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I almost had an out of body experience today when a 9th grade student told me they couldn’t tell time. She said oh Idk how to read anything but a digital clock. I just don’t want to learn. Anyway I tried to teach her how to do it and she caught on quick but whattt????? Help me understand.
Will I be fired? Teaching math and angles / height and my arm kept going up and I joked about how nazis would say that the grass grows “zis high” in a German accent. Our class jokes pretty often but I think that may have crossed the line lol I don’t know what I was thinking
Either to explain or demonstrate it.
Okay, I know it is still early in the school year but I have made up my mind that I will not be returning to my current school. In our district we receive Intent forms in mid February and I will indicate that I plan to leave. For those of you went through this process before, at what point did your HR dept. share this information with admin? Did HR request to speak with you and/or offer an alternative school? Just curious in other experiences. TIA!
Please, for the love of god, does anyone have worksheets or assignments that helps to teach critical thinking that I could incorporate in 9th grade Biology? I'm a first year Biology teacher at a low-income school in Virginia, and these kids are absolutely fucked in the coming modules because they couldn't criticaly think or reason their way out of a paper bag. I don't think they're dumb, but it's like they've never had to use their brain before. Like, guys, I've seen you play video games on your phones. Based on the work you've been turning in and the lack of any response I get in class, I would expect you to not know how to even press 'start.' I'm moving closer and closer to losing my shit on them and telling them to wake up, pull their heads out of their asses, and apply themselves, or they won't even make it at a fast-food restaurant (not that there's anything wrong with working at a fast-food restaurant, but some of these kids would get fired before the end of their first shift because even a shitty manager would want to wash their hands of them). It's been rough y'all.
I asked my college sophomores to write an expression of what happens when you triple x. About 20 of them couldn't do it. I asked what happens when we square 3x. Half of them couldn't. 4.71/10 is apparently STILl 4.71. Not sure how I'm supposed to get them through college physics at this level of mathematical sophistication. Anybody have any words of hope?
Edit: class is for premeds, prepharm, etc.
Say what you will about giving money to your Sunshine Clubs, but mine wrote me a beautiful condolence note about the recent loss of my cat. It takes a village people.
I'm a parent of a middle school student. Today she came home and told me that her gym teacher had confronted her and her friend (both openly queer students) about the upcoming election. She said he persisted despite her not answering his questions and doing her best to ignore him. He asked them who they want to see win. He questioned them about their families politics, and who their parents are voting for. Then proclaimed his support for Donald Trump.
I've already sent an email to the superintendent and my town's school board representative. But the area is very small and conservative. This school board member and the superintendent have the same last name and I wouldn't be surprised if they're directly related. I'm not convinced anything will be done at all outside of maybe small talking to consisting of "Haha, these whiny liberals amiright?"
Is there anything else I can do?
Now I know I'd lose my job in a heart beat but I feel like a lot of disrespect would dissappear if I had a student talk back to me and told the whole class to stand at attention half right face and front leaning rest position them. Then make the trouble maker call credence for the whole class. Once again ik I'd lose my job but a teacher can dream.
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for a way to obtain a California Single Subject Teaching Credential (Music) without having to do more school.
I have a bachelors and masters in music performance, and have subject matter competency and BSR satisfied by my ACT scores and prior degrees. I have also actually been the Teacher of Record at a school as a long term substitute for a teacher out on maternity leave through a Short Term Staff Permit.
I am taking classes through National University towards a single subject credential, but I just find myself burnt out of being on the “student” end of the teacher-student equation- especially at these prices when the work is just so clearly not set up for people going into music education.
Is there a test I can challenge or something of that sort? Any sort of alternative pathway I am unaware of that doesn’t involve basically going back to school?
Hi, I'm in my second practicum, right before my actual internship (Spring 2025). I'm working towards my secondary math education degree, not that I think it's entirely relevant for this post.
