“10 Things Every Teacher Needs”… Apparently

A stationery supplier promises “ten things every teacher needs in their classroom”—but how well do these lists match the reality of UK schools?

We’re Ben and James, two secondary teachers, and in this episode we use this ambitious countdown to explore what classroom essentials really mean. From budget pressures to the little day-to-day systems that keep teachers afloat, we talk about what actually makes a difference in classrooms.

We also dig into assumptions about classroom environment and learning, challenging the idea that more colour or more displays automatically improve focus—especially for learners with SEND.

Join us for honest, sharp-edged teacher talk, practical insights, and a few laughs along the way. Subscribe, share with a fellow educator, and leave a review to help other teachers discover the show.

Transcript

Handkerchiefs And Head Coverings

SPEAKER_01 0:20

Why are you blowing your nose? We started recording and then you just got a handkerchief out, which feels like my granddad from the nineteen eighties. It's a strange one the handkerchief thing. I didn't see you as a man with a handkerchief. I've always been a man with a handkerchief. I've been aware most of my adult life that it's an unusual thing. It is unusual. I've just noticed it. Um but I must have seen you do it before. Yeah, well, it's but it's something I've had like my father, I think. Like my father before me. I carry a handkerchief. Wow. I d I don't know if it's a family tradition. Maybe it's a but useful, much like we use the Swiss Army knife of recorders. The the pocket handkerchief is in many ways the Swiss Army knife of materials. Because but my I'm half Indian. Has that got something to do with blowing your nose? No, but it has got something to do with handkerchiefs. Right. Not I I don't pardon my ignorance. Well, it doesn't and it does. Uh my father i i was born in India. He's lived here his entire life. And he's not a religious man. He's not a religious man, my dad, but um he comes from a family of Sikhs. He he was brought up as a Sikh. Right. And we used to, I mean, he he always did as a child, and then when we went back to visit his parents, would go to the Gudwara, the Sikh temple. Yeah. And when you go in there you have to cover your head. Now that's easy for a Sikh man, usually, because they wear a turban. Yes. But um my father, as I say, he's not practicing Sikh, so he doesn't wear a turban, he's got quite short hair. So what he used to do was tie his handkerchief on his head. Uh like uh sensitive character out of the forties. Yes, like a knotted handkerchief. Goodness me. And he'd make me do it uh as a small child. More vision that must have been, you and him with knotted handkerchiefs on you. Right, and as a small child, obviously I didn't realise what a ridiculous look that is. Um then I was older, um I used to have to go to weddings and things. People, my cousins, second cousins, well, family tends to be a little bit closer in in Indian circles, so people who are second cousins are you sort of view as your cousins and I haven't got a clue who my second cousins are. No, not on I'm generally on my on the on the English side of my family, because I am only half Indian. I don't really know my second cousins on that side, but I do know my second cousins on the on my Indian side. And when they started getting married, they they a bit more traditional than m me and my cousins were sort of very westernized, but my some of my second cousins are still very much um part of that culture, so they would get married in a traditional um Sikh wedding. So I'd have to cover my head. But I was a teenager and I was became the knotted handkerchief. Well, I was absolutely not prepared to wear a knotted handkerchief on my head as a teenager. I was well aware that uh that wasn't wasn't a look I wanted to support. So I started wearing a bandana. Um you dress in a kind of you know, formally dressed for a wedding and then I'd have a bandana on my head. But that was far more acceptable to me than a than a knotted handkerchief. Probably best get on with the show then, eh? I think so.

