Hi everyone! I was just hired as a third grade teacher, and I’m beyond excited to have my own classroom! I was just wondering what everyone’s must have items are in their classrooms. I’ve been working on making a list of items to purchase based on what I’ve used in the past during substitute/student teaching, but I would love to know what those of you that have had the opportunity to have your own rooms use for things like organization, indoor recess items (the winter here is very snowy and can drop down to below zero, so it happens sometimes), or really anything else that you think just makes sense or makes your life easier.

Thanks in advance!

What app do you use to communicate with parents? I tried Remind, I wasn’t a fan! It only allowed a certain amount of characters and I’m looking for more of a community app to share with parents about what’s happening in the classroom, pics of the students, reminders of important events, etc.

I am studying for the Praxis Core but I absolutely suck at math. I have no idea how in depth I am supposed to know some of these topics so I am kind of winging it for now. Any tips? Thanks in advance!

So I got my class roster today, my supervisor has warned me a lot about one of my new students. I work as a special education teacher. I’m use to so many difficult behaviors. However this kid really makes me nervous. At his previous school he has stabbed multiple teachers and classmates with scissors. He enjoys to threaten to “shoot up the school” or walk home to “shoot up his mom”. He will smear poop on the walls if given a chance. He will pee on teachers and peers. I’ve never handled such intense behaviors before. I would enjoy some tips

I moved to CA with high hopes of getting an ELA teaching job easily, everyone constantly told me to not worry because teachers de needed. I went through the grueling process of doing the paper work, as someone with no experience even though I did (you need a certain amount of years to qualify for certain applications), and then I get told that CA is in a hiring freeze and finally that LAUSD is not hiring any ELA external candidates this year.....

I love teaching and would LOVE if anyone would help out with other options to teach while living in LA county. Or, if it's really not possible what other kind of job can I look for with a BA in English and a Master's in Education?

I’m moving to a reading coach position after 13 years in the classroom. I’m excited about the change and new role, but I have a lot of anxiety and feelings of imposter syndrome. Most of my experience is in upper grades, and I’ve spent the last two years as a curriculum consultant for a SOR based company training and coaching teachers (this was a side gig in addition to being in the classroom). I have a general understanding of the coaching cycle process but know that every school/district is different with their process and expectations of literacy coach duties.

I have a meeting with my new principal tomorrow. I’ve met with her a couple of times, and my first impressions are positive. She is warm and wants clear communication. My question is what should information should I expect to hear and what questions should I be asking? I’m still very much in the “you don’t know what you don’t know” phase and looking for any recommendations or advice.

Also, if you have planner recommendations let me know what to look for!

Hello everyone!

I recently went on an interview and completed a demo lesson. I’m feeling a bit unsure of how it went. I completed a 20 minute read aloud lesson with second graders. They were very excited and did an amazing job on the lesson.

My question or concern is how do you all ensure you showcase how great you are in just a 20 minute demo lesson and interview? I left feeling unsure of myself and questioned if my current school (where I’ve been for 5+ years and even won staff of the month twice and teacher of the year) has prepared me for education out side of their building!

I’d love any advice on how to better prove myself to people who don’t know me! Thanks so much in advance!

I will be applying for TLF after this school year since it will be my 5th year since I started in 08/10/2020 but during my first year I was with Texas teachers and got hired on a probationary certificate . Will they reject my application?

I have my CA preliminary credentials from getting my AZ credentials through college. In order to clear my credentials, can I take the induction program while working at a private school? Or do I have to be at a public school?

Also, is it an online program?

Hi everyone! I just found out that my classroom next year is an interior room with no windows. I’m the kind of teacher that never turns the main lights on and will use a lamp or two, but it’s never been a problem because I’ve always had windows to let in the almost constant Arizona sunshine.

Does anyone have any suggestions of lights, lamps, or some other solution to use? I love creating a calm atmosphere in my room, and I’ve found the lighting really makes a difference.

Hey everybody! Super longtime lurker on Reddit but summer anxiety is getting the better of me. I’m a History teacher and I’m going into my 3rd year teaching. This past school year I taught AP Macroeconomics as my first AP and it went pretty well, however AP Seminar seems like a completely different animal. I’m signed up for the APSI, but I would welcome any advice on how to teach and pace the course. (I.e how to pace the course, what kind of assignments are effective, etc.) I am super excited because the course seems so different and interesting, but still kind of nervous. Thanks! TLDR Advice on teaching AP Seminar for the first time, new AP teacher

I am considering going into teaching but I have a stutter. I can handle mocking comments from students about the stutter, as I've dealt with it my whole life. My current job is in customer service where people are often very angry or upset with me on the phone. I've faced rude comments about the stutter, been cussed out, yelled at, and worse.

I know these things might (likely will) happen in a teaching job as well, but teaching is something I've always wanted to do and it seems more fulfilling than getting yelled at on the phone all day. However, I worry that the students may have a hard time understanding me. I'd also like to know just how rude you think the students will be about the stutter. I expect it some, but based on previous threads here, it looks like it could be worse than I expected.

