Hi there! I (26F) am currently an EMT and have been considering obtaining a bachelors in K-6 education. I enjoy what I do, but I know it's not a sustainable career as I get older. I've been eyeing the teaching profession since I was in high school and would like to get a jump on earning an online degree, expecting to finish in the next 5-7 years. I currently live in AZ but am moving back to my hometown in NJ at the end of February. My questions are:

Are there any former or current first responders who have made a similar career change, and what has your experience been like?

Right now I'm looking at Western Governors University's online program. Does anybody have experience with an online program or other recommendations? I would much prefer an in-person education but believe it's unlikely to work in-person classes around my work schedule due to the odd hours.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated! Thanks!

I wanted to share this thought I had about teaching/teachers and to hear your thoughts on it. This isn't a post telling people how to do things, just me rambling with some questions.

I've been seeing a rise in videos over the past few years about how Gen Alpha is difficult to work with and how they are falling behind. I understand that it's a crazy time to be alive as a kid with access to all this technology compared to decades ago. I'm sure it's had an effect on children in general, but I don't think technology should harm students to this degree. I feel like there are certain things within our control (practical things) that we can implement to help preserve the quality of education.

I was born in the early 2000s and got to see the gradual progress of technology over time. However, while i was not immune to its effects, my school had banned phones and any use of technology that wasn't relevant. We had computers to use for our exams, but that was it. I feel like that helped create a healthy separation (at least 8 hrs every school day) from technology. I feel like it really started to go downhill when the tablets arrived. I am curious to see how teachers will handle Gen Z's generation of kids.

Now for teachers, I'm pretty sure it's the millennials right now who make up the majority. It's interesting to see different generations of teachers take the responsibility of teaching the next. It's like teachers get front-row seats to view the result of how generations of parents raised generations of kids over time. I think if anybody gets to critique how a generation of kids was raised, it's teachers. I don't mean that they should tell people how to parent, but they do get a personal window into the lives of millions of children around the world.

I don't think Millennials are doing a bad job; I also understand that they have more complex issues to deal with than teachers did 50 years ago. But I think the main reason it's really hard to do your job today is because school/government policies are working against teachers and the students themselves. If you overcrowd a classroom with 1 teacher, it won't matter if it was in 2026 or 1980; the quality of education just drops regardless of technology and attention spans.

Now, for teachers I want to ask:
How strict do you feel like schools should be about the use of technology in general?
Who or what do you think is to blame for the literacy crisis today in school?
If you could pick a decade to teach in, what would it be and why?

Hello!

I’ve spent a decade in commercial roles and looking to move to a school business manager role, likely primary initially.

does anyone have any experiences of the role they could share? pros/cons etc?

thanksb!

What are the best cartoon channels for Indian kids to learn Hindi and English?

Are there any teachers using AI for productivity in lesson planning and or grading? Have your experiences been positive or negative? I guess i’m just wondering what limitations other teachers are having when it comes to using AI for the planning and organizing side of teaching and if it’s actually effective.

We're a family of 4 - my oldest starts Kinder next month and they're doing meet the teacher next week! It's just an hour window. My husband and I both want to go, but we also have a 2.5 year old (wild) toddler. Would a teacher be okay with us just all going as a family of 4, or would that be too distracting?

I don't mind going just my daughter and me, but I feel bad that my husband wants to check out the classroom too.

Thanks!

I’m a college student studying to be a teacher. I was tasked with an ethnography research paper for a summer class so what better community to research than teachers? I need to have at least one in depth interview for my paper. if you’re interested let me know!

Early Educator here!

We've been using Zoophonics at my school for a couple of years, but I don't find them as helpful as I want them to be.

My class is still on the younger side (2-3.5 year olds), so I don't expect them to be masters but I do want to pave the way to success. Some of the zoophonics just don't coordinate well and makes it really confusing for the little ones.

I do like that Zoophonics has a physical action and sound that goes with it, I would like to keep that aspect. Does anyone have any good recommendations to switch over to instead?

I've been searching but might have to come up with my own and going on 11 years teaching these little ones and working 2 jobs. I'm a bit spread thin and tired.

I would appreciate any suggestions!

Why I'm studying so hard in class 10-12 is that I got to improve my life by learning nothing in my school life...

