Yes, OP, enforce consequences.
No stravaiging around the classroom chatting and borrowing stuff off each other.
Organize a pop quiz at the beginning of class. No pencils? Too bad - 0. One round of that and they will remember. Of course, you'll have apoplectic parents to deal with as well

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have a hunch it's not the parents' faults. It's the dumb kids who are forgetting/losing/not keeping track of/leaving them in their lockers/etc. their notebooks/pens/pencils/etc. The dubm high schoolers are probably paying more attn. to where their Iphones/Ipods/etc. are than the "boring" ol' pens and pencils.

Just a thought. . .

I think so, too.

OP, my mom is a teacher and I'm also a parent so I've seen and heard your frustration from both ends.

It's not unusual for parents, at a certain point, to put responsibility for those basic things on their kids and expect them to live with the consequences. If my child showed up in your classroom without a pen, I wouldn't expect you to provide one. I'd expect that my child would need to borrow from a friend, or hope there wasn't a pop quiz since she'd be getting a zero that day.

My house and my child's desk have no shortage of supplies needed for school. I no longer on a daily basis ask "Do you have pens? Did you pack your notebook? Do you have your lunch money?" Somewhere around middle or early high school, I believe it's time for kids to learn self-responsibility and consequences for those actions or inactions. I'll help her come up with strategies for remembering, but am not going to do it for her.

I know it makes your life more challenging, but please don't facilitate my child's irresponsibility by handing her pends and paper and what-not.
Thank you for caring so much, the fact that you are frustrated means you are a teacher that cares, and I appreciate that.

Anonymous wrote:why aren't you using the ipad to teach instead of pencil

Thiis a joke right?

why aren't you using the ipad to teach instead of pencil

OP, I am sorry you have to deal with irresponsible kids and uncooperative parents. You shouldn't have to deal with that. I can't imagine anyone thinks that the teacher should be buying supplies. But the truth is, I don't think you are doing the kids in favors by providing what they don't bring themselves. I am a college professor and occasionally someone asks if I have extra pens or paper and I say no and they don't ask again. The only way to teach them that it is their responsibility is to make it their responsibility. I get that there is a little more handholding in high school than college but I think you are doing too much. Make the expectations clear. If they don't have a tissue or hand sanitizer, let them suffer the consequences even if it means wiping their nose on their sleeve. If they don't have a pencil call them out on it. I am not a fan of public humiliation and I am never cruel to my students but I think you can't let kids get away with wasting your and their class time.

Kids in this country, especially, in public schools, have no disciplines. They steal things (= "borrow" but never return them) from their peers and get no punishment. Elementary schools are not so bad, but middle schools, high schools AND colleges.. Most have little sense of ethics. So sad.

~ Someone who was born and raised in a country with a high degree of civility and ethics.

OP here, My DD is in middle school. I do not pack her book bag for her, but she has a plenty of everything she needs to put in it. I also know if she left the house without a book bag I would ask where she was going! Many of my students get on and off of the bus w/o a book in sight and that is a problem. I do give consequences in the classroom, but when the parents reaction is less about why are you coming to class w/o a pencil? But instead " I do not think that it is that big of a deal...or” why can't your teacher supply you with pencils"? Then we have a problem. I love my students and they know it. I have called home and sent home messages and some parents respond by making sure the student has supplies. Others do not and those are the ones whose kids have the most expensive electronics at school and no supplies. It is frustrating.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have a hunch it's not the parents' faults. It's the dumb kids who are forgetting/losing/not keeping track of/leaving them in their lockers/etc. their notebooks/pens/pencils/etc. The dubm high schoolers are probably paying more attn. to where their Iphones/Ipods/etc. are than the "boring" ol' pens and pencils.

Just a thought. . .

Yup.

Teacher: how old are your kids that you pack their back packs with supplies? I would never do this for a high schooler (nor beyond 1st grade). Maybe your students need consequences for being unprepared for class?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, at what age did you realize that you know better than parents? When did know that you were entitled to chastise parents for causing classroom management problems (that your professional training apparently didn't equip you to handle)? Did you feel happy on that day, or merely superior?

OP here, first of all my classroom management is not an issue; the issue is having kids come to school w/o the basics ALL the time! As a PARENT who sends her child to school with an entire case of pencils, pens, highlighters and whatever else she needs. I do find it annoying to see kids with iPhones, iPods and chargers AT SCHOOL, but the same kids never have a pencil or pen! Judging by the tone of your post, I must have hit a nerve, perhaps you are one of the parents I am talking about.

Anonymous wrote:OP, at what age did you realize that you know better than parents? When did know that you were entitled to chastise parents for causing classroom management problems (that your professional training apparently didn't equip you to handle)? Did you feel happy on that day, or merely superior?

WTH?

Anonymous wrote:OP, at what age did you realize that you know better than parents? When did know that you were entitled to chastise parents for causing classroom management problems (that your professional training apparently didn't equip you to handle)? Did you feel happy on that day, or merely superior?

OP, at what age did you realize that you know better than parents? When did know that you were entitled to chastise parents for causing classroom management problems (that your professional training apparently didn't equip you to handle)? Did you feel happy on that day, or merely superior?

Anonymous wrote:OP, I have a hunch it's not the parents' faults. It's the dumb kids who are forgetting/losing/not keeping track of/leaving them in their lockers/etc. their notebooks/pens/pencils/etc. The dubm high schoolers are probably paying more attn. to where their Iphones/Ipods/etc. are than the "boring" ol' pens and pencils.

Just a thought. . .

+1