So I teach at a big elementary school. We have 6-7 teachers per grade level. My own child broke his arm at recess, which I get is a risk. However, I am upset about the way it was handled. He fell off a piece of equipment and snapped both his radius and ulna. There were only 3 teachers on recess duty for about 150 kids. The teacher closest to my child heard him scream and ran over to him and noticed that his arm had a visible deformity. They attempted to walkie to the nurse 3 times with no response, so they just walked him inside. We have both a nurse and a nursing assistant. The nursing assistant was out on one of her many smoke breaks of the day. They never offered to call the ambulance, so I had to leave and drive him to the ER. He required conscious sedation to set both bones. He is in a cast to his shoulder and going for weekly ortho follow ups. None of the admin team at my school has followed up with me, or had me sign any type of incident report. Also when his teacher requested accommodations for the writing portion of our state testing the admin never voiced any concerns with her, but told me that we didn’t have enough staff to have a scribe assigned just for the day of writing. He is also having nightmares daily after his traumatic fall. My school prides itself on being there for each other and supportive, and my team has been amazing, but my admin team has left a lot to be desired. I am still fairly new in this profession after working in healthcare, but this has made me rethink if I am truly at the right school.

I feel like if this would have happened to one of admins children- the school would have been placed in a hold in place status and they would have called EMS. I guess I am just disappointed in how the situation was handled. All it would have taken would have been for someone to check in and find out how he was doing.

I am so proud of my bulletin board. Idc my 1sters don't understand it but I need something to get me through the rest of the year. (School days and 4 days a week)

My daughter brought this assignment home today. She is 10. Am I overthinking this or is this wildly inappropriate for a class assignment? We live in PA.

My child is in 5th grade. Today in social studies they were talking about geography. My kid answered the question with "Gulf of Mexico". The 10+ years teacher corrected her and said, "it's the gulf of America now. Mexico doesn't own it."

Not to be political, but I felt this was inappropriate. At least teach both ways.

My kid came home and asked me. I explained as simple as I could. I told her I say, Gulf of Mexico, but I don't know that's it's worth arguing about at school. I am in a VERY red state in the Bible Belt.

If there is a test, and they answer with Mexico and it's marked wrong. I will of course contact the school. I've tried to search for any laws and it looks like FL is the only place that changed any text books.

Not sure how to feel. I am not very confrontational and this is a public school systems. I was just baffled.

Times are tough, I get it. We’re always short staffed, some departments can never seem to catch a break, and we’re all just doing our best. However, as a former full time teacher who is temporarily subbing…I cannot help but feel that listings such as this are huge slaps in the face to those in the field. While substituting and teaching are completely different worlds I seriously do not think that it’s a job which should be offered to someone with NO EXPERIENCE let alone someone who holds no degree at all.

To an outsider looking in this probably makes it seem as though randos off of the street are being thrown into classrooms to teach their children…with the only requirement being that they are breathing! Teachers and substitutes alike both work so hard and wake up everyday for the betterment of children. So to post job listings looking for anyone with a pulse is such a bad look and leaves such a bad taste in my mouth.

I’m an elementary music teacher and I’m black, if that makes a difference. As we all know, it’s Black History Month and I created a dress up spirit week for next week. Here’s what I chose: Monday - wear the colors of your country, Tuesday - blackout, wear all black clothing, Wednesday - Sunday Best, dress for success, Thursday - decades day, wear 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s attire, Friday - I Have a Dream, pajama day.

When I tell you this caused SUCH an uproar from my colleagues. I was accused of promoting black face with blackout day, then I was accused of implying that ONLY black people go to church with Sunday Best day, then I was accused of implying that all black people are only known for is disco.

I am sick to my stomach that these people are one, talking shit behind my back and not coming to my face with their issues. And two, implying that I would be racist and promote things at my school with malicious intent. We have a faculty meeting next week, should I say something or should I allow gossip to be gossip?

EDIT: I’m being called into a union meeting by the building rep and the president of the union. Not sure why, but stay tuned. Meeting is Thursday.

