Is It Me or Did the School Supply List Get Longer?

Alright parents, it is that time of the year when you must buy school supplies for your child(ren). Many states are offering Tax Free Weekend, so be sure to take advantage of it and stock up on supplies, shoes, and uniforms. However, every year without fail I hear parents complain about the school supply list getting more and more demanding. As I walk down the aisles of Walmart and Target, I hear parents ask themselves,”Is this really necessary for my child to have at school? It seems like I’m buying supplies for the whole class versus just my child. I mean who needs that much construction and copy paper?” Long are the days when it use to be simple things that were being purchased for school like pencils, markers, erasers, notebooks, folders, and either wide or college rule paper. It seems like now the classroom is asking for more.

The truth of the matter is yes you are buying supplies not only for your child but to assist your child’s teacher with supplies for the class. Now for many parents it is not a big deal but for some they may see it as unfair. As an educator with 12+ years of experience, every extra supplies that was brought and given to me went a long way. On the average teachers spend between $500-1500 on school supplies and some of that they can’t write off in taxes. Then there are students whose parents can’t really afford all the school supplies on the list, so the extra help cover those students. The classroom is a community and not an individual setting.

As the world changes and the classroom setting becomes more and more demanding, so will the school supply list. Please know that each teacher is truly grateful for assisting them in providing for their classroom. It takes the stress off of them in having to buy all those supplies and in return be able to focus more in the classroom and provide for students that might be in need.  Even through the school year, teachers continue to need supplies, especially PENCILS!

Don’t look at the list as a burden but more as a way of giving back to your school. A little help goes a long way for every teacher.

#Inspire #Connect #Empower # Teacherlife