I'm going to preface this by stating that this scenario is purely hypothetical. With that out of the way, here's the question:

How would you handle it if a student who used to be well behaved suddenly snapped and became defiant after experiencing one minor injustice too many/getting the short end of the stick one time too many?

Hi! What is your school and/or district doing to combat the rise of chronic absenteeism?

Hi everyone, I’m a secondary English teacher preparing to teach a unit (to year 7) on the novel Skellig by David Almond with a focus on the genre of magical realism.

My colleague and I want to compile a list of other similar novels in the genre but we have a few criteria:

• no extreme violence
• no traumatic events
• no sexual content
• in the genre of magical realism (preferably not fantasy)
• a range of reading levels
• preferably no focus on romance (YA fiction why have you done this to us?!)

(I’ve posted this to the book recommendation sub also)

Posting from a throwaway because I'm very anxious about this whole thing.

I teach at a charter/private network in AZ. Last year was really bad. I had a 6th grader commit aggravated assault against myself and my coteacher multiple times. The school told us not to call the police and that they would handle it. Spoiler: they didn't, and they deleted the video footage. The next attack was worse and I ended up in the ER with complications. I was also told that the whole thing was my fault and that I would be liable if the student or her parents shot up the school or hurt some of the younger students. I know it's not true, but the manipulation and guilt tripping has still affected my mental state. I am extraordinarily anxious and have been having daily panic attacks and nightmares since the ER visit. Just the thought of returning to school makes me vomit and it takes a significant amount of time to calm down. I am in no way fit to teach or lead a class as I can barely make it through the day at this point.

I got the kid removed from my class for the last week of school, but there's no guarantee she wouldn't be back this year. I did file a worker's comp claim with my HR department for the ER costs, but it was denied and I haven't been able to reach anyone to find out why.

I've been applying desperately for other jobs, but haven't gotten any interviews yet, and I can't afford to have zero income. I'm thinking of using short term disability, but I'm not sure what the steps are. Does anyone have any insight into what this would look like? I definitely plan on seeing a therapist, but I am supposed to go back on the 25th. Is there any way to get approved quickly?

Hey there,

I'm going to start teaching next year and found out my classes are 2 7th grade and 1 8th grade class that I'll see 3x a week. This is my first time teaching kids as the lead teacher but not teaching (two years as an assistant and five years with adults). Was curious if you had any general advice? I'm not in America (France for what it's worth).

I’ve been working high school credit recovery.

It was a 4 weeks session using the edgenuity program. With our push to have students college ready we were given instructions to enroll all students in the A-G eligible classes instead of the shorter credit recovery versions.

I told my students on day 1 and repeated it countless times that they should be getting 25% of the class done per week.

We are in the last week and a huge chunk of my students haven’t even done a week’s worth of work.

Now I’ve got some students who are all of a sudden trying to get their work done and are working quick, but there is literally no way that they can finish now. Working at home 24/7 isn’t an option because we are only allowed to open tests during school hours.

A few students and parents won’t stop asking if there is anything they can do to finish, and the answer is no every time, and an explanation on how they would have finished if they had been working this hard every week.

So, no, you can’t finish a 4 week class in 5 days!!!

I'm wondering if the Artificial Intelligence portion of writable is suggesting the next word for a learner to type in? Do they just hit tab and the next few words are inserted? Thanks, for a grad class I'm taking.

hi! so i am a daycare teacher I just started at a new daycare about a month ago with the 2s! on my first week my coworker “tried” to tell me that i was lead teacher (which makes no sense because im the new teacher?) i was lead teacher at my old job and was tired of it (big difference between lead and assistant teacher) so i immediately told this lady “no im not, they never discussed this with me when i started” which she continued to insist I was. i wouldnt mind being lead teacher but this lady literally doesnt wanna help with much (theres also a language barrier shes fluent in mandarin speaks very little english) the only thing she wants do is decorate the classroom which kills me because she just starts taking stuff down that doesnt need to be moved and doesnt ask me what i think or my opinions? like girl u want me to be lead teacher so bad but u think u can just switch shit up in OUR (mine eheeh) classroom without even asking what i think about it. i think i am going to talk to her tomorrow NICELY but am i overreacting??? theres are 3 welcome signs in our room right now………

Anyone else deal with this? At least when I'm anxious during the school year I know what to blame it on. Sometimes I think it's the unstructured time and the sense that I'm not getting enough done or doing enough with this time I have... even if it's something fun or adventurous vs. productive. I hate it. I wish I could relax and get rid of the expectations but it's hard, especially with the clock ticking my summer away. Can anyone elsewhere relate?

I’m having ACL reconstruction surgery on 8/1. I’m hoping to be back fully functional on 8/21 (first day of school) but that seems unlikely.

So I am going to email my principal and let him know. I could be out up to 6 weeks after my surgery, which would put me at 3-4 weeks into the year. So I will probably need a long term sub.

What’s that like? Do I need to help find one? Or not stress about it and let my job deal with it?

Did you help plan with your sub?

What was your classroom like when you returned?

