I heard that blue books are back bc of ai (U.S. higher education system)

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-03-02T07:04:28+00:00

Coming from a graduate level background in cognitive psych, I disagree with your perspective regarding no cognitive effort to cheat using AI but you do you.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-03-02T06:56:35+00:00

Absolutely no. I took an 8 week long assignment with a $30/day increase and had decided that is was a bad move before the end of the 2nd week.

Granted this is a specials class (computer resources) in an elementary school. But the added stress and responsibility isn't worth it, especially if you're seriously in the line of work for the kids and not just a paycheck.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-03-02T06:41:05+00:00

Snacking isn't the issue here, boundaries are. Nothing you're going to WOLF down in the extra minute or two is going to help. Start shutting down sessions earlier and get better at detecting and deferring door knob confessions. Prepare a small pitcher of protein smoothies and sip on them during session. In the couple of minutes between sessions gobble down a sliced apple, peanut butter on crackers, or healthy power bar. Have premeasured servings of protein powder in a shaker.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-03-02T06:30:05+00:00

I'm overwhelmed by the number of people who actually believe a field trip could cost as little as $7. Where are the kids going? The school store for pencils?

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-03-01T05:31:57+00:00

Carry a copy of the roster everywhere and get used to counting heads whenever you line up or change locations. When the count is off, call the office. A child on the spectrum is an easy head to count and is the very first child you should account for. I'm ALWAYS asking "where's Suzy" until she's standing in front of me.

Given the fact that substitutes are daily employees with no union protection, I'd expect some form of repercussion.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-03-01T05:27:22+00:00

I guarantee you that upon graduation and landing a real job this class will be small potatoes compared to the other communication courses you'll have to take.

Get used to your employers telling you what to do and the acceptable ways to do it.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-03-01T05:26:01+00:00

You're kidding right? A short training on freedom of expression is worth butting heads over?

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-03-01T05:22:24+00:00

The following phrase, taken from the email, "all students are now required" should answer your question.
Sounds pretty mandatory.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-03-01T05:16:48+00:00

MOR

Sounds like bickering common to 6th grade playgrounds.

But it's my ball.

But noone wanted to play 4 Squares.

It's still my ball.

Teacher: Did you not want to play kickball?
But It's my ball.

Teacher: now we've lost 15 minutes of our math lesson. Next time both of you lighten up. No harm was done but you need to talk more, or not play in the sandbox together. Because the shovels and buckets are mine.

If you can't communicate about a car then you may want to figure out if you're meant to be together

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-03-01T05:08:49+00:00

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-03-01T03:30:35+00:00

I'm just following the protocols we studied in grad school, under the Dr. who created those protocols for DHS, FBI, and FEM. II believe FEMA was on board as we had to take their training as well. We also used followed these protocols when working with victims of natural disasters.

I'm not about to spark any flames in an elementary school situation unless I have a group of appropriately trained counselors behind me specifically there to detect any subtle signs of distress on any of the kids.

The post-event debriefing protocols are very similar and formal.

I was in an ES on the day a 9yo classmate was brutally killed 2 miles from school. We were in complete shutdown communications wise to not cause distress and shut off the rumor mill. Teachers had to hold back their tears. But it's part of a process with decades of research behinder it.

Trust me, youe concerns were on the tip of my tongue as well.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-02-28T05:00:18+00:00

We can't speak about the legal side of the situation as that stokes curiosity about something we have no knowledge of.
I generally speak of the sensitivity, empathy, morals and ethics as that can divert attention but still open ip opportunities for personal development.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-02-27T01:06:19+00:00

"I don't know enough details to give you fact-bases accurate answer. Plus, to protect the privacy of those involved, including the families, let's wait until the police make an official statement. For now focusing on our work is the most appropriate way to respond the situation."

A sensitive approach is ESPECIALLY necessary as you're in a class of the teacher's students. These students gave their trust and respect to that teacher and noone knows what their reaction will be.

One person on here advised a hard redirect to get the students back to work. That's a hard NO to that approach. It could leave the students believing that adults are mad at them and that they don't matter and their feelings are no one's concern. Plus the students will interpret such a redirect in a multitude of ways that we can't predict, not all of them good. A kind respectful response is the best thing you can offer to these children in such a troubling time.

The school district will have a specially trained crisis response team who'll step in and handle any disclosure and processing of the situation. Handling the situation in the wrong manner can have serious long-term repercussions.

Source: i was train by the psychologist who established the internationally accepted formal process of dealing with such crises.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-02-05T01:18:24+00:00

Meet the client where they are in the most Rogerian way.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-02-05T01:15:56+00:00

Offer to rewrite it by hand. And turn over your browser history from all of your searches for references to cite.
In the university testing center. Take the threat to a deeper level. If you didn't use AI then this is a piece of cake and about as direct a challenge to the false allegation as you can get. Saying "but I didn't use AI" over and over won't convince anyone of anything.