Show Intro And The Register

SPEAKER_01 3:15

Welcome to Ben and James Could Do Better, a show that claims to be about education, but which potentially has more questionable credentials than a PE teacher teaching math. As always, we need to start with our register, although it's fast becoming a regrettable trope because there's only so many ways we can make this funny. Although in all honesty, we haven't actually found any of them yet. So it's possibly still worth plugging away. Um I'm James, and I'm as present as poor quality instant coffee in a school staff room. But let's see if Ben's here. Ben It's in the S C N D department. There's always a kid, isn't there, who calls out that the person. You know, this is all supposed to be fairly confidential. Somebody calls out where they are. Yes, that I quite like it when I'm he's sick, sir. Sick. Yeah. From from the S CND department bit, I quite like it because obviously I am the school center. I I know. And if I'm covering a lesson and someone calls that out, and they often do, I I know that's not true. So that's that's quite fun. Um anyway, um before we plow on with the the main bit of the show, uh, and you'll enjoy this one, this list, this week, Ben, I'm sure. I'm

Postcards And Questionable Cat Art

SPEAKER_01 4:39

sure I will. Um tradition dictates that uh we uh we have a postcard. Oh yes, absolutely. I can't wait. Well, I've I've run Reading Museum dry in terms of postcard availability. That is a shame because they they were the gift that I thought was going to keep on giving, but obviously. No, I mean I went in there, but all the postcards they had were were far too tasteful for any. That's a bit of a disappointment. I went on the Amazon, I don't know if you're familiar with it, it's uh quite a popular online retailer. Yes. Uh some people use. And I bought like a job lot of postcards that are sort of quite generic. I'm always disappointed with everything that I order from Amazon though. Yeah, well, hopefully we'll be disappointed with these. I've not looked at them yet. I've just got this packet I've opened. Don't you get that rush though, if you're a player you think, oh, I'll have that, and I'll say maybe I'll have that as well. And then every time it comes, I'm thinking, why did I? Yeah, I think you've got the deal of the century, and it's in fact it's not, is it? No. Anyway, let's let's hope on this one that. So this is a bit of a blind pick out of the packet. Okay. But uh I've gone with this one. Actually, that is that is good. Do you want to have a have a quick look at that? Right. What have we got there, Ben? Right. It's it's it's got a picture of two tabby cats in boxing gloves. I don't understand it. What's it for? I mean, um well the good news is now we have we've got a website that goes with this podcast. I think I'm just gonna have to post these on the website. I think so. So how's your week been then, Ben?

Marco Pierre White And Whisper Cooking

SPEAKER_01 6:08

Well, um I've got to confess to something, really. What what are you what are you confessing to? Um I'm my name's Ben, and I'm addicted to Oh dear. Um a new but it's not new actually. It's called the BBC Maestro series. Okay, this has gone in a direction I wasn't expecting. Well, no, no, no. I wasn't expecting this. What's worrying is I was actually expecting a much darker direction than this. Well, you keep that to yourself if you don't mind. Um but no no, I've uh I cannot stop watching as many clips as I can of Marco Pierre White. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I he's helping to change my life in many ways. Marco Pierre White's helping to change your life. Well, yeah, you you go along uh thinking you're getting to you find a recipe for a nice sort of bulky tomato sauce, and you come away sort of contemplating your own existence and the universe. It's it's quite something. I I recommend it to anybody.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

I'm not gonna try and impress you. That's all my stuff. What I'm gonna do is make something which is possible. I'm gonna do it the Italian way.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

Why is he whispering? He whispers all the time. It's a mixture. I mean, to sum it up for people who haven't seen it, and I'm I'm hoping Marco will like this because I'm I really like him. Well you've met him, haven't you? Yeah. Well, in in the toilet in his restaurant, yes, I do. Uh and he was a very nice man. Right. Uh but there's a mixture of sort of uh broadcasting whispering and a bit of crystal salt. Which he likes to um which he likes to uh put upon the food from about uh I don't know, half a metre above head height, if you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_00 7:54

Just a little crystal salt.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

And then he he he always gets finishes every meal, it doesn't matter whether it's uh uh a meringue dish or you know, uh pate de foie grand caviar, he finishes it with some some sorted herbs, some crystal salt. It's absolutely amazing. It isn't is he specific about the herbs or are they No no no fresh, just fresh. Yeah, yeah, just to fresh, freshen it up. Okay. He will do quite complicated things and go, it's as simple as that. And I I enjoy it. I enjoy it and uh butter makes everything taste better. Yeah, well, there we are. So that's that's that's what I've been doing. I've been getting into that alongside obviously working in a school. Yeah, okay. And yourself? Uh thank you for asking. Um I thought I'd be a bit more proactive this way. Well, it's good of you. Um largely this week.

