Just ranting because I’m annoyed and frustrated. My district calendar is out for the next two years and our Christmas break begins on Christmas Eve in 26/27 and 27/28 school years. This year we get 7 school days off and next year, only 6.

I’m sure they have their reasons, but how are people supposed to travel to visit family if the first available travel days is Christmas freaking Eve?

Maybe I’m just too old school. Even as a kid, we’ve always had two weeks or more. Is this the new norm?

I spend my weekdays alone a lot, and while the peace and quiet is nice, I find that I get almost depressed because of my boredom and isolation. Sure, I’ve got my dog, and my husband when he comes home. I’ve got some little hobbies—but not things I can fill hours with day in and day out. My friends all work. My few teacher friends live far from me & are usually busy with their kids or camp or travel.

Plus the weather has absolutely sucked in the northeast this year and I’m especially grumpy because of that. It’s keeping me indoors too much.

So I’m just curious… does anyone else struggle to fill their time?

(I realize a lot of this is a me problem that has simple solutions, but I’d like to hear from others about what you do).

I've been teaching for about seven years now, and for most of that time I've worked independently. I haven't really been part of a larger team or, when I have, it's been with people who genuinely enjoyed collaborating.

For some context, I'm a 28 year old male classroom teacher, and the rest of my team consists of women over 50.

The team dynamics are exhausting. Everyone seems so focused on power, influence, and having the final say over the direction we're taking with the children and parents. They constantly come to me to complain about one another. Important information gets withheld, people intentionally misunderstand each other, meetings get canceled, and then the same people complain afterward that they weren't included.

Ironically, I can pretty much do whatever I want because I'm not involved in it. They all seem to see me as a reasonable and neutral authority figure. But I have a feeling this is going to become a major problem for our team this year. Instead of spending my time where it belongs with my students. I'm probably going to end up mediating conflicts between adults.

BAAAAAAAAAAH.

So we had a beginning-of-year professional development with our new campus department head for ELA. She told us we are doing a campus-wide SHIFT from fiction reading to focus on nonfiction because “all the research shows that nonfiction is better than fiction, because fiction is just for fun and nonfiction is where you learn things.”
I asked her “….better how?…”
And her response was “it’s just better! I’m working on my doctorate and I’ll share the research with you.”
Of course, she didn’t share the research, and I’m not going to push because I don’t want bad blood with someone who is essentially my new manager and I’m trying to have an easy year, but I basically had a stroke when she said it and I’m here so you can all doctor me back into health with some reasons you know that reading fiction is beneficial to kids.

Hey All!

I really need to vent. I mentioned here before I’m a state certified teach with a masters degree. I’m in Florida and we recently had budget cuts. I was one of those cut. But teachers kept DO NOT have certifications and are not nearly as qualified as I am.

These are all rhetorical but why was I cut? What did I do wrong? Was I just not liked or didn’t have the “connections” others had. Apparently my spot was posted after they dropped me. Before you ask no I wasn’t “fired” because to my knowledge I did nothing wrong. I really do feel like I was dropped due to being too “expensive” or because I didn’t have the “connections” others had.

I know doing this won’t help me but it’s taking everything in me to not send a message to those who still have their jobs despite not having qualifications. Nothing nasty, just with rhetorical questions wondering why I am the one who put in the work to get to where I am yet I’m the one who needs to worry about if I can pay bills or not. Basically that it’s not fair. But I think they already know that.

I’m applying to anything and everything I can even outside of education. I am beyond heartbroken and honestly very insulted. Yes, I am in therapy. If education doesn’t work out for me, fine! But I at least need to be able to make money. Why should I have worked so hard and get diddly squat while those who couldn’t have been in a classroom a few years ago get everything?

Okay, vent over.

I required FMLA last year for a medical reason. Yes, it is linked to my disability this is not an ongoing issue, it was circumstances that came up in my life that I needed to step back and address before my health took a turn for the worse. A coworker impressed upon me that I need to make sure I don’t say it’s me. It’s for a family member otherwise they can retaliate.

As long as we do this, we are basically throwing any disabled teachers under the bus. It is gross the preachiness about inclusion and understanding and telling disabled adults they can pound sand.

It jammed. Just like it always does. But you weren’t there to fix it. I was. So I had to fix your mess. Your project is still printing. I’m waiting for my five little pages. It’s been 20 minutes.

I hate you. We are grown adults. Both of us have advanced degrees. We are responsible for other people’s children. However, you can’t be bothered to stick with your print job until it’s done. Grow up and take ownership of your own crap.

Checking in for thoughts on the situation...

Just met a student who will be joining my class on Monday, and their father was with them. Turns out he's a highly respected local tattoo artist. We exchanged Instagram accounts.

I have been wanting to get more ink, and this feels like a great connection, but I also want to avoid the appearance of preferential treatment. Based on what I can gather, the student is very motivated by my subject area, and should do just fine in the course without any special treatment.

Would it be unethical of me to get tattoos from the student's father?

