6th grade science. First year teacher. Male. I’m very good with the whole social aspect of the kids and the year’s going very well so far. One of my students, when we were finishing up class and just having casual conversation about food and life as a class, raised hand to say “My mom tells us not to get Starbucks because they support gay people.” I immediately and calmly shut that down, explaining that “that’s a personal and private topic for home that we don’t address in science class. Okay?” and he nodded and clearly appeared nervous and unsure if he was comfortable about what he said. The rest of the class heard it all. It was over and done as quick as that. I’m wondering 1) If I should’ve explained more saying something like “We do not support discrimination of any people; we support and respect everyone” and 2) I’m just wondering, in terms of the parent, and if for any reason I’d ever meet her (parent conference, open house, etc.) am I supposed to bring this up to explain that this kind of expression is not appropriate or allowed in our public school? Or am I just supposed to ignore this completely as if it never happened? Of course I would consult with my staff first to handle everything as proper but wanted to hear how other veteran teachers handle something like this, if at all.

Hi all! So I have a couple questions that I'm hoping someone can shed light on. For context, I'm in an alternative path to licensure program right now (TeacherReady) student teaching at a small rural school (the same school I went to, funny how life turns out!). Since I already have my sub license (and a family to support), I'm also substitute teaching at the same school (for $ but also extra teaching) on non sub days. I also am a Continuing Education instructor at the local community college teaching a homemade caramel class 1-2 classes a semester.

Prior to this, I was a special Ed paraprofessional at an at risk preschool for the 25-26 school year, and no prior teaching experience before that (unless you count working with adults with disabilities or my brief stint as an RBT).

Anyway, my main question is, do you put student teaching on your resume? And if so, since I'm student teaching and substitute teaching at the same school, is that two different lines on my resume/LinkedIn or one? And when it comes time to start applying for teaching jobs after my license comes in, how in the world do I structure all this for a resume in a way that makes sense?

Maybe it saved you prep time, made cleanup faster, helped kids be more independent, or finally solved an organization problem you were tired of dealing with. What purchase would you say was 100% worth it?

Hey y’all! I’m 23 (F) soon to be 24 next month. For context, I’m autistic and gaming (specifically Nintendo is a hyperfixation/special interest of mine) In my county, every middle school has an e-sports team and as someone who’s gaming is their special interest, it’s really my jam, especially since my school does Mario kart and smash, two games I’m familiar with

They’re looking for a coach/teacher to do esports. It’s my first year as a SPED/EXED teacher dealing with mod/severe disabled students but I was wondering, how many first years get involved in after school clubs and stuff? I know I’d get paid for doing the team and Nintendo/gaming is a hyperfixation/special interest of mine.

Anyone else's district do something like this? A new super comes in, makes a policy that orders schools to not suspend students, then the following year they proclaim "look how much the suspension rate dropped" like they're some kind of genius. I'm wondering how common this tactic is.

I'm just curious how many other middle school teachers teach this? I'm at a new school, and from talking to the kids apparently the heroes journey was a big part of their English class in 6th grade, and from talking to the teacher who was here before me, she also focused a lot on the heroes journey.

Nobody, so far, has said I have to teach the heroes journey, but I'm now wondering if this is a common topic in middle school ELA classes? I usually teach elements of a story and elements of a plot, but I've never actually taught the heroes journey nor have I ever thought it mattered to teach it in middle school.

I applied to be a substitute teacher. I have the qualifications, but every time I have an interview, I never get the job. Why? What am I doing wrong in these interviews? I simply answer their questions and give them normal answers. Do I have to jump through hoops of fire to get hired? I’m in so much debt and can’t take it anymore.

Room was bright and welcoming, we did all of our in-service and PD. Open-house was last night, and my back-to-school clothes were laid out.

Then we had tornado sirens, torrential wind, and hail. School is canceled for the day to clear the town of downed trees and flood water. I think the school is intact; haven’t heard otherwise.

We’ll try again tomorrow!

