Well, not really, but I really do hate putting them away. I like to label everything so that also adds another step. And I always have a few students who bring extra items or miss a few of the important ones. Generally speaking, how long does it take you to put everything away and to really get your organization system into place?
I spend some time the first day getting everything unpacked and put away...I have kids take out one item at a time...some go directly in their desks, some they keep part of and I collect the rest ( like glue sticks...they bring 3...they really only need one in their desk...I collect the rest for later use). I have forms I created to remind families about any missing items.
I spent about an hour doing this with the kids on the first day. Sure, it takes up time, but it's the first day, so it's not like we're on a strict schedule. Our supplies are community, so I would just say, "If you brought pencils, hold them high up in the air. _________ will come collect your pencils. ___________ put all the pencils in this bin." With things they keep like notebooks and folders, I would ask them to hold them up so I could check and see who had the correct ones, and then asked them to put them in their desks. The first time we used each notebook/folder for a specific subject, I went around and wrote "math", "reading" or whatever I needed to on their notebook/folder while they were working independently. When we moved on to the next subject, I would just say, "Get out one of your notebooks that you haven't used yet, not the one I already wrote reading on," etc. I spent none of my own personal time on supplies.
It's worth it to get organized at the beginning. This is my first year tackling it with grade 1s. I'm hoping for some EA support during that time!!
We just finished day 2. I still have piles everywhere. It's organized (because I have to have notebooks and folders sorted by color - I'm that person), but not put up yet. I'm hoping to get there tomorrow.
OK, on the subject of supplies: Kira's school is requesting 5 green stick pens-- not markers-- per child. I have been looking all summer for those pens, and have not found a store that carries them. None of the moms I've spoken to has found them either. What a PITA!!!
I just went onlne. Office Depot carries them for $1.79 each. If I order online, I'm paying $10 in shipping. Otherwise I can drive to MANHATTAN to get them. Idiocy. If the teacher had simply ordered a few cases, he or she would have had enough for the whole class.
That is silly, Alice! I don't spend too much time putting supplies away, because students do this during open house. It only takes maybe 20 minutes to put away the shared supplies. I, do, however, spend a big chunk of time going through every desk after open house. I send a letter home in advance, asking parents to label everything. I go through desks to make sure students have all of their supplies, and that everything is labeled. This can take an hour or two, depending the the group and the parents' ability to follow directions!
I collect everything by supply and then make piles. Either my co-teacher or I will organize the community supplies into bins (already labeled and organized) while the other labels notebooks and folders. We'll do a lot of it with the kids in the room and probably spend our prep the first day finishing up but at that point we don't have much else to do so it's not a big deal. Plus there's two of us working so it goes a lot faster.
Omigosh, I've been doing everything myself No wonder it's been taking so long! I did ask for supplies at our Open House but only 6 students brought them in so I had to deal with the rest yesterday, which was the first day of school. I waited until after the kids left to begin sorting them. I have a few more students to go and I'm going to knock it out this morning. Next year, I'm definitely going to involve my students and have boxes for specific community supplies like pencils and glue sticks.
I definitely know what you mean! My sixth graders could do a lot for me, but it was still a hassle of getting everything in just the right places and labeled.
We are not allowed to ask for anything besides paper, pencils, folders, and Kleenex. Since I only collect Kleenex, it doesn't take me long at all.
Here's what I do: You can read the complete blog post and print the free printables here, but I'll give you the abbreviated version: I place a grocery bag at each seat with a sign and a copy of my school supply list attached. The kids put everything into the bag and then place it on the back counter. After school I sort through the bags, highlight what was included on the list and attach a preprinted label with the child's name.
I only ask that their names be on their folders and crayons...everything else we share. This cuts down on the time to put it up. I just place the boxes out and parents put them in it.
This has always been an issue for me as well. In my new school it has only been compounded by the fact that students bring supplies for art and music (which rarely get used). This year I was a bit smarter. I store most of my classroom in plastic totes/tubs for the summer. I used the empty totes to collect supplies. I had two totes for tissues, a tote for wipes, and then collected smaller community supplies (post-its, dry-erase markers, etc.) in small shoeboxes. I then put these into totes as well. I made it my goal to empty one tote a day last week and it took no time at all. Not to mention that I didn't feel overwhelmed by supplies everywhere. Instead, I could put a lid on the totes and stack them until I had a chance to sort everything out. It worked very well and is something I'd like to improve on next year by having a sort of assembly line or scavenger hunt. Like you, I hate supplies. I am a self-proclaimed control freak and it sometimes bothers me when students don't have the quality of supplies they need (certain type of crayons, amount of glue, scissors appropriate for hand size, etc.) I try to get over this by being grateful for the students who show up with any supplies at all.
OMGosh, the supplies were enough to drive me out of teaching this morning. I had them everywhere! Then one of our tutors came in and decided to help. I had an unorganized organization. I know she was really trying to help, but in the end her way of helping me kind of made it more of an issue to put things away. But it's all put away now and names are on the stuff that needs names. I can start teaching tomorrow! Yeaeeee!
You don't want to get me started on the policy of community classroom supplies. No, you really don't.
I agree. My own kids attended a lower-SES elementary school and I made sure they had everything on their supply lists. There were no community supplies other than the tissues and sanitizer. I did not mind tissues and sanitizer being shared, but I was glad the kids kept their own pencils, glue sticks, paper, crayons, etc. Why should my kids go without because they have to share with kids who brought nothing? Not to mention the germs on pencils. School supplies are not an unexpected expense. Parents need to supply for their own children.
I do bags, too, but they're not as cute as yours What takes me forever is sorting and labeling them. I think next year, I'm going to add boxes for community supplies like some of you guys do.