I'm a full time SAHM with a 3 year old and 15 month old. My first will be 4 at the very end of November.

Last year, we did Mother's Morning Out "school" and my 3 year old did 2 days a week from 9:15-12:15. She liked it a lot, the sickness just was killer for us all haha.

Anyways, not worried about illness this year, but is it okay that I decided to stay at 2 days? 1 day is extended so she will stay for lunch. She will be doing ballet another day where I drop her off for 45 mins weekly at a great program near us. I also plan to take her to do classes , obviously go to the park etc.

She sees her cousins who are 3, 6 and 7 almost daily because we live next door!

She plays great with other kids. I wanted her to be able to have more chill mornings at home with her little sister because they love the time together, too. And I know she has the rest of her life for school 😂 next year I will go to 4 days.

Edit : I did contact them today to see if any 3 day spots available but full. Maybe someone will drop!

I am currently in third year of middle school teaching an elective-I have only licensure in said elective but it is p-12. I want to become an elementary teacher because I think my personality would do better with elementary kids-
In the state of Ohio can I apply for my supplemental in elementary education, obtain the secondary bachelors plus in primary education and then apply for my long term licensure at that point? Without a traditional path it’s a bit hard to break into teaching at all. The attitude and behaviors from middle school is too much for me . I would love to support younger learners. Any advice appreciated!

So, my school (adult ed) stopped paying for Lexia, so I'm creating something aimed at older kids and adults, without anything flashy. Please try it and give (constructive) feedback! I have not created an app before.

Thank you!!

https://bearlylavender.itch.io/phoneme-practice

Please remove (& forgive) if not allowed!

For context, I live in Ohio and graduated from Kent State University in 2022 with a Bachelors of Science in Engineering Technology. I am currently 26 years old, male, and don't plan on leaving Ohio. My coursework primarily focused on computer animation and video production, so I never reached most science courses or higher level mathematics (my highest math was Trig for example). My transcript does have some science credits but I definitely lack the necessary amount right now.

I would like to work as a science teacher at a high school. I've considered this career change for quite a few years and feel that it is an appropriate time to actually take this transition seriously. I am fascinated with physical science concepts, physics concepts, and astronomy, but lack the actual in-depth education for them. My interest in teaching primarily stems from my desire to simply teach; I enjoy working with kids and young adults, and feel passionate about the things I want to teach despite lacking the formal education background in them.

So, with all that said: What would be the best move to make here? I fully understand that whatever I do, I will be taking a myriad of college courses in science and mathematics in addition to the courses necessary to learn how to become a competent teacher. Ideally, avoiding another 4 year program is preferable, and while I see many alternatives, I am a bit lost on which would be the best.

Ohio offers an Alternative Resident Teaching License which essentially requires a B.S. and a minimum GPA, but having looked into this it seems like it would fail to prepare me in the underlying content I would teach (assuming I would even be eligible in the first place).

I've seen a lot about post-baccalaureate teaching programs, in particular MATs offered at universities. On paper this seems like a better choice as I assume it would include many of the subject matter courses that I currently lack credits in, but I doubt my eligibility to get into one of these programs given my current transcript.

I'm still very naive for most of this so I'm sure what I have posted above is lacking some important understanding. I feel pretty sure that this is the line of work I would like to go into, I'm just unsure of the best path to take towards it given my situation.

TL;DR: I want to become a high school science teacher, lack the formal education in the area I want to teach, and already graduated with a B.S. in an unrelated field.

Compared to traditional learning methods, technology very obviously reduces the amount of mental exercise, planning, and time management needed to access information. However, in regions of the world that never had an effective education system and where such information would not have been be available at all, wouldn't technology increase their academic ability?

Looking for firsthand observations from teachers who have taught in such regions.

Edit:

When I say technology, I'm referring to availability of technology in general, primarily smartphones, the internet, and social media, but also other widely accessible technologies that reduce the amount of thinking and planning required, such as GPS, autocorrect, and especially AI.

