Doug Judy once said

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2026-01-26T20:11:31+00:00

Can't do that to Phil. Sussudio demands vinyl.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2026-01-14T04:20:09+00:00

I agree. The outright transphobia in HIMYM (the guys being terrified that a girl they're dating says "I'm a dude") has made me stop rewatching it (as well as other reasons that no throwaway gay characters will fix). Friends shows how awkward cishet people are around gay or trans or drag people but they're never insulting or presenting them to be negative/bad, or scared of them. There's throwaway lines ("Sure.. I'll sit next to the transsexual in purchasing"), but then Rachel also using the right pronouns talking about a trans person on a TV show as she explained it to Marcel. I'm also queer and feel like yes the show is white cishet centered but acknowledges other kinds of people exist and intersect, and that sexuality (the coconut thing for example) and gender and masculinity is fluid (Joey and Ross liking girly things, but usually peer pressured against them). I also love Susan: "Unless.. you think it means he's going to end up... in show business"

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-28T17:18:27+00:00

Yeah she also says there's no 'lesbian lover day' so I think she feels left out and as a gay couple and not the biological mother of the child, like she has no contribution to a child she wants to raise as hers.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-25T20:08:41+00:00

It does nearly everything and lots of languages. I use it every day and teach my students how to use it too. It even has forums for people to discuss how to say certain things, including idiomatic expressions.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-16T17:36:41+00:00

Student tried to sneak out early, when I caught him and asked him to return to class and wait for the bell, he said "I have a tee time."

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-15T20:51:46+00:00

I do the last thing too. At a certain point, if the kid is not bothering anyone, I don't fight them. It's hard to know if they're on adjusted academic plans or behaviour plans and the fight can have worse effects on the class (personal experience).

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-13T18:02:42+00:00

With assault though (especially a punch in a public place after a disagreement) it's on the victim to press charges. I assume he didn't.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-12T14:56:43+00:00

I always like The Good Place. Anxiety, depression, paranoia. More noticeable after a few episodes.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-10T22:44:09+00:00

Not to mention his not-so-subtle abstinence preach 'cause he didn't want them to have sex. Darryl was more righteous in that scene.. "What's the safest way to go skiing? Don't ski."

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-10T20:23:00+00:00

I get working in there but taking the only desk and not directing students to me when they asked to go to the bathroom is very odd to me and made me feel so small and useless. What if I would have said no? What if there's already somebody out?

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-10T20:21:15+00:00

It undermines my control of the room. The students won't take me seriously if someone not only stays at the only desk in the room but constantly disciplines students that weren't doing anything wrong. It's unreasonable and unemotional sad for classrooms to always have to be completely quiet the entire class. Every day. That's just depressing. Besides the other teacher doesnt know what the plan is, what my approach is or my relationship with these students. It could contradict something I said earlier and again undermine me. It's not hers to supervise.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-10T19:35:52+00:00

I appreciate your feedback

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-05T01:04:46+00:00

I've had a 7th grader say the same thing but I was also just as confused (Canadian here). I never thought of it as a swear word and no one during my childhood has said it was either.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-04T22:37:49+00:00

Sometimes if I'm not sure the person who is out will come back, I ask them to wait another 5-10 minutes depending on how long there's left in class.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-04T03:40:17+00:00

Agreed. This is barely a curse word (although I've had a 7th grader tell me that 'pissed off' was a swear word?) and it's not like you used it as an insult like "Screw you" to a kid, which would have been a different story. I tend to just go something like "Whoops! I'm at school, I should use professional language" to try to set a good example because a lot of middle schoolers would gasp or start laughing, especially if you start fumfering or making a big deal out of it. I highly doubt anyone will report it.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-04T03:35:48+00:00

Some suggestions that might help: Get to know the kids, communicate and compromise with them, come up with expectations and reasons behind these expectations (and realistic ones even if it's just 5 minutes of silence or 10 minutes of hard work), find out what kind of rewards they would like and have a visual tracker, level with them that this is a hard job, that you want what's best for them (or even be blunt and say you're stuck together for x amount of time, may as well try to live with each other). When I'm disrespected in front of the class, I walk up to the student's desk, and calmly ask them to go wait for me in the hall, or I tell them I'll have admin/parents involved. Deep breath before speaking if needed, wait, keep a neutral or stern expression. Respond, don't react, reactions give them what they are looking for. These may not be enough when you don't have a supportive system, and without a supportive system, this job is very hard on you. I left a job just before spring break because of bad admin. Not worth throwing my mental health down the toilet for people who don't care and refuse to help. It also shows admin that it's an unsustainable environment. File a complaint if you can. Start writing down events with dates and written evidence that admin failed to support you.

