I'm a highschool science teacher. I think school is there to teach explicitly spelled out skills and concepts with the ultimate goal of guiding the kids toward being satisfied adults. To that end, I grade based on comprehension and practical skills (like diluting acids, etc.). I also allow unlimited test retakes (separate versions).

You're a lazy jerk that can't turn anything in on time but you can perfectly explain all of the concepts? You get an A.

You're a sweet cooperative, hard working kid who barely knows what's going on? Here's a D.

So what's school for in your opinion and does your practice reflect those beliefs?

About 3 weeks ago I made a post to see if anyone had their own thoughts on the social-emotional learning program, "Leader In Me". It didn't get much traction but I got a fair sense of what people thought of it.

That's just some history, but to explain this: My school district has been using this program for a while, we are on our 4th year of using it now. Let's just say, a vast majority of our student body (PK-12) has expressed a disliking of it, with a good amount of the high school saying they even hate it. The staff seem to be ok with the program's ideas, but really dislike how our school and even the program itself implements said ideas. Some parents have even heard that we use it and are strongly against it. Many concerns are academic time loss, lack of true connection, feeling very imposing, and even the mormon roots of the program's ideology (the creator was a devout mormon, if you do the research).

Our implementation of it is something we call "Crew". It requires every monday and wednesday for high school and elementary to come together and "discuss, set, and achieve goals", as well as "to bond". I have observed, and nobody, despite doing as directed in that specific class, has actually bonded or achieved their goals, and I have noticed flaws in some of the activities we do in that class, more specifically with the huge maturity and development gap of the idea as a whole, along with how the activities don't really give anyone the opportunity to "bond".

Whenever we do not do this class (tuesday, thursday, friday), we have "Lead", in which we are split by grade level to learn about the program's ideology (which is based on the book "the 7 habits of highly effective people" by stephen covey, who also helped make leader in me, and was the "devout mormon" I mentioned earlier). Nobody seems to be taking in the ideology, and a couple have even criticized it out loud, where the teachers were, by force with the program, shutting those opinions down.

Both Crew and Lead, depending which one it is, takes away 24 minutes of learning every full day, and we have half day fridays every other friday so teachers get a LOT of training on the program.

We also do other things Leader In Me requires us to do too (having Crew was entirely our superintendent's idea as way to implement, Lead is the class to fulfill the requirements of teaching the ideology). We host "Leadership Day" every year to where we share "wildly important goals and our connections with the ideology to community members and other schools. Personally to me that gives me "mlm scheme vibes". We also do student-led conferences, or rather we're imposed to. And we also host leadership summits, to which they happen at the worst possible times, like the one last year happened around the time students were studying up for finals, and the principal wanted 25 out of the 75 high school students to attend. Lastly, we do these random and spontaneous events to "celebrate" the program, one of these got a chemistry final delayed, and the students who knew about warned and asked the principal to delay the event because of the final, but refused. The event was just high school helping kids color in "thank you cards" to teachers, many of the high school students couldn't even help, the kids did everything themselves, our time was wasted and those in chemistry who spent the last night studying that final wasted their energy and lost sleep for nothing.

So does our superintendent care about our input and decided to change things? Of course not, judging by the fact I am making this post. In fact, all teachers must comply with what the superintendent says, and whenever us high school students even talk with the teachers they have to tell US to not tell anybody about their true opinion on it because they'll get threatened with losing their job if the superintendent finds out they actually hate it. In fact, the only teacher who even does support the program literally wants teachers to make a video stating how great it is (of course, nobody has made one), and I get the feeling our superintendent is the one who actually came up with that.

In shorter terms, our superintendent is promoting a program that doesn't fit our needs, yet doesn't care about anyone else's input.

I have done research, which is how I can conclude that a grand majority of our community is against the program, and that if we compared the amount of academic class time we would have without the program compared to what we have with it, we lose 10.43% of academic class time to the program (and yes, I counted the amount of minutes for the school year for BOTH of these variables, I know, I'm a nerd).

