Wednesday, July 16, 2014

The Killjoy of Summer...Back to School Shopping in July

So...today I thought I would get a jump on Back to School Shopping. It was a dreary sort of rainy Florida summer day and I needed an hour to step away from my computer and suck in that steamy humid air. As a classroom teacher I have spent thousands of dollars over the year on pencils, paper, and precious dry eraser markers--you name it! It is one thing that I do not missing since choosing to teach online six years ago. (That would be eight year, in "school years" for the teacher types out there and sometimes feels like dog years.)
(Here I am with one of my AP Government students! By the way she scored a five on the exam and she can make a mean cake!)

As I twisted and turned through the empty aisles I was so glad that I got an early jump on the Back to School craze. I feel lucky enough that I was able to get wheat I needed and that I did not have to plan out a budget. School shopping can be a major expense for families, not to mention the teachers who often absorb the cost of what parents cannot provide. "Christmas in July" has taken on a whole new meaning. Parents can wind up spending hundreds of dollars of school supplies. Perhaps I classify as a "mean mom" but last year my son collected classroom supplies at his birthday party (in lieu of gifts) for shared classroom use. Let's face it, our kids have plenty of junk-ola why not ask for Crayola for all of the school chums to share. (Disclaimer: No, I am not a communist.)

In closing, this begs the question, what was the weirdest item on your Back to School list year? Did the teacher request name brand school swag?