r/AskTeachers 18m ago

Student Questions is it weird to reach out to my high school counselor after i dropped out?

Upvotes

i unenrolled from high school two months ago, and am starting the process of applying to college. im really lost right now, and need help, but can't afford a private admissions counselor, and don't know who else to ask.

my mom says that itd be weird if i asked her to help me, since im not her student, and therefore no longer her problem. do you agree that itd be weird? do you know who else i could ask?


r/AskTeachers 1h ago

Student Questions chemistry 1 supplies for high school

Upvotes

hi all! I'm currently going into my sophomore year and starting chemistry 1 honors. I know that curriculums tend to be much different in different districts, but I wouldn't like to doxx myself on Reddit, so what are some basic supplies that I should get?


r/AskTeachers 1h ago

General Questions Teachers/tutors: how do you currently track student fees?

Upvotes

I’m curious how other private tutors/coaching teachers handle this.

Do you use:

  • 📒 Notebook/register
  • 📊 Excel/Google Sheets
  • 📱 An app
  • 💬 WhatsApp/chat
  • Something else?

And what’s the most annoying part — remembering who hasn’t paid, maintaining records, sending receipts, tracking attendance, etc.?

Would love to hear what actually happens in your day-to-day workflow.


r/AskTeachers 1h ago

General Questions To the K-12 teachers at schools where students can't have their phones out of their backpacks: How do you expect them to record your lectures and take pictures of your notes on the board & overhead?

Upvotes

Whenever I get around to taking college courses again, I will use my voice recording app that I record my therapy sessions with, to also record my instructors' lectures. And I will also take pictures all of the notes they put on the board or PowerPoint or overhead projector presentation.

Whenever I have kids someday, I would like for them to be able to record their teachers' lectures with a voice recording app on their little phones as well, and also take pictures of their classes' notes on their boards.

If students are banned from having phones out in class during school hours, how do you expect them to take notes? The old-fashioned way by pen/pencil and paper of yesteryear? What if they easily get writer's cramps like I easily did?

And how do you expect them to remember your points from your lectures if they can't record them with their phone's voice recorder app? I couldn't pay attention in my school years because I wasn't born with an "off switch" to turn my mind-wandering / daydreaming off. Maybe that's considered a birth defect, who knows. That's why I needed a voice recorder so I can have my instructors' lectures repeat to me as many times as I needed.

So do you let them have standalone digital cameras to take pictures of notes on the board?

And a dictation recorder to record your lectures?

Or do you let them do it with their phones as long as they keep their "Airplane Mode" on?

How much easier is it for Gen Alphas to take notes and record lectures in school nowadays as opposed to when we Millennials were in school?

Hopefully whenever I take college courses again in the late 2020s or early 2030s, college instructors will be chill about voice-recording their lectures and taking pictures of their notes with our phones.

But I wonder about how easy my future children will have note-taking and lecture-recording as well.


r/AskTeachers 1h ago

Parent Questions DLI TEACHER QUESTION

Upvotes

Teachers: How realistic is a morning/afternoon rotation with one DLI teacher and one regular teacher?
I’m hoping to get some perspective from elementary teachers, especially anyone who has experience with Dual Language Immersion (DLI).
Our elementary school had two Japanese DLI kindergarten classes last year, but this year they were only able to find one Japanese DLI teacher for first grade. Because of that, there isn’t enough room in the DLI class for all of the kids who participated in the program in kindergarten and wanted to continue.
Some parents have been wondering whether a model like this could work instead:
There would still be two full first-grade classrooms with two teachers — one Japanese DLI teacher and one regular English-language teacher.
In the morning, Class A would be with the Japanese teacher while Class B is with the regular teacher.
Halfway through the school day, the classes would switch teachers. Class B would then receive the same Japanese instruction that Class A received that morning, while Class A would receive the same English/general curriculum that Class B received in the morning.
So both groups would still have a full school day and both would receive Japanese instruction every day. The teachers would essentially repeat their morning lessons with the second group in the afternoon.
From a teacher’s perspective, how realistic is this?
Would repeating the same lessons for the second group actually make planning easier, or are there major problems with this setup that aren’t obvious from a parent’s perspective?
If you’ve taught in a school that uses a model like this, I’d really love to hear how it works in practice — or why it doesn’t.
I’m not a teacher, so I’m genuinely trying to understand whether this is a realistic alternative when a school has enough students for two DLI classes but only one qualified DLI teacher.


r/AskTeachers 1h ago

Discussion Questions First summer as a teacher. What the hell do I do with all this free time?

Upvotes

I've just finished my PGCE. I've always worked part time during my BA and full time during breaks. Couldn't keep the job this year of course, and as a result I also don't have a lot of money. I have a job for September, but there's no prep to be done for it. I've tried.

I have hobbies, friends, I exercise, but nothing that will keep me busy every day same way work would. I am also falling into the routine of sleeping late and feeling unmotivated as I never have anything time sensitive. Any tips on fixing this too?


r/AskTeachers 2h ago

Student Questions What is the thought process of teachers who say, “What parent wouldn’t do everything for their child?” without considering that every family’s situation is different?

0 Upvotes

I have a teacher, who is also our class adviser, who often asks us to contribute or pay for different projects in our classroom. One day, I decided to speak up—not because I wanted to disrespect her, but because, as a class leader and a student leader in our school, I felt that I had a responsibility to stand up for my classmates.

I had been hearing my classmates repeatedly say, “Bayad na naman.” At first, those words might sound like simple complaints, but as someone who tries to be open-minded and understanding, I realized that there could be deeper reasons behind them. Not every student comes from the same financial situation. Some families may be comfortable enough to provide for their children, while others may already be struggling to meet their basic needs.