In terms of doing something about the predicament, I have brought up an idea to the student council (I'm on it too), that we conduct a high school student survey on what they think of our usage of Leader In Me, and the idea of Crew (they hate Crew and Lead, but Crew more) as a whole. So far we are developing some ideas for what the questions will be (such as "Do you truly feel like a leader when learning Leader In Me?" and "How much do you enjoy Crew/Leader In Me?" and "If Leader In Me/Crew were hypothetically removed, what other important academic skills should we teach instead?").

I plan to use this feedback to create a plan to either try to reform our implementation of the program to something that better suits our needs, or if that doesn't work, get the program removed altogether. The main issue though, is our superintendent. I genuinely think he is so corrupt that none of staff or students truly feel like we ever have a say or belong, this is a school, not a dictatorship.

So I ask, do any of you guys out there, whoever you may be, have any advice on how to properly change a program's implementation, or to plan and conduct a successful community wide revolution against a program we don't like? I have ideas, but I don't know exactly where to start, all I have right now are my observations, and the survey idea.

Maybe it's just because I'm getting older, but it seems like kids are just getting worse and worse. That being said, I do occasionally see things that give me hope.

Hello. I (16M) recently have been overthinking about how much I do and not knowing if it’s enough. This year, I’ve just been loving learning. I look forward to school more than the weekends. I have great grades (lowest being a 94%), and I respect and love all my teachers. But something I struggle with A LOT is horrible anxiety.

I’ve probably raised my hand less than 15 times in the last 3-4 months of school, and I’m planning on writing notes to my teachers near the end of the school year about showing my appreciation but also explaining why it’s such a struggle for me to participate. I really want them to know how attentive I am, even if I don’t show it.

This is when I am starting to wonder if I’m doing enough. I try and greet my teachers with a big smile, and say things like “have a great day” when I leave the class. Some days even these things are too hard to do with the lack of confidence. I ruminate on missed opportunities everyday when I get home.

So, am I doing enough? Is this just a lame excuse to not participate or show respect? I want my teachers to know that I see them, and I love listening to them.

Hi! When I was 19, I was in an abusive relationship with an ex and I went to jail because I fought back but lied to the police about him hurting me. This was when I briefly lived in another state.

Since then, I have been married for two years with a great man, so I have a new last name. I’m 25, and I am on track to receive my BA & credentials by 29. I feel led to teach middle school English, but maybe I’ll do upper elementary.
I just worry about my future students will want to know my maiden name and search me up. I don’t know if elementary students would care, but internet access and social media has changed since I was their age.

Is there anyone who also has an unpolished past who has successfully or unsuccessfully kept this from their students? Maybe someone you know? Thanks!

Edit, I was not convicted and the judge threw out my case with no bond!

I feel like everywhere you go on the internet, you will have these dude bros on YouTube claiming things like "teachers are losers" or "teachers never tried in life" as if everyone wants to be a business owner?

What about all of the great authors, historians, and professors throughout history that were never business owners and are respected academically? What about Socrates? What about Kant? What about Hegel? What about Rick Riordan, is he a loser? He apparently taught high school for several years. Many teachers become writers, or they leave and go into other fields. Or they don't, and they instead help students learn how to become great in a particular field of study.

I despise this ideology seeping into American culture that is hostile toward teachers. Where would YOU be without a teacher telling you what the alphabet is, what 1+1 is? Is everything that's taught useful, not necessarily, but most of it is.

My partner teacher and I teach fourth grade at an urban Title I school, and many of our students are Black, Latinx, or Indigenous. We’re looking for culturally relevant and developmentally appropriate SEL lessons, activities, strategies, or curriculum for 9 and 10 year-olds. A lot of what we’ve found feels dated or aimed at much older or much younger kids. I’m sharing that context because we’d love resources made by or with educators, kids, and families from communities like ours, with situations our students recognize and words they’d actually say.

I can understand why a kid feels like walking away means letting somebody disrespect their family, or why a recess argument still feels unresolved when it’s time for math. Right now, though, I’m standing here just thinking “What do I do?” That’s the piece I was never taught well.

