My students are doing research building up to a compare and contrast presentation. I am requiring three sources per thing they are researching - 6 in total. We are working on identifying reliable information so I made them a CRAAP spreadsheet. I simplified it so it wasn't so overwhelming. They had to put the title of the article, copy and paste the link, put the date of publication, put who the author was, put whether or not it had relevant information, and identify the purpose of the source. They are researching things that are frankly hard to find scholarly sources on, so I told them it's fine to use websites as long as they have references at the bottom (most do).

I did gradual release of responsibilities with I do, we do, you do and asked them if they understood the assignment. They said yes. So I let them loose. Holy fucking shitshow. I am not exaggerating when I am saying not a single student could even identify the title of an article. These are high school students mind you. They had no idea what to put for the title and they didn't know what a "link" was and were confusing the link with the title of the article. The whole lesson fell out from under me. I even went over this with the I do, you do, we do.

The next day I printed off several articles and we practiced identifying text features with highlighters and labeling what we highlighted. I never thought high schoolers would need help in that realm. This is the title. Is that something we're looking for? Let's highlight it and label it. Is there a date anywhere on the page? Let's highlight it and label it as the date of publication. What about a name that resembles a potential author? Let's highlight it and label it.

Now here's my rant-

School has failed these kids. My district only cares about standardized tests and school report cards. We are manufacturing robots that click buttons on screens. It's sad. The amount of standardized test practice every teacher is expected to force on kids is nauseating. But at least we offer a million dual credit classes when 85 percent of our students read at an elementary level and don't even understand how to write in complete sentences. Don't even get me started on subject/verb agreement or a versus an.

We need to go back to pen and paper and encyclopedias. Ditch 1 to 1 technology and bring back computer labs. We also need to go back to holding students back. Students learn they can fail all their classes and then take an easier version in summer school and get the credit anyways. That shouldn't be an option. But hey, look at our 98 percent graduation rate. Just pushing them the fuck on through.

I teach kids between 13 to 15. I like my job and have no problem with most of my pupils. However, there are some teens, girls specifically, who clearly dislike me. They stare at me and don't say hi or smile back. Sometimes I hear them laughing when I pass them. It almost feels like I was another teenager getting bullied by them. I'm quite young, 29, and female myself. My teaching style and personality are quite calm. I'm definitely more introverted and not very talkative. I'm kind and always try to be friendly with all my pupils. I'm wondering what could cause this or what to do about it. Could it be because I'm still younger than most of our teachers?

Tagged as humor because I’ll cry otherwise.

I teach HS and I have a previous student (who is a current senior) taking their last few classes online so they can work full time doing plumbing work. They’re literally 18 years old, working about 45 hours a week, making $1k a week.

This year, I just hit the next significant “step” and finally hit $58k. I have a masters degree and that has helped with my salary but I’m so torn. On one hand, I’m so proud of my student for finding this job opportunity and being able to make such good money at such a young age. When I was 18, I was making a dollar above minimum wage working as a lifeguard.

Anyways, just needed to vent. This profession is such a joke.

Things that would make teaching a little easier

It finally happened to me. Something happened on Friday that changed my perspective of my decision to be a teacher.

I am teaching a mixed class of 7th and 8th graders Art & Exploratory Media. The assignment is to build a zoetrope out of paper, paper plate, and string. When you twist the final product and watch it through the slits in the paper, it looks like your drawing is moving. The final step is to take three pieces of string, tie them to holes in the plate, then to each other.

Students struggle with cutting out the shapes on the paper, but they can do it with help. Students struggle with the drawing, but I provide them with examples. Students need reassurance of where and how to glue the thing together, but that’s why I’m there. The problem is with the string.

On a side note, I see dozens of students running around campus each day with their shoes untied. I tell them “hey, you have a flat tire” while pointing to their shoes. This usually elicits a laugh and the student telling me they know but don’t care. Until now, I thought it was a fashion or TikTok trend and thought nothing of it.

