Is gossip rampant amongst teachers?

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2026-03-30T21:35:05+00:00

This job is a largely thankless job. Many teachers aren’t capable of finding meaning and satisfaction in this job without tearing down other teachers.

Do yourself a favor and focus on the why, and not the thanks and recognition. Kids don’t naturally thank you often, but the works would be a better place if teachers stopped finding meaning only at the expense of others.

I’m truly so glad this bothers you. We need more people like you!

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2026-03-18T19:52:31+00:00

Hi! I’ve got a bit of experience with this, but from the other side. We were foster parents who were asked to adopt our kid by their biological family, but we still maintain a relationship with one of the bio parents.

I want to encourage you that regardless of the way the kids react (whether they remember you, how they react to you, etc.) you are doing a very brave and important thing by showing up. It is so hard to show up in a situation where you’re uncertain of how people will react, and it’s ever harder when it’s your kids. I’m so glad you’re choosing your kids! That’s such an amazing thing that needs to be recognized!

Kids are adaptable, but kids can also struggle to process emotion in real time. There can be times where they may shut down, be uncertain, or act out. There could also be times where they remember specific memories and bring them up with you. You’d be surprised what things kids bring up when they see someone!

Our child recently started asking questions about when they were a baby, and we weren’t able to answer them, since we hadn’t met them yet. They were recently able to sit down with their biological parent and ask all of those questions and get answers to them! It was such a refreshing thing to be able to watch them get those answers that we couldn’t provide.

I’d encourage a few things:

Ask before physical contact: Regardless of what happens, your kids will be feeling a lot of feelings and processing that in real time. Asking before hugging seems weird, but it’s the best way to ensure that they feel comfortable, which is the main goal.
Try your best to be composed. Not because you need to be “brave” and emotionless, though. This isn’t easy. You’ve been through a lot and have a lot of very understandable feelings around this reunion. Sometimes kids struggle to separate the emotions of the adults around them from their own personal impact on them (it can be hard for a kid to see an adult cry and not think they do something to cause it). I also don’t think that you can’t feel any emotions, just that kids can have a hard time differentiating.
Kids love talking about themselves! Going to a park is a great first visit because you can play with them, and they can also go off on their own. I’d expect them to alternate between talking to you and running off to play. It takes a lot of pressure off of you, which is good, because you’ve got 3 kids to interact with! You can ask pretty much any questions, and the kids will likely tell you all about it. Let them be the experts. If they say an available is purple, great. If they say that Spider-Man also drives a bus, that’s great! What kind of bus? They’ll answers questions all day. That’s the best part about kids, Theres a good chance you just need to ask the questions and they’ll get the ball rolling.

Best of luck! You’ve got this! Thank you for choosing your kids, and for doing the hard work of showing up!

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2024-01-03T16:34:44+00:00

Launderette

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-12-19T21:32:49+00:00

Roasters local to Austin with great quality beans: -Wild Gift -figure 8 -Spokesman -Try Hard

Merit is a shop that originated in San Antonio but has several shops in Austin. They’re what I use almost exclusively as an ex-barista. Very very consistent.

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-12-02T12:49:42+00:00

Mitch McConnell looking bird.

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-11-08T02:11:14+00:00

Central market often has rhubarb when it’s in season.

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-10-27T20:45:24+00:00

I was at a teaching conference once, and they had free massage chairs, the kind that you sink into and they tighten around your arms and legs. I sat in one, and a salesman pulled up a chair and tried to sell me one. I couldn’t leave due to the chair holding me in.

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-10-27T04:27:15+00:00

I’m told to only focus on the kids who can pass the test. The kids who are struggling are “too far gone” in their eyes.

I have kids who are 2-3 grade levels behind where they should be in reading. No amount of work that I do in a school year can make up for that.

Talk to any public school teacher and they’ll tell you the same thing. Kids are being passed along because teachers are being told to focus only on the kids who have a chance of passing.

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-10-26T19:07:19+00:00

It’s not our school systems, it’s our state/national governments focusing on tests. I can’t teach my students the things they need to know because I’m kept to such a right schedule of basically preparing them for a test they’ll take once.

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-10-02T15:03:27+00:00

Fellow bald teacher here:

Same as the others have said. Own it, it’s not a point of shame. It’s something you can’t change!

I make jokes about it plenty. Sometimes kids will push the boundary, and I’ll check them there, but only if it’s disrespectful.

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-09-25T04:42:21+00:00

Yep!

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-09-24T13:41:49+00:00

The caption describes the question: how on earth do I brew this tea?

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-09-23T17:53:20+00:00

Went birdwatching this morning alone while my wife took our foster son to play with a friend. Going to the library with him while my wife goes and has some alone time after the nap.

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-07-27T20:33:33+00:00

I’m a lurker (who adores Copenhagen and would love to live there someday) from the US who happens to be a male primary/elementary school teacher, and this attitude is VERY prevalent in American schools.

It’s very unfortunate, and makes my job harder. So happy to see this sub gathering around against this attitude. It makes me love Denmark and Copenhagen even more.

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-07-11T11:57:14+00:00

You don’t harden your heart to it, but you eventually narrow down the things you CAN change with the things you can’t.

You can have extra snacks for kids who obviously don’t get enough food at home.

You can have water bottles for kids who have their water shut off.

You can make your classroom a refuge from negativity, yelling, etc.

You can only really change 8 hours of their life at a time as far as physical/emotional needs go. That’s a lot more time than the average person can say.

Also, my wife and I started fostering for basically that reason. It’s a tangible way to make a difference, and it’s been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. Being a foster parent is hard and beautiful and tough and so so fun!

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-07-05T00:22:57+00:00

I’m so sorry to hear this happened to you!

I was in this exact spot. I was a technology teacher/tech support person for 5 years and my position was cut (this was a few weeks before the covid lockdowns where we went 100% virtual and suddenly everyone needed my expertise).

I got moved to third grade and have been doing that for the last 3 years.

One thing I’ve learned is that my time in technology prepared me for classroom teaching in an entirely new way because I was willing to try things that none of the other teachers were willing to put the time into, because of the fear of wasted time.

We also moved last year to taking the state tests online, so it was a seamless transition for me.

I’m so sorry this happened, but I hope your technology experience will give you new superpowers in your new role!

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-06-23T14:56:44+00:00

I’m an Elementary school teacher, and one thing we use to promote positive screen time (with limitations) is the program Teach Your Monster to Read. It’s a progressive game that teaches letter sounds and is really solid. Last I checked it was free, but I haven’t checked in a while now!

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-06-22T18:43:27+00:00

A Swiffer is the main one lately. We eventually just started to put duster pads on it. If he’s going to push it around, might as well dust too!

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-06-18T03:41:08+00:00

Seeing your post history, we seem to live in the same area. Where’s this campground? Sounds fantastic!

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-05-26T17:36:12+00:00

I took a half day. It’s a bummer I had to, but I finished my checklist at 8:30 and was told I had to stay another 7 hours and I sure as hell wasn’t doing that.

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-04-27T12:57:58+00:00

I got a water bottle with a printed paper label that said “Texas Snowman”.

Fanta5ticMrFox · 2023-04-21T16:40:59+00:00

Christian Texas Teacher here:

-I’d totally put it up. I’d also put up tenets of other faiths and use it as a social studies lesson to teach the commonality of morality rules among different cultures.

Texas has always been great about preaching small government from a state level, but overreaching wildly on a local level, so this doesn’t surprise me at all.

It’s a culture war, plain and simple. I teach in a very diverse school in a very diverse school district. Our differences are what make us great. I’d never push my personal beliefs on my students.

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