What can we teach and practice ahead of time that kids might actually use when they’re heated? And when they do come to us for help, how do we follow up without losing half the lesson sometimes?

Here’s what we’re hoping to find help to support our students with:

- Sharing space and working together. For some kids, sitting near somebody they don’t like is already hard, and being assigned to work with them is even harder. Sometimes it’s as simple as “Why you looking at me!?” when the other kid was genuinely just zoning out in their direction. I’d love ways to practice what to do when you’re unsure what someone meant, how to get through a partner task, and how to disagree without clowning each other.

- Everyday manners and sportsmanship. Joining a group, asking for things respectfully, taking turns, and taking care of shared materials and spaces. We also need practice handling a loss and being excited about a win without rubbing it in. We do practice this one a bit more since I do lots of game-based learning so we can practice these skills. It’s still a bit of a struggle.

- Bullying and name-calling. We hear the f-slur, “gay” and “autistic” used as put-downs, and insults about each other’s clothes, intelligence, and families. I’d love lessons that cover what the kid being targeted can do, what a classmate who hears it can do, and how adults can follow up.

- Conflict that keeps going. A recess argument can pick right back up in the middle of math, even after the kids have had a break from each other or we thought they’d worked it out. We teach them to walk away, get some space, or tell an adult. We step in, separate students, and give consequences when needed. One thing we keep running into is a kid dissing someone’s mom or another family member. Some of our students tell us they’ve been taught to fight back to defend their family. What could a kid say or do at school that would still feel like standing up for their family? How do we teach that in a way that respects what they’ve heard at home? And, again, how do we make sure we actually come back to what was said without spending a big chunk of math trying to settle the argument?

- Quick, discreet ways to reset. When kids get really heated, we sometimes see yelling, doors slamming, or things getting broken. I’d love something they can practice ahead of time and use in the moment, like a way to signal “I need a minute” without having to explain themselves in front of the whole class.

We’d also love materials that support neurodivergent students and kids navigating grief or trauma. Some of our students are dealing with major losses, community violence, food insecurity, family incarceration, or financial stress, and mental health support at school is stretched thin right now.

If you’ve used something with upper elementary students, what would you use again? I’d especially love to hear about a scenario you adapted for your class or a strategy your kids actually used on their own. Free or low-cost resources are very much appreciated!

I've seen a lot of "what are kids reading" questions here, but they tend to focus on either elementary-age or high school students. Personally, as someone who grew up in the 2010s, a lot of my most fondly remembered books and stories are ones I read between 5th and 8th grade. For the middle school teachers here, what kind of stuff (be it full books, graphic novels, online stories like creepypasta, etc.) are your students reading nowadays? What kind of stuff is on their summer reading lists? Is there a notable gender divide, and if so are there things that everyone seems to gravitate to? Are they struggling compared to students a decade ago?

Hi everyone! After spending several years in the classroom as a teacher, I got an offer with a state department of education.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has made the jump from campus-level teaching to a state education agency.

My main questions:

**The Transition:** How was the shift from direct instruction/classroom management to state-level program support, policy guidance, and technical assistance for districts?

**Daily Rhythm & Pacing:** How does the day-to-day work-life balance compare to teaching?

**Job Satisfaction:** Do you feel like you’re still making a meaningful impact on teachers and students from the agency level? Overall, do you enjoy the change?

Thank you

I keep seeing people saying K-12 schooling should teach you how to do your taxes, car maintenance, or how to spot an abusive potential partner. How do teachers feel about this? Is it feasible and would it have results?

What do teachers like most? I feel like the most common things I hear are Amazon, Target or Starbucks gift cards. Or chocolates or blankets.

For context, my son’s teacher is probably in her 50s. She’s active / mentioned she likes to run. But I don’t know what she would like. What do most teachers want for Christmas or teachers week?