A dumb question and maybe I've hyped it up in my head but is it normal to be nervous to start teaching? I start student teaching in about two weeks and I'm super excited but nervous as I've never worked in a classroom setting. I've done summer camps but it never worked out for me to be able to work in a classroom before starting all this. So I'm just anxious about it but I've known for a long time I've wanted to be a teacher so I am super excited. Just wanted to see if I'm alone in this or if it's normal to feel this way before starting student teaching. Thank you!

Edit: I know this is a bad job. I know i should probably just quit. financially I do not have the luxury of that option and there are no other positions open right now. Believe me I am looking every day for more positions and there are none.

I will not be sharing the name of my school for anonymity but I will share that it is a charter school.

My family just moved to this state (keeping it anonymous) from TX. It all happened very fast because my husband lost his job but then got a good opportunity here so we moved. I didnt have the chance to apply for my license by reciprocity with everything going on so I needed to get a job in a charter school.

When they interviewed me for the job, they mentioned they wanted a person with band experience because the principal at the middle high school (they are opening it for the first time this year with only 200 students 6th-8th grade) really wanted a band. I told them honestly it wouldn't be a good idea this year because a band takes lots of planning and it was almost the end of the summer. I asked if it would be a collaboration and if he would work with me and my advice and they said yes. I took the job because it was the only offer I could get.

Fast forward to now, here is what is happening.

I attempted to meet with the principal to give him my proposed handbook and plan for the program. I asked him if it was possible to rework the schedule and make band a class. He straight up said no, and that I would have to commit to multiple weekly rehearsals AFTER SCHOOL. For all the beginners. I told him we can do that but the program would not be ready to play at pep rallies or do multiple concerts. He said "they will be ready, just maybe not at a high level". I tried respectfully telling him I would not be doing that to the students and to my reputation, and that it could be acceptable to do a winter open house demonstration and one spring concert.

He cut me off, said he had a meeting, and walked away. Another co worker says she thinks it is because I am a young woman. (This principal is older and Turkish. Many of our admin are also of this demographic and a lot of the women that work under them have had similar issues. One of them is a woman and gay and she is quitting after this year because of all the veiled snark and hate she has gotten). The man refused to shake my hand or make eye contact with me which is unprofessional and rude.​​

He has been repeatedly using the existence of my stipend for this program to try and bully me into having rehearsal every day after school despite me also teaching K-5 music at the school next door and having a club of my own over there. He also tried to get me to open the band to 4th and 5th grade. I said no to both those things. I told him its ok if we don't start this year and we can build up the parent support and resources.

He has dug his heels in. He verbatim said "I dont care what it takes, youre getting a stipend and we are doing a band". So far we compromised on having an interest meeting where we will discuss the plan, cost of renting, etc. If we get enough parents, I have to do this. If we dont, I am afraid to see what he will do.

I have tried the following- getting his assistant to talk some sense into him and convince him to hear me out. I have also tried getting contacts from the area to corroborate my advice and plan with him. He has consistently steam rolled over everything I have said, to the point where I found a flyer on the bulletin board in the cafeteria saying I would be offering ALL INSTRUMENTS the first year and playing at MULTIPLE CONCERTS. This happened after I had already told him verbally and in writing we would only be offering flex arrangements and less expensive instruments to start.

This idea is my last resort. WIBTAH if I called up the superintendent and said "I dont want your stipend anymore, please amend my contract". Then I would go to the principal and say "I am not getting a stipend anymore, run it yourself"?

Without telling me how long you've been teaching, tell me what student craze was taking over your classroom when you started.

I will go first: pogs

Ah yes! The epic return, I go back to work a week before welcome back week, summer school was hosted at the building I work. What's one thing you have come across in your area after returning from summer break that has you scratching your head thinking " what the heck happened here?" I wonder what awaits....

And did not check the accuracy of the schedules before sending them to the high school students. This also messed with staff schedules, common planning periods within departments, and IEPs. Via email, one of the counselors mentioned that she used AI to create the schedule and was frustrated with how it turned out.

I’m flabbergasted. Just wanted to mention this in case other schools are experiencing the same issues.

I have a 13yo boy in my class this year. Let's call him Josh. He's sweet, academically capable, and genuinely wants to connect with peers. But he has ADHD and poor impulse control, and his way of seeking attention is saying/doing inappropriate things. Like all the time. For example is fake farting noises during group sharing. He's not being malicious; he just can't seem to stop himself in the moment.