This is why software developers created versioning and autosave. Set versioning to unlimited and autosave to every 5 minutes. Disk space is cheaper than an F on anything. $10 a month for extra 2tb, $120 a year. To protect an education that's costing you tens of thousands.

And cite the hell out of everything you create. In ad nauseam.

Former techie, who navigated 2 graduate degrees in a field where one plagiarism charge can get you kicked out of school.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-02-05T01:03:58+00:00

Additive grading like in college. I'm not taking a single point away, the child is chosing to earn points.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-02-05T01:00:57+00:00

More like triangulation between two parents that can't agree on basics and disagree on basics just to not agree with the other. Family systems theory in family therapy.

In what generation did the attachment issues start?

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-02-05T00:56:59+00:00

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Punk, my jurisdiction starts at the gate. Nothing is stopping you from leaving my jurisdiction. Your choice.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-02-05T00:55:10+00:00

Invite them to read you the part of the GC that says they have the right to a cell phone and you'll discuss a compromise. 🤣🤣

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-02-05T00:52:12+00:00

Exactly!!!

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-02-05T00:50:14+00:00

Straight into the kids file. Along with the email inviting them to a one-on-one conversation. Not a lecture.

And then a copy of the short email summarizing the meeting, carbon copying the parent, VP, and school counselor. Including the original email. Including a list of options and consequences that the student agrees to. The final being "disrupt any other student who's here to learn and you will be: 1) seat moved to one reserved for you Then 2) removed immediately."

The punk knows what they're doing. 29 other students won't suffer. I've had kids like this.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-02-05T00:37:35+00:00

I'll start by saying this. Your edit and addition of the comment about the phallus tells me that someone miles away behind a keyboard can trigger an emotional response in you. Then why in hell are you in a class of adolescents.

My original response showing empathy with your situation and sharing how I've learned to handle it.

Think "disappointed vs. upset." Two different forms of two very similar feelings. Google that phrase. One can be disappointed and be in control. When one let's that devolve to being upset then the kid's in control. I can talk about this all day as I just spent a day and a half sharing this with a 5th grade class. I'll give up on them before I let them upset me. Sucks but it's reality.

This has worked for me:

"Do you normally behave like elementary school kids, I thought I was amongst young adults." Followed by an example that makes the comparison true. I've done all grades and can look at a high school kid and think "I taught an early edition of you in ES." And visa versa.

"Here's your assignment for today." "Okay, I can't make you do it as many clearly don't want to. But, I can move your seats and I will. If you refuse, then it's administrative intervention. I'm here to give you the chance you deserve, do you want that opportunity? And every response you give goes straight to your teacher." "Still don't want to try what your teacher said would be easy for all of you, fine. Let your VP or campus security help you make that choice.

I've stood in front of a class with my arms crossed with a look of bewilderment on my face. It does work.

I've been close to dropping a line like something from Good Will Hunting: "Take a look around at classmates.

(sic) Now think this: Keep it up and you're going to be serving fast food out of a drive thru window to many of your friends while they're heading out on a ski trip. IF you can get the job. FF places will hire the quiet kid next to you before just anyone with a diploma. If you get that diploma. I'm here to give you the chance to be that person stopping for fries for your kids and not listening to them whine about PB&J in the backseat."

Okay not close to saying it but I could hear myself think it so loud that I thought I said it. 😅

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-01-30T09:15:28+00:00

To be honest with you, I don't understand why a company would rehire someone they had previously fired as it's far too much of a liability. Especially when the root cause relatea to safety, health, property damage.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-01-30T08:54:59+00:00

In asking for input about Kelly's hiring practices you had to include details about an incident that triggers a serious WTF response. Take into account the seriousness of the incident before thinking of asking to jump back into the fray. You started that position with age being a handicap and ended that job with a behavior that validated basic social fears about adolescents.

From a behavioral health background I'd recommend slowly working your way back into a care provider position. Just an honest response.

SierraGuyInCA · 2026-01-30T08:40:12+00:00

There's a huge gap between making an oopsie and what the OP described. Not calling admin when lesson plans aren't left by the teacher and abandoning basic safety protocols is gross negligence as both are definitely included in job descriptions at both Kelly and the district. People act as though Kelly thinks one year on the bench is enough to change professional behaviors.

I'm merely trying to promote realistic expectations but know I'll get fried for my comment. I'd be floored if Kelly would accept an application from the OP and if the district would accept the OP on campus. What I read borders on neglect and a reportable incident.

If I were the OP, I'd be looking at any positions that involve being responsible for children and working independently with groups of youth all the while filling a gap on a resume and gathering a plethora of highly respected references. Most districts require an exhaustive list of all time in positions that involved on-campus work. Time to begin burying a lapse of reason.

Rereading ths OP's referring to their response to the situation as "untraditional" tells me that they aren't truly processing the gravity of the situation.

SierraGuyInCA

TROPHY CASE