of the messy politics involved. I just wanted to TEACH. Unfortunately, I don't just teach...but I still love my job and I don't do it for myself - I do it for my students.

Samantha said...

You are absolutely right, but that is not an assumption. It was an observation of teachers in my area. I did not blanket that to all teachers. I DO agree that teachers are underpaid, but really most of us are.

I didn't assume you went into it for the money, I never even said that! But, you did agree with the poster who said I was what's wrong with the education in America. By approving of that you skipped over everything I do to help the teachers, not just the ones my kid has. I don't gift supplies just to the teacher, I gift to the school as well. I have 2 days off that happen to fall during the week, during the school year I'm up at one of my kids schools helping in anyways I can.

I can respect teachers and be thankful for them, without agreeing that ey should complain about pay. I make kibbles in my job, and I do it because I love it and someone needs to be there to answer when 911 is dialed right?

I all ask is that the comments be read in entirety before jumping up someone's case and labeling that'd as the sorcerer of all that is wrong in education!

carly said...

So you did hear these manicured-hummer-driving teachers complaining about their salaries?

Samantha said...

I have yes, not every single one, but a few yes I have. Again, I do believe teachers are over worked and under paid, but that doesn't mean I want to hear about it!

Samantha said...

it's quite comical that you only took THAT away from the entire post..

Christinebnr said...

No, it wasn't. I read it all, you realize that when you reference teachers, "you teachers" that, it is rude and inflammatory? Sadly, you seem quite angry at a group of people....by the way there are male teachers as well, that are just working for a wage. I highly doubt teachers out there are using glue sticks to hang their wallpaper at home. Glad you find my post comical. I found yours sad.

Samantha said...

So, you found mine sad.. It should have an effect on me why? My comment was based off of Teachers that I know personally. I know not ALL teachers are like this. If you aren't a teacher who constantly moans that they dont get paid enough then it wasnt about you, so pull the tampon out and chill. I didnt imply that they took supplies home either. Good God She-Ra calm it. I don't see the point for all the glue sticks, no.. but i purchase every last one that is requested because its whats on the list..I wasn't aware I had to like it.... I'm not angry, Im annoyed at various teacher friends (that would be personal friends who are teachers) constantly moaning about nothing but pay. It gets old quickly.

I know there are male teachers.. they moan about pay too.. I know a few of those too..

Anonymous said...

As a teacher, all I can say is thank you for your thoughtful reply. I was really starting to get annoyed at all of the responses and then I was reminded that there are people like you out there. Thank you again.

Stephanie

Samantha said...

you're welcome :0)

Erika said...

I live overseas with the military. Each grade at each school has its own supply list, so the military stores have exactly what the teachers want...until they run out...in late July. Then you are beyond screwed, because there are no other options other than Amazon. I am telling people who are moving here late in the summer with school aged kids to bring school supplies with them. On the up side, because every class uses the same supply list, my son had a TON of stuff left over last year that got sent home and is getting recycled next year. Snaps to that teacher!

Christinebnr said...

Pull the tampon out. So classy, your family must be proud. Sounds like you should break up with you "friends" and calm it.

Amanda said...

LOL I had my first run-in with a school supply list when taking my daughter to DAYCARE at 3 months old. The list requested "Elmer's finger paint tubes" which are the finger paint equivalent to a unicorn. As in... they don't exist. They make little cups of paint, but no tubes. I felt like a failure taking her in the first day having to admit defeat in not finding the right finger paints. They didn't seem to know what I was talking about because all the other parents just brought crayola. All my stress and worry for nothing.

Car Mama said...

I labeled 24 crayons, 12 markers, an eraser, a highlighter and a 3-ring binder with my daughter's initials yesterday. She helped. It was fun to get out my label maker and Sharpie pens and get started. But when she loses 18 of those crayons and most of the marker tops, I won't be so happy. My secret this year for shopping and getting exactly what the teacher's asked for was Amazon -- free shipping and no tax and no fighting with other parents at Target for the last box of Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencils.