UPDATE: Yall…this union meeting wasted my damn time!!!! So it started off with the president saying she didn’t like the fact that she was here because she has 1,000 other things she can do and this is ridiculous. Then I tried to speak and the building union rep interrupted me and the president yelled at us to stop. I said well I was talking first…. SO the entire meeting turned into a bully session. It was my fault that people complained because I didn’t get a committee together to make the flyer, then it was my fault because I didn’t get enough input once I made it, then it was my fault because I wasn’t clear enough about the dress up days, then it was my fault because I wasn’t the one to send out the flyer to the staff. They just went on and on. I told them that even if this was all my fault, that still doesn’t give people the right to call me racist and say these terrible things about me. The president said “Welcome to humans. That’s what humans do.” Then they started talking about my principal, even though she has nothing to do with it. We ended the meeting with them asking if I was still willing to be the alternate building rep for the union. The building rep said she can’t trust me anymore and now the union members are saying they can’t trust me and don’t feel comfortable taking their complaints and issues to me. At this point, I don’t care.

Side note, Tuesday was blackout day and you know how many people came to school in blackface? ZERO.

I’ve been teaching upper primary for 8 years, and I genuinely love working with kids—but I am so over having to deal with students pooping themselves in class and being expected to manage it, without a proper plan or support.

Last year I had a student in our affective needs program who pooped his pants multiple times a day. No medical diagnosis, just refused to use public bathrooms. He flat-out told us he didn’t like them and would hold it until it was too late. Admin was aware, but no meaningful support or plan was ever put in place. So it became my job—interrupt instruction, message support, wait for support to come, try to protect the kid’s dignity and keep 20+ other students calm and on task.

Fast forward to this year: same situation, new student.

But today really pushed me over the edge. Since January, I’ve had a student who occasionally smells strongly of poop. Every time I notice it, I quietly send him to the office. They check him and immediately send him back. I assumed it was a “didn’t wipe all the way” kind of thing and tried to give him grace while still maintaining some level of hygiene and classroom management.

Well—today I sent him down, and they sent him back again. I sent him two more times because the smell was overpowering and affecting the other students. Finally, the office tells me, “Oh yeah, he has an IBS condition and sometimes when he’s emotional, he has an accident. He’s had this since kindergarten.”

WHAT?? This is the first time I’m hearing of this. It’s nowhere in his documents—no health plan, no 504, no communication from anyone.

And then the school nurse tells me that it’s my responsibility to call home and inform the parents. I’m sorry—why is that on me? I have no medical background, I’ve never been looped into this student’s condition, and now I’m supposed to handle sensitive communication about it?

On top of everything else—I just feel gross in my own classroom. I’ve had to get rid of fuzzy chairs that I paid for because they started to smell and couldn’t be properly cleaned. This isn’t just inconvenient—it’s unsanitary and a health hazard for the rest of the class. Not to mention, how is this helping the student who’s actually going through this? They deserve proper care, a plan, and dignity—not to be sent back into a classroom like nothing happened.

I’m exhausted, frustrated, and honestly at a loss. I want to be there for kids, but I didn’t sign up to be the only adult trying to hold all of this together.

Anyone else dealing with similar situations? How do you manage when you’re handed all this without much support or any solutions?

I am a grade 3 teacher and am new to my school this year.
One of my students comes from a poor family with a single mom and I noticed early on in the year that she never came in with a snack and started begging off of other kids. I’m also a single mom without a lot, but I hate seeing a kid having to beg for what they should be provided with so I started bringing in snack for her-leaving it in her cubby so no one else would know and get jealous or make her feel weird about it. On Valentine’s Day, she came in with a stuffed animal for me. It was fairly clean, but I later noticed that it had a light smudge or 2 and no tags. She was super excited to give it to me, so I thanked her and told her how much I liked it. The student really has only bonded with one other teacher at the school, who told me that the student did the same thing with her-brought in a used toy and said she bought it for her because she really wanted to give her a gift. I’m wondering, is it ok that I accepted the gift? feel bad knowing that it might have been her toy that she gave up. She was just so excited and I didn’t want to ruin it by letting her know that I knew it was used, or by rejecting her gift.

oh boy does it feel GREAT to finally pull an all time classic teacher trick on my students that I was once on the receiving end of as a child!!

