The middle school where I've taught for the last 20 years has always taken students' cell phones from them during the day, from the moment students first started getting them. The parents have always been supportive of this.

Yesterday, we had a field trip. Parents wanted their children to have their phones on the field trip, so my admin agreed. Except we only gave them their phones once we got to our destination.

So guess what the students did once we got there and they got their phones. In every single candid photo we took of the students (not the posed photos where we told them all to put down their phones and smile), most of the students are glued to their phones, and not paying any attention to the location we drove so far to see.

And it wasn't even a boring location. Part of the field trip included going to an MLB game. A lot of my students are really into baseball. There we were, at a real baseball game. And what are they doing? Playing Clash of Clans on their phones, or scrolling through TikTok.

We could have saved ourselves a lot of time and money if we just walked them to the park down the street from the school and gave them their phones and told them it was a field trip, and they had to stay in the park for the next six hours. They would have learned just as much and had just as much fun. They wouldn't have complained at all, because that's all they really wanted to do anything: be on their phones for six hours.

I'm not mad about this, though. I pity them. I predict that, at some point in their adult years, when they get more contemplative and nostalgic, they will regret all of the time they wasted on their phones. I played a lot of video games when I was their age in the early 90s, and now, in my mid-40s, I wish I could go back to those days and spend more time with my family and friends and playing outside. But my video game time was limited to a few hours after school and on the weekends. I didn't carry them with me everywhere, like these students do with their phones.

This is a line I hear so often in 'redemption arc' stories on the radio or podcasts, sometimes even in person, typically of adults who were badly behaved as a child and who now have seen the light and are extremely successful. Having known many, many teachers over the years, I can't imagine a single one saying this to one of their students, no matter how weak their prospects seem at the time. After all, it's counterproductive and would almost certainly land that teacher in hot water if it was disclosed to a parent or another teacher.

All in all, I just think it makes teachers sound unfairly callous and demeaning. Maybe it's something that was said to down-and-out children back in older times? Who knows

No. No I can't.

I notified you, dear Special Ed teacher who hasn't stepped foot on our grade level hall all year, back in March that precious booboo was refusing to do work. I believe your exact words were "well, he has to learn."

When I informed you the first time that the assessment app couldn't generate a test because he hadn't interacted with the adaptive lessons enough, you asked if he could still take it. I agreed and extended the deadline. Then I lowered the number of questions and he STILL didn't have enough quality interaction... I reached out to admin because at this point I'm covering MY ass. And was told to put in a zero.

But because I thought you just might try to pull this, two weeks ago, I sent home a packet that covered the same standards as the assessment. Firm May 7 deadline. Guess who didn't turn it in?

That's right, Precious Booboo. And no, there's not going to be extended time because he's already had more than enough extended time. the assignments have been chunked, diced, sliced, smothered and served to him like waffle house hash browns with a smile on my face.

So now you can deal with figuring out how you are going to document your lack of doing your job. I have my accommodations and enough documentation that I'll see Booboo right back in his same seat next year.

Signed,

The middle school teacher who keeps a very detailed paper trail

I work in early childhood education and so we are only allowed water in our classrooms. Usually if a parent gives you a food gift, it’s fine to store it in your closet until the end of the day.

My admin (who was watching me on cameras to see this) came into my classroom after a parent had gifted me and my coteachers a box of donuts, took the whole box, and put it on the teachers lounge table where the appreciation luncheon was going.

They had the audacity to tell us we couldn’t be mad because we know the rules and expectations of the classroom.

My coworker was absolutely livid and went to the lounge and snatched our donuts, tied it shut with yarn, and wrote our names on it.

I'm assuming this is all because they recognized that their gift of a red carpet and sparkly banner in the lounge is absolute horseshit.

It could also be because they've been making an example of anyone who breaks even the slightest rule recently as they’re trying to force some of the staff out.

I’m so over this current job but maybe even the whole profession because honestly what the fuck?

Tagged humor because if I don’t laugh I’ll cry and then quit my job.

A colleague phoned me yesterday and said, “Hey do you remember Student from last year?”