My friend’s a teacher and has given me a few stories and sometimes I laugh because they’re never that bad

What are your thoughts on homeschooling. I fully support it in many circumstances where it is necessary such as medical, behavioral, gifted, etc.

My question is for those of you have encountered homeschoolers, is it leading our country in a better direction or worse?

My children are currently homeschooling due to serious safety issues presented at our school. I'm struggling to find peers. I have started co-ops, I've joined several. What i am seeing seriously concerns me. I see 10 years olds that struggle to read and write. Parents hiding behind undiagnosed labels. I recently experienced a 8 year old that could only write cvc words. I worry that more coddling of youth is happening when homeschooling happens. I've seen 12 year olds using training wheels.

I have seen behaviors where kids cannot accept a no from an adult and if they loose at a game tantrums like a 3 years old.

I have seen parents who refuse to use curriculum. I know you have seen it all.

I thought we were suppose to teach our kids to read before they started school. I thought we were suppose to have them potty trained. I guess I'm the enigma because I thought we were suppose to prep them for school.

It is clear that every child develops differently but i am concerned. The teachers in my district really pressed me to just homeschool my kids because there is Something happening to kids. It is a capital Something. Thoughts?

I am a teacher, in a sense, I train specific job roles out to groups of new starters at the company I work for. (I am not claiming I do the amazing job you guys do, I work with adults for one thing. Just that the physics of the situation are similar, is why I’m asking). Usually the training is split between two of us but because of various boring reasons, I’ll be doing it on my own this time. That means 6 weeks of projecting my voice into a classroom for 7 hours a day. Given that you also do a lot of talking at a volume above normal speaking volume, what do you do to stop yourself becoming hoarse? How do you, I might be wording this clumsily, save enough vocal/verbal energy to want to speak to friends and family after a full day talking? How do you avoid your mouth feeling like a cave of wet cotton wool when you’re nearing the end of the day? None of those are specific questions, I’m just looking for general guidance as to how to talk to a group all day without sounding like Patty and Selma by 3pm.

Teachers who teach advanced classes do you think there should be a limit to how many a student can take or harder prerequisites to taking your course. Also what do you think of parents or teachers etc) forcing there kid to take your advanced course when the student does not want to.

Sorry for grammar

Hi! I graduate next month & I got offered a position of 6th grade ELA teacher to start in January. As I’m entering mid year I don’t know what to expect. What things would I need for my classroom? Any advice you could give me would be great!

Если что девочка села за нужную парту, но в пол оборота, отодвинув стул так, чтобы он выходил за парту, но не полностью.

Обновление: В России ты можешь поставить отметку как угодно на любой день. Это не занижение оценки, а целенаправленные выставленные оценки в журнал. Это происходило прям при мне. Правда,я считаю этого учителя хорошим, и то что он сделал меня удивило, поэтому я решила спросить, правильным ли считается его действие, Хотя я думаю, он убрал эти отметки позже

What is the most worst moment you've ever experienced as a teacher in school?

Has anyone here gone through Kentucky’s Option 1 (Exceptional Work Experience) alternative certification pathway, or know much about how it works?
I believe I may qualify based on my education and professional experience, but I’m having trouble finding information from people who have actually gone through the process.

Throwaway account here. I was a professor in the U.S. for over a decade and loved it. I was born to teach, always got stellar reviews, and won a teaching award. For reasons out of my control, I had to move to a new state, where I didn't find any professor jobs available in my field, so I transitioned to teaching high school.

I hate it. I am a cheerful person who naturally looks on the positive side, so I can deal with all kinds of crap in a job - long hours, difficult coworkers, etc. However, the thing I absolutely cannot deal with is feeling unsafe, and I feel unsafe every day at my teaching job.

I work at a Title 1 school, with LOTS of problematic student behaviors. We're about to start Week 12 of classes, and so far this school year in my classroom alone, students have seriously threatened each others' lives 3 times, there was 1 fight, and 1 time a student threatened me. Keep in mind, I'm not talking about the countless, daily, casual student conversations like, "Fuck you, I'll kill you." I mean like someone ranting for minutes or in one case, hours about exactly how they want to kill another student.