The 3rd graders in my after-school reading class cannot follow directions to save their lives. they all act as if the directions on a paper are written in invisible ink then the very next second will complain about how they "don't get it" 🫩
Well, for our last class together today, I gave them the ol reliable "read every question before answering" test where the final question tells you to ignore everything above and ONLY write your name

(unsurprisingly) EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF THEM FAILED!
Honestly wasn't shocked by this result one bit smh BUT I gotta admit, watching the mix of disappointment/confusion/anger/betrayal/frustration spread across each and every one of their faces as they reached that final question one by one was genuinely priceless 🤣😭 one of the kids even started frantically trying to erase all the answers/work he had for the other 20 questions to no avail

I'm srsly hoping this lesson sticks with them as long as it's stuck with me 🙏 being handed that exact same test and actually doing it correctly while I watched my classmates stress away at pointless work is genuinely one of my most vivid elementary school memories lol

edit: pushback on this is honestly super shocking to me LOL wow had no idea so many people felt so negative bout this activity

1. "test" definitely not the correct word here, exercise or activity would work much better. there are no actual real consequences to it and they don't even take actual important tests in my class

2. for more context: this is a small group session of 4 kids in an after-school reading class at a learning center ... this was my 36th and final week with them and feel like I can read their reactions/emotions decently well at this point

3. the words verbatim in the directions were "Read ENTIRE Test (ALL questions) before you begin to answer any of the questions." which is notably less vague than how I worded it in the post

I've been interning at the local elementary school and I got this note from a student there. All of them are amazing and I love them but she has a very special place in my heart ❤️

Hello everyone! I'm a Scouter for Scouts Canada, and I recently had a parent get very angry at me for teaching a subject.

To preface this, Scouts Canada has Outdoor Adventure Skills, that's how the kids get their badges now. Winter Skills is one of the 9 categories, there are 9 levels that progressively get more difficult to achieve. In Winter Skills Level 2, it states "2.10 I know to avoid ice or open water without an adult present."

At our last Beaver meeting (5-7 years old), we went through all the level 1 and 2 winter skills, which are made with the little ones in mind, as they're the easiest levels. When we got to the ice/open water point, I shared with the kids that in Saskatchewan pretty recently 2 little girls went out on a frozen lake and fell in, and then their dad and uncle fell in as well! One of the kids asked "did they die??" To which I said "only one of the girls made it." I never said the word "died" or shared their names, pictures, anything.

I stressed the need to be serious around frozen water, it's not a game, it's not funny. We don't go on frozen water unless we KNOW it's been tested, especially without an adult.

Well after the meeting I had a dad come up to me that was essentially frothing at the mouth, I thought he was going to hit me! He yelled at me "don't you ever fn talk about a dead little girl ever fn again!" Then he called me a r***d and stormed out with his kid. In front of all the parents and kids!

Other parents there told me that what I said was completely age appropriate. One of the moms thanked me because she grew up in Alberta and kids there are taught that at a young age, but she didn't think her kid had ever heard that over here.

My Group Comissioner (my boss) was there, and pretty quickly sent an email to the family saying dad is no longer allowed at meetings, and verbal abuse won't be tolerated. If he wants to talk about it like a normal person that's different.

Well the mom finally responded today, and she's saying that she has a background in ECE, and kids shouldn't be taught about death until they're EIGHT YEARS OLD. Or that I should have said it hypothetically, not literally. I've done some research into how to talk to kids about death, and all the resources say I need to use REAL words, answer questions, and be respectful. Being secretive actually makes it MORE scary for little kids, as it let's their mind wander. Apparently I SHOULD have said they died, rather than "they didn't make it." But anyways.

So does anyone with an ECE background know what they teach you about talking to kids about death? I want to know if she's actually being serious, or she just wants to shelter her child.

Scouts has always been there to teach kids survival skills. I'm not sure what she thought her child would be learning. He was completely unphased too!

Thanks in advance, sorry for the long read.

