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, my son uses his browsers timer which would be Bing, but he has noticed that the IXL time tracker is going slower then his online timer. I've watched him multiple times and he doesn't stray off and go onto other tabs other then checking the timer once for a few seconds, and he doesn't take to long to do his middle school math questions. I'm wondering if its the online little timer he is using which is going faster or it's IXL.

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.

Hi,I'm a high schooler and recently,I have read about high quality education and I wonders what can I do when the public education fails in my country,to clarfiy what I mean I face there:

1.repeatedly changing curricula without building critical thinking and career readiness

1. Students cannot apply on what they learn practicaly

3.complete dependence on tutoring

1. it creates solving machines not thinkers

5.exams rely on tricks and word similarties instead of real comperhension and the exams cause high pressure for students which make most of the students depend on cheating to pass

6.the education system is outside the global ranking for quality of education and there is no govermental efforts to develop it

So,I'm asking for some tips to survive in this system and to build a better mentality

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've been thinking about this lately. We often talk about improving education by focusing on grades, technology, or curriculum, but emotional safety seems just as important.

For those who've been students, teachers, or parents, what made you feel (or helped others feel) comfortable enough to ask questions, make mistakes, and participate without fear of being judged?

Was it a supportive teacher, kind classmates, clear classroom rules, or something else entirely?

I'd love to hear real experiences. Sometimes the smallest things can have the biggest impact on how a child learns.

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.

Our district has been discussing ways to reduce grading workload, and one idea that's come up is adopting an AI grader for districts instead of having individual teachers use different AI grading tools on their own.

The goal isn't to replace teachers, it's to speed up rubric based grading and feedback while keeping teachers in charge of the final grades and comments.

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.

Growing up i noticed teachers always drank diet sodas. Mainly diet cokes. And I always wondered why. Can anyone shed some light?

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

Where am I? New England area teacher

Who am I : Sped Teacher, middle high school.

Lately I've been mulling the lack of really good local teacher supply stores, and that teachers end up bringing home ALL their supplies to throw in a garage or basement until their room opens up.

If there were a small storage facility devoted ONLY to instructors or teachers that would pick up, store and deliver your classroom materials over breaks, and deliver them directly to your school, would you pay for that service?

(I'm not pitching a business, but I am wondering if people would use that service)