BreeBree said...

Sounds simple! When I lived in NJ, we never had lists! School supply shopping was for your own school supplies. We also didn't have to pump our gas there....

BreeBree said...

OMG it is soo ridiculous to ask for specifics like that!

Cye said...

Anon 9:41am--That open letter is from a Canadian mom! So, apparently all of North America is crazy.

rachel said...

Best List Ever!
Sounds like my class newsletters. I usually have families for a few years (small town, big families) and they get used to my style. My favorite thing is hearing parents at orientation trying to explain to new parents "that's just how she talks", teachers, huh... we all take a little getting used to:-)

Anonymous said...

We had one of these list too and I was not happy with it. It's not that I'm not happy with the buying of the supplies (even though I just wrote a check for $17,500 for 2nd grade and think the supplies should be included) because I even buy extras to give to the teacher incase someone doesn't buy theirs. But it's the specifics of the list that drive me crazy. We had to buy 4 glue sticks as well and I was not smiling when I noticed they came in packs of three. UGH - I am dreading when the boy gets to middle school and not only is the price around $22k a year but we will also have to buy a $1500 laptop and purchase his books. I'm beginnng to think I need to relook at the annual report of this school. LOL

Anonymous said...

I'm a first grade teacher and I agree that it is disruptive to have kids getting up all the time to sharpen their pencils. That's why I have weekly classroom jobs for my students, and one of the jobs is the "Pencil Sharpener". Kids put their pencils that need sharpening out on their desks in the morning and the Pencil Sharpener picks up each kid's pencils (one kid at a time so the pencils don't get mixed up) and sharpens them using the electric pencil sharpener. This is always one of the favorite jobs (although all the kids love any job they get to do in the classroom!).

Alaskan Girl said...

Yes, teaching high school is a much different ball of wax than teaching grade school. I think what Kim was explaining is that she would send home a basic list with no specific name brands, colors, or any specific requests. Thus allowing the parent & student the freedom to choose what they wanted. Kim explained that she did not understand why parents would want to know specifics. When her children started school, then she understood. I think her post is more anecdotal than an actual comparison.

Alaskan Girl said...

Have to admit...I have been both types of parent. For many years, I would over buy knowing there would be families who could not afford supplies. I would not kvetch about the communal supplies or the Kleenex. Last year & this year, I am the other side of the coin. We can't afford to buy more than the basic supplies-paper, pens/pencils, & folders. Both our kids have reused the same backpack for the last three years. They only got new crayons this year cause they were $0.39/pack. After enrolling the kids this year, I commented to the school secretary that we would not be buying everything on the list as we can't afford it. However, if our school offered the opportunity to have the supplies purchased in bulk along with everyone else-I would jump on it! That way they can purchase the needed cleaning supplies at a better price.

Anonymous said...

Why are you doing this for your child? You have two kids - have them do the sharpening.

No wonder kids get to school and expect the teacher to do everything for them.

carly said...

Good point, Anonymous #2. The parents of our school are "strongly encouraged" to volunteer 4 hours a month. Many of them cannot volunteer in the classroom, but are more than happy when I send pencils home for them to sharpen. It is very helpful to have a back-up stash of sharpened pencils when our pencil sharpeners break unexpectedly, and they recognize how important instruction time is. So if sharpening pencils at home will help their children get more time to learn and less time sharpening pencils, they help out.

Global IT Consulting said...

i also get a throat punch in last yr. its a very bad exp.

Anonymous said...

If you have school aged kids, then you know you are going to need to buy school supplies at the beginning of each school year. It isn't a surprise. If you just put back $20 each month then you'll have $240 sitting there that you can use. Whatever you don't spend can roll back into your budget for other things. Even setting aside half of that each month wold eliminate the squeeze of needing to come up with all of it at once if your monthly budget is tight. Plan ahead!

Anonymous said...

