Chapter 6 Make a “Wish List” (in progress)

Chapter 3 Make a Wish

The Librarian, Charlotte Hand had been at Foothill High School  for many years and was a great source for books and materials for a brand new teacher, she took me under her wing, and gave me the phone number and address for the school book depository.

Toward the end of the year she stopped me after school to suggest that I put together a “wish list” of all the books, materials, supplies and scientific equipment I’d need in coming years.

She said: “It’s not common, but from time to time principals will get an urgent call from the district office with instructions that a certain budget was ending and that it’s funding needed to be spent by tomorrow.”

Charlotte told me to make a list prepared in advance that could be given to the principle in minutes that included:

Name of the supply catalog

catalog number

price per item

number of items requested

phone number and address of supplier

There was something about her words and facial expression that felt like this was something I needed to do right away. So I did.  It took 4 hours to comb through science catalogs and type up my “wish list”.

Just before the end of the year Lillian Hagan, our principal announced at our morning faculty meeting that $10,000 needed to be spent by the end of the day, if anyone had any requests.

After the meeting I ran to my classroom, pulled my very detailed “wish list” from one of my steel filing cabinets and handed it to Ms. Hagan.

Monday I found a note in my teacher’s mail box that my $10,000 order for microscopes and science supplies was being processed. Other teachers sent lists to the Principal, but mine was the only one that had immediate executable catalog and supplier details before the end of the day. 

If you are new to teaching or haven’t heard this advice, take a few hours, make up a “wish list” just in case. Remember to include:

Name of the supply catalog

catalog number

price per item

number of items requested

phone number and address of supplier

Take an hour the first week of each school year to update your list in case thousands of dollars need to be spend expeditiously.

I’ve learned that school principals need teachers they can go to in all situations.  I wanted to be known as the “go-to-guy” if money needed to be spent urgently.