Anyone else live in a state that decreases funding every time a kid is absent? Just venting, but how is this fair or logical??? We will lose staff and services for kids next year because our Average Daily Attendance is down. At my school, we are doing EVERYTHING we can to encourage attendance, even driving to pick up kids whose parents can't be bothered to bring them. (The absences of 2 siblings last year resulted in a loss of $20K.)

hi friends! i recently got hired as assistant to the dean of students at a high school. i’m 20, and i want to dress appropriately and professionally, but also still stylish so i look my age! i don’t want to be confused as a student lol! TIA!

So my situation in a nutshell is 30y/o Mother of 1 and 3 yr old, working 3 days a week as a maths teacher (ages 11-18). I had my appraisal mid year meeting yesterday where I got asked about my ambitions and career plans. I’ve discounted myself for ages for promotions and job applications, I don’t have many plans for moving out of my school because I like it where I am. But there are internal promotions coming up. I was told by my head of department I should try and go for something (I don’t actually know what roles are coming up yet).

My question is, does anyone have any experiences they can share of taking on leadership roles whilst being part time/ parent to young children? Life feels pretty hectic at the moment and I feel like I’m just about treading water. But equally, why should I wait to apply for promotions until my kids are grown up. I don’t believe in myself to line manage people, but I won’t know until I try. Sorry for the waffle, I guess I’m thinking out loud.

I am 23. I joined an engineering college as Assistant Professor of English recently. It's been just two weeks and I am really new to the field of teaching. I am young, I know how students think and I understand their mentality. But l feel disrespected everytime I go a class. Firstly I tried board teaching, I used black board and chalk method to teach. Yes, it's new to me and I do make minor errors once in a while but I do correct myself. But the students don't listen and they chat and use the original phones all the time. I tried being kind and told them not to use phones and they actually ignore my words. I, now am using slides to make them listen, though changes can be seen, there are still many who don't even listen. I even started punishing them for their misbehaviour. Still they give me stares and even frown at me for catching them red-handed. It feels like I am disrespected by them. I know teachers should earn respect by their acts and just can't complain about students' behavior. But I am trying my best. When it comes to content, I come up with random ideaa, facts and similarities related to the subject to make them understand the concept easily. But my seniors think I lack preparation from the feedback they received. They never observed my class in first place. Everything together has actually taken a toll on my mental health. And I don't really known what I should be doing, and even if I try trial and error method I need the students response to change my methods. Seeing nothing change makes me feel overwhelmed, making me question if I am even supposed to continue in this field. Can someone help me with it?

I am concerned for my daughter’s quality of teacher. My daughter let me know that her teacher, we’ll call her Ms. T, on a weekly basis (I hope she is exaggerating) has her son come into her class because he is not able to sit still in his class, or doesn’t feel well, or today’s example, he got hurt at recess and doesn’t want to be in class. It disrupts my daughter’s learning, and Mrs. T is more attentive to him than she is to the students while he is there. Mrs. T also hosts some sort of “skip recess” option and allows her son and a few of her “special friends” to eat their lunch in her room and play games in place of recess. Mrs. T apparently doesn’t allow every kid to do this just the ones she calls her “special friends.” I admit I could be reading into it but it feels almost predatory. Regardless of the intent it has caused rifts in friendships and a sense of favoritism.

I am not sure what to do as a parent obviously I want the best education for my kids as I am sure Mrs. T wants for her own, but she is simply leaving some behind and singling people out in disruptive and inappropriate ways. Any advice from teachers who have seen anything similar?

Got my bonus at work today, and, after paying off my medical bills, I have excess cash. Several of my friends are teachers in the public school system, and I already know a few things they desperately need, like certain folders for upcoming activities, or decorations, but I'm curious what general items would mean the most to you if they were donated? I'd like to surprise them with some supplies donations. They teach 3rd, 5th, and 10th/11th/12th graders. Another is the general counselor/psychologist for the middle school.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! I already know I should probably grab a bunch of the basics like glue-sticks or scissors for the younger kids, but it's been 15 years since I was in school so I have no clue what really would mean a lot to teachers today, so let me know!

Thank you all for what you do!

hello. I am a second-year student in the Department of Korean History Education. It was none other than our university holding an overseas program. I've heard that Finland's teacher education system is excellent, and I'm thinking about applying to abo Academy Universe. Are there any better options? Thanks for reading.

I know I'm supposed to be the adult here but sometimes my preschool students can let comments get to me. Everytime I do something they say "that's not how Miss A does it!"

If I do our morning routine, even if I draw a happy face on their worksheets, they're like "I don't like it! I like how Miss A does it"

And I know it's so silly but I don't know how to stop it. Honestly it's making me feel like they perceive I'm not as important as my homeroom which consciously I know it's not true, but some days like today they just get on my nerves and at the same time it makes me feel less.

should I address this in the classroom? Or should I simply ignore it and just follow my HR routine as exactly as she does? But even then, it wouldn't even be the same, because we are not the same.

