Ten teacher-related things I’ve bought since I got my job.
1. 60 books for my students.
2. A new pack of these pens. These are, without question, my MOST favorite pens in the whole world…
3. Great Books for High School Kids; A Teachers’ Guide to Books That Can Change Teens’ Lives.
4. A bunch of quotables magnets
5. Another copy of The Book Thief. I’m starting the novel with my I/II class later this week, and discovered that I’ve loaned my copy to someone but failed to put the borrower’s name in my geeky library software, so I had to go and buy another copy.
6. …. HUH! I guess I haven’t spent as much money on teacher things as I thought. Okay – the rest of this list is strategies I’m using to get myself organized. For starters, I’ve brought a bag full of sticky notes and binder clips to school. Homework assignments get a sticky note label and then get clipped together before going in the briefcase.
7. I have two briefcases, now that I think of it. One black leather – for Local U. – and an identical one done in camel tweed for CHS. Having the two separate – but similar – bags really helps me to keep the courses straight.
8. I have two classes at CHS, and each of them has its own folder in the above-mentioned tweed briefcase. The freshmen and sophomores are in a green folder (get it? Green? As in “new at this stuff”? I thought that was mighty clever), and the juniors and seniors have a red one (for no particular reason, now that I think of it. Maybe I’m not so clever after all…).
9. Mr. Chili designed a PDF of a lesson planning worksheet to my specifications, and that’s what I’ve been using (so far, with pretty great success) to map out my path for the week. I use the above-mentioned pens to color-code the different facets of the lessons; red for homework, pink for quick writing prompts, light blue for the main lesson, brown for the week’s objectives, and dark blue for the readings and handouts. I also throw in black for the daily reading time, purple for any special bits (like the weekly word on Mondays), and green for any hands-on activities. By the time I’m done with them, the planning sheets look quite festive!
10. OH! This one counts on both sides of the list; I bought myself a wire file box (much like this one, only in silver) to keep track of the materials I copy for the students. The box sits on my “desk” (which is in quotes because it’s not really MY desk; it just happens to be a place where I can put my stuff) and contains copies of chapters, peer editing guiding questions, great quotes, and Calvin and Hobbes cartoons.
Happy Tuesday, Everyone!
I have yet to figure out why office supplies make me giddy.
They do me, TOO!! Seriously? I could spend HUNDREDS in an office supply store. MUCH restraint is required…
I LOVE office supplies – I am a flair girl but might have to give your pens a try.
Finally, Pleeeeaaassee, email me your PDF.
Mwah
Those are my favorite pens as well. The book for books for kids is wonderful. I use it all the time.