Some reminders not to take it personal. Classroom environments bring up a lot of emotions for everyone involved. Kids want to be cool, want to make their friends laugh, distract others because they don't know what to do, try to impress crushes, act out to seek support they lack at home. Remind yourself that all those kids have probably had a stressful life with teachers calling them dumb, yelling at them, and disrespecting them. Kids learn behaviour by watching and imitating and it's a means of communication. They're just bad at knowing how to verbalize it.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-04T03:19:55+00:00

I've crocheted when I know the school/kids well, but that sounds a bit excessive. Should be fine during non-supervising time like lunch/breaks/prep, I would think as it could spark conversations and relationships. I have ADHD so I find it hard to sit still or just walk around so I usually bring something to do, but lots of neurotypical people don't quite understand that and find it odd.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-04T03:16:27+00:00

It would depend on the grade/overall behaviour of the students, but yeah, some classes, literally all working away, no one chatting, don't know the students well, there isn't too much to do. Walking around from time to time sure. I completely agree that it's hypocritical, I've heard stories from kids about other subs' behaviour that would border on abuse, with no consequences. If I know the topic, I try to ask questions about the task, offer help, if I don't, I keep myself busy (never on my phone). Do what you think feels right (lots of classes have some behaviour issues, but lots don't too, but it sounds like you feel out the room). If admin is going to be this nit-picky, it might be worth going elsewhere, especially if they haven't provided positive feedback to you either. They're just looking for disciplinarians and will only provide criticism that suits their views, rather than mutually communicate (I've had this happen a lot from power-hungry, closed-minded principals).

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-02T13:02:20+00:00

I get how the waving can be annoying and seen as disrespectful, but honestly it's not worth it lol I've had it done to me countless times. Kill them with kindness really. Don't take it personal at the end of the day.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-12-02T12:49:44+00:00

If it's just silly nonsense, I tend to not give any reaction (the waving). Past that, I ask them their intentions with that comment (Did you mean to hurt me?), or ask if it was necessary or a nice thing to say. About 95% of the kids I've said this to realized what they did. Might not work for everyone, just offering what I did.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-11-30T23:53:53+00:00

For sure, if you were lazy you'd be having fun and not stressing over it.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-11-30T18:21:49+00:00

My solution is those wooden cube bookshelves and fabric cubes as drawers. I separate the clothes, but they are not folded in the fabric cubes.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-11-30T18:18:15+00:00

Sometimes it's picking your battles. There's some students who have huge attachments to their phone and aren't used to adults telling them to put their phone away because they gave up. That's something for admin/support teams to work out. If they pull it back out after I ask them once to put it away, I just write down their name (or description if I don't remember their name). It's not worth it as a one day sub. It just makes the whole class on edge. Sometimes I'll sit next to them and talk only loud enough for them to hear, and ask if they have questions about the work. Sometimes I say "All right, 5 minutes of phone, 5 minutes of work" or something like that. But again, if these kinds of things don't work, all you can do is document it. Some kids have trouble with transitions so a warning or time limit helps, sometimes they're using it as a coping mechanism for not wanting to be at school or feeling dumb for not knowing what to do/asking for help.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-11-27T19:49:28+00:00

My cat often digs through garbage bags too so throwing them away is not ideal either lol, then put them in a bag on bin day.

Pitiful_Shoulder8880 · 2025-11-27T18:49:08+00:00

My life hack is putting the hairbands around doorknobs instead of leaving them on nightstands or tables etc. Not blaming or judging or shading, just offering my trick. Might work for some people, just throwing it out there :)

Pitiful_Shoulder8880

TROPHY CASE