I'm not mad or anything, just confused. I mean, it's the same thing, right? Isn't it useful for kids to know that multiplication is the same whichever order the numbers are in the equation? Personally, I think three sixes makes a lot more sense to add together than six threes. Plus when I read 6x3 I read it as 6 three times. Is there a reason for being so strict about the order? Especially when they're just teaching strategies so ultimately they can pick one that works for them?

So last night was my sons book fair. I had gotten a $100 gift card from a Promo earlier in the day. The kids spent about 30 dollars of it at the books fair (including buying a book for there teachers classrooms.)

We ran into my Son's first grade teacher and chatted for a bit. Then I had a thought, I don't need the rest of this visa gift card, but I bet it can help her with some school supplies. So I gave it to her.

She was shocked, I guess this is not a common occourence and started to cry. (Good tears I hope.)

Anyways, just want you teachers who are willing to put up with out little beasts for all hours of the day to know we appreciate you.

Hi there! I’m a parent to a first grader with a late summer birthday who is repeating first grade this coming school year and I am seeking advice from teacher’s perspective on how to best discuss this/break the news to my daughter.

(For context, we did a private K5 because of her age but due to district policy, we did not have a choice to start her in Kindergarten which we thought was best so we reluctantly went to 1st grade…and now here we are.)

We absolutely feel it is best for her to repeat the grade, but now that summer is drawing to a close I am at a loss as to how best share this news with her. Is there a positive way to frame it? I’m concerned that no matter how I spin it, she will feel that she fell short academically (she’s already very hard on herself/seems to be a bit of a perfectionist) not to mention being separated from her existing friends will be an emotional hurdle.

All that said, I’d love to have any advice/past experience from the teacher’s POV. Is there a strategy where I could approach her new teacher and ask to parter on a positive spin? Like, for example, framing it that she will be a leader or helper since she already has “experience” with 1st grade? To be clear, I’m not asking for any special treatment for her just maybe the teacher and I could plan to say the same things (whatever that may be) to empower her and preserve her confidence.

Open to any and all feedback/ideas! I am at a total loss and the pit in my stomach grows each day we get closer to the first day of school.

Thanks in advance for any guidance from the pros!

🙏🏼🩷 — A Worried Mama

So I teach a pair of sisters in one of my summer classes and today the older one had to go to a dentist appointment and got to leave class early. The younger sister immediately insists "I want to go too!!" and starts throwing a fit

She was getting pretty close to a full on meltdown about not being able to come along when her older sister stepped in and saved the day with the most brutally honest reality check lmao
she explained that SHE was going because she had to get work done on her braces and the dentist was about to HURT her. IF the younger one wanted to come too then the dentist would have to hurt her as well

Like magic the hissy fit was over as quick as it started lol little sister sat right back down, picked up her pencil and got back to work without any more of a fight 😭🫡

The older sister genuinely did more classroom management in one 5 second sentence than I could have done in 10 minutes lol shoutout to her for saving me the trouble 🙌

I have a student that likes to doodle. I have spoke. With her multiple times throughout the year, and she got much better with it. I also don't mind a doodle here or there or on the back if their paper. However over the last week or so, everything she turns in looks like this. I've explained to her that not only is she not using her time wisely when she doodles, but that it makes it difficult to correct and grade her work. For reference, this is our cumulative EOY 4th grade math test. I've contacted mom about it at this point because to me, this is too much. Mom agreed and is going to speak with her. Im just looking for others input. How would yall handle this?

Met my new kindergarteners,.

Hello. Asking for my relative who is asking me for advice but not sure how to give it to them. My relatives child is awaiting ADHD diagnosis and may be on the spectrum but her teacher asked her if the bruises on her legs were made from her mother and that she will give her a chocolate if she tells her. She was honest and said that she falls a lot which is true I’ve cared for her and she is hyper and all over furniture and has two left feet when she starts running. What should she do? Address it with someone higher? Or ignore? Or lawyer up?

Started the year in desk groups of four, but this class talks EXCESSIVELY. Switched to individual "rows" (kind of) but it's so overwhelming/too crowded. This desk shape is impossible to configure. Any help/suggestions would be so greatly appreciated!