I hate how the end of summer turns into a “Back to School” season. It has somehow become entrenched in our culture that our kids need new things to go back to school.

Why?

We have a public school system that ensures that all of our children can get a quality education. (Stop laughing)

I’m a teacher and I am dedicated to my job and the students in my class. I provide for them the best I can with the small budget I am allowed from the school board.

I don’t want parents buying their kids any school materials. This includes,

pencils,
pencil crayons,
markers,
binders,
pencil cases,
rulers,
calculators,
workbooks,
planners,
etc.

These things should simply be provided. All of the students in my school receive an Agenda / Planner book that becomes a great communication tool between the school and home. Most schools seem to do this nowadays.

I use my small classroom budget every year to buy each student in my class a pencil case. I fill each pencil case with a box of crayons, a pencil, an eraser, and a small pencil sharpener. I also provide each student with a full-sized ruler.

Of course, textbooks and notebooks are also provided. I also provide a new pencil for each student on a weekly basis.

Here are a few things that parents can invest in however,

a backpack,
a reusable lunch bag,
a reusable water bottle,
indoor running shoes (a must for class time and gym)

I don’t want any of my parents to get sucked into the “Back to School” madness that seems to be taking hold of the media airwaves and store displays.

Kids in elementary school don’t need high-tech toys (learning materials) or flashy stationary items.

Personal story – A kid comes to class with a lot of the back to school paraphernalia. The kid beams with pride at having all this stuff. He looks around and sees that many kids don’t have the same stuff. This immediately distances him from others. Some students feel bad that they don’t have such luxuries. They make fun of him and purposely don’t include him in their recess play or class chatter. After a while, the kid hides or stops bringing out the new material because it feels like he is showing off.

This happens every year in my class. In spite of everything I try to do. Let’s try to avoid that this year. Stop the back to school madness. Please!