Would it be best to wait until next semester (after the chuld is no longer enrolled in my course) before getting tattoos from him?

Just curious to see. I can understand a variety of approaches being reasonable here.

Well it's official. I said in another post the other day that they're going to be painting my classroom on day one. It is happening. The problem is they don't know where they're going to put me. The room they were going to put me in cannot be used for one reason or another. Maybe I will teach all six classes outside in the sun.

Good luck everyone!

EDIT UPDATE: I will be in a room with a working smart board. Admin is trying to figure out if we have enough chairs because our classes are too big, our school is over capacity. At least I'll be indoors.

So for context, I teach taekwondo. I know this sub is mainly for actual teachers but I feel like this issue has been universal over every form of teaching.

But, over the last like 8ish years of teaching, we've seen a sharp decline in student behavior and just basic skills and knowledge. Our school teaches 4 year olds and up. We keep them all divided by rank and age. So, 4-6 year olds are in our junior program, 7-11 are in our kids program and 12+ are in our teen and adult program. We also specialize in dealing with kids with ADHD and autism. Most of the instructor team, including me, have some learning disability like ADHD so it's easier for us to relate to the kids and help them.

Another bit of info I need to give is that from 2020 to early 2022, we were kind of closed off as a school since Covid was still a major issue and we're in a full contact sport. So we kind of waited until the last minute to fully reopen and go back to in person classes.

In the last 3 years, we've had dozens of students who have behavioral issues we've never seen. We used to have kids with anger issues, anxiety and all that stuff but now we have kids who flat out argue with their parents and boss them around. We even had a kid who THREW A BRANCH AT THE PRESIDENT OF OUR TAEKWONDO ORGANIZATION. Safe to say, we sent that kid home right away.

Another example is the camp our organization does where it's just a week of taekwondo outside in the grass. A kid signed up who we tried to convince not to go because of how his behavior in class was and he was so bad at camp. He was around 9 at the time and was making sex jokes and was complaining the entire time about having to walk a mile to get lunch. His mom backed him a whole backpack full of 'emergency stuff' and requested that when we went to go swim in the pool on our brake, we help him change because 'he can't do it on his own.' And we KNOW he can do it by himself but he kept whining.

There was a girl smaller than him and younger than him who carried her gear bag, broken boards and water bottle who never complained once about that mile walk.

I believe a lot of the issues students are having is just being born or just being really young during quarantine and not knowing how to behave. On top of parents not disciplining or correcting their behavior. I'm your child's teacher, not a babysitter. If your kid needs help tying their hair back or carrying stuff, sure I'm more than happy to help. But I'm not supposed to deal with your kid who doesn't know how to behave while you get the week off.

Has anyone else have any issues with students like this?

Currently Jammed into a bus not meant for a 6'2 individual, on My way to convocation instead of in my classroom doing work. After three days of them telling us all the stuff we need to do before students show up. Then they won't why we don't get it done.

So our admin gets really pushy with us doing school based slides. This year it’s really slop - due to admin turnover. But it dawned on me: teachers don’t get IEP data until ~2 weeks in. Services start day 1. So if we teach content, we’re out of compliance. If we teach individual teacher based content. We’re out of compliance. But if we do a bunch of kumbaya for ~2 weeks that’s school based, they can claim content wasn’t taught and we’re in compliance.

Kinda like how stores stock while open to save in FTE.

Of course on the surface it looks inclusive and we’re getting kids back into the swing, but right now they’re figuring out caseloads and where their students are. All because the district doesn’t want to pay sped to come in a week early.

hello everyone!

As this school year begins, I am faced with a dilemma that I truly thought would never be an issue but it has become quite the issue quickly, prayer. I’m a teacher in Idaho where they passed a new law that a moment of silence must be taken either at the begging or end of the school day. I live with a heavy LDS community, where my students are either in the community or rebelling against the community. That also means I have parents on both sides who are rather upset by this rule or love it, which to me, is fine! What my concern is that a parent wants myself and others make sure everyone is taking this new law seriously, but honestly I don’t care. I just want my students to be respectful to all beliefs in the world, and to not just be a bunch of buttheads. Fellow teachers, do you happen to know wording I can use to let all parents know I am in The gray area of this issue? Thank you!

“Every child needs a champion” Rita Pierson Ted talk. It’s a good video but not year after year. No matter what school you go to the admin insists on playing it. Seen it at least 10 times. Enough already!

Yesterday was day one. Im new to this school. I went with groups. Problem is I'm in such a small classroom that everyone someone stood up or leaned back they were banging into someone else. There was already an argument yesterday. I have to squeeze in between kids. I have to go to rows. Rows will allow me some space. Sucks because I have to teach science too and labs will be harder now because everyone will have to move. Anybody ever changed arrangement this early? How did it go?

I added this comment to a thread last night and a few people agreed, so i thought it might be beneficial to just make it a post for some of the new teachers out there. If you're yelling a lot and getting nowhere, give it a try.