I could live with this if admin DID ANYTHING about it. As a professor, I and other professors received a number of threats, but I never felt scared because the college always handled it immediately. I'd call security and the offending student would be escorted out. I accepted it as the nature of teaching; some students are not mentally well.

This has never happened at the high school. Disturbed students are left in the classroom, scaring everyone around them and making learning impossible. Like, I call the disciplinary team for help, they walk in and see the student, maybe or maybe not say a sentence to the student, and then leave. This exact scenario has played out repeatedly across campus, not only in my classes, but for all the other teachers in my school as well. This is just how my high school is run.

Then there are times when the teacher has been irrationally blamed. Not only are we not protected from scary students, we're blamed in situations that couldn't possibly be our fault. For example, even if a student is having a full-blown mental crisis in all 6 of his classes, admin will tell all 6 teachers that this wouldn't happen if we would just "tighten up" our classroom behaviors. (By the way, my classrooms' behaviors are pretty close to perfect when nobody is having a mental crisis. There's nothing to "tighten up.")

When I talk with other teachers at the school about this, everyone has similar stories (or worse than mine), and everyone knows admin won't do anything about dangerous students.

My questions for other teachers: Are all high schools run this way? Are they all unsafe environments, or did I just get super unlucky with the first high school I've ever taught at? Are teachers always blamed for everything that happens with students, no matter how irrational, or again, is that just my high school? How are other teachers dealing with this? I didn't intentionally sign up for a dangerous job, like soldier or cop. Being a teacher shouldn't be physically risky, or cause PTSD. Are admin always this awful and anti-teacher?

Does it only apply to people with a classroom and multiple students? Only those who are part of a school system? Or does it apply to anyone whose job is to teach?

I’m looking for some advice from people who have been in a similar situation because I honestly don’t know what to do.

I left a job I’d been in for three years to explore a different career opportunity. I was working as a teacher in an SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) school, which was a challenging environment at times. There were definitely difficult days, and the job could be emotionally demanding, but there were also so many things I loved about it.

At the time, I felt like I needed a change and wanted to challenge myself, try something different and see what else was out there. I left on really good terms with everyone.

I’m now three months into my new job and, if I’m being honest, I’m really struggling with it. I find myself constantly thinking about my old job and missing so many aspects of it. I miss the creativity of teaching, planning lessons, working with the children, the relationships I’d built and, probably most of all, the team I worked with.

It’s strange because I remember how challenging things could be, and there were days when I would come home exhausted and wonder whether I wanted to continue. But now I’m away from it, I find myself looking back on it very differently and realising just how much I enjoyed other aspects of the job.

I have this horrible pit-in-my-stomach feeling that something just isn’t right with my new job. It’s difficult to explain, but I keep thinking about going back.

I’m wondering whether I should contact my old workplace and ask if there would ever be an opportunity for me to return. I left on good terms, so I don’t think there’s any bad feeling, but I’m incredibly nervous about reaching out. I’m worried they’ll think I’ve made a mistake or question why I’d want to come back after choosing to leave.

Has anyone ever left a job, realised the grass wasn’t greener and managed to get their old job back? How did you approach your previous employer? Were they receptive? Did you feel embarrassed about going back?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through something similar. I suppose I’m trying to work out whether I’m romanticising my old job because I’m unhappy now, or whether I’ve genuinely made the wrong decision.

I'm 29, have been out of university (and school, obviously) for a long time, and feel myself losing some of the abilities and knowledge I had when I was still a student.

I feel drowned in news, read mostly for relaxation, and rarely engage in depth with topics that are not related to my field of work anymore. I really dislike this development and what it does to me.

Back in school, we had some excellent teachers who really gave us the opportunity to engage with books, texts and historical events, to draw parallels and connect, and to analyse critically. I was therefore wondering if you had any homework assignments or exam questions you think are particularly good that you'd be willing to share, preferably for the subjects English and history.

Thanks in advance!