Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Student's and Paper

I love working at my new school.
I was at a horrible school last year. When students were difficult everyone would just complain about them, and tell you not to stress about it. Administrators would tell the teachers that they were being selfish and accuse us of hording paper. Each teacher was given 2 reams of copy paper at the beginning of each month. If we ran out we were told we were dittoing the students to death. I have heard this year there is no paper given to teachers, they have to bring their own.
This year (at my fabulous new school) one grade level was having a lot of behavior problems. The grade level team and the Instructional Support Teachers (this school has fantastic IST's, I never knew they could actually be so helpful!) came up with a positive behavior reinforcement system. Everyone is working together to make changes, for the benefit of the students and teachers! When teachers need to make copies, we just go make them! There is paper in the machine and when you run out there are drawers full of it in the same room.
This situation may sound strange, a school without paper? A teacher so excited about paper being in the copy machine when ever she goes to use it? It still amazes me how a simple thing like working with a positive staff and not having to worry about paper can make my job so much more enjoyable.

1 comment:

Ms.March said...

Yay! I too, have had to deal with paper rationing and buying my own paper - so I totally understand what you're talking about. Sometimes it IS the smallest things that seem to make the biggest differance. I truely sounds like your last school was a nightmare! I'm so glad you like your new one!