Our Awkward Social Media Push

SPEAKER_01 8:45

Um, so in terms of our journey in in in the making of this podcast, we we've sort of, you know, we've mastered a lot of the technical side of it. What we haven't necessarily mastered is our online presence. No. So I've been uh I've been playing around with the social media, I've been building our profile on various platforms. I think what we've realised between us this week is that we should have built the profile before we recorded any of this. Potentially, yes. I mean, currently we have very few followers. Maybe six. Uh maybe six. Uh which is m possibly six more than we deserve. Yeah. I'm sure some would say that, yeah. Quite quite pleased actually with six. We've not got many followers yet, but uh if somebody can help us, that'd be it may be that there's someone listening to this that takes pity on us. Yeah. Two middle-aged men who don't know their way around social media. Anything. We're not the right generation for it. I've realised this, and I and I've realised this some years ago, actually, that with social media, there's a younger generation who are now not that young actually, the sort of millennials as they as they were known, possibly still are known, who are now not that young at all, because we're now into sort of generation Z, the zoomers, who are the young people, and even even they're getting a little bit older now. But we're sort of generation X, you and I, and we're sort of uh we got we were a little bit too old when the sort of social media really took off. Yeah, definitely. Um, but we were too young to kind of get into it as old people, if you like. Because what I noticed was that young people were really into it, who are now maybe sort of you know in their 30s, but w when when it all came out when I was in my 30s or even my twenties, they were teenagers, right? And they got they got into it, but also people who are a lot older, that's the boomers, if you like, got really good into it. In the 60s and 70s started going to night school, didn't they? Yeah, and sort of learning as it. But our generation, we we just didn't really get a handle on it. I still I still don't. And I I mean I don't really like it to be honest with you. Don't no, I don't like it, but we've got to start liking it. Yeah, please, please. Look, I don't know how it all works, but I do know that we've got a billion social media channels now, and there are ways of getting in touch with us. And we haven't got a follower between them. No, so if you're listening to this and you'd like to be part of this show, and why wouldn't you? Absolutely. Use our social media channels. We might check them, we might learn how to use them. Then if you say something that's better than what we're saying, and let's be honest, it's a low bar, you'll be featured on on Bet and James Could Do Better. Yes. What an honour that would be. Imagine that. I know. Being on this show. I know. That I can't even believe I'm on it. Right, anyway, should we go on with uh today's episode? Yes, please, please. Uh uh, we've got a lot to get through. I've been online

