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.

Sorry but I think it's disgusting teachers have to provide stationary from their own pocket

OP I really feel your pain.

I also do not have the answer.

When I was a teacher I stopped buying very cheap pens as the kids would break them within 10 minutes. I would buy Bic biros instead and try to get them back. I would write names on the board ("What'ya writing my name up for miss?") and then the kids would say they had given the pen back at the end of the lesson.

I would ensure my form all had what they needed at the start of the day.

I tried taking a phone from students - sometimes they would suddenly say "I fount it!" of the mysteriously missing pen.

In the end you have to do what it takes to get on with the lesson. It's appalling but true. And meanwhile the students (most of them tbf) who have got a pen have already completed your started activity and are having to wait while you negotiate with Kyle for his tie, or his phone (never took a shoe).

This is genuinely one of a number of reasons why I left teaching. It just wore me down. @LolaSmiles is clearly a teacher with better classroom management than I had (not that hard tbf). Or a better SLT (definitely not hard at all).

I do think there are people on this thread who should perhaps ask their own teen DC about this, and whether it is an issue. Suggestions such as teach them how to look after things or well if they don't have a pen they can't write can they show a certain lack of understanding. There is nothing some of my students would have liked better than an excuse not to write and the chance to disrupt the lesson.

Meant to add that I also used to collect up any grotty pens from the floor, and also used to scrounge "free" pens from anyone (my mum was a good supplier). Still not enough nor even close.

I am surprised that (some) parents are not aware of this tbh. I used to buy pens, rubbers, highlighters, glue sticks, posters for my walls, books for students to read in form time, sweets for lesson prizes, chocolate for rewards, blu tak, sanpro, spare tights...

God I am glad I am no longer a classroom teacher. for all on this thread who are still doing it. Many thanks from me on behalf of my children.

I’d be happy to contribute to a pen glue stick stash if it would help at school. I had no idea this was an issue and it seems very solvable.

I would grab a handful of cheap pencils from IKEA....pass them out...

@Opalsandemeralds

To be fair I think the pen battle is a long, long war, dating back many decades.

My mum taught in the 1980s, so it definitely is. But a cashless system is perfect for charging for pens. No more "oh I have no change". Parents will see where the money is going, if they care they will see their child brings one in future, if they don't then at least they are paying for one.

@Bogeyes

I would grab a handful of cheap pencils from IKEA....pass them out...

And then your performance management will suffer because your books will be marked down during scrutiny when they see kids writing in pencil