Privacy and personal space are so important to teenagers, and they hide some pretty interesting stuff in their lockers. Earlier this year I found a stuffed dinosaur on top of a trash can; I can only assume someone got dumped, and it wasn’t pretty.
At the end of every year, I find lots of treasures, either thrown away or literally just left in the lockers at the end of the last day as they sprint to get out as fast as they can.
I will try to make this an annual post. Several of us teachers have designated ourselves unofficial archaeologists — or maybe “dumpster divers” would be more fitting — sifting through the wreckage for gently used or new school supplies (one of our service clubs sells them at registration as a project), missing library books or textbooks, or any other artifacts we might unearth. I handle freshman hallway.
This year, the winner is a pair of bright green, elbow-length evening gloves. I found them on top of the trash can, and I have no idea why they lived in a freshman locker. Any theories, please share in the comments! I also found three Bibles in a locker that I’m pretty sure are the three Bibles I asked a freshman to return to his theology classroom after he took the final in my room the last period; walking a whole sixty feet down the hallway to Deaconness’s room was simply too much work, I guess.
There is so much junk that I cannot believe some of these kids leave behind — if they were my kids I would seriously stop buying them things because some seem to care so little for their stuff. I rescued quite a few brand-new binders with clear document sleeves with health class projects from the trash; I’m guessing some mom probably had to make a late-night Wal-Mart trip the day before that was due, only to have a reusable item trashed. I found a full set of workout clothes (need to be washed but nice Under Armor stuff), gym shoes, and several not-cheap school uniform pullovers. Also:
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| This pirate medallion thing is about 4 inches across |
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| This had a sign in a locker – they tried to leave it for next year’s class |
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| I totally washed and kept the coffee mug – it was a Starbucks one, so not cheap! |
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| So much food – and most of it unopened! (Thank goodness because, ants) |
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| A TI-84 calculator!! Needed batteries, but DUDE… |
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Distress bandana for a car (?)
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| Intro to 2D art drawing notebook…I’m not sure the student learned much in class… |
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| An ambitious self-help manual? |
And here are the goodies procured by my third-floor scavenging colleague – apparently 17-year-olds aren’t any better than the freshmen…
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| Lots of hats get left. Apparently someone is not signing with VCU? |
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| SUPER cute mug – made in ceramics maybe? |
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| This is a LOT of fishing line |
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Earlier this year, my students read an essay called “On Dumpster Diving” in which an academic who did actually live only out of dumpsters for several years shared some academic tricks of the trade. He always hung out on college campuses at move out time; if kids dump so much from their few cubic feet of locker space, I can’t imagine the dorm room treasures to be had.
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