Hunting For Evidence Online

SPEAKER_01 11:20

again. Uh that's always feels dangerous to me. I've been online because I think this uh uh we need some guidance. Uh what we need guidance on this week is um well, if you are a teacher. Yeah. Because we've got yeah, we we're in the classroom, we've got that job. You've you've got it, you've made it into the classroom. Yeah. Well, you're there now. What do you need in that classroom? Gosh, that's that would be really helpful because help lots of people with this. A lot of people. So I thought, well, you know, actually, because it's not it's not obvious. No, and we don't just want, you know, whatever's in your brain to be coming out. No, that's no good. We can't use my brain for this, or my years of experience in a classroom. No, no, no, no. Or your years of experience in a few years. Who wants to listen to that? We've got to have some we've always been told to back it up with evidence, yeah. So evidence, get some do some research. I've gone on to a stationary supplier. Right. Now I'm always cautious when it's not sort of a government agency or some, you know, whether I should be naming them because uh I did with that supply agency a few weeks ago, and then I find myself editing it out uh with a with a bell sound. Um I'm not gonna say their name, I'm just gonna say they're a stationary supplier. Right. But they're quite a big stationary supplier. I think so. I don't know if we use them, um, but some We do. We do. We do. They're the stationary supplier. Yes. Yeah, so it's probably not that hard to work out who they are, then. They've got a tagline which says schools, we get you. Right. Excellent. So Well, that's the kind of company I want to be referencing. Yeah, absolutely. So and they've given us a list of ten things, ten things that every teacher needs in their classroom. Oh, so they've they've sort of um That's good because they're trying to understand their audience. Absolutely. And I mean Because obviously mainly teachers are doing the ordering. I know I know that hardworking people in the office actually process and do the ordering, but teachers are receiving the catalogue or looking online and doing the ordering. Well, I mean so so it it's only fair that that company has done a bit of research on education. So they they've probably commissioned something, I suppose, have they? No, we've got we've got to be clear, you know. We're talking about secondary schools, the teachers are not gonna hold any budget here, they're gonna need to go to their head of department, yeah. You know, but this is what you need to be asking your head of department for, or your your hod. This is what you need to be asking your hod for. Or hoff. Or yeah, head of faculty, of course. Yes, I forgot I was with one of those people. Um, ten things that every teacher needs in their classroom. And it's a stationary supply, so it's always gonna be a little bit boring, it's just gonna be stationary, but nonetheless. So so it's probably less sort of, you know, we're not gonna have some of those sort of mad ideas we've had in previous episodes, but just it's just gonna be a boring list of stationary. I'm taking a bit of a risk here, Ben. I don't know how we're gonna find any anything funny to say. Right, so so some of these things will be fairly obvious and you know, things that you you know. Uh, but if you want to get that order in, if you want to get that form filled in and signed off by your your Hod or Hoff, these are the things so number one, what do you mean? Pens, pens, is it, or something like that? Look, let's not pre-empt the list. Okay, the list is gonna be. I'm just thinking students have never got pens, have they? So they're not anything. Well, look, you know, maybe the students bring their own pens, and let's not, you know, although this does say for teaching, it doesn't say for secondary teacher, does it? It says for teacher teacher. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, we've already talked about the difference between primary and secondary in the previous episode. Perhaps pens would be useful for some of the other primary students to yeah. Anyway, look, let's see what they've got as number one. Okay.

Tablets And Other Budget Fantasy

SPEAKER_01 14:44

Uh so what you need, number one, uh, a classroom set of tablets. Yes. A classroom set of tablets. What 30 iPads? Or something like that. Uh shoving. Well, they're not talking about parasitimorph. No. No, I didn't think they were. Look, students have endless access to this is what it says. Students have endless access to valuable information. This is ridiculous. Do they even sell iPads? I don't know. I mean or Samsung equivalent. So a stationary suppliers, first idea on the list of ten is that we should get a class set of IT. Yes. No, that that seems a relatively easy thing to sort out, surely in this. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. A few ticks of a scribble of a pen. What capitation budget in any school is going to extend? I mean, you're lucky if you've got a couple of grand, aren't you? You were lucky in a big secondary school. Yes. You're lucky if you've got, you know, a couple of grand, a bit more if you're perhaps a core subject or something like that. But none of it is going to extend to a class set of tablets, is it? I mean, that's quite a lot of tablets for the whole school to have now I think about it. Just we're going to do some sums now. Let's just say, you know, I'm not talking about our school or any, you know, because there's not schools. Schools, secondary schools are all different sizes, but uh let's say on average, I don't even know what the size of a secondary school is on average, but a thousand children's not an unreasonable number, is it? A thousand children. What would a thousand tablets cost? Hang on a minute, right? What are they? 200 and should we say 250 quid? Let's so assume we get a little bit of a discount, get the VAT knocked off as well, because obviously we're a school. Let's maybe 150. Maybe maybe you'd be able to get maybe we could get it. Let's say 200. I mean, if you if you need a calculator to do 200 times a thousand, we have an issue. It's 200,000 pounds. I am a drama teacher, but yeah, yeah, you're you're right. Even I could have done that, yeah. Or the hell if I actually did get a calculator out. 200,000 pounds. Well, look, I mean, maybe we need to get rid of a couple of PE teachers. I mean, it's right. Okay. Well, look, look, look, okay. Maybe they just got it wrong with one of them. Yes, of course. Of course. Um at the end of the day, maybe they just mean it'd be good to have a classroom set of tablets to share amongst so maybe. Not every class, not every lesson you have a set of tablets. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt. I think so. A classroom set of tables. But they don't even sell them, do they? I don't I look, it's it would surprise me if they did, but look, maybe they do. They're a big stationary supplier. Perhaps they do. Perhaps they do. Okay. Look, let's go on to number two. Let's see what number two is and let's make sure. What is number two on the list? Number two on the list is um a teaching assistant.