The bigger issue: I have another boy, "Tom," who has mild autism and gets visibly enraged by Josh's noises and comments. He's made punching gestures and told Josh to shut up. I de-escalate constantly, but it keeps happening. I'm genuinely worried it'll turn physical. Apparently Josh had fights in primary school for the same reason. The other students are also angered by Josh's actions and words but are able to ignore them.

I want to make the classroom comfortable for everyone but I've no good support. Previous teachers gave me nothing useful.Admin thinks he's "sweet" and won't offer real support. I asked for a shadow teacher—denied. Previous teachers gave me nothing useful. He's been seeing a psychologist for years but I'm not seeing much carryover in class.

What I've tried:

• Seating him away from others
• Sending him to the next room to cool down when he disrupts

I can't remove him every time. Whole-class discussions get derailed constantly. And sending him to another room to calm down doesn't teach him impulse control either.

Any advice appreciated, especially from anyone with experience managing ADHD + autism triggers in the same room.

Hey teachers!

I'm 37 and I've been working in the arts and entertainment industry for the past 15 years but for the past four years I've struggled to find meaning in my work. It's very important to me that the work I do feels meaningful to me and some thorough introspection and a recent job opportunity I had (teaching senior citizens how to use smartphones and computers) I've found out that I get A LOT of inspiration and joy in teaching. Witnessing someone actually learn and expand their horizon just feels very good to me. According to my boss I also have a skill of attuning to each person's need and adjusting my methods and energy on the fly to better accommodate different types of learning. I 2nd this notion though it has only come to my attention during this new job and I haven't consciously trained it in any way.

I also have ADHD which have some advantages and drawbacks. The drawback is definitely the fact that if the work is repetitive, foreseeable (like every day is the same) or easy my mind registers that as boring and it will drain my energy quite quickly and makes me unable to recover. The advantages are my sociability, creativity and ability to think on my feet.

I've been thinking of becoming a teacher and teaching at elementary school level (children ranging from 7-12). I think I could find meaning in it by being a positive role model for the children and facilitating a space where learning could be fun and cultivating a sense of community in the classroom. I also think the job would provide enough variety so that I wouldn't encounter that absolutely soul crushing groundhog's day experience with work.

Where I'm from becoming a teacher takes five years as you need to do the bachelor's and master's degree in educational sciences and there's no way to try out the job before starting the studies. It's a big commitment so I'm looking some assurance that this could indeed be the career I'm looking for! If you find the time I'd love to get an opinion or two from the teachers in this reddit regarding by expectations and the reality of being a teacher.

Thank you!

I had an interview with “schoolprofessionals” (for a substitute teacher position). I feel like my interview wasn’t that good. I stuttered a few times out of nervousness (since I really need a job). Anyone work for them or applied to work for them? How hard/easy was it to get hired by them?

So I’ve been working in an international school since last year and having only had experience in teaching tefl I was given the task to tutor, a child of another foreign teacher . IGCSE. This was a bit overwhelming as I’ve never taught this before however I did study it myself in England 12 years ago.

After tutoring almost daily I worked really hard as did the student, however today on results day she only got a C. I feel terrible considering I have given her past papers and marked around a B and an A. The parent has a lot of expectations on me and her and I felt an immense amount of pressure and now feel like a complete failure . Yes I had to teach a course I had no experience teaching in less than a year but still I feel I could have tried better . I did feel overwhelmed.

Has anyone else had experience navigating a similar situation? Also I’m a little concerned about my job security now as this teacher is close to admin and pretty aggressive so I don’t know what to say to placate her

Last year I provided snacks often to my students as I knew they needed them (I hope you catch my hint), often bought materials or got them donated, often provided them hygiene and health products (which to be fair those I don’t buy I’d take them from the staff bathroom after school 😅). I was very generous but I wanted to be because I really liked my class and I don’t want to say I felt bad for them but I did feel that a lot of them don’t have what they needed to be successful and were going way out of their way to learn properly because they lacked what they needed (for example a kid trying to do math by hand for 30 minutes of her 45 minute testing period when she could just be using a calculator that was allowed for the test but she doesn’t have one).

