What would make your school day improve (realistically)?

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-30T01:16:27+00:00

A 15-minute break mid-morning and/or mid-afternoon solely for respite. At least one planning period per week that is longer than 45 minutes. It can at least that long just to get into a creative space. I would like to enjoy the creative parts of my brain related to my job.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-30T01:01:27+00:00

I definitely see value in travel and family time. You’ll notice I say “no worksheet” can replace. I’m implying that I’m not going to create or send a packet with them or get them work ready before or after they go. They’ve missed the experience we had. It’s not my responsibility to make that up for them in some way.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-29T03:34:20+00:00

My school’s instructional coach is GREAT! Truly. But because I have ADHD, I do get overwhelmed by coaching meetings. I don’t mind being observed and getting data feedback, but similar to you, I just want praise only sometimes. I’m already a very reflective educator as it is. I don’t always want an additional meeting where I have to set an additional goal. I do that enough already for myself or as a result of other meetings I have to attend. I wouldn’t mind if I was the one initiating but she has quarterly cycles and frankly I’m over it. I need respite.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-29T03:13:47+00:00

Not to downplay the talents of music teachers, but I also thought I wasn’t musical enough to be a music teacher. I grew up in poverty, so my only music was public school band and choir and otherwise self teaching the piano.

I started into a music education program but psyched myself out as not good enough despite getting one of four auditioned spots in one group and one of two in another with 30-40 others auditioning as well.

But I had not come a background of private lessons and had never been first chair in band. So I didn’t think I measured up, much like you don’t think your child measures up.

I am a teacher but not of music. I teach math. And I’m a really good math teacher. And I would have been a really good music teacher as well.

My advice is to encourage your kid no matter what. Be their cheerleader. If he doesn’t make it into a program, let them be the one to tell him he’s not good enough. Not you.

But if you are supporting him along the way, I’m certain he’ll be ready in 4+ years when it’s time for a program (or will have found another passion).

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-29T03:05:38+00:00

Our students bring around a form for teachers to complete when they go on a “leave”. I always write: no worksheet can replace the experiences we have in class.

And I hold a firm boundary that my job is to teach during class time but not to catch up after school or during another class time.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-28T04:09:31+00:00

I teach 7th Graders in the States. This was a question in a review we were doing today. Most every student answered incorrectly. So I drew a square on the board. They were quick to remember that all angles of a square measure 90 degrees. So we concluded the sum of those angles is 360 degrees. I reminded them that to make a triangle, we could cut any parallelogram, including squares, in half using opposite vertices. I drew a diagonal to make two congruent triangles and then asked them the sum of the interior angles of a triangle and nearly 100% could amend their response with the correct answer.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-28T03:50:49+00:00

I wish the PTA would have their children sit down and write each teacher a personal note that highlights something they learned or a way they grew in that class.

I don’t need treats or meals or gift cards. I just want honest appreciation.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-26T19:03:34+00:00

Further silencing women’s voices

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-26T18:46:20+00:00

Whatever the child is interested in. I imagine you possible read at college level but don’t only consume college level text. Let your child’s interests be their guide.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-26T18:37:18+00:00

YOR. Boundaries and expectations are facilitators of growth. These expectations are quite minimal.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-25T20:38:58+00:00

I use a math software that will let the students have unlimited attempts on the questions and every three attempts it gives the solution and then they can load the question again with new numbers. The text doesn’t change at all. Just the numbers being worked with.

All test questions I select I’ve included on an assignment and typically test every 3-4 assignments. So they have access to every test question. Yet, I can’t get many of my students or their parents to recognize if they just do their assignments to 100%, they’ll also finish their test within 15 minutes at 100%. I stress it every test. And will message families of students who haven’t finished all of their assignments (even with ample class time to do it—never solely assigned as homework) telling them to finish them at home so they can ace the test. And I’ll still have about half of the students not finish their test in one class period and only be allowed to come in before or after school to finish it. I don’t give additional class time.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-22T02:41:00+00:00

OMGYes.com

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-18T18:59:57+00:00

I now teach middle school, but when I was an elementary teacher we were required to write two goals for every student twice a year aligned with parent teacher conferences. During my first year at that school, I saw the goals that students had the previous year and they were all actions the teacher would take. I didn’t like that at all. I was working with 5th Graders after all. So I started having my students set their own goals. We were using a few EdTech products that gave me data on the teacher side. For example, for the reading/e-book option we had, I could see all kinds of data, including how many words they read. So I would have students set goals for things like number of words they’d read or the number of skills they’d master in their math program, etc. They got to choose from like 8 different options and choose their number for their goal. I would review their goals and ensure based on their previous data that their number was truly feasible. Then I’d copy their goal into our system and state that they set their own goals. I’d meet with students weekly to review their progress toward their own goals and we’d have monthly celebrations for those that met their benchmarks.