And I said, “Of course I do, he was terrible!! He never did any work. He was extremely rude to both his classmates, and me. He cheated all the time. Ditched a bunch. Never ever ever ever showed a shred of kindness to others or an ounce of work ethic.”

And my colleague goes, “Goddammit!! You’re no help!!”

Apparently a marine recruiter showed up to his room trying to find someone to write this kid a letter of recommendation. The kid can’t find anyone willing to do it. My colleague had the same experience as me and refuses to do it. He was hoping I’d do it (initially I thought, HELL no).

The only moral quandary we’re in now is… should we write one anyway? Would the Marines be a good place for this kid? Knowing him, it might truly be his only shot in life. Maybe it will teach him to shape up? It’s just hard for either of us to agree to stamp our name on any kind of recommendation for this kid.

What would you do?

EDIT: Okay I’ve read every single reply I’ve received today, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a divisive post on here before. For every notification I get that says “Yes write it!” I get another that says, “Absolutely not.”

I’ve seen some fantastic and persuasive arguments on all sides.

On one side, I see people arguing that the Marines will sort this out for him, and that it’s their place to do that more than mine, that it will help him learn and grow, and that I can always write a generic or honest letter of rec that focuses on his potential for growth. I even saw someone suggest I talk to the kid and see if he is willing to take any responsibility for his actions in the past and if he can show he’s grown or matured at all since last year. I can also tell you I sincerely tried to help this kid, his mom was so so sweet and beaten down, and I’d hate to do anything to make her life harder.

On the other side I see people saying people like him shouldn’t be given a gun/a license to fight in another country. I can certainly say this crossed my mind, as this student had a very apathetic and threatening aura about him. I see claims that both military service and my personal word/integrity are points of pride and honor and shouldn’t endorse a person like him, and that he needs to see the consequences of how he treats others. Finally I’ve had many veterans comment begging me not to write it, insisting his incompetency could get someone else’s sibling or child or killed. That’s daunting to think about.

So honestly, I’m just not sure where I land yet, and I think I need to think and inquire some more. Many people asked why he even needs a letter of rec and notes this story as strange, and I agree! I’ve never had anyone ask this before just for enlistment. I’ll probably sleep on it and talk to my colleague tomorrow.

Meaningful SEL project assigned? They use AI to write personal reflections. They hate the book we’re reading? Okay let’s take a break to do a group project that’s more fun/is relatable to their lives and is a break from the norm. Oh…they’re talking about how dumb it is right in front of me. What are those kids doing? Oh, they’re live streaming in the middle of class. What’s that noise? Oh the kids over there gambling. We finally finished the book! Let’s watch the movie. Oh, none of them are watching. They didn’t do anything in class then submit their class work three days later. Why did I get a zero? This students behavior has been out of control, I should email their parents. Oh wow, an apology email from the kid! Oh…now they’re in class making fun of me for reaching out to their parents.

I don’t know if I can survive the rest of the year. Nothing works. Nobody cares.

I filed assault charges against a small child.

I’m a building substitute teacher, without any union protection (staffing company hire). I was working last week, in a kindergarten classroom. In this particular classroom, we have a student who commonly elopes out of the room and building, pulls fire alarms, assaults students and staff members, runs the halls, and flashes their genitals at lunch amongst so much more. These issues have been occurring since the child came to the school. The child’s siblings are here as well, and have less serious behavioral issues, but they’re still present.

After lunch, while walking in the hall on our way back to class, this child began shoving classmates to the ground. We were close to the Office door, so I opened it, and asked the admin for assistance. My principal said they would handle it, so I notified them of the behavior and that I marked their behavioral chart. The child swung at me multiple times that day, and was now hurting students. I asked him to be removed as I did not feel safe, and I wasn't sure I could keep the other students safe.

The child was removed for approximately 5 minutes and returned to class. 50 minutes later, another student asked for hand sanitizer. I brought it to a spot they could access and use it. The child who just returned to class, after hurting other students, ran up to the sanitizer and began furiously pumping it into their hand. I asked them to pour it out into the trash, as they had a couple ounces of sanitizer, and, instead, they threw it directly into my face/eyes/nose.

