I brought my own supplies to work today, and it brought back memories of when I was in the classroom! I noticed that we were out of gray tempera paint here at The Mailbox, and I needed it to transform a paper plate into a hippo. (When I say things like that, it makes me realize how others might view my job as a little odd.) Yes, yes, I realize that I could just mix white paint and black paint to make gray, but I knew I had some gray paint at home. So I grabbed the gray acrylic paint from my craft room and brought it to work. My hippo project turned out very cute and will be in your upcoming June/July issue of The Mailbox magazine Preschool edition.
When I worked in a classroom, I used to bring in my own supplies all the time, particularly facial tissues. We were always running out of tissues, so I would grab a box from some random room in my apartment and take it to work. (Thus I would frequently run out of tissues at home and resort to using toilet paper to blow my nose.) I also remember grabbing tape, staples, napkins, paper plates, and lots of other supplies that I needed for my class. Fortunately, I had a lot of helpful parents who would bring in extra supplies. I even had a parent buy a circle-time carpet one year. My old rug was pretty sketchy and not just a little smelly.
What do you run out of—other than time and cheesecake?
tissue of course, paperplates for crafts, you name it I bring from home and goodness then I hit dollar stores and grab the goggley eyes and other supplies. My board allows me to purchase whatever I need and the parents always help too. But if I forget I just grab it and buy. I have even had to bring butter from home for cooking. A lot of people borrow supplies from work teachers supply their job. LOL
Plastic spoons! We eat lunch in our classroom, and it amazes me how many children bring fruit cups or pudding but no spoon!
Staplers! They grow legs and walk off or sometimes they just break! I am always on the look out for staplers at garage sales!
Scotch tape I’m always running out. Tissues too With 13 little ones noses are always running.