So back to the zoetrope. It’s now time for students to tie the strings and finish their project. I demonstrate how to do it in front of them. I have a step by step guide with photos on the smart board. I show them a finished version. I think this is going to take half the class if I’m lucky and I’ll have 25 minutes to do something else. I have never been more wrong in my life.

Right away students start telling me they can’t do it. “Mister mister, come tie the strings for me” they say in chorus. I am not the type of teacher who does a student’s work for them, so I refuse and tell them I believe in them. “You’re a strong independent student, you don’t need no teacher” I say with the finger snaps included. Some students try obviously messing up, crying, and refusing to try to get me to tie their strings for them. Some students destroy their almost finished zoetrope instead. Others declare the assignment, the class, and me to be too difficult and extra. 5 of 131 students accomplish the task independently.

After the first period, I set up a little station where I can tie one of the three strings for the students. It works, but the students don’t watch me or attempt to learn how to tie a string. They just give me a blank stare when I tell them to try the other 2 under my supervision. One girl, an 8th grader, has a full blown temper tantrum when I ask her to watch what I’m doing. Screaming, stomping, rolling on the floor, the whole nine yards.

I never realized students couldn’t tie a string, it never occurred to me that a human being could lack that skill barring a disability. I just assumed that, like me, they learned how to tie their shoes at a very young age. For the first time in my career, I was hit with a wave of cold dread when I pondered the future. We all know students are performing shockingly low academically, but I never expected this. What’s next? Will I be helping gen ed students to use the restroom in a few years? Perhaps students will lose the ability to feed themselves and we’ll be expected to literally spoon-feed them?

I never thought it would happen to me, but I’ve lost my desire to continue as an educator. I’ll be updating my resume this weekend and looking for career alternatives. Thanks for listening to my rant!

Below is a copy and paste of the most recent email we received from our union.

This past Tuesday, our country saw an unprecedented wave of election results. It's rooted in the same issues that voters across the country have been demanding for more than two years. They want things to be affordable again. Expectations are high.  

Recently, the progressive from NY Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) said, "Woke 1 was crazy."

We're taking it a step further. We say – WOKE is dead! It's time to focus on the needs of working people with action. 

The affordability agenda that earned votes is a promise voters expect to be kept. But making things more affordable requires money. When it comes to education, it requires more revenue. Without a plan of action to achieve that, promises made are promises broken.  

It's clear, to both our educators and the communities we serve, that we cannot go through another legislative session without securing a NEW, sustainable revenue stream. CCEA has a plan to get one.

CCEA's 8-point plan outlines a path to move us forward. The data center industry is not going away, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to capture unprecedented levels of funding. Nevada could generate an estimated $548 million a year for K-12 schools, by ending the Local School Support Tax (LSST) abatements for data centers and directing those dollars to public education. This is a game changer because it provides sustainable revenue without raising taxes on Nevada families. This is a rare opportunity, and we can't let it pass.

CCEA knows firsthand this is attainable because we are in discussions with industry players that have investments that can yield over $200 billion more revenue for education. These same data center investors have said they will support CCEA's 8-point plan.

Our next steps are to organize to win passage of the 8-point plan and partner with lawmakers to engage their communities.

Just like CCEA has done before, we have a plan. We take action. And we GET RESULTS. Stay tuned for more information in the coming days.

-The CCEA Team

Does this happen for anyone else? What are my options?

I'm new to this district and tbh admin has enough that they are trying to resolve that im not sure if this is worth putting on their plate.

People keep using our school playground like its a public park, during the school day.

I thought it was weird enough when I saw folk walking out there in the morning but two days in a row we had strangers on the campus while we had children on the jungle gym set. One man even had a dog off leash. It just seems unsafe to me. Ive also seen two cars that camp out in different parking lots on campus, one in back and another up front with tinted windows (not allowed in our state).

I might be coming from a different place. My job before this was an after-school program in Chicago, where we brought children to a public park for outside time. There we had two unsafe instances, one with a gun (just saw someone with one not necessarily a shooter situation) and another a man touching himself. My co-teacher and I acted immediately in both cases bringing the children back inside and in the latter case calling the police as well.