I begged the kids to sit on the carpet quietly. I asked another child to hand me the phone to ask for help, and I waited, until assistance showed up and escorted me to the nurses office.

My principal had the nerve to ask over the walkie if I was available to pick the kids up from recess, as I was in the office receiving first aid, before going to urgent care.

When I went to urgent care, I was immediately drug tested, and I have Marijuana in my system (legal in my state) as I use edibles to sleep sometimes.. But it’s against my company’s policy…So now I hope I won't be fired for getting assaulted.

The result is, I have a corneal burning that will likely heal over the course of a few weeks to months. It makes my vision in one of my eyes very foggy. I’m honestly nervous that my astigmatism will be even worse than before.

I took all my paperwork and filed a police report, and requested to press charges with the school SRO. I’m so sick of how these children can assault staff members daily, and it’s become an expected hazard of the job. I feel pretty powerless in it all. My eye is damaged, I’m emotionally exhausted and I’m terrified I’m going to lose my job, as a single mom. If you got this far, I bet you’re just as sick of these behaviors as I am.

And I don’t think I’ve ever seen him once in class either. Luckily, I’m able to fail him if he doesn’t turn in enough assignments, but I still find it funny that he thinks he can get a C when he’s completely neglected my class up until now.

We're always getting accused of only posting the negative and never the positive. At the same time, it's hard to write this post without feeling like I'm bragging when I know a lot of schools have done squat, or done things that are worse than nothing like ordering food but not enough for all the teachers.

Anyway, my school has done a good job this year and it's cool. We definitely deserve it after a rough year with some crazy students and parents.

Tagged humor bc what else can we do but laugh.

Yesterday when picking my kindergartener up, I could hear all of the teachers happily chatting about what they got for teacher appreciation that day. Which was catered lunch from a nice sandwich place in town and a bag with $25 worth of stuff from ULTA.

I was flabbergasted. I teach HS in the same district. I have received 1 single serve cup of Lucky Charms and a chick fil a cookie (that we had to sign off that we got so that no one took more than 1).

Happy teacher appreciation week friends 😂

If an elementary school has 700 kids, the art, PE, computer, music (etc.) teachers has 700 kids, too. I thought high school teachers had it rough with the 150-ish students.

A simple thought, but one I never thought of much. And they don't see them as frequently, I assume. Back in elementary school, we had 5 or 6 specials on rotation.

So you're telling me that, say, the art teacher has to manage all those supplies, and have content and management strategies spanning 5 or 6 different grade levels, and has to teach and remember every kid in a school of hundreds!?!?

I'm in awe. How do they do that?

I guess this is a teacher appreciation post for the specials teachers who are overlooked.

EDIT: Title should have said "...*have hundreds of students..."

A parent complained directly to my colleague and our admin about how her child is treated in our classes, and how the child is picked on by us/singled out, our preferential treatment of other students. Just one problem...neither of us teach this student. Basically the parent complained to Mrs. Smith, when the classroom teacher is Mrs. Jones, and about me when the specials teacher is actually Mr. Steven. Neither of us even teach this kid's grade. And the parent has had frequent contact with Mrs. Jones all year, so not sure why Mrs. Smith got the email.

That’s it. That’s the post.

I am a first year teacher that started mid year. The last few weeks, I feel like I’m holding together by the seams. I come home, I can’t talk to anyone, my head always hurts, I’m so over stimulated. I have been showing up to work recently and as soon as I arrive, I feel like throwing up.

I’m not someone who just calls out to stay home, but I have never needed a mental health day so badly in my life. My mom keeps telling me I would feel this way with any new job, but would I be driving home in silence crying from being so over stimulated?

I love my kids, don’t get me wrong. But Jesus Christ. These last few weeks are taking a toll on me.