I'm struggling so much this semester. I had many big changes in my life before/at the beginning of this semester, such as my grandmother going to the hospital, moving in with my boyfriend in a new city, etc. At the beginning of the semester, I was on top of my game and killing it. When I met my classroom teacher, I was excited and hopeful. Last practicum, I struggled with some anxiety, but I made it through.
Two hurricanes and a month later, I'm spiraling. I'm behind on my work, I'm crying at about an average of 2 times a week, I'm incredibly anxious all the time, and I'm not even sure if I'm even making the right choice choosing teaching anymore.
Before my last two lessons, I kept waking up in fear at the idea of fucking up. I cried in front of my classroom teacher right before my first lesson. This most recent lesson, I at least left the building before I started crying, so that is a slight improvement. In short, I'm not doing ok.
I'm in too deep into this semester to drop out so I just got to keep pushing on through thanksgiving without being a perfectionist, bit idk whether teaching is even the right choice for me anymore. Me being the way I am right now cannot be helpful to the students I'm teaching and it's certainly not helpful for my poor classroom teacher who has her own shit to deal with.
I love math and I do enjoy helping people, but my anxiety is only getting worse when talking in front of the class. I've always been good at being told what to do and doing it. I screwed myself by choosing a career where it is vital for me to be a leader, which I have never really been. My classroom teacher is telling me that I'm the adult in the room and I need to have confidence, but I don't have a poker face at all.
I'm currently ruminating on whether teaching is a good idea for me mentally or if I'd be a helpful teacher at all for future students. I don't know if I should jump ship after this semester to a different track like pure math, applied math, stats, etc. or just commit to finishing this diploma.
I've invested so much time in the education track, it feels like a waste to blow all that for a new thing last minute when I'm right at the finish line. However, it could be the best thing for me mentally, since I am clearly not doing great right now and I know I can accomplish a lot in the field of mathematics, which I am passionate about. On the other hand, this could just be one bad mental health episode and I'll actually be an excellent teacher and just need to get over this.
I know nobody has a real answer for me, because at the end of the day, this is my decision to make alone and I have to factor in all the consequences, positive and/or negative, as a result of whatever decision I make. However, if you were in my shoes, what do you think you'd do? If you already have been in my shoes, what did you do? Did you have any regrets about whatever decision you made?
I had a student dare me to take his phone. I didn’t correct in the moment, but I did write a warning in Skyward afterwards. Should I still take his phone, or is the warning enough? I know that I should have corrected in the moment.
I teach Latin. One of my 9th grade Latin 1’s this year… nice kid, but had some issues with distracting others that were getting in the way of his learning. But even after I got a handle on the behavior issue he was still struggling. We were doing a reading in Latin with questions to answer in English, and it was taking him ages. I decided to watch him from across the room as he was working to see what exactly he was doing.
The whole time I watched, he looked intently at the reading, checked his vocab lists, even asked the kid next to him what a word meant. So he was actually working on it but not making any actual progress. So I go and sit next to him. The ensuing conversation baffled me:
”So what’s the trouble here?”
”I can’t figure out this question, ‘Who are Priam and Hecuba?’”
”OK, so which parts have you read so far?”
”This one, this one, this one… I can’t find Priam and Hecuba.”
One of the paragraphs he pointed to began “Priamus est pater Hectoris et rēx Troiae; Hecuba est māter Hectoris et rēgīna Troiae.” So I pointed to that one and said:
”What does this first sentence mean? Translate it aloud for me.”
”’Priamus is father of Hector and king of Troy; Hecuba is mother of Hector and queen of Troy.”
And I’m thinking, HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE??? How did this kid spend so much time staring at this text and not even see “Priamus” and “Hecuba” staring RIGHT BACK AT HIM???
I’ve never seen anything like this before. And I’ve had similar conversations with 3 or4 other 9th graders this year…
My mental health is terrible. My coworkers are worried about me. So are my parents. I’m worried about me. What do I do?
