I noticed this weekend that a lot of stores are starting to put back to school supplies onto their shelves. I could share with you my favorite pencils (Ticonderoga) and crayons (Crayola), but I have something more important to share. These are the school supplies to skip this year!
#1 Hand-held Sharpeners: The shavings always wind up all over the floor and NEVER in the teeny, tiny containers that are attached.
#2 Plastic Pencil Boxes: Stick with the zipper pouches! These plastic boxes tend to fall and scatter everything all over the place. Plus, the boxes take up so much room inside their desks!
#3 Scented Glue: It always starts out innocently, a little sniff here and there. But before you know it, they are licking it or putting it in their mouths. Just. Say. NO!
#4 Mechanical Pencils: These pencils seem like a good idea, but they are a nuisance. The lead breaks very easily or simply fall out. Also, it is probably one of the biggest distractions for students. I have seen them taking the lead out of the pencils ... putting it back in ... taking it back out ... and the cycle continues. Students also drop the pieces of lead all the time, and then, someone steps in it where it is... and it gets smudged all over the floor.
#5 Three-ring Binders: Several of my colleagues over the years have bought (or had donated) 3-ring binders for each student. There simply isn't enough room in their desks, and do you really want 18-22 binders taking up room on your shelves?
What should I add to this list for next year? Share your least favorite school supplies in the comments below.
Enjoy the rest of your summer,