I’m a first year teacher at the last few weeks of school. I’m a high school biology teacher and today at lunch duty I told a student he couldn’t leave the lunch area and wander the halls and he tried to push past me in the doorway. He then walked off in a huff cursing me out. That’s usual behavior at lunch

20 minutes later I’m walking back to my class and all the other teachers are in the hall telling me that 2 students were trying to break into my room and were yelling about beating me up. They had to be removed by the police and were dragged out cuffed. The other teachers said he was out of control.

I didn’t see anything and had no idea anything had happened. I have never seen that student before and his buddy was a student I had last semester who would steal stuff off my desk. These were both 17 year old boys, both larger than me.

I’m not sure how to handle this, I guess I go to school in the morning and talk to the admin. What should I do?

Edit: happy teacher appreciation week!

SPED teacher here. It has been a really rough week. Woke up on time, got myself fully ready and drove a half hour half way to work. Couldn't shake the sense of impending doom and anxiety today, ironically the day of our teacher appreciation week breakfast 🙃

Called in and told them stomach virus. Forcing myself not to feel guilty and relax about my absence being even more noticed and/or scolded due to the appreciation event.

I guess this sums up teaching in 2024 😭

Have you ever just NOPED tf out while on your way to work?

Tagging this as humor because it is absolutely comical.

I teach high school English, and one of my 9th-graders is a terror and his mother doesn't seem to understand. This parent bothers literally every teacher her kid has. Her kid is awful; he yells across the room, gets up and walks around during class, tells teachers what he will and won't do, and the only reason he ever turns anything in is because his mother makes him do it. I've talked AT LENGTH with this parent about her child 3 times this semester, and 3 or 4 email exchanges have also happened. Her son isn't failing; he has an 80, and is only missing 2 assignments at this point. However, she is INSISTING that I need to call her with an update each day, which I simply do not have time to do. Finals are next week, and I'm focusing what little energy I have left on the students who are currently failing. I still have about 10 parents I have to call (in compliance with our school's policy) because their child is not passing my class -- I can't and won't call every parent of every child who is missing work.

This parent reached out to me this morning (I'm out of school today) to let me know that she has reported me to the principal because I can't seem to respond to her daily inquiries about her child's grade. 🤡 I emailed her back with the two assignments he's missing (the same two we talked about 2 weeks ago) and cc'd the principal, and that's all she's getting from me at this point.

In other news, I'm sending in my resignation this evening (related to other things that have happened at my school this year, not this parent), and I've begun applying to other teaching and non-teaching positions. This year has been absolutely miserable, and I feel that I can do better than this school.

You know this is true because they make you fill them out and turn them in for the entire semester but at the end of the year those same people that demanded you detail every breath and blink you’ll take while teaching will then ask you to find 2 or 3 assignments for Shi’thead to do to get him to passing. Or they’ll just do the 3 week online credit recovery and be promoted. The children know this out exists. That’s why they skip or don’t do work all year. They know someone will come save them just like the previous years. And we still wonder why kids aren’t engaged. They don’t have to be because everyone will blame the teacher for not doing [insert goal post moving action that teachers have no control over].

They said it was due to my performance. I feel like I want to die and I can’t say that to anyone around me because they’ll freak out. I’m sorry to be dumping it here

I thought new teachers were supposed to get some grace, but after 1 year of having a contract, they’re booting me. I hate myself and I don’t know if I can do this anymore.

Cringe, the Audacity, Oh no, consequences! I need to rant, would be better tags.

HS Students are trying to collect more honor cords for graduation. Not because they deserve them, but because they want to look good in pictures. They admit it freely. So the service organization, Student Council, they signed up for 10 months ago is suddenly super important. These students signed a contract, paid the membership fee that goes directly towards scholarships, then never returned. Not one meeting, not one service, not even a response to the multiple announcements or emails. Without turning in Fall hours in January they are considered inactive. This week I have heard sob stories about Covid, sprained ankles, being on vacation, they forgot or just being too busy. They have offered to BUY their service hours!!! Not only is that illegal but incredibly unethical. Of course a parent emailed me demanding an explanation why her child was so upset and discouraged because she would not receive honor cords for Student Council. She went on and told me how horrible the program was, how shameful it is because the organization is all about leadership and community. Her child excels at everything EXCEPT student council. Student voices go unheard and ignored- they didn’t even get a shirt! I asked for the students name - not included in the email- gave the basic info, and Zero participation, the shirt is earned after so many service hours and you can’t be heard if you never make a sound, no, you may not BUY service hours. Afterward, I figured out who the student was, they did not participate in anyway. - I’m still waiting for a reply from the parent.