Hi r/Teachers

I'm the director of a state-wide community program in Louisiana similar to Poetry Out Loud, but we focus on short films. Our mission is to educate and activate students to create and showcase their films at our yearly student film festival, supporting 5th - 12th grade teachers and students. Any student is welcomed to participate, as long as they have a teacher sponsor supporting them. No experience or equipment is required.

However, we've struggled to reach out to principals and school districts effectively. Our most successful recruitment method so far has been word of mouth and testimonials from participating students and teachers.

I'm seeking advice on how best to communicate with higher-level administrators about our program. What methods or approaches would make them more interested in learning about this (totally free) opportunity?

I am in my early 40s and seriously thinking of becoming a teacher. I live in a city with several interesting programs that assist people in getting certified while they teach, but I'm not sure how to go about discerning whether I would be any good at it. I'm not aware of any shadow programs, etc. How did you decide to become a teacher, and how did you know what grade level was right for you? I'm particularly interested in the experiences of people teaching as a second career, but would welcome any advice.

Hi!

I’m looking for help figuring out what to say/do about multiple offers from districts to work at next year?

For context: I have 4 years high school English experience, and am currently waiting to hear back from 3 districts by the end of this week to hear if I am being offered a position. Two are HS and one is MS. I feel REALLY good about my chances at all of them tbh.

I’m expecting somewhere between 62-65k offers, but I’m wondering how to tactfully boost that number. Should I reveal what other districts offered me and see if they will increase to make me choose them? Do I just state my expectations? I’ve had friends get more by knowing someone, so putting them on a higher step, (ex: year 2 teacher put on step 10) but I don’t have those connections at these districts. Also, how do I bring up these negotiations without saying like “wow thanks! Let me get back to you once I hear from other districts”

Alternatively, let’s say all districts are equal and won’t budge on salary. What else do you all find to be most important when choosing what’s going to make your life and career better?

It’s going to have to be a really fast choice because I leave to go on vacation for the second half of the month, and districts want to give a name for the July board meeting.

Anything and everything you can tell me is welcome! Thanks everyone :)

I teach elementary music. This is insane. I could weep.

Hi everybody! After weeks of applying, I finally have my first interview at a school for a kindergarten position. I finished my student teaching placements this year in both upper and lower elementary, but none of them were in kinder.

As a result, I'm a little lost on what to expect in terms of how a kinder classroom should look like (i.e. playtime-academics ratio) throughout year. I'm also curious about what should students know, especially in ELA and math, before moving onto first grade.

For those kinder teachers out there, what are some things unique about kinder classrooms that a newcomer teacher should know about?

Back in like 2018 our state had a walk out for teachers because we had basically been in a pay freeze for like 10 years. Not exactly, but it was dismal. To this day in 2024, 17 years later with a masters, I'm only making $64k, and that's with a strike for better pay. Anyway, everyone went absolutely ape shit calling us lazy, entitled, spoiled, ungrateful, don't deserve anything because we underperformed, we won't forget in November, we will take our kids to charter schools, etc. Nothing was off the table for how awful we apparently were for taking like 3 days to demand better. Anyway, I've seen multiple posts about the disneyland strike, and haven't seen a single post against it. Everyone is happy they're asking for better pay, working conditions, etc. What gives? Is it because we upset their ecosystem of drop kid off, someone else deal w them for free, pick them up and blame said caretakers if anything goes wrong?

Hi fellow teachers, I'm a biology teacher in my school and my degree its in it. I teach biology in ninth grade and has been horrible, is in the last hour so the kids don't want to do anything and they just copy, no questions, no anything besides a long monologue of explinations In the last term exam almost all of them got just 1 and 2 in the scores

Now that we are in a new term is the same, I feel tired and I don't want to teach that class anymore, it hurts because biology is my passion but it's not possible. Should I just let them do presentations all the term? Or just worksheets? Idk :c

Thank you for reading

Have you ever worked somewhere where the teachers seem to form a social hierarchy that is very similar to the way high school was for us/them? A lot of time it's the ones who never left, so to speak; they graduated and immediately took the education route and stuck with their alma mater. It gives them this A-Team attitude like they own the place. I wasn't well liked in school. I get flashbacks so much now... Like, no one is outwardly mean to me, and we are professional, so that's all that matters. But they leave me out of group lunches and dinners, they have a cool "inner circle", they are obviously all trying to impress each other all the time with witty jokes... You can just tell they're borderline self conscious and determined to fit in with each other and be the "cool kids"... Without appearing that way. It's great if you want to be leaders and great teachers and win awards and secure your job by social ties... But that shouldn't involve coldnness to new staff compared to beinf overly jovial with each other, always sitting together in the same spot at PD like it's HS students at lunch... Basically, cliques. Do y'all have cliques and "popularity"? It makes me gag. How do you deal with it? I just stay positive and let the wave of feeling like a tenuous semi outcast on trial wash over me.

ETA: Actually that last sentence is a lie. I do make efforts to fit in. Because this is how I put food on the table so I'm going to try to excel at whatever social acrobats I have to. But I can only stomach so much.