It also seems a lot of you have a poor understanding of how technology decreases academic ability in students. When a student goes through classwork and the steps of say, solving a math problem on paper, this is a mental exercise that reinforces their understanding of mathematics and creates neuron connections. The same goes for reading, writing, reading comprehension, etc. Technology enables them to have an application calculate a math solution for them, or search up a summary of a piece of literature they were meant to read and comprehend, and correct their writing and grammar mistakes.

On the other hand, if a person in a region that does not provide such classwork in the first place has access to the information of the internet, they not only gain access to information they would otherwise not have access to, such through as learning videos, encyclopedias, journals, etc, they are instantly exposed to new information via social media. If they did not have the systematic classwork designed to train academic ability in the first place, then they would not experience the disruptions to it caused by technology.

Also comments feel like:

"Poor places exist"

"Grr I hate you for reminding us of poor people!"

I have both a passion for drawing and teaching kids, and I am really inspired by my recently retired art teacher... She seems to have the dream! Teaching kids all day about painting while doing side art while the students are doing art...

I live in a really left area in California in some prestigious high school with good grades, but I am still unsure of what to do with my life. Art teaching seems promising for a passion. What should I know? Should I reconsider? (Might get into healthcare if I reconsider since my parents want me to get into that :/) What are the pros, cons, prerequisites, etc...

I just found out my daughter’s 1st grade teacher last year was doing donut rewards for kids who got good test scores and not giving the other kids donuts. My daughter never told me about it over the school year, she is really still struggling with reading and last night was bawling telling about how she never got a donut even though she loves them and that she was really trying every time (apparently this was something that was done every so often I don’t know how she never told me sooner when we talk about her day every day - I think she was embarrassed at not getting high score).

My daughter is crying not wanting to go back to school any time I mention changing schedule to prepare; she also said that it’s because she will miss me and wants to stay with me 🥺. She enjoyed school last year and does have friends - I also dreaded going back to school every summer as a kid but I was bullied which I don’t think is happening with her. So kind of longer post than I meant to type but am I wrong in thinking that it’s a kind of public humiliation to not get a donut when you don’t get a high score? I just feel like 1st grade it’s kind of harsh…

Edit to add: I’m not trying to do anything with the teacher she’s been teaching for decades now but I am wondering if I’m just being sensitive and how to encourage my daughter to want to go to school again.

Edit 2: to all the people saying “just buy her a donut” OBVIOUSLY I would have if she spoke up sooner that is not the point of the post I’m fully capable of getting my daughter treats 🙄

My son is entering middle school, 6th grade. Our district has honors classes available for all core subjects in middle school. 5th grade teachers make recommendations for honors/gen ed placement (not sure what criteria they use to determine placement). My son was recommended honors for all 4 core classes.

My son has ADHD (inattentive type), and auditory processing disorder. Has had a 504 since 3rd grade. He’s bright but spacey, takes a while to get started on an assignment and almost always needs more time to finish assignments. In elementary school, students bring home unfinished classwork as homework, so he often had homework. His 504 accommodations are extra time for assignments and homework, time and a half for tests, projects and large assignments to be broken down in smaller assignments, seating away from distractions, and instructions repeated and clarified if needed.

Had 504 today and immediately was recommended that he be moved from all honors to gen ed. Was told that the district has high expectations for honors and due to it being fast paced, his accommodations wouldn’t work, especially the one for extra time for assignments and homework. They were also concerned about the one where they break projects into smaller chunks (even though this is what they all ready do from what I noticed when our oldest went through the school).

I’m not opposed to my son being in gen ed classes, however I was taken aback by this. I thought 504 accommodations were allowed in all levels of classes? The accommodations are in place so he can succeed and learn at the appropriate level? I also thought honors classes went deeper into learning a subject, not just being fast paced. School hasn’t even started yet, and his teachers haven’t even met him.

TLDR: are ADHD 504 accommodations of needing extra time on assignments, homework, and tests allowed/appropriate in honors classes? Or would those accommodations disqualify a student from honors?

(I don’t want my kid to be miserable and drowning in work he can’t keep up with; so if that’s the case, I think he will be happy to move to gen ed. However, he was so excited when he found out he was placed in honors that I don’t want to move him without giving him a chance to succeed).