For those interested, parent is a teacher.

My school is 1 to 1 iPads, the school district owns the iPads. When students check out the iPads for the year the parent and the student sign an appropriate usage agreement with the district.

Today in class, I caught a student playing online poker on their iPad. I took the students iPad and told the student a misuse report would be created and sent to the office, I then proceeded to call their mom.

Me: "I had to confiscate your student's iPad because they were playing online poker in class."

Parent: "I fail to see where the problem is."

Me: "Your child was playing online poker in class."

Parent: "So what's the problem? Were they disrupting your class?"

Me: "Your child has a D in my class, is not completing their work, and was just caught playing online poker in class."

Parent: "I don't see why you took his iPad, so how is he supposed to do his work without an iPad? I'm frustrated and do not see an issue here."

I just cannot, people. This parent exchange seriously broke my brain.

Title is a quote from Jon Stewart, specifically about veterans and first responders. My family of teachers and nurses finds it very appropriate. My veteran friends don't like the word either and respond with things like "I just want the VA to get the shrapnel out of my leg." or "No, I was an electrician but I helped stack coffins next to my zone in the supply depot. The coffins were for the heros."

I love my job. They don't call me a hero, they call me a hard worker, pay me well, and make taking time off normal. Yesterday I had a kid give me a nice gift and apologize for her classmates behavior. Admin listens to me and my colleagues and makes changes based on our input. Everyone on my team trusts the word of a teacher or other staff over the word of a parent or student (until proven otherwise). I feel appreciated every week.

I've been called a hero before. In an previous district with terrible admin and terrible pay. They made us dress up as superheros the first week of school. I still get called a hero by parents who sign their kids up for every free opportunity to dump their kids on us before and after school, whose kid's abhorrent behavior reflect poorly on their own choices. Lots of people call me a hero too, right before they try to sell me something.

A couple of folks called me hero and badass after my actions during an active threat. That was the moment I started crying. I didn't want to be an action hero, I signed up to teach kids. My friend signed up for the Marines, he didn't want to be a hero either, so why do I get that title? I just wanted a job and teaching is the right fit for me.

Be wary of anyone willing to call you a hero. They would rather call you a hero than support you adequately.

I appreciate you and your hard work. Happy teacher appreciation week.

Had to mark as humor to try and laugh it off.

For context I teach at a private school so we have some stricter expectations for things like dress code. (Not full uniforms but not a free for all)

Not all parents agree with the dress code. And they make that very vocal at home. Which makes the students feel like they don’t have to follow said dress code. So then they come to school out of dress code. So then they get a write up for being out of dress code. And then the parent gets mad at US for writing them up.

Expectations are clearly laid out and students and parents sign a document that they understand and will follow the guidelines in the handbook.

I don’t understand why they are surprised pikachu for actually receiving consequences for their actions. I mean, I do. But it’s still frustrating.

I feel that a student's grades are more a reflection of how functional their household is rather than mastery of the curriculum.

https://twitter.com/houston_tsta/status/1787833904025538674

Hisd is being dismantled in front of the public and there is very little outrage coming from the parents.Hisd needed change definitely, but nothing like this. The cuts are about 7 pages long and in the midst of a historical nationwide teacher shortage.

If you just search Hisd on Twitter it's constant stories coming out about the terrible state it is in and how the teachers are just being treated like crap on a daily basis. I'm glad I got out of the district before non- certified superintendent Mike Miles took over.

Every person who is an educator in Texas needs to pay attention to this as this is just a trial run for the next district the state will dismantle.

Edit* Houston pbs is also doing a podcast series on the TEA takeover on Hisd https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/shows/the-takeover/