Classroom Management & Discipline Special Times in the Year
Just like adults, children of all ages need sufficient quantities of good-quality supplies if they’re going to do their best work.
At the start of the year, teachers (or schools) often give out lists of supplies for each family to purchase for their child. Many parents enjoy getting materials for their child, but these “private stashes” can leave some children with inferior supplies and cause bickering and hurt feelings when children lend supplies only to certain classmates. I’ve found that switching to a community supply system—all supplies are shared by everyone—makes for a much more peaceful classroom. Here are a few guidelines on making the switch to this way of handling supplies:
Some parents may be confused or even upset if there isn’t a list of supplies to get for their child. Early in the year, send a note or email to each family to let them know how supplies will be handled in your classroom.
I’ve found that parents are very understanding if I explain my reasons for having community supplies: This system helps foster a sense that the classroom and everything in it belong to everyone; it helps children learn how to share and cooperate; it cuts down on competitiveness and one-upmanship; and it ensures that all children have what they need.
Create a wish list of needed supplies so that if families want to do some back-to-school shopping for the class, they’ll know what to get. Ask each family to donate a quantity of one type of supply—pencils, markers, glue sticks, etc.—for the whole class to use.
Gently explain, though, that to be fair to the other children, special supplies will have to stay at home to be used for project work done there.
Try using one of the websites set up to link classrooms needing supplies with interested donors. Here are two:
Mike Anderson is a Responsive Classroom consultant and author of several books, including three in the What Every Teacher Needs to Know series.