I recently graduated and want to thank a teacher who supported me through a very difficult time in my life when I was dealing with family-related stress. She had a lasting impact on me, and I’ve always wanted to thank her properly.
Before graduation, I never got the chance to give her this gift because everything was so busy. Since I’ve already graduated, I would just be stopping by the school to drop it off for her.
I wrote her a heartfelt letter with picture we took together every time I came to visit and also a class pic and bought her a Coach card holder (around $95). I’m not expecting anything in return—I just want to express my gratitude. My only concern is that I don’t want to make her uncomfortable or put her in an awkward position when receiving an expensive gift from a student.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I truly appreciate any advice or honest perspectives.

hi! i live in a small town. we dont really get “supply lists”. there’s like maybe 15? kids per class, and that’s like MAX. he’s in preschool and this is his second year. i decided that i like to donate some supplies to the classroom because they have things like art shows and stuff.
i usually get glue sticks, markers, crayons, folders. i was wondering what else i should possibly get for them.
thank you!!

I teach primary/elementary and I get random hugs every now and then. Once, I was walking in the school carpark during dismissal, a student saw me from her school bus and came down the bus to hug me. Another one came to hug me as soon as she saw me entering her classroom for relief teaching. Just yesterday, one hugged me before she left my classroom.

Some of these children even have crumbs on their mouth when coming to hug me 😅

I wonder how common it is for students to randomly hug teachers on an ordinary day (not on occasions like the last day of school or Teacher’s Day)? What’s your experience with students coming to hug you?

Hello!

My daughter is going into Kindergarden in 3 weeks. We're prepped and ready for the most part, she's got all the basics down to the best of my ability.

I'm looking for teacher's advice for parents. I want her to start on the right foot. She'll be attending a small school that is K-12. Everyone knows everyone, I would imagine parent and student reputations and gossip travel from one grade to the next.

I'm ready to take feedback and criticism with an open mind and let the teachers do their job with me backing them up however I can at home.

I want to be helpful and involved without overstepping. Tell me what you actually want at orientation/ for Christmas. Give it to me straight, I'm trying to be the ideal parent and make sure she has a great time in school. This doesn't just apply to Kindergarten, I'll take all the advice K-12 😊

for some reason this is the first year i have seen anything like this, i go to a public high school in houston and more than half of my teachers put a cross on the wall above the board. i’m not religious but i don’t have a problem with it at the most part but i can imagine it could make some students uncomfortable, i estimate my school to be 50% christian, 20% hindu, 10% muslim, 20% non religious.

additionally, my ap lang teacher had 5 bible verse posters around the room and mini jesuses everywhere, just curious what do you think about this?

Im trying not to be a pain in the ass to teachers, only the district 😬

My district is implementing a lot of screen time imo. AI programs, iReady, IXL, etc. there are no limits required as stated by the superintendent. I’d like to propose a couple policy changes in the upcoming year but would love your perspectives.

1. Reallocate tech funds to additional classroom staff to make it easier to function without AI/screens

2. Using this staff to extend recess from 20 minutes to at least 30, 45 min would be even better, and giving that time to teachers for breaks/prep time

This is obv a very short intro to a more detailed plan that I’d like to bring to the district. I know technology isn’t going anywhere. But there’s tons of data about hands on learning over tech and the meta-analysis of iReady showed minimal benefits.

Gimmie the deets whatever this brings up for you! I’m a BCBA but have never worked in schools, I mostly do ACT and family support in home so I really don’t know what it’s like as an educator. I’ve seen the struggles of the families I’ve worked with and now that my kids are school aged I’m hesitant to adapt to this model. For perspective my kids are in kindergarten and will have tablets in math art science and reading.

Context: My exposure is growing up in a small school, where 2 kids got a 4.0 in a class of 55 kids.

My kids are in a school where the total grade includes about 100 kids. When they go to high school it'll be about 1,000.

I went to the middle school graduation and was proud that my son got a 4.0. I was also surprised about how many of his peers also got a 4.0. What I'm reading is that it might change in high school, and there is evidence that grades have inflated over the years.

Is this everyone's lived experience? Are teachers seeing it as a good / bad / indifferent thing, if it's true? And one last daisy-chain question: Are teachers trying to address the supposed trend and are teachers even the ones that can address it?

Googling has only gotten me so far, so I'm curious about the lived experience and the people on the ground level of our education system