I am a teacher and a mother of two. Believe it or not, I completely and utterly agree with this comical letter. My lists I make are basic. I do not require a particular color, or millimeter measurement, or size. Oh, and I will poop gold if any teacher my kids have had has EVER EVER EVER used all the damned dry erase markers I have to purchase every year!

EXPERIENCE said...

Ever wonder what is WRONG WITH OUR COUNTRY? Ever wonder why WE ALL CAN'T GET ALONG? Just reading these comments is enough to want to step onto the newest spaceship to Mars to start over. Bickering over dry erase markers, pencils, teachers, language that would make a pig roll over in the mud just to get it off. If you can't figure out what is wrong with us at this point after reading all this, then let me be clear. Stop the bickering. Get behind the education of your child. Pay your bills, or ONE DAY THERE MAY BE NO EDUCATION FOR ANY OF US.
NOTHING IS FREE. THERE IS ALWAYS A PRICE TO PAY.
sHOULD OUR CHILDREN PAY IT? Watching us argue, hering our teacher complaints, treating our animals, husbands, wives, children, etc like dirt, well, there's a price to pay...
Ever deal with 20+ children in a group for 9 months? You'll soon learn who is telling the turth in these letters. Ever supervise the use of 20+ gluestick at work? It doesn't take long to see what happens. Try it you'll like telling the truth afterward. I dare you.

Samantha said...

The parental/teacher/student/school district debate is NOT whats wrong with our country.
I'm slightly confused on how "pay your bills" gets tossed in there, how does me paying for my water bill or my car payment support my childrens education? I pay my bills, and my property taxes (THOSE go to education and my local school district.)
Your entire comment makes no sense at all. By your logic... being a teacher and "dealing" with 20+ kids in a group for 9 months will magically allow us to "SEE THE TRUTH"
Are you haven't already landed on Mars?

Samantha said...

Are you sending your kids to a Private School? If so, please don't whine about the cost of the school. That was your choice.

I agree that the specifics of supply lists are insane, but i can promise you if a middle school told me I was REQUIRED to buy my child a laptop, I would tell them which orifices that laptop can happily go to. My kids have computers at home and my 10 year old would wreck a laptop with in SECONDS of it coming out of its shiny packaging..

Samantha said...

as a matter of fact yes.. people in my line of work DO make a difference in the present AND the future..

EVERY job EVERYWHERE has duties NOT listed in their job description. i promise you my job is SO much more than answering a phone and telling a police officer an address. Just based on YOUR list.. I do 9 out of the 13 points listed. And we do it ALL, over the phone..
How does teaching my kid that Math goes in green and English goes in yellow going to teach them to become independent in the future.. Granted he will understand the logic of everything has a place, but I don't fully understand your reasoning.
and just so you know... my job is required to have 100% efficiency 100% of the time or people DIE...

Dispatchers do all of that AND keep people alive. Do you? (just pointing out how ridiculous that sounded)

Samantha said...

oh sweetie, I never said I was classy.. And yeah im pretty sure my family is proud, ive done much more with my life that give people reasons to tell me to pull the tampon out and quit being She-Ra the crazed witch!! :0) have a fantastic day Lovie :0)

Samantha said...

