I am boxing up my (over 1000) personal property trade books and selling them to other teachers or at a garage sale.  I am moving to a new school and as I am boxing up my stuff, I am finding where students have written in my books, cut pictures out of them and destroyed them.  I box up and check the condition of my books every year.  This has been the worst by FAR!!!  I don't understand these kids anymore.  I have been generous with my purchases over the years. I don't ask them to pay for misplaced books, but they are tearing these books up.  I cannot stand it anymore.  I will not pay so kids can cut pictures out of book covers and write nasty words in them.  Next year, no classroom library.  When they need to read they can check out books from the school.  This has been such a disappointment.  I have taught for 20 years and I have never had this much destruction. 

When asked about it, they just shrug and it's no big deal.  It is just a book.  Who cares?  Well, I care.  I can't stand to harm books, especially when they don't belong to the person doing the destruction.  But no one has taught these children to respect other people's property.  These children are ENTITLED to do whatever they want.  One student actually smirked when I talked to them about this.  I suspect him but can't accuse him.