Teaching Assistants As A Supply Item

SPEAKER_01 17:48

A teaching assistant. Yeah. That's what that's what it says. I I'm not doubting that's what it says, but who's written this again? Well, I know you're gonna say a leading stationary supplier. It is it is a leading stationary supplier. Where who has sat down and written this list again? Every class needs a TA. That's what it says. Well, it's true actually. Every classroom does need a TA, but haven't they seen the cutbacks recently? It'd be lucky if you've got You'd be lucky some schools haven't got any TAs. Well, no, and I mean uh secondary. I mean, obviously, I'm you know, my role is as as we've discussed before, and we'll discuss again. I'm the special educational needs coordinator, so I I'm generally in charge of a lot of support staff, and um we have advertised. Um I mean I talk to to uh some my counterparts in other schools, and they're they're often advertising to recruit for uh teaching assistance. And uh we don't order them from stationary supplies generally. We do we normally uh perhaps that's where we've been going wrong. But what we tend to do is put adverts out in the local pressure. Code 60593 a Margaret. It would certainly be a lot easier, but we put adverts out in in the local press and hope that people will apply for roles. 5997 Brian. Yes. Uh we had to send Brian back. Brian comes with um a centre parting, you know. Uh it's just it's ridiculous. So uh yes. But that shows no sensitivity to school budgets either. No, neither one nor two. No. Um but where there is a budget for a teaching assistant, uh it turns out they don't really apply for these roles anymore. Uh because it's not a well-paid position, really, is it? Um teachers. It should be, but it's not. It should be. Um and so I possibly misunderstood. This is just helpful advice. It's not push on. It's not a list of things. Right. Perhaps they're having a bad start to the list. I don't know. I certainly I misunderstood the purpose of the list. I thought they were they were looking to sell us some stuff. But no, it's just good advice, hopefully. Ten things every teacher needs in their classroom. Yeah. So number one, classroom set at time. And essential supplies they can't do without. Yeah. And a teaching assistant is now considered a supply. An essential supply. Along with a class set of which I don't disagree with either, by the way, but that we're not in the real world here, are we? We we we we don't appear to be. Look, number three. Right,

Whiteboards And Furniture Nobody Buys

SPEAKER_01 20:12

number three. Come on, this has got to bring some decorum to that. Well, I mean, it doesn't, it doesn't. Uh number three, it's sort of boringly an interactive whiteboard. Yeah. You can't order in and of itself not something you'd immediately order from a stationary system. And and and to be honest, I assume it would be there. Yeah. It's not the sort of thing you're gonna you're not gonna rock up to a classroom and not find one in there. You might find one not working. And you're not gonna order an interactive whiteboard out of your capitation, it's going to be a capital spend, isn't it? To be really boring. I mean, that is incredibly boring, but it is, but it's capex instead of opex. No, I do like an interactive whiteboard anyway. I mean, so you know, they I don't know how to use them effectively. I I've I find they're all different to each other. That's a problem sometimes. Yes. So you learn to use one and then you move classrooms and it's a but I've yet to turn up to a classroom without one already installed. Um perhaps we're lucky in that regard. Well, perhaps perhaps you know that is that is potentially true. Um I have worked in a classroom with a whiteboard that thought it was still 2004. I still use the interactive whiteboard as if it is a whiteboard. Yes. I write on it with a digital pen. I've written on it. Which looks awful. It does. I would prefer the whiteboard, the normal whiteboard. I I second that. I I find it quite hard to write with a digital pen, and I have made the mistake in the past of writing with a non-digital pen. On the whiteboard. You can't do that. No, that's not a good idea. Don't do that. Well, if you did do that though, we know where we could get another one, don't we? Well, that's true. We could just order one along with a TA. So that's good. Right. We're on to number four. Yeah. Sturdy and solid school furniture. Well, to be fair, without going back over the OPEX Capex thing, again, that's a capital spend. So you wouldn't expect But you would expect the chairs to be there, wouldn't you? I'd be a little bit alarmed if I turned up to teach on my first day and there wasn't some down. Desks and chairs in the room, yeah. Absolutely. That really is a sort of school leader governor sort of thing. It's not really I'm not gonna doubt that you need them. No. But I don't consider this to be a very helpful list so far. Okay, well look, it's the title of the list may have been misleading. Look, let's just let's just get on to number five. Right. Okay. Yeah.

