Well, my vacation is just about over. As usual, I didn't do anything I had planned to do during my time off. A part of me is looking forward to returning to work....a part. : )
Today I finally got around to cleaning my living room floor. I finally swept, washed, and waxed the middle part of the floor. Now, I just have to do the hallway floor. I also have to put up the new shower curtains, then my apartment is as clean as it is going to get until next summer. I am happy that I will be starting the school year with a (relatively) clean apartment.
I was just transferring the photo of my back to school shopping trip purchases when I came across photos of my apartment taken July 5, 2010 (the start of this summer). If I get around to it, I might do a before and after series for the different rooms of my apartment. Now that it's clean, I don't mind. Hopefully, I'll never let it get that bad again. I hope.
Anyway, I went shopping for some back to school materials. Usually, I go to a store in Brooklyn, but I discovered that a larger store is located near me. It turns out the travel time to the teacher supply store near me is about an hour one-way on public transportation (not including waiting time). The store in Brooklyn is about 2 hours one-way on the subway.
I settled on attaching a photo of the books I purchased at the teacher's store. I'll save the "messy room" photos for another time.
4 comments:
Wow. That's a lot. Does your state or district reimburse you for some of what you spend? For example, in Utah, the state allots about $200.00 of funds for public school teachers to spend on supplies.
But you've been teaching for a while now, so I'm surprised you needed so much new stuff. Aren't you able to reuse things from previous years?
Hello Paperback. Yes, here in NYC, we have a reimbursement program called "Teacher's Choice". Due to budget cuts, we are lucky to have it this year. This year teachers will be reimbursed for $150.
Need? I suppose "need" is relative. Each year, I spend because each previous year was nothing like I wanted it to be. Last year(for example), my goal was to work smarter not harder, but I failed. Last year was going to be the year I got organized. I failed there as well. Last year I spent a lot to have center activities for the students, that was a failure as well(the merchendise was of a fairly cheap quality -- that surprised me).
This year knowing the failures I've endured last year, my goals are the same, but with the hope that history won't repeat itself....again.
Oh, I see. You're constantly trying new things.
And I"m sure that elementary teachers need a bigger variety of stuff than junior high teachers do. For example, I don't have to change my bulletin boards as often and some of my posters stay up all year. Also, a lot of my Shakespeare posters are actually student-made and of informative quality. You can't really do that with little kids.
Utah has for decades spent the least in the nation per pupil, so I suppose some of that seeps into our teacher consciousness and a lot of us tend to be very frugal. I'd say that 75% of my classroom library came from thrift shops and library discards.
True. Elementary teachers do need a bigger variety than junior high. For example, we are expected to change bulletin boards approx. each month. Frugality isn't limited to Utah. Colleagues at my school often look shocked when I mention how much I spend; a few won't spend a penny more than the reimbursement. Actually, I do go way overboard with my classroom spending. I need to stop spending so much. I've already spent over$1,000 for this year, and school hasn't even started yet. AND, there are items I still need to buy (like a classroom number line).
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