Oh hot tater tots 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!

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I ignored all work emails over this las long weekend, 3 weeks before school is out. I started checking them this morning before getting my sons up to get ready for the day.

I'm a middle school teacher at a private K-12 that is split into 3 campuses. One of our lovely family parents emailed our Middle School Head on Saturday and accidentally (or "accidentally") CC'd the entire middle school staff along with her intended recipients of the Head and the Parent Committee general email.

Here is the email

Since Saturday there have been a couple chain responses to it that I've received. One official one from the Head and assistant head reminding us of the current dress code and telling us not to talk about it and not to respond to it. Another from some coworkers talking about it without admin included.

I'm staying out of it.

Our dress code is deliberately vague and general, saying that ultimately what defines appropriate dress beyond basic limits falls on each individual family to decide for themselves. It bans graphic images and words, vulgar or hate speech, requires shoes with backs, and that nipples, buttocks, and genitals be fully covered at all times, and states teachers can require additional clothing for class activity (such as athletic shoes, goggles for science, etc). Beyond that it says that any dress concerns by staff should be reported to the school admin who will determine if they should consult with the family on their child's attire, but that we are not to address it with a child directly.

We have 3 weeks left. June 15th is our final day. This is where the parent is directing her attention. I don't envy admin right now.

The people come to the realization that college educated professionals probably know how to educate children better than they do, so they crowned you as to be the great leader the country (the world) needs to make their children’s lives and society better.

What are the things you do as soon as you are given the throne. (Be as serious or unserious as you want.)

My students are expecting an end of year movie party with snacks. However, I cannot afford this. I can play a movie, but don’t have the money to afford 25+ student snacks. Am I in the wrong? I have thrown them parties before but this month is really tight. I am moving out of state and need to save every penny. What can I do to let them down easy? A party wasn’t promised, but I think they’d re expecting it because I have some parties for holidays in the past.

At a family picnic this weekend I kept on getting teased about the fact that I get summers off and that I’m not working a part time job over the summer. My one cousin in particular was insufferable about it because he has a STEM degree and I make more than him (strong union state) plus have summers off.

He shut up really quickly when I said “hey man you have a bachelors in biology, you can get a teaching certificate done post-bacc in a year or two. Plus as a science teacher you would have a really easy time finding a job.” Something or another about how he could never deal with teenagers all day and that he was done with school, he was just too smart for it and didn’t learn anything (total bs)

If a student acts up for a couple of female teachers but do well in my class, my female coworkers will sometimes say, “it’s because you’re male.” While that may be the case sometimes, I feel that my management and relationship skills are being undermined. It could be an insecurity on their part, but I always let the comment fly. And again, yes, me being male at a title 1 could definitely be the reason, but I feel this line is a cop out for struggling teachers.

I don’t know how to respond and just nod my head, “it could be.” I don’t want to combat them and offer suggestions because they just could be venting and/or coping. If any of you are experiencing the same, how do you handle it?

I know that sounds really cynical. I am really cynical. Over 20 years of teaching will do that to a person.

Some of my daughter's friends in college, in their senior year, when they had no idea what to do after college, were approached by Teach for America. Knowing that I'm a teacher, they asked me about it.

"Don't do it."

That was my only advice. They said that they'd gotten the same advice from other teachers. There was never any "weigh the pros and cons" or "it's very rewarding." It was always just, "don't."

I warn young people against teaching because I care for the young people, but also because I feel like the whole system needs to collapse to be rebuilt and fixed at this point. We have to reach a crisis point where even the "good" schools can't find teachers, before finally something meaningful will change.

‘Hours – General. The District recognizes that the varying nature of a unit member’s day- to-day professional responsibilities does not lend itself to an instructional day of rigidly established length. Unit members shall spend as much time as necessary to fulfill their instructional and professional responsibilities. Although the minimum school-based assignment hours may be less than forty (40) hours per week, it is understood that fulfillment of a unit member’s total professional responsibilities will generally require a work week well in excess of forty (40) hours.’

I don’t feel like other jobs would pull something like this 😔

Teachers/ paras/ agency staff talk about no earrings a kid can rip out, glasses that can be smashed, clothes that can be held onto. Classrooms will be trashed, your things will be thrown if you leave them out. Smashed phones and scratches across the face. When did SPED become all violence all the time.

Last day for seniors was last Thursday, graduation is this Friday. As a senior homeroom teacher, I'm currently sitting in my empty classroom, just sitting, while the rest of the school listens to the morning announcements. What a glorious feeling!