Hygiene Supplies And Classroom Reality

SPEAKER_01 22:20

Cleaning and hygiene supplies. It's important to maintain high standards of hygiene, it says, and uh I mean I don't disagree with that. From disinfectants and air fresheners to washing up liquid. Um they all have important roles to play, it says, on this list. Well, yes, they do. But it's not something I immediately associate with the classroom, to be honest. I've genuinely lost for words on that, but so stupid. We've got we've we'll move on from number five. Yeah. Uh it's too boring. It's gonna get better, isn't it? Six to ten are definitely a bit better. Number six, yeah, tissues. Don't they they come under the head the last heading? Surely. I'd have thought so. How do you keep clean and hygienic without something to wipe up stuff with? And it does, I mean, because I was gonna say, well, maybe they're just mean for sort of blowing your nose and things, but it does say from from accidental spills to unfortunate tears. Unfortunate tears. They've got high hopes and aspirations about it. Now, I what I would say, yeah, as a teacher of many years' experience, as as are you, if I'm in a classroom where there aren't tissues, I can guarantee you there'll be a child who needs a tissue. Yes, that is true. Uh that happens quite easily. Maybe this is something we should have taken more note of. I was asked for a tissue the other day and I didn't have one. I was unable to provide it. The story of my teaching career is being asked for tissues I don't have. Yeah, so maybe they've got something there with the tissues, but why the tissues weren't lumped in with the general hygiene? I did uh unless they've got a huge warehouse full of tissues that they're making to try and get rid of. Just trying to clear the backlog. Well, because remember there was a shortage. During COVID, wasn't there? Everybody went mad on the loo roll. There was a shortage of tissues. That was crazy of people fighting it for it. Hand wash, hand gel. Yeah, yeah. That's possibly what this is referring to. Maybe, maybe this company capitalized on that and thought, I'll tell you what we're gonna do. They've overstocked. They've overstocked. So I'll tell you what we'll do. Get a list out, guys. Yeah. Ten essential things you need. Yeah. Although although arguably tissues is a thing. Yeah. But cleaning and hygiene supplies is multiple things. So their list is already is failing to adhere to its own rules at this point. There doesn't seem to be any rules because there's people in the list as well. There are people in the list. You can't order a

Tissues Plus Rob’s Twix Drawer

SPEAKER_01 24:35

person for the. Well, I've got a tissue story I'd like to share with you if that's all right. Well, you know, you know what's like if you if you're not well, you don't take a day off school when you're not well. No. You just go in, usually. Well, some of some of us do. Spread the germs. Yeah. Uh anyway, I I uh I I did that. It possibly was irresponsible of me. Yeah. Because I may have then caused other people to to need to take some time off. But I was feeling I I think I underestimated how unwell I was feeling this particular day. And I uh I went and saw our colleague Rob Oh yes, yes. Hello Rob. Rob, how are you, Rob? Um and he just gave me a box of tissues. He just had a spare box of tissues. A spare what, man size? Well, uh yes, they were. They were a gigantic box of tissues. So he gave me a box of tissues and a twix. Well, he's always got Rob's always got I've never known anybody with so much chocolate. He's always got a Twix. Always got a Twigs for you. Often a different variety of Twix, like a white one. Yeah. So I put a whole drawer full of them. Oh, don't worry. And he slides the bottom drawer open, doesn't he? And there they are. You know, you're sort of staring into a a world of Twigs. The world of Twigs. Right, anyway, let's move on to um number seven.