I don't think the OP has a poor outlook on Teachers. I think she's tired of the moaning about Pay. Right now every career field has someone that is overworked and underpaid, it isn't JUST teachers. I don't care that I don't have summers off, I just get really flustered listening to Teachers complain that summer "is so far away" or they "just cant wait". I understand we all pick a major and we all pick our jobs.. But for real.. there are people in higher demanding jobs that BARELY break minimum wage. We do these jobs because we love them, and i promise you that there are more thankless jobs than being a teacher. That said. I would like to give an insight to why i don't deal well with anyone complaining about pay.
I couldn't have been a teacher, i applaud and respect the ones who are. I JUST COULDN'T DO IT.
but i LOVE my job and I am DAMN good at it. I will never make money in my job. Yearly I make $24,902.40 before taxes (and that's the higher end of my career). I don't work for a small private company, I work for a city, I dispatch for everything there. Police/fire/EMS/Public Works/Animal Control. I am paid hourly, I don't get overtime (even if i work it, it turns into "comp time" to allow for more sick days and the like, so if i miss a day or work because my kids are sick, or I am sick I miss out on that pay. I work 5 days a week, 40 hours a week (sometimes more), i work nights, overnights, holidays and weekends. We can't go on strike, we have no unions or workers rights groups. I have gone without seeing my kids, or my husband for days and weeks at a time.I have missed birthday parties, family events and school functions. I only get Thanksgiving or Christmas off to spend with my family if it happens to fall on my day off. My family has taken vacations without me because of my schedule. And i do it without complaint, for half of what teachers make. We don't ask for a raise, because we wont get one, because it usually isn't in the budget. But you bet your ass when someone calls with an emergency I am there saddened for the event but thankful I can send someone to help. I daily put other peoples lives in my hands. the citizens of the City I am employed by, the police , fire and ems personnel that I dispatch for. So please come work my job for a few months. See what we are put through, see what we are paid and you might understand why I am overly sensitive to the complaints.

Samantha said...

was the 2500 that you spent REQUIRED, no you wanted to have an "inviting" classroom. That was a personal choice. i am not including the teaching materials here... i mean the curtains and rugs and bean bags and stuffed animals in the reading corner and all the other "cushy" things Ive seen in classrooms.
If a teacher sends home a note saying "i need....." i send it in with in a 3 days time period. That may seem like a long amount of time to the teacher, but that is the time table I am left to play with, because of scheduling. and i am happy to do it. If i locate a coupon to a teaching store ( lake shore learning etc.) i clip it out and take it to the teacher.
I dont think the classroom needs to be made up. I have been in classrooms before that has SO much goodies in them I was distracted and I am 31 years old. hanging planets on an air vent so they swing around, laminated comic monkeys with every kids name and birthday on them. a overstuffed pillow in every corner for reading time, i just dont get it.. but thats why im not a teacher..

I agree that parents should send in the supplies requested. But every year the list gets longer and longer, because of the parents that don't bring the stuff.. hold those parents responsible. If you cant afford to supply your entire class, what makes you think the parents can?

Samantha said...

I respect that you provide a specific list for your class which is smaller and simpler. that's FANTASTIC, and i don't mean that sarcastically, i really think its great. but in my local school district, supplies are turned in on "meet the teacher" day. So a list specific to that one class doesn't do us any good. But every year during meet the teacher we are handed a second supply list of what that specific teacher needs. So after the meeting it's off to the store i go to grab whats on the list........

Kristen you stated that "As for classroom supplies, if you, as a parent, think that I'm going to go out and buy clorox wipes, spoons, and forks for your kid to use every darn day, you're wrong" but then ended your comment with "P.s. I guarantee I spend more time at the back to school sales looking for deals than any parent does.".. so which is it.. you spend your time looking or you refuse to buy the classroom supplies? **** not that i am implying that you should have to supply them.. but just like it wont kill the parent to provide YOU with a tub of clorox wipes, it wouldn't kill you to provide one for YOUR classroom. It can't be ALL on the teachers or the parents.. This is a shared relationship all the way around..

Anonymous said...

First quit complaining about labeling every crayon. If this is how it's done, then you are saving YOUR child from a possible meltdown because she dropped her purple crayon on the floor last time and now she doesn't have it anymore. I liked the idea of having your children do the labeling.

Second, if your school does the communal thing, they ask for specific brands and colors so that students don't bicker, complain, steal, etc. Plus there is obviously some OCD people out there that need to know specifics. They don't like general.

Third and most important, if you have questions regarding the list, communicate with the teacher and/or district instead of ranting on some social network site that your teacher is probably not going to see. Maybe they need to explain their supplies or update their list however if someone does not bring it to their attention I'm pretty sure it's very low on their priority list at the end and beginning of a school year.

Happy School Supply Shopping!

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