Stealing Supplies

[Mindilynn]

I was wondering if any other science teachers have had students steal supplies out of the lab...washing bottles to squirt other students with, glassware, etc. It seems that last year, we lost a lot of supplies, which were often found by custodians in the boy's locker room. Has anyone found a good way to prevent theft?

[bioteach200]

Hey Mindi...

I had that problem unitl 2 years ago when I had a $300 electronic balance taken out of my room (gee...wonder what they wanted THAT for? :rolleyes:)... Now for every lab that I do...I have a checklist with EVERYTHING that they need for a lab (right down to disposable pipettes) and I have a rubbermaid "tub" for every table that I re-stock for every lab (I just use the tub over and over again---I don't have a tub for every lab!) in order for them to be "done" with a lab I go to each table and check off the supplies as they put them into the tub...I take the tub and put it away in my storage closet and clean it out at the end of the day.


Hope that helped! Why kids would want a squeeze bottle or a glass stirring rod is beyond me!!! :D

[Mindilynn]

Now that's a great idea...gee why didn't I think of that! ;) It's a must-do!!! Especially for this group...

Last year, I would put all of the chemicals on the center table, which now that I think of it, caused lots of traffic jams! And their tools were in the drawers. If there was specific equipment not in their drawers, I would stock that on their tables and as I ok'ed them to sit down, other students would steal from the tables of people who had already been checked out, which then caused problems for the next class when they were short supplies. Wow, this would really eliminate many of those problems!!!


Thanks!:D

P.S. How do you distribute matches???

[bioteach200]

I don't use matches ever (I use hot plates)...if something needs to be lit....I light it for them.

If I can with the chemicals - I mix whatever I'm using and give EACH table a beaker full of said chemical-- I always make extra for the "What?... We were supposed to save that? I already dumped it in the garbage beaker?" And keep that on my center table- then if they need more I walk the extra over to them. I have an extremely small room so I don't like them making 80 billion trips to the center table either!!!

Glad to help...it DOES take a little while to get everything organized...but it makes less work during the lab.

Good luck with it!

:D

[StuTeacher23]

I was wondering if any other science teachers have had students steal supplies out of the lab...washing bottles to squirt other students with, glassware, etc. It seems that last year, we lost a lot of supplies, which were often found by custodians in the boy's locker room. Has anyone found a good way to prevent theft?

LOCK UP YOUR SUPPLIES! Before the students leave class, make sure all the materials are back the way they found them. When something isn't being used, don't just leave it around. Put the stuff away or lock it up in a storage room, closet, or cabinet.