School Supplies

When I was in elementary school and high school, and even college, I loved going to pick out my school supplies. I loved picking up notebooks with fun and flashy covers and being able to determine which notebook would take the notes for which classes. I love the promise held in a clean notebook. I love the very idea of notes to be taken and thoughts to be thunk.

I love picking out pens as well. I really do. I can't use a pen if it doesn't feel right. I don't even like to use a pen if the ink isn't blue or black or purple, and I have a preference for which pens I like in which colors. Papermate Stick pens have to be blue. Bic Ultra Round Stick Grips pens have to be purple. Pentel RSVP pens (the big thick honkers) have to be purple or "violet". When I choose a pen with black ink, it's got to be a roller ball type pen, with ink that flows right on out and smears just a bit if you're not careful. I love the way they write on a sheet of paper. It's so determined and so permenant and almost...dare I say it...sexy.

One of the most wonderful things about being a teacher is that you get to pick out school supplies twice a year (at least, my school does). My school's on a tight budget but they'll buy any supplies you order at the end of the academic year for the coming year, provided it's from a particular company. I'm cool with that, because this company carries all my favorite pens, and I DO go through pens in my grading.

Right now I'm feeling positively decadent. I'm picking out PENS and PENCILS and ERASERS for the coming year. I'm finding all kinds of goodies in my catalog, including a battery operated pencil sharpener for my desk! Oh man...it'll be fantastic to have a pencil sharpener that doesn't rely on electricity and a cord for power.

What's fabulous is that I'm filling out my list now, but when I arrive in August I'll be able to check my supplies and determine what I need to buy, and I can't wait. I'm going to need to visit a store to get myself some folders, and I'm going to need at least 1 notebook for documentation (oooh, maybe one of those small Mead notebooks with the black and white marbled cover. I've always loved those).

School supplies always get me giddy. The one downside to not being a homeroom teacher is not being able to get protracters and birthday pencils and all that fun stuff that homeroom teachers get for their classrooms. Le sigh...maybe some day. For now, I've got my pens and my catalog to keep me company, and that's good enough for me!