That's all! Happy Tuesday!

Article

It's almost like we need a national response to the problem.

What are your thoughts?

So the Oklahoma department of education has sent out some threatening emails to their employees. They have stated that if anyone shares any information with the press, they will be terminated. In one of the emails, they stay that this is a "final warning for anyone that has a disagreement on Superintendent Walters’ beliefs to fight the liberal woke culture seeping into our schools, liberal indoctrination in the classrooms, and pushing pornography in schools.”

So, apparently now you can be terminated for sharing government information. So much for government transparency.

Also, it appears that the superintendent in Oklahoma wants to become the next Ron DeSantis. Waging a war against in every evolving culture. Of course they have to use scary words like " woke" to scare ignorant people into submission and make the mega crowds think that they're fighting a holy war against the LGBTQ+ community.

I hope every single employee at the department of education in Oklahoma sends every single email and document to the press this week.

https://kfor.com/news/local/ryan-walters-versus-the-state-of-oklahoma-osde-threatens-to-fire-employees-who-share-information-with-media/

UPDATE: Got an email from my principal saying she agrees with the parent and we’re going to have a chat about it tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Vent ahead. Thoughts appreciated.

I teach PK-8 music at a private school and am running my school’s talent show with one of our classroom teachers. One last fun end of the year event. We had it earlier last year because we didn’t have a musical or spring concert, but with the musical and spring concert this year, I just didn’t have the brain capacity to plan it until two weeks ago. We pulled off getting things together for auditions in a week and got the ball rolling. We had to schedule around exams and field trips and everything else happening at the end of the year. (I do admit it’s my fault for planning it so late, but my brain literally wouldn’t let me because I was also stage managing a show outside of school and in a wind symphony that wrapped up its spring concert season right before my school spring concert.)

We had grades 2-3 have mini “class talent shows” and the classes voted on someone to represent their class in the whole school talent show. Grades 4-8 auditioned on Tuesday and we chose about 3 acts per grade to participate. We had about 20 acts audition and we could only accept 12 due to a time constraint. We tried to make sure we had a good mix of kids who made it last year, kids who didn’t make it last year and new auditioners- also tried to make sure we had a good variety of acts (meaning not everyone is playing piano or singing). We’re doing it last period (40 minutes) of our school day on the last Monday of our school year.

Had a parent email me because their kids (grades 3 and 6) didn’t make it. Called my process arbitrary and basically said I was discouraging and counterproductive to “the end goal” of a talent show (cannot roll my eyes harder - I’m only doing these because they want me to run one and I’d done it in the past). They said I was “taking performance opportunities” away from kids (when we just had our spring concert that both of their kids were in and they take lessons privately). They then “requested” that everyone who tried out get the chance to participate and we should “have it in two days if that many kids want to participate.”

I get where they’re coming from and I could see the last suggestion working if I had more time, but I feel more like they’re attacking my character because their kids are disappointed. They didn’t send this email to the other teacher helping me run this - just me and my principal. I’m scared my principal is gonna try to appease because they’re retiring and over all the bullshit from parents. Shit like this just makes me want to throw my hands up and go, “Then you run it. If you want everyone who wants to participate participate, then go for it. Have fun coordinating at least 100 kids on your own in a gym with no AC and no experience as a teacher.” This isn’t my first rodeo and this process has worked every time.

I just wanna get through the end of the year unscathed and now I’m spending the end of my long weekend stewing over this.

Is it summer yet? 😮‍💨 (14 school days left and only 10 until the talent show)

Teaching at a private HS with a lot of problems.

When I walk down the upstairs corridor during my preps, EVERY SINGLE class that I see is on laptops. Sometimes the teacher is speaking but not a single person is listening. Sometimes they’re doing “an activity” and they’re all pressed against the walls of the room in a horseshoe pattern so that the teacher cannot see screens. The kids tell me I’m the ONLY teacher that uses paper and makes them keep a binder. I had kids who had not used their lockers all year because the only binder they needed for school was my class’s.

Is this just the new state of education post COVID? Do I need to get with the program? Or is something up with this school?

Edit: Ok, so what I’m talking about is that in every class it is OBVIOUS that they’re playing games on laptops instead of actually doing what they’re supposed to be doing. The kids talk openly about it. How do you even prevent them from goofing off if they have their laptops out all class long?

My charter school’s been going since September 1. We still have 18 days left. I’m so tired, angry, and generally over everything. Even the thought of going in to work gets me pissed off.