Hi! I’m leaving on maternity leave soon and handing over my 7th grade science students to another teacher. I’ll be out for the rest of the year and the incoming teacher has experience. Any suggestions, advice, dos/donts for my leave? Open to any and all advice! Feeling nervous and anxious about leaving them.
I really want to stick it out for the year, but I come home to cry every single day. I teach middle school theatre. I go between two schools on an alternating schedule and I have about 300 students. I still don't know all their names and the guilt of that alone is eating at me. I've been cursed out and disrespected by students so often that every prep I have is spent crying to my mother on the phone just to reset. I can't teach because kids just keep talking over me constantly. All the students want to do is talk about who's fighting who and who's dating who. I want this class to be fun for them but they make it so difficult. Today I flipped a desk over just trying to get them to be quiet for a SECOND. I never want to do that again. I'm also supposed to direct 2 musicals this year and I don't know how I'm supposed to handle the stress of it all. I have no one checking in on me at all, I get all sorts of conflicting advice from teachers and admin when I ask about trying to manage it all. I love teaching. I don't want to leave it. The school I did my student teaching at was so perfect and I wish I could have stayed there forever. If all schools are like the district I'm in now I think I would probably leave the profession. I know I can be a good teacher. But I don't know how I'm supposed to do it in an environment like this.
Title.
*This is only for California teachers (Calstrs retirement system).
I've read quite a few threads about teachers using large amounts of unused sick days before their retirement because "you won't be able to use them" after retiring. The other day, a fellow teacher was telling a coworker the same ("they give you pennies on the dollar"). I also remember being told the same when I was a new teacher at a different school.
However, when I use the Calstrs online calculator I see I'd get $34 more/month ($420/year) with my current 50 days or $55 more/month ($660/year) if I get to 80 unused days. For those having 100+ unused sick days, this could translate into a nice extra chunk of cash!
Looks like these people haven't bothered doing the math or am I missing anything?
https://resources.calstrs.com/CalSTRSComResourcesWebUI/Calculators/Pages/RetirementBenefit.aspx
For context: I once had an argument with this guy on Facebook who suggested that a school I subbed at in my Upstate New York college town be closed, believing that the district needed to consolidate and that the building be converted into condos. The school in question does not have the lowest enrollment in the district, there were over 360 kids enrolled last year (meanwhile another school on the other side of town in the same district had 288 enrolled). He also complained about the school be given a C rating, though every school in this district has that rating so by his logic the whole district should be shut down.
Looking back, I think all he was doing was nothing more than just rage bait as every attempt to reason with him was futile. Nevertheless, if his asinine proposal was implemented (and thankfully that'll be unlikely), it would screw over hundreds of kids and overwhelm the neighboring school down the road (which also had 360 enrolled). It would probably have been the worst case of school consolidation ever.
Hello!!!!
I have been teaching for seven years. I recently moved to a new state. I really need support and mentorship. I admit that there are some skills that I am missing as a teacher. Also, I spent five years at the same school, so of course I learned everything based on that environment. I don't think my current school would offer me mentorship because I am not a new teacher, I am a Special Education Resource teacher, and I am contracted through an agency. I don't feel fully supported at this school. But maybe it's me. Is there anything I can look for virtually or community based that could offer me mentorship? Maybe I shouldn't be a teacher, but I am trying out different options before I quit. I am so close to walking out of this school and just going back to minimum wage until I get my Master's.
I work at a private international kindergarten in Asia, which I just started this August. I’ve been teaching kindy now for 8 years, and I’ve never been in a school that was this stressful. The workload is unbearable. Arrive early and leave late each day and often take work home just to meet deadlines. On top of this, the principal is scary rude and doesn’t care much for employee welfare as much as she cares about student numbers. The parents that send their kids to this school are rather affluent, and love to threaten to sue when their children get hurt at school.
