To be really pissed off about constantly having to replace stuff?

[Opalsandemeralds]

Black pens. Purple pens. Whiteboard markers. Rulers. Glue. Pencils. I am a teacher.

I’m fucking sick of it (grouchy rant) and while I’m no Boris fan, it’s been like this since I started teaching so it isn’t a political rant, it’s kids being dickheads rant. For some reason it’s really got to me today.

Apart from the fact I’d rather not have sweaty teenage feet @Blinkingbatshit what do you do then if they say no?

@LolaSmiles

YANBU

I remember once a student said something like "it's only a 10p pen, chill out" and I thought that summed it up. They genuinely couldn't see why them breaking pens or not looking after resources might be a problem. They seemed to have no regard for other people's property or having a duty ro look after equipment for other students to use.

Then it dawned on me. Some adults in life have no concept of responsibility or looking after things unless it's their money. It's hardly surprising that some students also have those views too.

There was a 'light-hearted thread' the other day about what you steal from hotels and like others I was shocked by some of the responses. I'm a teacher and I thought when I read it - what are you teaching your children? Recently off with Long Covid - my classroom was cleaned out!

@R0tational

Yabu.

Hope you are paying for all your work supplies then ROtational

I manage a small office and when we opened we bought an entire 12 person set of IKEA white mugs, saucers, cereal bowls, dinner plates, glasses and cutlery etc and a dishwasher to wash them in. Four years later all of the mugs, saucers, knives, bowls are missing, and a substantial number of items from the rest. Admittedly, there are a few chipped china mugs in various designs in the cupboards which weren't there before. Given that the office has been largely closed for two years and there were never more than four people working at a before then, that's quite a lot of pilfering imho... . And I only discovered it when we had a rare

The saddest thing about this thread is how many of us are propping Education up from our own pockets! Also, we are told NOT to challenge a pupil who doesn't have equipment but to just hand it out and (hopefully) get it back at the end of the lesson as this avoids behaviour issues. In answer to @theqentity - there was a recent TikTok which went viral where you were challenged to steal and people competed. I'm pretty eagle-eyed but I lost two cardigans off the back of my chair!!

...posted too soon...rare six person socially distanced meeting recently and I couldn't find enough matching crockery. My fault for not keeping on top of it. But I was surprised that so many things had gone astray ...

YANBU
It’s such a small thing but has a massive impact.

Usually the kids that don’t bring a pen/break them are the ones who aren’t bothered and don’t want to do their work so do you waste time seeing if they need a pen and questioning wheres the last one or let them sit there doing no work and ending up being disruptive. It then takes up time following up with detentions etc afterwards.

I feel so sorry for the kids who just turn up to class wanting to get on with the lesson or want to borrow a pen and give it back.

Some schools have a ready to learn inspection where they line up outside the classroom and get their equipment. I don’t know if it’s before every lesson or not but I know the sanctions are quite strict.
I used to think it was OTT but I get fed up when the good kids get overlooked because so much time is spent on the others.

When I worked in a tough comp I used to lend out my pens in return for a shoe.

I don’t like the idea of someone stinky shoes on my desk but I do take their ties.

However the issue is when you get someone who refuses to hand over their tie and they end up getting removed every lesson and ends up doing no work.

Former secondary teacher. I used to limit how many glue sticks I handed out.

I used to give out 2, one on each end of the classroom and say pass it around.

Sometimes they actually need to be shown how to glue something in.

My sons english teacher told us at parents evening that he never has a pen. I was embarrassed as brought him pack of 20 in September and another pack of 20 at homes as well as nicer pens. I now watch him pack daily, and check he has emergency pens stashed on his coat and bag plus other stationary. Told dc (again) its rude to turn up to lessons without equipment.

@Chickenpoxtwins

What happens if you don't replace it? Little jonny doesnt have a pen, isn't that jonnys lookout?

Have you met 2022? 😂

I do exam invigilating, it's amazing A How many students don't have the necessary equipment B Borrow from the school suppy and then oops don't leave it on the desk at the end of the exam. The school have started recording who borrows what so they can get the items back and/or advise the parents that their child needs to be better prepared next time.

OP I’ve been teaching 15 years and I haven’t once bought a piece of stationery for a pupil nor have I supplied my own whiteboard pens. No chance.

I gather up all things that can possibly be used to write with that are left behind and I give those out in addition to the pitiful amount of stationery given out by SLT. If that means kids are writing in highlighter or coloured pencils then that is what happens.

Draw your boundaries. You don’t get paid enough to buy pens for pupils.

Don’t forget the mysteriously exploding pens. I’m very old, and I have never had a pen spontaneously explode on me.

You have my sympathies. As others have said, it does depend on the overall culture of the school. I used to write pupils' names on the board if they borrowed something and they were allowed to erase their name when item was returned. For some reason they didn't like seeing their name on the board! Ask what other teachers do in your school - if it works for them, it'll probably work for you.

There was a 'light-hearted thread' the other day about what you steal from hotels and like others I was shocked by some of the responses. I'm a teacher and I thought when I read it - what are you teaching your children? Recently off with Long Covid - my classroom was cleaned out!
This happened to me once too!

In one school I packed my items away when I went on maternity leave and everything was there untouched when I returned.

In another I experienced a period of illness and found that even my personal possessions and resources had been taken without permission. Some never showed up again and I no longer have the digital copy.

Chickenpoxtwins
What happens if you don't replace it? Little jonny doesnt have a pen, isn't that jonnys lookout?

That’s not how it works. Little Johnny doesn’t have a pen so can’t do anything. So he becomes disruptive..,

@LolaSmiles

10 pens get given to students. Teacher knows who they've given pens to. 6 come back so teacher knows it isn't them. The 4 remaining pens are the people who are left on the list.

Either the teacher hasn't put a class system in place, or the behaviour in the school is so bad that students feel empowered to behave how they like and this affects a class teacher's capacity to manage their room. In that situation I'd be reflecting on whether SLT are promoting the right culture within the school and whether the behavior policies are working.

On top of-sims open. Class charts or whatever to record behaviour, merits, detentions and loo visits. Emails. And finally the lesson.

@CoupDeGrace if I were to do that I’d be asking for trouble!

Ohhh yes. Every day. They lose them in between lessons too. When I was a child, we were punished if we lost our equipment.

It drives me utterly bonkers the kids without equipment….. I offer them “floor pens”

In a previous school the science tech would sell the basics for near cost.

I teach in an SEMH secondary school and we provide all equipment for the students (I restocked my desk today and probably have somewhere in the region of 200 pens). Our students earn merits throughout the day (average earnings would be 50-100 a day) which are “worth” 1p each that they can spend on prizes/rewards etc. When a student deliberately breaks a pen (or break multiple pens by being careless) I dock them 10 merits.

@Blinkingbatshit

I know of a teacher that asks for one of the kid’s shoes in exchange if they borrow anything - they don’t forget to re-exchange at the end of the lesson that way!!….

Health and Safety risk in case of fire. Also smelly - and possibly embarrassing for the kid. We weren't allowed to do this.

Also thinking about it … so they’ve broken the pen or swear blind they’ve returned it … what do you do? Hold onto their SHOE?

@Opalsandemeralds

Also thinking about it … so they’ve broken the pen or swear blind they’ve returned it … what do you do? Hold onto their SHOE?

🤣 sorry but that did make me laugh!

I don't know how you manage your job with kids and mobiles, I think it's ridiculous that they are allowed them in school.

No solution to offer but hats off to you for doing the job you do.