Confession Time

I have a confession to make. 

It’s not something I’m especially proud of, but I have to get it off my chest.

At this point, it’s become kind of a habit. 

People are depending on me and I don’t want to let them down.

I take pens. 

Yes, I take pens to use in my classroom. Not for me, for the students. 

The school-supplied pens are terrible, they’re as likely to tear the paper as they are to leave any writing on it, so I’m always on the hunt for free pens.

You know how certain businesses have pens available for their customers? Promotional pens - it's about the lowest form of advertising. Yes, those. I take those pens. 

I have identified a number of businesses in my town that make pens available as a courtesy and I regularly take a couple every time I go there. I have actually chosen which businesses and offices to use, based on their supply of free pens.

Banks, insurance agents, my dog’s vet and more. Businesses all over town.

Last summer, on vacation, we stayed in several hotels and I scooped up about twenty-five pens along the way. I bought two new cars last summer - yup, I every time I saw a pen at the dealerships, I picked it up. When we went to the Invitation 2 Innovation event at the Tsongas Center, I saw a table with free pens - I took as many as I could get my hands on. 

If you’re borrowing a pen in my room it might have almost anything written on it.

It’s just one of those things you do as a teacher - take pens for your students to use.