I had to be out today for several appointments, as well as for my sanity. Thursdays are my hardest day (elementary art teacher) so it was a great day to be off. This evening, though, one of my teammates told me the bad news. My sub apparently was so overwhelmed and treated so horribly that he left in the middle of fourth grade, in tears. An aide had to cover the rest of the day.

I feel responsible, like I should rest by Not completely of course, most of it is on the kids, but I knew today was a rough one so I kind of threw him into a dumpster fire.

Anyone dealing with a co-worker that is an extreme narcissist? I’ll provide you with some background. I wrote a recommendation for this teacher three years ago as I did not bear witness to this behavior until said individual had their own classroom. I have never in my life seen someone who CRAVES the attention of every child and every “notable” (admin) adult in our district. The social media posts are insane, the person follows children on social media, there are no boundaries and admin just sings the praises. I have had it as I am an absolute workhorse with so much empathy and love for what I do… but I can not deal with this person showboating any chance they get. Btw… the preferred children are the ones that get the preferential treatment. The iep students… not this individual’s kids.

Hi!

It has come to my attention that despite the widespread use of social media and streaming platforms, young people often possess only a superficial understanding of the language of audiovisual media. This realization has prompted me to contemplate how we might "assist" them in delving deeper into this subject, perhaps by dedicating additional time, in the afternoon, to explore the world of cinema and audiovisual storytelling.
Do you happen to know of any online resources that can guide young individuals through this experience? I am seeking something that not only recommends suitable films but also provides detailed explanatory notes on the selected movies, along with accompanying study materials to help them explore the technical and narrative aspects of cinematic works.
Imagine, for instance, a platform that recommends a film and offers study guides that analyze specific scenes, such as:
"In the scene between 22:15–23:45, when Red meets Brown, he appears uneasy, perhaps even shocked. He tries to conceal it with a witty remark." Followed by discussion prompts: "Why do you think Red reacts this way? How does the director use camera angles, acting, and editing to convey that Red is uncomfortable?"
I appreciate any suggestions or resources you may be able to share on this topic.
Thank you.

Hey everyone! The copy machine is down. We called Susan, and she said it won't be fixed until next week. Anyway, since it's Friday...

What were some challenges that you faced recently? Anything that irked you? Maybe a co-worker is getting on your nerve? Class caught on fire because little Billy shoved a crayon into your pencil sharpener?

Share all the vents and stories below!

So I go to a jrotc school, and my naval science teacher used to be in the navy. He has pretty much zero filter, and will say whatever he wants.

For example, after a student couldn't follow directions, he was like "wait by the flagpole. It's gonna be 50 lashes for you!"

I just feel like when teachers' language isn't restricted (as long as theyre not being outright malicious), it just makes for such a lively class and better student-teacher relationships. Another one of my teachers likes to throw stuff at sleeping kids to wake them up. And of course the students don't complain, because we can take a joke.

I just wish all schools were like this. The overly formal environment becoming a little lighter would just make everyone so much more enthusiastic about learning.

Today as I was walking my third graders out to the bus, I noticed a few kids grouping around one of the second graders.

He had taken a tumble on his bike and had some nice scabs on his chin, nose, cheek and forehead. The other boys were asking him what happened and he was clearly embarrassed, staying pretty quiet and holding his sweatshirt up over the lower part of his face.

I went over and said to him, "Wrecked on your bike huh, those scabs look pretty cool."

Almost instantly, his eyes lit up and he let his sweatshirt down, showing a big smile.

I like to think I helped him realize it wasn't something to be embarrassed about, battle scars are something you can be proud of. I hope it made his day a little better. It made my day.

This post mainly focuses on those living in blue states. I was scrolling on twitter and I saw Elon musk created a post talking about how Washington state passed a bill mandating that LGBT history be taught in public schools with the caption “they’re coming for your kids” I know it’s required by law for the curriculum in places like California, New Jersey, Colorado to include topics about LGBTQ in history classes.

I am a former history teacher myself before I started doing what I do now and in the state of Florida, it is illegal for teachers to talk about lgbt topics in the class room through 12th grade. Kentucky is the only other state with a similar law. Having lived in Florida, I was never asked to cover any of these topics in my classroom and growing up myself, I was never taught anything related to lgbt. So out of curiosity For those who work in places like California, what exactly is taught or discussed in the classroom regarding lgbt topics?

Teachers!! I want to send a friend of mine a “teacher care kit” what are some things you’d love to see in something like this?! Anything from classroom supplies to personal care

She teaches grade 4/5

In our location teachers are striking and she’s told me about the struggles with classroom supplies/ accessibility’s. Even if I can’t help a lot I want to at least make her day a little bit easier as a teacher!

All public and charter schools have to prohibit portable communication devices like phones, tablets, laptops and gaming devices during instructional time.