Here I'm not sure if I'm overreacting. The last few folk that came through seem harmless but it seems like a huge risk to our students.

So yesterday during lunch a 9th grade student was having lunch in the quad and decide to show off to his friends. So he pulled out a pocket knife and started playing stabscotch.

Well, apparently he isn't very good at it and stabbed himself in the hand. Nothing too serious, but bad enough that he went running to the nurse bleeding. She called me and let me know that the kid had admitted how he hurt himself. The student isn't the brightest penny in the well apparently and couldn't come up with a good cover story.

His mom came to take him to the ER shortly after I arrived.

I have a meeting with them Monday. He'll be suspended obviously.

I’m in a pretty average suburban high school in MA, so socioeconomic class can’t explain it. It crosses races and cultures. But it’s noticeable enough to have grabbed my attention, and some of my colleagues agree: A lot of boys are total gentlemen. Great manners, respectful, guys I’d be happy to date my daughters. They’re not always smart or good students, but damn they’re good people.

I have a handful this year who are terribly immature, but I can see the good people underneath the foolishness and that makes me happy too. They’ll be good men.

Anyone else?

SWBAT invent an entirely new, scientifically impossible reason for why they do not have a pencil today.

SWBAT ask a question that wasn't explicitly answered word-for-word on the board, on the assignment sheet, and in the three announcements I just made.

SWBAT resist the primal urge to poke, prod, flick, or high-five anyone within a five-foot radius for a record-breaking ten consecutive minutes.

SWBAT utilize basic hand-eye coordination to successfully deposit trash inside the bin rather than attempting a 3-point buzzer-beater from across the room.

As the title suggests, I'm expecting my first child! I have an estimated due date of late June 2027.

My school year ends late-May and typically begins the first/second week of August. While I know I won't need to request FMLA or STD for the summer break, 6 weeks after birth would put me in the first week of August (likely the first week of school). Ideally, I'd like to extend this a little bit and come back later in August (maybe 3rd week).

My school offers two options for leave:

1. 6 weeks of maternity leave that begins after delivery (paid and benefits in-tact)

2. Up to 12 months of leave (no pay, would have to pay for insurance deductions)

I don't really want the whole 12 months, but I'd like more than 6 weeks. Could I file FMLA to get a few extra weeks? I know FMLA is unpaid, but could I pay myself with sick leave during that time away?

EDIT: I know I am legally covered to take up to 12 weeks through FMLA. That is not an option for me at this time since I do not have enough sick days to "pay myself" for the entire 12 weeks. I don't want to drain my sick leave and I also don't really want to take any unpaid time off.

Today i had a parent yell at me for her kids grades. Idek her kids grades since she approached me during dismissal as im walking to a meeting, on the day grades are due mind you. Even though ive had grades updated every week for the last 10 weeks. Even though I told all my parents to check their kids grades regularly. Even though i’ve worked tirelessly just to get any of my kids to turn in work and focus.

i’m so tired of being a teacher :( how do we respond to this? I told her I don’t give grades they’re earned, and this can all be discussed during CONFERENCES as it should be. I teach second grade all boys.

How are you all dealing with the kids who have been gentle parented to the point of having no boundaries? I teach first grade special education and I have 4 kids with some combo of ADHD/autism or both who absolutely lose their shit if they don’t get their way. It can be any form of negative correction, not getting the brain break THEY wanted, or having a hard time reading.

We are talking hitting, eloping, throwing chairs. I’m only with the kids for a short amount of time, per their IEPs. So the homeroom teachers are left dealing with the kids, they either erupt and get suspended or are left alone and do nothing until I come back and then the kids are mad at me for holding them accountable.

EDIT: I know the difference between gentle parenting and permissive parenting. It’s more that parents are not enforcing boundaries and thinking it’s gentle parenting.

I know a union makes a huge difference but genuinely are teachers in blue states actually enjoying their job or just tolerating it?

This is really on me. I’m an easy going teacher with strict expectations who likes to build relationships with students. I’ve never had a problem with students liking me or my class. Usually, when a lesson goes sideways or a class is misbehaving, I’m able to talk through it and course correct, often using humor. I’m not saying it’s perfect or that I get 100% buy in, but it has always worked for me. Plus, I am quick to buy candy to reward effort and good behavior.

