One of my big pet peeves is when students miss time in my class for sometimes silly, little things. To be fair, I'm okay with kids getting a drink or using the bathroom once they finish their work and we're not going over it yet. But sometimes kids are just kids and for some reason or another, they have to get up, or take care of something. And it's always at an inconvenient time and usually disrupts class. Over the years I have supplied my room with items that allow students to take care of their problems without leaving the room, or at least minimizing their time away.
I know this is odd, but I really like that my classroom is very close to the bathroom, and they designed it so that the sinks are outside, so if a kid has to go to the sink, they can actually still hear me teach. I mean, as long as the 2 other teachers who are closer are not teaching as well, they can. And the drinking fountain is nearby, but not so close they can hear me, but it cuts down on the time they are away. Except that most of the students hate that fountain because it has low water pressure. But still, in theory, that helps cut down on time that they are away. There are times I will deny a kid the chance to go to the bathroom or get a drink, simply because we're in the middle of something important.
So, on to what I really want to talk about: my supplies. I learned quickly to keep my own stash of band-aids. I have to replenish it once or twice a year, but they're great for all the paper cuts and such. I keep a Tide-to-Go pen. Doesn't help so much during class, but I get regular enough requests for it that it's worth having around. I have saline solution. Funny story, a kid was complaining about his eyes burning after swimming. I played nurse and used the saline solution like eye drops and the burning stopped for 20 minutes. Not a permanent solution, but enough to sooth his eyes while I taught. I keep, ahem, feminine products. Easy for a female teacher to do, not so much for a male teacher. I invest in the nice, soft tissues. I buy them in bulk. In the winter, I go through a box every two days because sick kids, who I don't even teach anymore, come to my room and grab a handful of them. "They're so much better than the school's tissues." You know, the cheap, thin, scratchy ones? Torture on a sore nose. I have hand lotion, which I should probably use more often myself, as my hands get dry in the winter, then I get more paper cuts and I have to use the band-aids. I keep device chargers and I do let the kids use them, but the rule is the phone has to be up front and silent. I own both Android and Apple devices, so I have both sets of cords (though just the lightning cord for Apple, so older devices are out of luck.) But super helpful since our freshmen all have iPads and some don't always remember to recharge them at night.
I have the usual school supplies of paper, pens, pencils and cap erasers. Yes, cap erasers. High schoolers are obsessed with them. I keep the paper in two places in my room. Some classes will have the person closest to the box by the windows grab a pile and pass it around during class activities. Lazy but efficient, and cuts down on movement. Crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, masking tape, and for study halls, rulers and calculators. Although I'm down to 1 ruler. The cheap ones break easy. I keep my tape dispenser and stapler out on my desk, which they can use WITH PERMISSION (have you seen a kid empty a new role of scotch tape trying to patch up a three ring binder? Waste of time and tape.) The electric pencil sharpener is convenient, though some students need to work on the timing of its use.
I have practical items that might not be useful for class, but occasionally have been used. An English dictionary is great for debates, and sometimes we use it to discuss word origins. I have a map of the world, not just Latin America or Spain. Then again, I'm a geography nut and some of my students are too. But it's good for discussing world events, even if it's not really Spanish related. I can always cite NYS LOTE learning standard 2: Cross cultural awareness. Nothing says I'm limited to Spanish speaking countries!
Of course, I keep a few things hidden for myself. I benefit from the use of pretty much everything I have for the students. A manicure set has been my favorite recent addition. I break my nails so much during class, so clippers and a file are nice to have handy. I also have a secret chocolate stash. And Tylenol. Because, come on, as much as we love our students, sometimes you just get a headache!