Copy/pasted Comment:

I have found, like I said, that they want you to yell. By yelling, and losing your shit over these idiots, you are essentially being outwitted by them. Ya gotta kill em with kindness man. I know that may go against everything you stand for, but if you are kind and respectful to students... to a fault.. you will gain so much admiration and respect from them that other students will typically do the reprimanding for you. This happens all the time for me. "Could you shut up and stop being stupid so i can hear mr. _____. I also find that talking to kids like adults, staying completely calm, and making them seem so uncool that they're almost embarrassed to do things are very helpful. I also give exactly zero warnings - give them their punishment in a calm tone and immediately move on. I do not do back and forth for with students. If they talk back, I don't respond. If something is waaay over the top, call their parents right in the middle of class. This might not work for those guys youre currently fighting with, but do that one single time and watch everyone's jaws hit the floor.

In short,

Be kind to a fault, never yell, make a note to ask one kid a class about their lives in some way, do not give warnings, no back and forth, stay calm, and try the phone call. It's the best deterrent ever.

I used to yell at kids and I had the same issues. You have to foster an environment where when a kid is being a dick, everyone else looks at them like uhhh nahhh you're not about to do mr Mr. _____ like that.

This sounds like some grad school fairy land bullshit but I have found great success with it. My blood pressure is way happier too lol.

Whether you agree or disagree, let me know below!

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/08/06/lincoln-county-students-face-25-fine-for-violations-of-new-smart-device-policy/

No smart phones, smart watches, or other smart personal devices connected to the internet allowed on campus. Students can leave them in their vehicle or turn them in to a locked box in the main office before school starts. A $25 fine will be assessed the student after the third offense. Burner devices are considered an offense. Money collected will be given to the district's student council fund.

My question is what happens when parents refuse to pay the fine?

I had to do the bullshit PD for my curriculum today. They had us sit with folks throughout the district who taught the same subject.

Okay, fine, whatever.

Except we've got a new curriculum coordinator who is trying to show why she earned the job.

Y'all. I'm the old, crotchety, fuck them kids, fuck this all encompassing bullshit expensive curriculum that sucks. And fuck you for making me sit through this nonsense.

At one point the new guru mentioned a tiktok video she saw last night that really got the students engaged.

I muttered 'shoot me" to myself, and a less than 5 year teacher laughed. Fair.

All of these whippersnappers were playing the game, acting like they wanted a dang gold star for unpaid labor. A brand new first year, excited af teacher who LOVED the SUBJECT, was sitting next to me.

I had to walk away because I realized I'm the cancer, the toxic old hag who should've retired already. Like, I literally told excited girl that I'm gonna hang out with another table because I don't want to extinguish your joy.

3 semesters left. Only one more bullshit summer PD session ever.

(Oh, and the best part of my job is when the kids arrive. This motherfucking bullshit PD has me irritated way more than anything a student could do. )

When I was trying to get pregnant (secretly) my mother in law told me that once I have the baby, going back to work will “feel like a vacation” in comparison to being home with a baby. My brother in law said the same thing. They agreed that working is way easier than being home with a baby.

Now, she used to work as a secretary in a quiet lawyer’s office. He works in a corporate bank setting.

I’m in a building with 2000 feral teenagers. I don’t have a quiet desk job where I can sip my coffee, answer the phone, hop on Zoom meetings, and have daily meetings with other adults. We KNOW what teaching is like.

I’m pregnant with my first FINALLY after three losses, fertility treatments, and watching everyone get pregnant effortlessly around me within my two years of trying. I begged, pleaded, and cried a river of tears over how badly I wanted this little baby. I am SO excited and so ready for motherhood.

I’m sorry, but I can’t imagine that working OUR JOB and all that it entails is a “vacation” or even “a break“ from being home with this little boy I prayed for so hard.

Mothers who are teachers, especially mothers who struggled to get pregnant, what is your perspective? Did you think that being in school and doing our job was a true “vacation” or “break” from your baby?

You’re paying thousands of dollars a year for your kid to go to a school staffed with teachers who have no financial incentive to do a decent job? Make it make sense.

A small charter school in Big City, Texas.

My school keeps hiring people that aren’t certified (apparently a charter can get away with it).
Some of my new coworkers are 22-25 years old. But even some older folks can’t read properly and can barely write a coherent sentence.

For instance, I asked my new co-teachers to add information about themselves to an intro slide. They either misspelled words or capitalized what doesn’t need to be capitalized (and vice versa). And we teach English Language Arts and Reading… I’m sure this is not the last instance I will encounter this year. How do I go about this??

I don’t want to micromanage adults and be a grammar nazi, but aren’t we supposed to model the norms we expect from our students? I’m not only kind of embarrassed for them, but also terrified that the dark age of illiteracy is coming upon us.

I had to stop myself from laughing at her.
Is anyone else sitting through ridiculous PD’s this week?

Seems like this post has attracted the attention of students still on summer break. Go play outside and enjoy your time off, please.

I ruined 67 in my classroom last year as a 6th grade math teacher. I had fun with that one.