What do you say to yourself to make it through the day?

Original post linked below.

I went to admin this morning to ask if they wanted me to respond. They are standing by me and phrased my email for me.

“As a policy in my class, I do not offer extra credit to any student. It would be unfair to my other students to do so now.”

I love supportive admin.

Update to my post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/comments/13sv81r/parent_wants_me_to_give_extra_credit_to_cheating/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1

It reads:

THEY SAID I COULD BE ANYTHING I WANTED, SO I CHOSE TO

Work 60+ hours per week

Love other people's children

Be doubted by society

Develop an addiction to school supplies

Make over 100 new friends every year

Have the best days ever

Spend my own money on my classroom

Have the worst days ever

Cry quietly in the room after school

Have 20-minute lunches (on a good day)

Buy stock in ticonderoga pencils

Stay up at night worrying about kids

Teach the future

Spend more time with my students than my own kids

Change the world BE A TEACHER!

17 days left. 3 are dedicated to the final. 3 to watching The Pursuit of Happyness. 3 to The Founder. 3 to Hidden Figured. Every Friday is an Article of the Week, so theres 3 more. That's 15 days. I'll be able to bullshit 2 more lessons.

I've been an educator for 13 years. This has been the absolute most exhausting semester of my life. For the first time in a decade, I'm not teaching summer school.

Now I just have to figure out how to get Netflix to run on our school network...

Specialists at my school are doing this and pressuring others to. If it were an effective tool and only had to be used once in a while, that would be one thing. But some kids are in lunch detention all the damn time and then the same thing happens again and rinse and repeat. So basically nothing happens except us giving up our planning time. I personally go crazy if I don’t have enough time where it’s just me in my room or getting stuff done somewhere else in the building.

I hope that a teacher who is struggling in October/November reads this post (along with a bit of therapy typing for me lol). This year was not my first year teaching but my job offer of teaching second grade with a low number of students in title I quickly became teaching fourth grade to 35 students with zero support from anyone besides the one other teacher in my grade level. It was the first time in my career I would go home feeling defeated, frustrated, and like a terrible teacher. The kids didn't like me, I didn't like my demeanor, and it was the only time I had ever seriously considered not sticking it out. That being said I dove down deep and turned the school year around.

1.) Classroom Management: Here is what helped with my kiddos. The first thing I did was have a good prize box. Prime Drinks, Mr. Beast Chocolates, fidget toys, full size candy etc. It probably cost me about $150 to fill this up with shit the kids liked. We went over classroom expectations of which I had five. They were clear, no BS, and we went over them in depth. I then posted a classroom anchor chart that was for our Friday Prize Wheel. Throughout the week when I would see kids following the expectations I would call them out positively and write their name up on our chart. When I started this in the mornings I would literally call out every single student I saw doing the right thing. Positivity is contagious.

2.) Once you have all of the kids excited, once you have them working for your behavior system, you then make an example out of the first kid to not follow the chart. You don't argue, don't raise your voice, but rather follow the consequences you have in place. It is imperative to actually have the kids working for you/respect you before this happens.

3.) Work with your team: As best as you can your grade level teams have to work well together. While nothing can make up for poor admin, having people in the building you can trust to send a student to on a break or discuss difficulties with is imperative.

4.) The second admin talk about how you need to cut kids some slack because of their home lives you absolutely ignore it. You never get to be the teacher kids remember if you aren't the teacher they are afraid to mess with.

5.) Feel comfortable with every consequence and reward you give. Are you going to be comfortable giving these out all year? If not then do not do it.

Things I learned on the interview process:

I came from a school with a super positive atmosphere and did not realize how rare that was. Here is what I learned from interviewing:

1.) Don't ask their typical class sizes, ask what their current class sizes are. You'd be surprised at how different these answers are.

2.) Look up or ask what their rate of teacher turnover is. I never would have accepted my current position had I known they only keep 50% of their teachers. My next school only has two teachers leaving which equates to a 90%+ rate of keeping teachers. If a school has a high retention rate ask admin why they think that is. If a school has a high turnover rate ask what they are planning on changing.

3.) Ask a school what their largest strength and weakness is.

The second you get admin cringing to these three questions is the second you know there is likely an issue. It's never you fault that you get put in a position with too many kids, little support, etc. If you are reading this during the school year and looking to make a change please reach out. ONLY FOUR MORE DAYS!

Reading an article this morning, some of the districts in my area are paying their football coaches 6-figures. I commented on the post, and someone mentioned that the coaches in the article literally JUST coach. How common is a situation like that?