Decorations That Distract Learners

SPEAKER_01 25:43

Uh we nearly threw the list and we've taken a lot longer over it than uh than we'd have hoped. Perhaps we needed to. Number seven, classroom decorations. Uh well, uh again, have they got any more underneath that? Well, are they fleshing that out? They have flesh they fleshed it out. It says the environment a teacher works in is just as important as the tools they have for the job. The job of the school is to develop a stimulating environment that helps students concentrate on their studies and encourage creativity. Yeah, I yeah, I would I would agree with that. And at least they would be stationary items, I suppose, wouldn't they? They are talking about borders and backing paper and well, wall charts, uh colourful posters, pictures, and progress charts. Now I would I'll give them that. They're a stationer. I'll give them we've got to give them seven. I'll give them that, but I would say with my Senko hat on, it's not an actual hat, although I might buy one now. Why not in the spirit of this episode, don't we say, when you're wearing a different handkerchief, knotted handkerchief? Uh when I'm wearing my Senko knotted handkerchief on my head. Yes. I would uh I would say that a stimulating environment does not help students to concentrate. No. I would say it does the opposite of that. Maybe it distracts, doesn't it? It does, and there's quite a lot of evidence, uh, academic evidence. That a busy environment is not ideal for studying. No. No. So although they can sell us these classroom decorations, I'm not buying them if that's alright with you. Well, of course it's alright with me. Okay. Let's move on. It won't be alright with them though, for a bit. Well, look, I'll buy the TA of them. If they've got a TA, I'll buy the TA of them. Yeah.

Diaries Versus Digital Calendars

SPEAKER_01 27:23

Uh number eight, diary and a wall planner. Now, again, that's two things. Yeah. The list doesn't make any sense. People, furniture, IT, tissues on their own, don't forget. Yeah. A person on their own. Yes. And then we're into this. Uh so diary and a wall planner. I I look, I'm gonna give them the diary and the wall planner. I understand they want to sell them. Again, I'm not buying them. I wouldn't use them at all. Because I don't use them. I'll tell you why I wouldn't use them. I've got a computer. Yeah. I've got an email account and I've got a calendar on my now. Well, I I do like things that are in front of me. I do like I am old fashioned like that. But I get them and then I don't write them. I'm gonna push you. Nine? Number nine. No, look, number nine is essential, actually. Let's not mock them anymore. Right. Please let the listeners know I do not know what these things are until you tell me. I know you don't know because you've still got a relatively straight face. Right. Okay. Number

The Unbuyable Essential: Willing Students

SPEAKER_01 28:19

nine. Number nine is students willing to learn. Major stationery supplier is suggesting. I would buy that. You would buy that. You would buy that. What's the code? What's the code for students? What did you say? What's the exact wording? Students. Students will learn. Willing to learn. I don't think there's a if they've got that product, I don't think there's a teacher. Never mind in the UK on the planet who's not going to order up that. I'm going to ask my other. What's the price? What's the price? I haven't got any prices, unfortunately. It's just a teacher. POA, no doubt. Just a list of things. And it says, even with all the right supplies, teachers need students who are alert and willing to learn. Well, alert, yes. A good attitude and work ethic can make a classroom with no supplies an absolute learning zone. But you're struggling to get students who are willing and motivated. You're not going to want to read this list, are you? No. To then not be able to purchase them from anyone. You can't purchase them, no. And you've your TA's been taken away from you. Yeah. And there's one computer room on A-block corridor. With no tablets in it. No tablets in it. I would say if I was going to I've understood. Packet of anodine for each teacher would probably go down and be better off at this point. That would be a classic set of tablets, definitely. Yeah. I think that if they were going to do this list and it not to be a list of stationary supplies, as I think we've now realised, students willing to learn, if it's going to be on the list, should be number one. Yeah, it shouldn't be on the list. It shouldn't be on the list. It's ridiculous. So the TAs ridiculous. The computers is ridiculous. Which takes us back to the fact that we need a wall planner, a diary, and some tissues. Right. That's about the most useful thing. Anyway, they could redeem it all in number ten. Number number ten. Number ten. Let's get to number ten. Stand by. Drum roll. If you've got some sort of sound effect you can drop in. I'd love it. Around about now. Let's let's try the buttons.