My class is a blended pre-k/kindergarten class with about 20 kids. I am meant to be sharing the workload with my co-teacher (it’s a bilingual immersion class) but she is part time and chooses to drop the ball or make everything my problem. We have had two incidents in the past week where children have gotten hurt but despite my efforts of checking the children, the injuries go unnoticed and then the kids complain once they get home. I am trying to apply classroom management strategies, but these kids are too strong willed and my co-teacher doesn’t enforce it as much as I do.
In my attempts to explain and apologize to parents, as per the request of my co-teacher (English isn’t her first language), I have waffled over my words and not delivered information well, which has made these parents absolutely furious. This all got back to the principal, who is extremely disappointed in me and in my co-teacher. My co-teacher is probably twice my age and has been at the school for ages, so her dropping the ball is kind of unacceptable. However, I do take some blame for not standing up for myself until now. The principal said if we get another complaint from a parent, we will both get warnings. She also said we are so lucky we haven’t been sued yet.
I’m thinking of resigning, because with the workload and the added stress of children getting hurt/angry parents/potential of being sued, it’s become too much for me to handle. I’ve never had these types of issues in former positions and have always had great relationships with the kids’ parents. I think perhaps I am not strong enough for the clientele at this school. I’m sensitive! If I resign, as per my contract, I either have to do it this week (for an end of January finish) or at the end of January (I’d have to work through the end of the academic year in June). I am getting some support from the head teachers, but my mental health has just tanked in the past 3 months and I’m worried it won’t get better.
Do I persevere and hope that things improve? Or do I resign ASAP, try to find another position and try to restore my mental health?
Tagged humor because I need some laughs to get through this, but it does not need to be a comic story.
I'll start: the dad that was so insane we had to start a teacher group on Snapchat to check in on each other. His claims ranged from his family owning millions of acres of prime Kentucky land (we're nowhere near Kentucky and they're dirt poor), he was smart enough to get a full ride anywhere he wanted (his daughter definitely did not receive that gene), could sing all parts in the choir simultaneously (just..... no), and more I'm sure I'm missing.
Context: I'm a second year teacher in a very small school district where everyone knows everyone and/or is related. My fiance has familial ties in the town I teach in. I teach 9-12, but more specifically Freshman English and Yearbook.
I recently got engaged this past summer and will be getting married this upcoming August. All of my yearbook staff members are super excited for me and it's a semi-regular topic of discussion. Something to keep in mind is that the relationship I have with my yearbook staff is different than what I have with my other students in the sense that we spend A LOT of time collaborating and working to create a great book for our school and community. That said, one student in particular has asked me a few times if she could do my makeup for the wedding. She mentioned students have done it for teachers in the past and that I can obviously decline, but that she would love to do it.
Is this okay to say yes to?
Should you call the school psychologist or the dean? Someone else?
This is my second year teaching. My first year was rough but overall a positive experience. Learned what works and what doesn’t work and built good relationships with a lot of my students. This year I am more confident in what I am doing but am exhausted. I can not imagine doing this job for 30 years as a career and am looking at other careers right now. I am trying to finish this year out strong and do the right thing but I am losing myself. My mental health is suffering. I used to be addicted to Benzos for anxiety/panic disorder but was able to get off them before I started teaching. My anxiety has been really bad here lately and I’ve been feeling so angry and sad all of the sudden. I’ve been using weed and sleeping pills every night before bed just to unwind and hopefully go to sleep. I can’t stand the constant disrespect from students and parents. This job is just not for me but I am really trying to make it through the end of the year. Any advice? I teach 8th grade.
This year guys, yeesh. I am dealing with behaviors in 2nd grade that are unlike anything I’ve dealt with before.
Kids who look me in the eyes and watch me say “Keep your hands to yourself”, and then immediately turn and smack each other.
Kids who are doing 3 + 3 on their fingers and getting the answers wrong half the time.
Kids who still don’t know what sound the letter b says.
AND THE REASON IS THERE IS NO EFFORT!
