…teachers wouldn’t be scavengers. Say what you will about the American education system, we do more with less. When kids have colds, we have Kleenex. When children need to color, we have crayons. When students need something to read or write upon, we have a book or paper to give away. Most schools do not adequately fund for teachers’ professional needs, and so we turn to Salvation Army, Goodwill or Unique Thrift Stores for supplies.

On a philosophical or disciplinary level, we’re justified for doing that. Education is the catch-all for where society has failed, and teachers are the frontline of that supply chain. Yes, it is humorous, how teachers horde material. Why not keep these broken crayons? We could melt them into animal-shaped molds, and draw habitat backgrounds for the classroom pet. Why not save the busted cowbell? I can use it for humorous transitions, or to call the cattle back in from recess.

But if teachers’ hording is a symptom of underfunded schools, our Yankee thrift is a survival technique for the educationally starved. Yesterday I purchased a $2.99 used book, The Grammar Bible, for the section it had on synonyms for “said,” for a future writing lesson. Are my students worth that small cost? I think they are. Should I keep the book, or save it for some other teacher, who might find another use for this already discarded book? Some would say no. I would not throw it away for the world.

Teachers may be scavengers. But we’re only that because society has undervalued our students’ education.