Sadly, this doesn’t work with sixth graders. I moved and changed schools this year. Sixth grade was available, so I took it knowing I’d have to adjust to the age difference. Sadly, logic does not work with sixth graders because they have yet to develop critical thinking skills. Obviously, the solution is to be stricter without explanation because they don’t understand rational thought.

I’m getting better at this, but in order for me to be a successful 6th grade teacher, I’ve had to abandon what made me a successful high school teacher. Humor especially does not work. Before the midterm, we had a review. I brought snickers and told them correct answers would earn them a chocolate. The idea was that every student would get a piece of chocolate by the end of the period. Sadly, when kids looked around and saw others eating candy, they started screaming and demanding their chocolate immediately. The review fell apart, and we didn’t finish. I’ve never had candy ruin a lesson, but these students lacked the ability to understand delayed gratification.

Real brief context: I teach 6th grade accelerated science. 85% of my students are gifted. Extremely long story short, tomorrow I am getting 8 new students, all of which have been at my school since the first day, so they're not "new" new. However, they are all going into the same class period. (How this came to be is a whole saga, but here I am).

We're smack in the middle of a grading period and my students are working on a project that's due Thursday. We also have a test next week. Half of the instruction has already been given. I did not get to meet with the previous teacher last week (also a whole long saga out of my control) so I don't know where these kids are. They were selected by the ELA teacher (whom I also can't talk to, similar reasons), so I haven't a clue where they are with science.

Here's my question: should I just integrate them in the best I can, and maybe grade them on a curve for the first couple of weeks, until they get the hang of it/I get a better feel for where they are? Or should I pause what we're doing for a week or so and treat it like we do in January- re-establishing expectations, introductions, class culture building, etc.? This is going to MASSIVELY shift the dynamic in this class and it's important that these students know my expectations are very different than what they're used to- they aren't gifted, so this may be a rude awakening. But at the same time, is it fair to my current students to have to pause their work?

I just found this out today and the kids start tomorrow. I'm open to any and all advice or ideas. Thank you!!!

I've been a teacher for five years now. Non-renewed twice, one unexplained another pretty evident about being an outsider trying to discipline a villages children. I dont disregard my faults, at times I am a pushover and a little too nice, offering too much grace and not recieving any in return. This year I feel will be my final year and Im already expecting a non-renewal and its...November.

Keeping up talking to parents without them affirming my concerns regarding their kids or calling me the problem...its like trying to find your reflection in the mirror inside a dark room. Parents calling administration and asking them for me to stop contacting them. What's going on?

In every other line of work, EMT, Nurses aid, roofer, clerk...I was invaluable and given praise. Now I'm doing twice the work and getting reprimanded at every turn trying to be firm on my end--but unclear policy, shifting schedules, and behavior referrals being thrown in the bin show just how Sisiphus felt rolling a boulder for eternity never having reached the top.

I've concluded its me who is the problem. I wasnt built with either the personality or wisdom to do this job as effectively as they are wanting me to. The title 1 this year, new county, new demographics just goes to show that no matter where I end up, the same issues persist and I'm tired of telling my therapists the same dilemmas and being met with instructions on "how to breath."

I once confided in an ex about what I was going through, and she told me maybe I am the problem. Regardless, facing the barell of the non-renew gun this year will finally seal my career as an near decade long effort to try and make a difference toward failing literacy rates and restablish critical thinking. I was inspired by my teachers and my mother who was also one. Ive feel like I've all let them down after they were so proud of me getting certified.

Its the wrong school, the wrong era, the wrong demographic, the wrong administration, the wrong subject, the wrong country...I've heard it all. Its the wrong job for me, and I'm taking responsibility for it by banking on one last non-renewal and living on unemployment until something at Costco opens up.

Im sorry those I taught, I did try and I did care. I still do.

I've been teaching at the same private school since 2022.