unknown 30:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 30:39

Can we can they hear that? Yes. Is there a sound effect? I do think it needs a musical build-up though, for you to then tell me what number ten is. Okay. So. Could you?

The Top Ten Ends With 23

SPEAKER_01 30:50

Right. So at number ten. Essential supplies every teacher needs. What?

SPEAKER_02 31:01

Come on.

SPEAKER_01 31:06

So on the list entitled. So on the list entitled Seven Things Everything needs in their classroom. And the social surprise they can't do without. It's never give me that. I don't believe it's everything. Give it here. The same title as the list is item number ten. Come on. This is absolute nonsense. And there follows a list of 23 items. 23 items. That go from pet now you've handed it to me, I can see it. Pencils, pens, ruler, plastic wallets. But what I want to know is why are plastic wallets underlined? I haven't seen that. Plastic wallets are underlined, but pens and rulers just get a humble normal font. I don't understand it. And then it's almost throwaway dividers, ring but plastic wallets! Dividers, ring bodies, pencil chapter exercise, but okay, I get the exercise. That's the important thing in a school, isn't it? Scissors is just a throw away. Glue, paint, coloured pencils, it says. Underlined. Erasers. I don't think anyone's I don't think anyone's arguing with this list. Sticky notes. Notepads, tape, storage, desk organiser, staple. This is just the load of stuff they're left with, isn't it? They've got loads of these. Someone's been to China and got a job lot of this lot. Um so fundamentally the list of 23 is the actual things they do sell. All rights reserved. 2026 copyright, it says. See if anyone's gonna rip this off. That's just absolutely terrible. Okay, top ten things teachers need includes that number 10, a list of 23 additional things that weren't in the list teachers need, and under the title Essential Supplies Every Teacher Needs. Yeah. Jones, I I I know you're gonna ask me what are my key takeaways from that. That's just that's generally the format, yeah. I I I'm wrong out. I'm wrung out with it. I mean, it is so stupid. I don't want to dignify it with that with anything other than see you next time. Honestly, it uh I'm it's absolutely risable and laughable. I mean, I I'm certainly gonna get that ordering for the uh well well for me every time it's the students willing to learn. Yes.

Takeaways, Listener Challenge, Goodbye

SPEAKER_01 33:52

I mean that that's that's not my wish list, and if I can get some TAs, uh yeah, at least one, I'm gonna walk away happy. But I do hope as we uh start to build, and let's be aspirational here, our listener base. They are gonna do our research for us. And I'm I've got an awful feeling, but it's also a lovely feeling that there is so much more out that we've just barely scratched the surface of these. I mean, if someone countdowns and goodness knows what. If someone as laxadaisical as me can find a list like that, then you, my dear listeners, can certainly do better. And if you took that as either a threat or a challenge, we don't we don't mind. Uh so check us out on the socials. I don't even know which ones exist, but we're on that most of them, I think, at this point. We are on most of them, and I I just think I've got to start saying things like like and subscribe. I'd love to get to the point where we've got some merch. I've found a supplier for that merch. If they can't provide it, no one can. Maybe we'll never be able to order another pencil again. I I know In safety. Not in safety. No, and I'd be disappointed to get a box of pencils and not get a class set of uh uh students willing to engage and learn. So uh I think I can't wait to do this all again next time. Well, you're gonna have to. Because it's in a week, mate. Fantastic. All right, well, so I'll see you then. Bye bye. Bye bye.