My coaches and my admin’s advice is to keep trying, keep pulling kids aside, keep giving out manipulatives, add another (the 7th!) positive reinforcement to give to kids who are actively listening and trying.
But ooh lordy. I am trying everything. But if your kid can sit and still ignore me when I’m looking them in the eyes and directly explaining step by step what to do? And then can’t remember any step or any information?
No amount of coaching cycles or stupid school money is going to let me learn for them. At some point they need to take some responsibility and at least try.
I’m a grown-ass man. Came home and broke down. My last period really got to me today. I’m a first-year, and things have been challenging but manageable. But man, today, I could not handle my last class of the day.
I deleted my post a week ago over our observations now being done with AI because I got a little nervous tbh but today we received an email that the AI is an app called "Sibme" and it has been purchased by our district as an "AI Enabled Coaching Platform" that will allow them to observe and coach us and give them a full script of our lesson and will timestamp all lesson interactions.
I don't want this app on my phone tbh but they are requiring us to do it.
Fool that I am, I thought my high schoolers would be able to show some self-restraint with phones (har har) so I just told them to keep them away during direct instruction at the start of the year. If you can imagine, their addiction goes beyond their self-restraint skills. It's a shame because I love doing Blookets, but they can just do them on their Chromebooks.
I had exactly the same situation last year and tried banning phones midyear, but I just got exhausted doing reminders and warnings and write-ups. It felt like a losing fight and like it was all I ever did.
Obviously next year will start day 1 with no phones, but has anyone had success implementing no phones midyear? My district has no policy on phones and leaves it to each teacher to decide. I refuse to touch student phones or be responsible for them in any way (keeping them in my desk, etc) because they don't pay me enough to take on that kind of liability.
This seems so trivial after reading a post on here about their colleague being killed. My heart goes out to them and I'm so sorry for your loss.
I'm just posting because I don't want to tell anyone at work or complain at home. I appreciate you reading this. I've been having a rough few weeks so I just want to vent.
For context I've been dealing with my department chair ever since I started working at my current school which is a long time. They have been the DC for quite a few years now. The passive aggressive remarks are not new. I just feel like they have really honed in on me recently and it feels personal though I'm trying my best not to take it personally...
The other day I told them I was pregnant. I said I was going to ask about accommodations. They said "why would you need those JUST because you're pregnant?" And made a squinty face like what I said was ridiculous. It really set me off. I've avoided them since then. I emailed my department asking for coverage a few weeks ago after coming down with a bad stomach bug and it just got progressively and quickly worse over the morning. They said I need to stick to the chain of command and I should have called them. I knew they were out for lunch so I was trying to be helpful and also save time. Also I called the sub coordinator who actually finds the subs not my DC. It was an emergency in my opinion since my class started in an hour. I said it was all last minute and I was helping out the substitute coordinator. The way they mentioned it was like I was being insubordinate and I should never do that again and that I made her look bad. I said I wouldn't do that again it was just a special circumstance. I felt like I was being talked down to like a child. I dont even speak to my students like that.
It's like every time I do one minor thing (which is not often but I am human) they have to be all over it and call me out in a way like they are on such a power trip. I know I should just let it go but it's starting to grind my gears and as some of you may know being pregnant makes everything 10x worse. I'm also just over their BS that I've dealt with even as their colleague from years ago. This is a person who passed a sticky note to another colleague during a PD session saying they didn't want to work with me during a group activity...if that provides more context. Really just immature for their obvious age and a suck up to our admin.
I try so hard to be nice and move on. I would prefer to stand up for myself but I know it will just cause more issues and our HR is also terrible. It just sucks when you have a boss that nickels and dimes you and only talks to you about things they see as an issue and never compliments or honestly just writes it in an email. The interactions themselves make me so uncomfortable bc of the way they talk down to me.
Any solid advice is welcome otherwise I'm gonna go home and try and put this out of my memory for hopefully the remainder of the year or until they say or do something to tick me off again. Thanks for reading.