Job Discussion Forums

[sohniye]

Hello everyone,

Just a general question for those of you who are very serious (consider it a long term career) about teaching, materials, curriculum and such....

Have you or would you consider buying materials for your own classroom materials in order to enhance or otherwise be sure you could teach what you wanted to?

If you don't mind, what has your budget been? I am really racking my brain over if I should bring some materials with me to my next assignment or not. I would take anything I brought with me when I move along.

Cheers,

Sohniye

[Glenski]

Depends on what you mean by teaching materials. Blackboard? Nope. Graded readers for students? I've bought a few. Audio/Video materials? No, they're way too expensive, but I've gotten a few that I use sparingly, sometimes even as a sample. Reference books? Of course.

Helps to know one's work situation, too. Kindergarten, Elem Ed, JHS, HS, uni, business English school, international school, etc.

What my budget has been is dictated by the uni where I work.

[sohniye]

[naturegirl321]

I have. Especially if I plan on taking it with me. I find that you can get a lot online now though, or borrow from other teachers. If you're going to stay at a school for a while, try to get something new each year that will last over the years.

[tttompatz]

[nomad soul]

I've bought teaching aids for classroom use, keeping their portability, versatility, and of course, cost, in mind. My purchases were done while stateside, which saved me plenty on shipping. Like the other posters, I've also toted around a few of my own books and keep various printed materials on my laptop and on a portable, 250G USB hard drive. What would we do without technology!

[HLJHLJ]

I have some of my own reference materials, but in previous none EFL jobs I also sometimes worked with very young children. For those jobs I had a few of my own favourite children's books, (stories and rhymes), that I knew by heart, plus story boards I made myself. If I was working with that age group again, I'd dig them out and take them with me too.

[contented]

I've bought stuff for my classes and I take it with me when I change schools. Last summer, I was thinking of buying a portable laminating machine ($30 or less) because the lady in the copier room was slow as molasses. I would sometimes go to a copy shop and get my stuff laminated and pay out of pocket. But this year a new lady was hired and she's fast as lightning so I don't need the laminator now.

Also, check with the BC in your city and register with them online because you can get free stuff for your classes. The BC in my city sends out posters (3 or 5 at a time) and then I can put them up in the classrooms.

If you're working with little ones, then it may be a good idea to pick up some theme books (the ones that have templates and picture cards) and use as resouce books for projects. Evan-Moor (educational publisher) has e-books and e-pages that you can purchase online. It's nice because you'll have the whole book without the bulk. Also, they have some specials/discounts and free stuff for teachers.

And the cheap dollar stores (if you have one of those or something like it in your city) has things for teachers which can come in handy. For example: workbooks, stickers, border trim for bulletin boards, variety of decorations and other stuff. It's all cheap and won't take up too much space in a suitcase.

[Sashadroogie]

I buy plenty of my own resources, which I never leave in any school. But I would baulk at the thought of buying a laminator or whiteboard. These fall under the category of 'equipment' and I'd no sooner shell out for them than I would pay for the school's electricity. I suggest that other teachers need to do the same.

As for costs involved in buying books, hard to say. It has been a gradual process, but my library has amassed quite a few titles over the years. However, some books have been picked up for free from departing teachers no longer interested in the field. And remember, that there are lots of sites out there where you can download scanned copies of books before you commit to purchasing a hard copy.

I'd recommend not spending too much cash on books, as they are weighty as well as costly. Your new place of work should have the main items you'll need. If it doesn't, that would be a factor for me not choosing that place to begin with. A school with no books or resources? What more needs to be said about professionalism?

A portable hard-drive thingy will be more effective, certainly starting off.

In any case, Russia has plenty of EFL supply shops, Cambridge, Oxford, Pearson agencies etc. Though outside the big cities ordering may be slower than one would want, but not so hard as you may think.

[contented]

[Sashadroogie]

Sure, I see your predicament, but I still say it is a bad idea. Terrible precedent etc. Thin end of wedge. Let schools away with 30 bucks here or there voluntarily and pretty soon the school won't budget for new equipment at all. Or they won't let you use it...

[contented]

[spiral78]

For what they are paying the lady.....(lotsa copies!).

In any case, I'd personally LIKE to own a laminator

[Sashadroogie]

I have a laminator and it is indeed tres snob. I also have a scanner and photocopier, paper-cutter, a voice recorder, CD player, video player and camera. But, like my ref books, I didn't buy them for the benefit of the school but for my own private lessons and personal use. If a school won't provide basic materials or equipment, I feel no need to step in and fill their part in the organisational structure. Because strangely enough, if I asked the person in charge of purchasing to cover one of my lessons, I'd get the same refusal.

Materials are great to have, but let's not go overboard...

[contented]

[quote="Sashadroogie"]