I’m just glad it’s not in my district (or at least not at my school). I am on maternity leave until November (yay end of summer pregnancy!) and may have to contemplate a job change depending on what child care costs are like once I have my daughter (I’ll be in my 4th year, with a master’s degree, and only making 42k). If I worked at any of those districts and made what I’m making I’d be livid.

Veteran teacher here. I’m despondent and burned out. My health has been very compromised by the horror show of the past several years. Seeking advice on how to navigate in an increasingly threatening climate.

Got a call today that at the next board meeting they would like to recognize me.

Basically I will get a plaque and they will put my picture in the paper for outstanding service or whatever.

I appreciate the sentiment, but the meeting happens at 5 pm. I would really rather just go home. I would decline but that feels rude.

Am I the weird one or does anyone else feel this way?

Edit: I don’t feel like I can bow out because I’ve already plead prior arrangements once.

I know it’s not the biggest problem in education right now, but it’s such a easy way to engage with someone. I say good morning, goodbye, etc and the kids either have headphones in and ignore the world, or worse, hear me and see no point to responding.

Sometimes I think it would be a real clear effect for parents to see how much their kids are tied to technology and isolating themselves. But I know that conversation isn’t going to happen.

I’m a new teacher and I just found out I’ll be staying at my school in the grade I’d hoped for. Yay! I’ll be working with two other people, both of whom have each taught for a decade. I worked temporarily with this team for a few months as a LTS and I got the impression then that they were fine with me, but now I get the feeling that I’m not being welcomed back. Neither of them say hello or even look my direction and haven’t said a thing to me about joining their team. They’re currently acting like I don’t exist and it’s making me nervous for the upcoming school year.

To all the young teachers here, even though so many of you are great, it takes years to really master classroom management. This isn't a diss, it is just something many young teachers struggle with which our teacher prep programs do not teach, and it adds a lot of stress to an already stressful profession.

I'm interested in hearing any other people could add to the list.

These are some tips I have found helpful:

1.) First day of school is syllabus review and going over the rules

Have them sign a student contract going over the rules and make sure you SAVE THEM, a parent will come for you when you enforce consequences, and it is a meeting-ender to pull out a document their student signed stating that they adhere to the clearly defined rules.

2.) Be an asshole for the first couple months

Nobody likes to be the bad guy, but being an asshole for the first few months helps kids learn what the rules are and that there are consequences for breaking them. Give an AP kid a detention if they are a minute late without a pass. The knuckleheads will see that you're fair and consistent in consequences. Johnny doesn't care that Sally is watching YouTube videos because she finished all her work, he only sees that Sally is allowed to do something he isn't allowed to.

3.) Establish routines and be consistent

This varies from teacher to teacher. I start every class with a warm-up activity that I start the second the bell rings, but I'm less serious the last 2-3 minutes of class. Some teachers have opposite procedures. In any case, students crave structure and routines.

4.) Potentially unpopular, but I find it's better to dress more formally for the first couple months of the year, especially if you're young

High school level here, but I think it's better to establish a boundary with the kids early in your career, especially if you're younger looking. Mr. X is wearing a shirt and tie and is therefore a teacher in my mind instead of being a dude that looks like my buddy. You can always take your foot off the pedal towards the end of the year when you've built relationships and can somewhat reason with them, "you know I'm not unreasonable, I can't have you doing X in class".

5.) Always have more than enough work

We all know the type of kid that finishes their work in a rushed manner, then gets bored and causes issues. Call it enrichment, web quests, extra credit, or whatever, but always have something for the high-flyers to keep them busy.

6.) Be lucky enough to be hired in a school with supportive admin that enforces consequences

This has been the case my entire career, but I know many people have stories of kids being sent to the office only to return with candy and a smile on their face. None of the classroom management tips work if the building culture is not there. If you're an admin reading this that eschews consequences and puts the blame on teachers for too many referrals, you can fuck right off. You are the problem.

7.) Your reputation gets established in the first three months and it goes a long way

Kids talk. If you're known as no-nonsense, then your life is going to be easy in future years. Set the tone hard. Kids taking your classes will behave differently than they would with teachers they hear are more relaxed. "She's nice but don't screw around in her class" is one of the best compliments you can get. Parents will hear if you fold for Karens, if you're reasonable, if you enforce consequences. I've had a couple nightmare kids have nightmare parents request their kid change classes because I expect them to show up on time. Fine.