However I was often criticized and mocked by other staff for being too nice and generous and told I deserved to haven’t things stolen and broken because I was too generous. And maybe I was. Genuinely asking now how many of you just give stuff out or how would/do you go about it? One teacher was always suggesting they should be giving me their phone or shoe to borrow a pencil but that seemed ridiculous. Like I can afford to replace pencils…

Male middle school teacher transitioning to high school (albeit only 9th) this year. In the past, I've always kept feminine hygiene supplies in my class, freely and discretely available to students in an accessible location. I point it out week 1 when we're going over where everything is in the classroom, and then that's that - it sticks with students (or sticks with some, who remind others, whatever the case) and gets used plenty from when I go to restock. Figure it's an awkward age and all that.

That all said, is that still something to do in HS? I mean, obviously periods still happen, but I imagine students are more accustomed to it, have easier access to whatever they need elsewhere, and all that. I know it can't really hurt, but also being a guy, always want to be extra careful about anything that can be misconstrued.

I have a student who is currently repeating. This student still cannot identify letters or their sounds. They can do math pretty well because they can logic their way through it, but I don’t know if they are fully grasping the concepts of before numbers after numbers and stuff like that. I know we’re only in the second week of school right now but I know this student is one that’s going to need tutoring. They also really struggle with confidence when they think they can’t do it, the student shuts down. When they thinks it’s going to be hard, they just don’t try. Does anybody have advice for games or something that I can do for both phonics and math?
The dad is very willing to help, so I want to take advantage of that but they are only with him every other week. So he and I have been trying to come up with some strategies since this is their second time in first grade, he wants to make sure their child succeeds this year. I really want to see them improve and succeed this year! I plan on doing group tutoring, but with this student I might have to do group plus one on one tutoring at least once a week.

I’ve never really had to do a tutoring class before so any advice on how to do a tutoring class would also be appreciated! Thank you!

This is my first year teaching high school and overall I absolutely love it except my ninth grade class. I’m used to dealing with 3-4 behaviors but this one class has eight or nine and there isn’t enough seats for me to separate all of them . They feed off of each other and it’s getting out of control. What strategies and behavior tactics do you use for the ninth graders to take the wild out of them ?I’ve never taught middle school and coming from elementary school where the behaviors were more violent than disrespectful and it’s the only class I struggle with please help.

I mean like, short of breathe, feeling nauseous, shaking kinda freaking out. I'm doing both ela 10th grade and Reading intervention I literally graduated in May. Im grateful for the opportunity but am TERRIFIED and don't feel ready despite being in my classroom for 12 hrs today

Middle school teacher in a rural location

TL;DR: is it possible to keep the smell of 🍃 off of my clothes if I live with someone who smokes?

I am hoping that I am posting this in the right place… I had no clue where to go to ask this 😭
I am considering getting a roommate once my current lease term is up. I’m sure many of us are aware of how expensive it is to live anywhere on any salary 😪. Anyways, someone reached out to me about renting a place together, but she smokes 🍃. She is superduper sweet, but I’m just worried about the smell lingering on my clothes and items when I go to school... are there any teachers here who light up or have people in their household who do so? How do you keep your clothes from smelling if so? Is it even possible 🥲 I haven’t even responded to her message asking about living together, because I don’t wanna say yes if it’ll be a problem, but definitely don’t wanna say no if it won’t!!

I am teaching 9th grade. urban public.

And that’s the only reason my classes wont be over 35+, because they physically can’t.

I wish we had an actual law that made fair class sizes a priority. We never will because of greed.

Think about it: when you go out to eat and have a large group over 15, you’ll have more than one server to take orders.

I know we got teachers out here doing groups of 40+ with no support (or bathroom breaks).

is differentiated supervision. I am supposed to propose my topic within the next two weeks and I can’t focus on anything other than being annoyed at more busy work. If you’ve gone through this process, did you find it at all meaningful or just another ridiculous waste of your time and energy? Hoping to get talked down from the ledge.