Tuesday, August 25, 2009

This Just in...Classroom Teachers Hoard Furniture!

It's a little known fact to those outside the world of education that teachers have a tendency to hoard classroom furniture. That's because it takes so long to get an order from surplus, you've who knows when you'll get another one.

I think I put my first request in for two small book cases last May. I've been told that our district's new policy is to wait to send an order until a school has a moderate amount of stuff on hold. That sounds good in theory, since the school has to pay for each separate order. The only problem is that whatever is still left on the request form is now deleted from their system.

According to this new policy, since I did not receive my two small bookcases in the June delivery, my request was deleted. Luckily I heard about this new policy in time and was able to put in a new request for the next delivery. This time I put in for two small bookcases and two large bookcases. I figured that I'd have better odds of getting something if I put in for extra.

When I went to school last week (First Day Back) I asked the new secretary about the status of the surplus delivery. She said that due to school closures the surplus department had put a hold on all deliveries until August 15th...a little over three weeks before school starting. I knew there was little chance of me receiving even one bookcase at this point.

Before I went into my room yesterday I said out loud to S. ..."I'm going to set-up my room witho ut the bookcases. I can't plan around something I'm probably not going to get. " I walk into my classroom, and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but two small bookcases!

For over four hours I pushed old bookshelves into new locations, put new bookshelves on the opposite wall, drug 6 ft long work tables across the room and back again, until finally, I was satisfied. I could see it all coming together. My vision was coming into focus.

Just then, well actually, a half an hour before I left for the day, a delivery man strolls into my room. "I've got a bookcase for you," he says. "Actually, two of them." What else can I do but feign a smile and try to figure out where the hell I'm going to put two more bookcases.

Thanks Mr. Murphy's Law. I owe you one. :)

5 comments:

  1. See there, ask and you shall receive! sooner or later...
    By the way did you buy a lottery ticket this week :)

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  2. Clearly, it's time to order more books!

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  3. Do you know of any other teacher in your building that needs a bookcase or two? Maybe you could "pay it forward" to set up good karma for future classroom needs!

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  4. LOL! Too funny. If all else fails put them back to back in the middle of the room. Whatever you do, don't send them back!

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  5. I like your idea of a lottery ticket urbanite mommy!

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