I make mistakes and speak misinformation every day. Today I messed up Athena and Artemis. Yesterday it was another thing. I believe I am just tired, but I am starting to believe that I am not cut out for this. Of course I apologize and praise the kids and move on, but I can't believe that I've make so many mistakes.

My co-teacher dislikes working with me and is frustrated. His planning, teaching and behavior management style is different than mine, which I could clearly see from the onset of our working relationship. I significantly shifted my ways of going about my own planning, delivery and behavior management to have a better continuity for our students. Despite my efforts, today I learned that he dislikes working with me. I could ask him what I could do to improve our working relationship however, I already feel like a shell of the teacher I once was, because of how much I have changed to meet his needs. I am just feeling really sad and defeated. Advice?

We have 3 teachers at our school who regularly bring their dogs to work. Two are Chihuahuas, and the other is some kind of terrier. They mostly hang out in the classrooms all day, although the terrier sometimes accompanies her owner outside when the kids are at recess. Admin knows, and is fine with it. One of them is apparantly an "emotional support animal" but I'm not sure about the other 2. I know that the Chihuahuas haven't gotten along in the past, and have to be kept separate.

The dogs are all playful and good natured and of course the kids LOVE them, but I still get a weird feeling about the legality of it. If a dog bit a kid the school would be in DEEP shit, wouldn't they?

Admittedly I'm not really a dog person, but am I wrong to think these teachers should leave their personal pets at home?

I work in the transition program for SpEd as a paraeducator. This year, we only have 3 young adult men who are 19, 20, and 21. The other day the teacher I worked for stepped out for a moment during her lunch break, which is totally fine. I was sitting at her desk while one of our students was watching a movie during his lunch break. You can fully see into that room, you just can't see HIM very well from the desk, so after a bit I walked over to tell him it was time to turn the movie off. When I got into sight, he had a full blown boner out and was jerking off. He's a very low functioning student, but the moment I walk into the room, he knew he was wrong and put it away immediately. Me and the other para told the teacher about it, and she said the mom is aware that he has an issue pulling it out, but there's nothing more that can be done. I am going to school to work in SpEd, so the little quirks that they do/have don't bother me... but something about this make me feel more violated ? I just need opinions on the situation.

I’ve worked in the public education system for 5 years (HS level certified in history and ELA), but am curious as to what remote teaching jobs are out there/if any teachers here work in a remote capacity.

Any suggestions/leads would be appreciated and helpful

What's your best Teacher Joke?

Mine is, "My nickname is Mr. Snitch."

How does your school go about missed prep periods due to holidays? At my school (elementary), teachers try to coordinate with the TSA for makeup prep periods on another day. For schools with TSAs, is this something the TSAs are required to do? Or is it more of a favor that can be denied?

(Tagging as substitute since TSA would technically be the class’ sub for that makeup prep)

Conversation #1

• Student: “you know cursive right?”
• Me: “yeah”
• Student: “so you know how the n looks like an m, what does an m look like? And if you right the name Jenna doesn’t it look weird?”
• Me: demonstrates on board
• Student: I can’t look it’s hurting my brain. We’re you brainwashed into learning that?”

Conversation #2

• Student: “your outfit looks old.”
• Me: looks at my cropped sweater and flared jeans…”huh?”
• Student: “yeah it’s like medieval or something”

Authors note: jeans are allowed at my school any day and “cropped is a loose term. It was hitting right at the top of my hip bones, my pants were high waisted, and I had a tank top tucked in underneath.

I’ve been teaching for 6 years and I have my BA & MEd in Elementary Ed. A parent asked me about tutoring their 1st grader and I am considering doing it but have never tutored before. What do teachers in the Midwest (more specifically Kansas City) charge per hour?

What does your school do about chronic absenteeism and retention, primarily in elementary school? Do these kids just get passed from grade to grade, despite being so far behind? Do they ever retain a child for any reason?

Situation: 1st grade student. Missed 60 days in kindergarten. Has missed 60 (and counting) so far in first grade. We’ve filed ed neglect but the only thing that’s happened is a meeting. Student is so far behind and I can’t event imagine him in a 2nd grade classroom. We’re in MN for reference.

I’m hosting a summer art camp for children going into grades 3-5. What paint would you recommend for foam tray print making?

Thank you!

Hi teachers. I help out at a small public elementary school and once a month some of the parents bring in lunch for the teachers and staff (around 40-45 people). It’s kind of a hodge podge of dishes. They usually have one or two entrees, a bunch of sides and (vegan, vegetarian and neither) and a dessert/treats. This month I brought homemade fixins for pulled pork sandwiches (buns, pork, sauce, coleslaw and pickles) and mini peach cobblers. It was really well received and I’d like to do something similar next month. Any suggestions on what you’d like or what you think would be a big hit with you and your peers?

FYI, the school doesn’t have a kitchen so everything has to arrive ready to serve whether hot or cold.

Thanks!

Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses in the classroom, and I really believe that, despite our hardships, most of us are good teachers.

What do you do that you believe makes you a good teacher?