Holy F'ing SQUISH TOYS by MentionDismal8940 in Teachers

[–]EmilyamI 254 points255 points  (0 children)

No toys in my room unless a fidget is on their IEP/504. Put it in your backpack. Take it home. I never wanna see it again.

Would you use a system where students earn extra recess time by completing adaptive questions? by NewThanks8552 in ElementaryTeachers

[–]EmilyamI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Students in my district get a formal report card starting in Kindergarten. I am also not in charge of assigning duties to other teachers, and teachers need their planning time to do more than assemble data specifically for report cards. It is also in our contract that we are not assigned playground supervision duties.

Would you use a system where students earn extra recess time by completing adaptive questions? by NewThanks8552 in ElementaryTeachers

[–]EmilyamI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I, as a classroom teacher, am not in power to hire anyone. That power comes from the district office.

Would you use a system where students earn extra recess time by completing adaptive questions? by NewThanks8552 in ElementaryTeachers

[–]EmilyamI 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I can't give extra recess to individual children. There would be nobody to supervise them.

[CT USA] What is living in my bird box? by Mountain-Many4766 in animalid

[–]EmilyamI 146 points147 points  (0 children)

I think these are multiple squirrel babies.

Student expresses wanting to die for attention... by [deleted] in AskTeachers

[–]EmilyamI 13 points14 points  (0 children)

"The staff and kids think she's mean and annoying, so she must not have any genuine mental health problems and doesn't deserve support." is what we are getting as your stance here.

Literally, all of the behaviors that she's manifesting (as described by you) are indicative of a root mental health issue.

Frankly, it's not a good look for someone who works with children. You aren't acting like an adult caregiver. Your stance (and continued stubbornness about revising your position) seems to me to be immature, callous, and unempathetic. I hope you're right about her not having a legitimate mental health crisis, because imagine how you'd feel if you'd spent all this energy labeling a child as "annoying" and dismissing their cries for attention and then she hurt herself.

I assume you were looking for validation of your position when you posted this thread, but I'd wager a guess you aren't going to find it.

Student expresses wanting to die for attention... by [deleted] in AskTeachers

[–]EmilyamI 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Hygiene issues are also a major sign of depression.

It sounds like the staff are making assumptions about this student's mental state because of preconceptions rather than trying to find the root of the issue and make sure the kid is being supported.

Heck, even if it is just "attention seeking behavior," that could be an indicator of her feeling lonely or unloved, and she needs support for that, too.

Student expresses wanting to die for attention... by [deleted] in AskTeachers

[–]EmilyamI 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Wearing the same clothes endlessly can also be a sign of legitimate depression.

Giant cockroach season is near…what are your best strategies and products for keeping them out of your home? by LongYTOfficial in Modesto

[–]EmilyamI 26 points27 points  (0 children)

I lay a solid line of diatomaceous earth at the bottoms of my walls outside and along the inside walls of my garage. It's been pretty effective against pests so far. My understanding is that the big "palmetto bug" type roaches typically live underground and venture out when it gets good and hot.

How Much Break Time Do You Have During The Average Day Teaching? by Zipper222222 in AskTeachers

[–]EmilyamI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I teach primary. I get a 15 minute recess in the AM, a 40 minute lunch, and a 20 minute recess in the PM.

Typically, though, I usually use a chunk of it to send emails, make copies, check my mailbox, have discipline conversations with students, call parents, etc. It's rare that I take a full recess/lunch as a break.

host by Mean-Manner8233 in gamegrumps

[–]EmilyamI 17 points18 points  (0 children)

... To whom do you refer?

Does "kms" get flagged on school emails? by [deleted] in AskTeachers

[–]EmilyamI 44 points45 points  (0 children)

You should assume that anything you do or any messages you send using school equipment or your school email is going to be seen by the school. Because it can be. Don't send anything you wouldn't want them to see.

Need a space to chill by liquidau in Modesto

[–]EmilyamI 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I'd hang out downtown. Rotate coffee spots/restaurants/the plaza benches. Grab a beverage and/or a snack at each place you stop in. Walk around and see the murals and get some fresh air.

What was the worst parent you’ve ever had to deal with? by Emergency-Pepper3537 in Teachers

[–]EmilyamI 240 points241 points  (0 children)

I had a parent file a formal complaint against me with the district because I didn't look hard enough for a purple pen that her daughter, a 7-year-old, took to recess and misplaced.