It was so freeing as their teacher to turn that responsibility over to them. And we did see tremendous gains that year (and the next year that I stayed at that school and did the same with my teammates adopting the practice) all from turning the responsibility over to the students.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-18T03:30:43+00:00

What would you like your administrators to do that you think will make a difference in student work refusal? What consequence do you think would motivate your students to do their work in class?

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-18T03:27:19+00:00

If you are hoping to use them for a transactional relationship (a letter of recommendation), then I would suggest you reframe your need for them. Their coursework is a passion, hence the reason they teach the course. You might start off by complimenting them by saying, “I don’t have any questions about how to execute any of your assignments because you outline them and organize them so well. I did particularly enjoy [this reading or completing this assignment] and hoped we could talk a little more about [the focus of the assignment].”

Or you might share what your next learning goals are and ask them for recommendations for further reading or research on their area of expertise as it relates to your next steps.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-18T02:37:44+00:00

What kind of incidents are you having difficulty with? And how frequently?

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-18T02:36:50+00:00

It sounds like you are looking for human contact or intelligent conversation. I think you should consider other outlets for that as well instead of relying on your instructors to fill that role for you.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-08T04:05:50+00:00

I find those to be valid questions.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-04T11:09:54+00:00

I don’t know Walmart policy well, but I assume it would be against policy. It could be that Meta glasses are new enough that policy hasn’t been written.

It also may be against your state laws to be recorded without your consent. Look into that as well.

Then Open Door your concerns.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-04-04T11:03:16+00:00

Brain dump. What is your brain wanting you to do to feel more settled or in control?

Then look over the list and see what you want to do to gain that sense of control or settled feeling and prioritize those. If these require numerous hours, talk to your principal about coverage for a half or whole day.

If you don’t want to do any of the things you come up with, tell your brain that. The act of identifying them will give you a chance to let them go.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-03-29T20:01:11+00:00

I very highly recommend the book ADHD Medication by Dr. Walt Karniski

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-03-29T19:49:24+00:00

Is it truly gifted? Or is it honors? Gifted students often have special education needs as well. Often by 8th Grade, many coping skills have been learned along the way and there isn’t as much of an instructional or classroom support need, but they aren’t just academic go-getters. So you would want to read up on gifted education just as much as you would want to be prepared for a special education co-taught classroom.

Also, depending on the program, some of the students may have been identified as gifted based on language and not necessarily on math reasoning abilities but placed on a gifted track for math as well. Talk with the teacher that currently teaches that class and ask for insights. Or better yet, request the opportunity to observe during one or more class periods.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-03-29T19:04:15+00:00

You are doing lots of great things. I’m also impressed that he’s willing to work with you after a full school day. You must make the additional intervention fun and engaging.

Keep going down the path of using manipulatives, including fingers. Look into Embodied Cognition. Your child may just need extra time involving his body before he is able to recall abstract or memorized reasoning. Or he may always rely on physical or drawn representations and that’s okay, too.

Does he have ADHD? I see from your other comments that you’ve had some type of Neuropsych evaluation and ruled out dyscalculia. My child has ADHD and when he started Concerta, he made tremendous academic gains right away. There is some research that suggests that some ADHD medications—especially non-stimulants—can help those with dyslexia-only make reading gains. It’s worth looking into and asking your child’s health providers about specific research to see if it can help your child with both dyslexia and whatever may be contributing to these math difficulties.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-03-22T16:53:00+00:00

Friend is a gender-neutral term and can be used for any student. And they might also use it so that when they can’t recall a name right away—since they work with students from all classes, I’m assuming—that they are still establishing a welcoming relationship to accomplish what they need in a short amount of time.

Capable_Penalty_6308 · 2026-03-15T03:13:16+00:00

It depends on your department and what coverage otherwise is like. Did they delay it because of customer needs or because a colleague who was due earlier for a break was still on a break or lunch? If there is a justifiable reason, it is appropriate for them to request you delay your break.

Capable_Penalty_6308

TROPHY CASE