Getting Ready for School, the Teacher's Version

I know parents everywhere look forward to the start of school, but also dread it, knowing they will have to convince their children they do not need a lunchbox for every day of the week, and they don't have to have the $6 pen when the $.50 pen will do the same thing. (Knowing they'll lose it regardless of the cost).

Trust me, I understand your pain.

However, teachers get to do the same thing, but instead of getting one or two children ready for school, we have to get ready for tons of kids. As a middle school teacher, I will have somewhere between 110-165 kids, depending on what school and where it is located.

What many people don't know about teacher is all that stuff that makes our classroom so pretty when you visit on "Meet the Teacher" day, all the posters, all the books, all the everythings are the teacher's personal property. We bought and paid for it, with our own money.

Some things the school does provide. I have all the furniture provided (except I received one bookcase and I need about 5), all the textbooks the students use, and the technology to make my lessons interactive and engaging. Some schools provide some supplies... generally, at the beginning of the year, you get one pack of dry erase markers, a couple packs of paper, and 4 boxes of tissues... yes, a few more things, but 90% of it will be gone before "winter break."

Still, I bought the teacher resource books. I bought all of my classroom library books, all 1,000+. I bought all of the posters, and if you think those are cheap, a teacher's poster costs around $5 each, plus laminating, which can be up to $9 each poster.

Add all this to the fact we as teachers do not get paid during the summer, and you have yourself a big problem.

I know people everywhere are saying, "Teachers have it easy! They get two months vacation!" Well, yes. But we don't get paid during that time, so right about now, with school starting in a couple of weeks, we are really starting to feel the pinch of not seeing a paycheck since May. And I even have my pay deferred all year, so I get money at the start of summer to live through the summer.

But still. Knowing I start work on August 13th but won't see a paycheck until September 5th makes me nervous.

Still... I am very excited when I see kids in the store as I shop... I judge their age and then wonder if they'll be in my class.

And if they are, will they be one of my angels... or one of my knuckleheads.