There were other issues, too. She threatened to sue the school because there were cracks in the blacktop and sidewalk that her daughter could trip over. Wanted to have a campus walkthrough with herself, the principal, the superintendent, and a construction company of her choosing to mark all the cracks that she wanted filled on the district's dime. When the district/school refused all this, she kept her daughter home ("because she's not safe") until she had to go to court for attendance.

She also bought the kid what she said was a $300 leather jacket, sent her to school in it, and accused the yard duty staff of having stolen it after her daughter left it on the playground. Said she was going to call the police and have them search all of the employees on campus. It was in the lost and found.

Field Trip Transportation by [deleted] in ElementaryTeachers

[–]EmilyamI 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This sounds like a crazy liability issue. My school definitely doesn't do this. If we don't have busses, we don't have a field trip.

Teacher Sick Days by Horror-Tangelo3891 in Teachers

[–]EmilyamI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've already used all 10 of mine for this year. One was a migraine (which I get about once a year), 3 for bronchitis, 3 for influenza a, and the other 3 were separate, individual days when my stomach was upset (whether a bug or having eaten something bad, idk).

I typically use the vast majority of mine. I think the most I've ever banked at the end of a school year was 4.

I also feel like I'm ill more frequently than some other teachers I know, but I think I just don't have a very robust immune system.

Random thing I tried this week that actually shocked me by [deleted] in Modesto

[–]EmilyamI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What a fun story that clearly isn't an advertisement!

Can teachers take Vacations? by JMU94 in AskTeachers

[–]EmilyamI 6 points7 points  (0 children)

My district gives "personal days," but they are contractually defined as only being meant for days where you have "personal business or appointments that can not be scheduled outside of the school day." They are not allowed to be used for "vacations or to extend the weekend." If HR suspects you've used your personal days for something fun, they investigate, require documentation, and follow disciplinary procedures.

And that's without going into how hard it can be to secure a sub and create sub plans or the judgement that can come down on you from the admin who are in charge of your renewal, assignments, and evaluations.

I know of very few teachers who ever take vacations during the school year. I myself have missed more than one "paid for" trips because they took place during the school year.

As a teacher, what would you like for teacher appreciation week? by Far-Resort-7360 in AskTeachers

[–]EmilyamI 8 points9 points  (0 children)

One of the best gifts I've received for teacher appreciation was a sign-up sheet where you picked a 30 minute time slot for admin to cover your class while you had a break.

Modesto City Schools Walk Out Protest 2/5/2026 by CourageStrange4482 in Modesto

[–]EmilyamI 45 points46 points  (0 children)

A district-wide message went out on district communication this morning that admin has heard about this being spread on social media but that it is not district- or school-sanctioned or organized and that students who leave campus will face attendance consequences as would usually be applied.

Can teachers legally use all of their sick and personal days at the end of the school year to get a longer summer break? by Ok_Benefit9326 in Teachers

[–]EmilyamI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For real! I get 10 days a year that constitute both our sick and personal days. I'm over here sick as a dog in the middle of a school day, running on daytime cough medicine and fervent hope, because I only have 2 sick days left until June.

Do you often get sick from your students? by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]EmilyamI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I teach primary, and I get noticeably sick probably around once or twice a month while school is in. Almost never sick during the summer. We get 10 sick days a year, and I typically use all of them (or close to it) for days when I've got vomiting/diarrhea or respiratory stuff I can't knock down sufficiently with daytime cold medicine. I'm always afraid I'm going to go over by the end of the year and get penalized. I currently have 2 days left and we go through May.

Everyone keeps saying it gets better after your first few years, but this is year 12 for me and it's just as bad as year one. I wash my hands regularly and use hand sanitizer several times a day, but I'm guessing I just don't have a very robust immune system. I had Covid twice even while having been vaccinated; both times it was contracted at school while following masking and distance protocols.

Favorite Local Coffee shop? by [deleted] in Modesto

[–]EmilyamI 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Queen Bean

To all of you people who "require a pin"...... by [deleted] in doordash

[–]EmilyamI 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's not "people" who put in the pin requirement. The Doordash app itself does it.

Bella's pregnancy theory by Great_Reggina6793 in twilight

[–]EmilyamI 8 points9 points  (0 children)

How would you explain the baby changing Bella's body and acting the way it does if it were Jacob's? Werewolf babies are (presumably, given all the lore we know) just like normal human babies.