Attitude Changes Everything

This week has been full of challenges. The mark of a champion teacher is one who can easily roll with and through the punches and do what needs to be done. This means making many adjustments with lesson plans, changing test dates, making MANY parent phone calls, doing an extra review, etc. This also has to be done at the drop of hat. For me, that "hat" could be a phone call, email, student, parent, needing supplies, etc. I seem to notice there are a lot of hats as the years go by and etcs. Hats are hoops I often have to jump through, but sometimes it calls for problem solving creative solutions to make it ALL possible.

One challenge I am facing is dealing with the cuts in my pay and the cuts in the budget. This cut extends to the amount of school supplies I can purchase from the school warehouse each year. In the past four years, it seems that teachers are being asked to take on more of the expense of education themselves. There are being asked to print from their printers less, provide pencils and paper, books for their classroom libraries, rewards, etc. The problem is that many of us, like the rest of country, have had budgets cut down to the bare minimum. There is no extra. A fellow teacher had her car taken away last week. Another friend lost her home. We are feeling it too!

So this year, I decided to do it as cheaply and effectively as possible. I asked each student to bring in three supplies for classroom supplies. And then I gave a huge list of supplies to pick from. I even told them they could be pulled out of closet, 1/2 open packages of lined paper, etc. I did not ask them to buy a bunch of extra stuff for their child: one duotang folder and a compostion book. The two can be purchased at Walmart for under a dollar.

The response from both students and parents has varied. Some argue that their child always brings their own supplies. I do not see this very often. I'd rather help provide for the ones who are also struggling to make it around us; I also do not want to single out students for not coming to class prepared. They may not be prepared because they are living in a garage or car. I'm telling you. Things are really bad! Do we have to rub in their struggle, or can we become part of the solution?

I am also trying to promote a sense of community in my classroom. When students enter, there are supplies are the table and ready for their use. They don't have to worry about borrowing a pencil. I know you are probably thinking that students walk of with these supplies. On the contrary, they are both respectful and grateful. No everyone does not like the way I handle supplies, but my attitude about it changes everything. I am going to focus on what WE CAN do and not on what we can't do. I am willing to look for creative ways to enhance every child's education. I am not going to leave any children behind because of the lack of supplies.