Okay, y’all. I just reached for my dental floss. Here I am trying to eat healthy, and a piece of granola gets stuck in my teeth. This never happens with chocolate! 🙂
Anyway, this simple action jogged my memory. Experiences in the classroom taught me that it’s wise to keep a stash of “just in case” items tucked away in a teacher closet, cupboard, or desk drawer. For example, I wear contact lenses, so I kept a contact case and wetting solution at school. I also had a pair of back-up specs. What about you? Tea bags? Snack bars? Headache relief medicine? A spare change of clothes? Slippers? Chocolate? What’s in your stash?
I don’t mean to be overly curious. But I think every teacher ought to keep a supply of “just in case” items—and Teacher Stash 101 isn’t a part of too many teaching programs!
It’s time to spill!
Diane
I am director at church preschool and the church staff always comes to me because they say that I always have anything that you could possibly need and yes, I can usually handle any request.
meds, toothbrush/floss/paste,antiperspirant,comb/brush/spray, hand lotion, lip gloss, mascara
oatmeal packet, fiber one bars in metal can to contain away from my tiny rodent friends
Slippers, flip flops, neutral sweater, fabric glue and safety pins, Downy wrinkle releaser
Twizzlers, cereal bars, hair ties. I think that’s about it!
I keep lip gloss, lotion, Tums, extra bandaids, etc. in my special box. A few years ago, when setting up a gift basket for my student teacher, a fellow teacher included items like those mentioned because we don’t think about those when we are putting together our desk.
Tea Bags, Hair Ties, Splenda, and home made granola bars or the like in a tin. That’s what I have!
I keep many of the things already mentioned, but I also keep a stash of inexpensive birthday gifts in case one of the children’s birthdays sneaks up on me.
fingernail clippers, tooth brush and paste, deodorant
Band-aids. For both me & the students. 😉
Tea bags, Splenda, paper plates, plastic spoons, almonds, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products.
In my fridge, I keep half and half and Propel.
I keep a stash of “just in case” lunch items…dry soup that only needs boiling water, crackers, granola bars, almonds(although this year i will eed to remove them as I have a student who has a peanut allergy), tea, cookies…..a spare sweater, t-shirt, socks, brush…..
I keep every kind of over the counter meds like tynenol and tums. Hand lotion, comb and brush and extra top. And of course extra tissues and band aids.
I have these items in my desk:
sewing kit, Advil, Tums, tweezers, nail clippers, emery board, extra batteries for my digital timer, flashlight, Shout wipes, travel-size deodorant, a back-up whistle for recess duty, saftey pins, bobby pins, , Tic-tacs, etc.
Bandaids, neosporin, advil, tums, chapstick, hairties, deoderant, tea, granola bars, chocolate
I can not believe no one said breath mints. Young children have no problem telling you your breath is bad. ha! Also, large caring bags for transporting so much stuff back and forth from school.
I keep extra everything in my room…headache medicine, shoes, boots, coats, mints, snacks, lunch stuff, antiperspirant, water, diet coke, hand sanitizer, lotion and more…
For my students I keep school supplies, snacks for those that miss breakfast, extra clothes and outer wear and comfort items like stuffed animals. I teach kindergarten-I guess I should mention.
I try to keep a little of everything in my room for myself and my students. After all, it is our home away from home.:)
I keep most of what has already been posted, hair clips, change of shoes, quick lunch items, tums, advil. I am glad to know that other keep these items and more on hand also.
Like Linda, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who keeps a supply of just-in-case items. Everyone in my building knows that if they need something, just ask Pat!
Lol…I am SO glad to see that I am not the only one who stashes ‘just incase’ items in my closet. I always have on hand the following goodies: tea bags/honey, plastic spoon & forks, granola bars and a few other snacks, bottled drinks (spring H2O and Life Waters), lotion, Tide to Go pen, acid reducer and Advil, fingernail file, polish remover, hand sanitizer, wipes, sweater and umbrella. It always seems like I have a ton of ‘extras’ but, lol, reading some of your comments I think I may be adding some additionals to my stash!;)
I keep a camp chair at work so when I go out on the playground with students I have a comfy place to sit. I keep deodorant in my purse, a brush, a small magnetic mirror, a pair of slippers, and a spare pair of flip-flops at work. My feet are in pain by the end of the day, so it’s nice to slip into something more comfortable! I have fingernail clippers and Tylenol in my purse too. I also keep dental floss and breath mints in my purse at all times! You never know when a parent will show up, and I always want to look and smell my best!
I am also the go to gal at my school. I always keep a little of everything in my classroom. You never know when life is gonna rear its untimely little face.
I don’t have to keep extra stuff . I live beside the school so I can run home and get what I need. But I do keep a few extra snacks and things for my kids,
I always keep an extra 2 days worth of pills. Our school said to practice this after we had the 9/11 emergency. You never know if we might have to spend the night in the building. Alot of our teachers also have extra food in our rooms. I have a small frig. and microwave. Always have popcorn!!!
I keep many of the same items as above but I also keep breakfast items such as instant oatmeal, cereal for one, granola and protein bars, tea and coffee for one bags, and a coffee mug. I always have bottled waters, and candy of some sort….for myself and friends, and some for the students’ treats. I always too have many pairs of glasses around. Just the magnifiers but I never know where I put them down!
Breath mints. They are always good to have in my desk. Saftey pens in case a student has a broken zipper or rip in his or her clothes.
I carry in my car at all times a canvas tote bag containing the following items in small or individual packages.
Aleve, tums, sewing kit, shout wipes, tide pen, wipes, toothbrush/paste/floss, antiperspirant, safety pens, hair clips/bands, off wipes, sunscreen, tissues, makeup, brush/comb, band-aides, medicated cream for scrapes, allergy meds., note pad/pencil/highlighter/pens, batteries (AAA/AA), lint roller, scissors, pocket knife, gum, mints, quarters, hand sanitizer, lotion, nail file/clippers, lysol spray, toothpicks, small cup, plastic spoons.
Sounds like a lot, but in small quanities, very doable. I take this in to school each day or anywhere else that I need to go and can’t return to my car easily.
This bag has saved my day, many times.
It rains in American Samoa! Has been lately and its always handy to keep an umbrella in the car and in my bag. Thanks to everyone who have commented. I will keep some granola bars, wipes in my drawer now that is a great idea. I do keep toothpaste, and toothbrush in my drawer. Oh, I do mouth rinse on hand. After lunch, its better for me to brush regularly as I feel better about myself. Cheers! Tui
I’m so glad someone finally mentioned those “extras” we all bring in. I always have some light popcorn, tylenol, advil, tums, immodium, water flavor packets, sweetener for tea /coffee as well as teabags. I also like to have granola bars for a pick-me-up. For my students I always have extra plastic forks and spoons, juice boxes, napkins, cheese and crackers and safety pins for when things need a quick fix!
Great ideas everyone. Another very useful item for both my colleagues and me is a toolkit. It contains a hammer, multiple-head screw-driver, needle-nose/wire cutter and regular pliers, a 50 ft measuring tape, and Allen wrenches. This is a compact kit from Sears and has come in very handy for more than 10 years!
I always like to have extra change in my drawer for students who forget their lunch money.