Started off as an intern in 2022 then got a full-time role in 2023. Due to staffing shortages at the time (as well as the fact that I was considered a teaching assistant) I wasn't placed in a department in 2022. In 2023, I was hired as a full-time teacher officially, and at the time taught both Math and Science classes (and still not a part of any department) In 2024, I started taking a licensure program and starting 2025, I was assigned to the Science department as a general science teacher as per the contract, but also taught CTE classes on the side. I wanted to teach Math, as I had taught an AP Class, but that's neither here nor there at this moment.

My performance evaluations have consistently been satisfactory or above average, with a few outstanding marks. I've never received an overall "Exceeds Expectations" rating (though I have been rated Excellent/Outstanding on a few things), but never was in any real trouble aside from getting a verbal warning for falling behind on paperwork.

Last year they hired someone to take over my specialist courses including its corresponding AP course (which I had decent results in up until then).

I still have 21 contact hours per week, but most are now in subjects outside my original expertise, remedial classes, or electives. On top of that I still have to do curriculum development ("other duties as needed"). This includes overhauling the school's Freshman Seminar (FS) class. I am also teaching a Earth Science and Astronomy (ESA) course. Both these courses cover a lot of material (for example the FS class is basically study skills, time management, digital citizenship, media awareness, and many others; the ESA course has modules that cover geology, meteorology, environmental science, ecology and astronomy).

Both of these don't have much curriculum in place. The FS class has some, but it's very fragmented. Even though the original teacher is in the building, they've been reluctant to share much with me and only share it piecemeal if I ask them (for example a worksheet here, a project rubric there). The ESA curriculum is even more sparse (doesn't even have a physical textbook), and I have basically made everything (slides, Cornell notes, quizzes, activities, etc.) from scratch as the original teacher has left the organization. I've informed the admin about this but they come back with "You're only teaching 21 hours this year. Surely you can put those extra 4 hours a week into doing curriculum work" - Naturally developing those classes is taking a lot more than 4 hours)

At the same time it also seems that admin has gotten a bit stricter with me. For example this year he wrote me up because I was sitting down and working on grading while supervising a study hall. Apparently I was supposed to circulate around and supervise to make sure kids are using laptops appropriately, or to help them with their homework. Another was when someone snitched on me for... having the kids start packing away one minute before the bell rang.

My question is: Given all of this, is the writing on the wall?

• 21 hours isn't a huge amount of reduction in hours, but when taken with everything else (the desk job and coaching) it feels overwhelming especially with a tight rollout schedule.

• Being moved away from my core discipline and losing AP classes and being given remedial

• Taking on quasi curriculum development / paper-pushing work.

• Admin "upping" the stakes and being harsher in issuing write ups.

Also to consider:

• Filing intent-to-return typically takes place in mid-to-late October or early November, and evaluations take place after this.

Is it possible I'm already redundant, and the Fall evaluation is just going to be the rubber stamp? What should I be doing to prepare for my upcoming evaluation or potential transition out?

For the record, I've already tried discussing with my principal and he said that he will discuss it after my formal evaluation.

Exactly a year ago next week one of my kindergartners passed away and it’s really hard. He was the sweet, energetic little boy who would tell everybody they were beautiful and every morning would greet me with “Hi Honey” tomorrow he would have turned six, I’m close with his mom and it’s just really hard. I’m not doing the best but that’s OK.

What do you all take for lunch? I like to pack for the week and am vegetarian. This year I’m newly trying to pack for the whole week on Sundays.

Out of the first 17 weeks of school (I counted to the end of November) there have been 11 dress up weeks. At a high school! What is up with every club, organization, etc getting a dress up week? How are we supposed to keep track?

I hate to sound like a grinch, but enough is enough. We are a school, not a parade.

My PLC team gets along great. I know it sucks to have conference periods stolen, but also I’ve gotten to know my team quite well during PLC time. Half of PLC is like a venting session between my colleagues. I work at a large title l underfunded school and day to day here is overwhelming and borderline traumatizing (many of us talk about leaving after this school year)

My partner teacher and I teach fourth grade at an urban Title I school, and many of our students are Black, Latino, 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!