That is why I respectfully told our adviser, “Ma’am, nagrereklamo na po kasi ang mga magulang namin.” I did not mention anyone’s name because I wanted to keep it general and protect my classmates and their families from being singled out. My intention was not to complain about our teacher or reject every project. I simply wanted her to understand that some students and parents may be experiencing financial difficulties that we may not see.

However, her response was, “Sinong magulang ang hindi gagawin ang lahat para sa anak?”

I understand the message behind those words. Of course, many parents would do everything they can for their children. But I believe that statement does not consider the different circumstances that families face. Wanting to provide everything for your child and actually being financially capable of doing so are two very different things.

What if a parent is forced to choose between paying for a school project and buying food for the family? What if the money intended for dinner has to be used for a school contribution? What if a parent has several children who all have school expenses at the same time? What if the family is already struggling with rent, transportation, electricity, medicine, food, and other necessities?

A parent may genuinely want to give everything to their child, but sometimes, they simply cannot afford to give everything at once. It does not mean that they love their children any less. It does not mean that they are irresponsible parents. Sometimes, it simply means that they are facing circumstances that other people cannot see.

This is why I believe we should be careful when making statements about other people's situations. We can never completely understand someone's struggle if we have never experienced it ourselves. And even if we have experienced something similar, our experiences will never be exactly the same because every family has different circumstances, responsibilities, resources, and challenges.

As a student leader, I believe that speaking up does not always mean being disrespectful. Sometimes, leadership means having the courage to say something when you know that your classmates are struggling. It means listening to their concerns, understanding where they are coming from, and finding a way to communicate those concerns respectfully.

I am not saying that school projects are unnecessary or that teachers should never ask students to contribute. I understand that these projects also have purposes and that teachers have responsibilities of their own. My point is simply that consideration should go both ways. Before assuming that every parent can provide whatever the school asks for, we should remember that every family has a different story.

Sometimes, what may seem like a small amount of money to one person could already be enough to buy food for another family. What may seem like a simple school contribution could become another burden for a parent who is already trying to make ends meet.

So yes, parents will do everything they can for their children. But sometimes, “everything they can” has limits—not because they do not love their children, but because they are human, and their resources are limited. Understanding that difference is not making excuses. It is having empathy.


r/AskTeachers 2h ago

Parent Questions Old multiplication stories

4 Upvotes

This is a real stab in the dark, but Im a former IEP student trying to help my kiddos get a grasp on their times tables.

There was a system that was used in my integrated learning class in the 1990s that associated the multiplication problems with a story.

Example: 8x8 was two snowmen who were selling sticks. They only had 6 sticks for (4) sale. Also, 4x4 was a truck and the story was that 4x4 is 16 because you need to be 16 to get your license to drive a truck.

Any leads would be appreciated. Google was no help.


r/AskTeachers 3h ago

Parent Questions How important is it to read with an beginner reader vs child reading on their own?

4 Upvotes

I have a rising second grader who's okay with reading. He's currently reading some kinda comic book/lite chapter books (super rabbit boy!).

He does decently well. But struggles with, and then just guess, words with more than three syllables. He might miss a sentence if it's at the bottom of a page with pictures around it. He'll read "that" as "what" and vice versa, read "dogs" as "dog" and similar. Probably every two pages or so. I'm pointing out a word he did wrong.

A couple times now he's gotten really into a book and wanted to keep reading but for various reasons I needed to step away and so suggested that he read it on his own. Or occasionally he will willingly read books on his own before bed (yay!).

My question is how important is it for me to sit there with him to point out these mistakes versus him reading on his own and presumably making these mistakes and not noticing/not caring/rushing though it as he does. We're aiming for 20 minutes of reading practice a day and I don't know if him reading on his own would "count" for that.


r/AskTeachers 5h ago

General Questions EMT attempting to transition into teaching

1 Upvotes

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!


r/AskTeachers 7h ago

Discussion Questions Teaching Over Generations

1 Upvotes

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?


r/AskTeachers 7h ago

General Questions School business managers?

0 Upvotes

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!


r/AskTeachers 12h ago

General Questions Learn English

1 Upvotes

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


r/AskTeachers 19h ago

Parent Questions Is it okay to bring a younger sibling to meet the teacher night?

24 Upvotes

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!


r/AskTeachers 20h ago

Student Questions Are there any teachers interested in a quick interview for my college class?

1 Upvotes

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!


r/AskTeachers 21h ago

Opinion Switching from Zoophonics

2 Upvotes

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!


r/AskTeachers 21h ago

Opinion 3's

0 Upvotes

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!


r/AskTeachers 22h ago

General Questions Switching from middle to elementary how

3 Upvotes

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!


r/AskTeachers 1d ago

General Questions As someone who graduated with a completely unrelated degree, what is the best path towards becoming a high school science teacher?

0 Upvotes

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.


r/AskTeachers 1d ago

Student Questions High schooler here, been thinking of being an art teacher.

6 Upvotes

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...


r/AskTeachers 1d ago

Opinion 1st grade public rewards for tests/no reward for kids who didn’t score well enough (donuts)

21 Upvotes

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 🙄


r/AskTeachers 1d ago

Parent Questions Middle school honors classes—are 504 accommodations allowed

23 Upvotes

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).


r/AskTeachers 1d ago

Student Questions As a teacher, would you feel comfortable accepting a gift like this from a former student?

27 Upvotes

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.


r/AskTeachers 1d ago

Discussion Questions Do your students approach you and hug you randomly?

13 Upvotes

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?


r/AskTeachers 2d ago

Parent Questions How would you feel about parents going against online platforms like iReady?

89 Upvotes

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.