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September 27, 2005
Hordes of Hoarders
Teaching at a middle school in NYC changes you. Every teacher faces shortages of supplies and equipment. What you need you never have, what you have you never need.My new school really messed up its budget last year, so teachers are having to buy all sorts of things that normally they can count on the school to have. I remember last year when our principal bought a new trash can for every room. Even with his admonition to only take one, the teachers swarmed. About ten teachers took two trash cans, thus leaving ten of us without trash cans.
Brand new teachers look longingly in those rooms, seeing all the books, teachers editions, new desks, and an endless stash of chalk. Those of us who have been here a few years just know not to trust these senior teachers. They'll steal things from the office, take things from your room when the door is open, and always get in first to the room of the teacher who just quit.We have a word for them- hoarders.
It doesn't matter if they don't even teach the subject or need it. They might teach it or need it some day.
I've been working on my nightmare office since the first day of school. I've really sorted out a lot of piles into coherent piles in boxes. I made the mistake of allowing teachers into the room today to take the things that we would otherwise throw out.
Before I knew it, I had a swarm of hoarders in the room. Even though I clearly had marked the area of free stuff, I had teachers trying to take anything that wasn't bolted down.
I lost about ten boxes of markers, all of my staplers, three teachers editions of math books, and my brand new box of disinfectant wipes. There might be other stuff, but I won't know for a few weeks, as the room is still relatively nightmarish.
As the math coach, I am trying to keep my teachers supplied. However, every time they do this kind of thing to me, they're turning me more into a version of them. Instead of an honor system, I'll become one of those teachers that micromanages his supplies. When I gave two sets of my markers to one teacher, I was criticized by another teacher for not giving EVERYONE a set. I explained that these were my personal stash and that I was planning on getting them back. The criticizing teacher snorted and told me that those would be gone that day.
Unfortunately, it was true. The teacher didn't watch for them, and her students took them.
There has to be a middle ground between the hoarders and the 'lose everything'ers. I just haven't found it yet.
Posted by G at September 27, 2005 08:08 PM
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Comments
It's the transcendental gnomes. They steal from the "otherwise engaged" and give to the undeserving. They live in my walls; I can hear them whisper.
Posted by: charles at September 28, 2005 08:19 PM
Also, wow. If that's how they act around markers, perhaps its best if the Mac I have for you stay here. Just let me know...
Posted by: charles at September 28, 2005 08:20 PM
But, but . . . I finally *did* use those hoarded scantron forms today! And, uh, that hidden set of textbook resources I inherited from a teacher who left last year -- ok, maybe I should release those back into the wilds of the department office, I keep forgetting they are even in my file drawer.
Though overall we are not too bad off for stuff. One of our principal's virtues seems to be an ability to get stuff.
And if I had the time, and knives that were actually sharp, I have thought about a knife skill class too! Ooooh, don't even want to think if any of my students could give me a few tips.
Posted by: cohort 6 fellow at September 28, 2005 09:07 PM
why do i have visions of G scurrying around the school with a hand full of markers, screaming "miiiinnnneee!!! you must give me back my precious!!!"......
Posted by: brian at September 29, 2005 01:26 AM
Welcome to Peace Corps all over again; where your innate values are at odds with those of your new host culture. It must be hard not to take this stuff personally.
It is also heartbreaking to see how chronic underfunding of our educational system have perverted the corporate culture in your school. You know that they aren't hoarding erasers at Haliburton.
I do hope that you are still reconsidering taking that knife course. Go for Liquid Measurements or cake decorating during the school year.
Posted by: Ron at September 29, 2005 01:34 AM
Paper Towels!
Posted by: Mr H.K. at September 29, 2005 08:41 PM
It's all true. This year my supplies fit inside a medium-sized paper bag. Come children, everyone gets one crayon!!
Something that irked me last year was that our "reimbursable" teachers expected to use all of my supplies. My paper, my dry-erase markers. Do they have any idea how expensive dry-erase markers are? No, because they don't have to buy them. That's three teachers every day sponging off of me. Don't even get me started on the "after-school" teacher who gets PAID extra to teach other teacher's students in my room, using my personal supplies.
Posted by: leon at October 5, 2005 05:15 PM