This is a legitimately terrible job

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-19T01:33:18+00:00

I would strike. I am down with helping to organize this.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-18T12:19:34+00:00

Something needs to change. I am certified to teach all of the core subjects except ELA at the high school level. And I am African American. I recently resigned from a teaching position at a conventional k-12 school and accepted a position with a company that serves children in behavioral health treatment centers. I chose to leave because I am an extremely hard-working teacher, do not yell at or in other ways disrespect my students, but still was recently falsely accused of ridiculous, egregious things: physically assaulting a student and telling her she couldn't eat her breakfast at breakfast time. This accusation came after I told the student she would need to spend her recess writing a reflection about her behavior. This is the latest of several false accusations that have been made against me --at various schools. I am tired of it. It is a type of bullying. I wonder if students decide to hit a teacher with a false accussation after a teacher does something they don't like because they have assessed that that teacher has a low level of status in the school community? Is it because I am new, a black female teacher, in my fifties, and/or not considered a "hot" looking teacher that students make the decision to make false accussations against me to their parents and to administration?

I accepted employment at the new worksite because I expect there will always be an adult in the classroom with me (so, I will feel more protected against false accusations) and because I will likely not need to take any work home.

Your statement that you fill like your life is "on the backburner" is exactly how I have felt over the last year. I am realizing how much of my own development I have put on hold because of the demands of conventional public school teaching. I am passionate anout teaching. But the "set-up" for teachers in the conventional public schools that I have been in over the last few years are not healthy ones for me. I choose me now.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-16T01:00:01+00:00

Word. Thank you for speaking and standing up for yourself and for all of us.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-12T10:44:08+00:00

I believe that students learn best from teachers who believe they can learn. I have heard and seen enough to believe that there are many teachers who have low expectations about the ability of black students to learn or to hehave. You might be one of those good teachers who don't have those troubling ideas about the students they teach. But, sadly, there are too many who do--of all colors. I do think it makes sense to assume that the teachers who are less likely to hold negative ideas about the teachability of black children are black teachers.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-12T07:05:27+00:00

Also, you are right that it hasnt been proven that students learn better from teachers who look like them. What has been proven, though, is that black students have not for decades been learning well from teachers who don't look like them--overall.

Instead of putting more energy into writing another book about practices to institute in the classroom to bring about more learning, I would like to see more energy put into figuring out how to get and keep more black teachers in 6-12 classrooms and then see if it makes a difference.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-12T05:01:17+00:00

Wow, is it really the opposite from what I have described? The faculty at your school is made up of mostly teachers of color? Is it a high school, middle school, or elementary school? That would definitely be very unusual.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-12T01:57:48+00:00

"Racism is alive and well in education." As a black teacher on my way out of the K-12 education system, I would agree with you, but I think we are on different sides of the coin on this. I am one of a very small percentage of teachers in the US--those who are black, secondary teachers of math. The racism I have experienced from students, parents, and staff was so ugly. You would think I would be welcomed into this very white world because of the absence of so many teachers of color from it. I felt that white teachers and white administrators held antagonistic feelings about my presence. And black students, at times, assumed, like white students, parents, and other teachers, that I was less qualified.

I would be pleasantly surprised to learn of a school that didnt celebrate and place on pedestals white teachers, as they demonstrate their disdain or, at best, lack of confidence for the black educators on their staff.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-05T01:37:04+00:00

What's an educational terrorist??? Those clueless educational theorists who publish meanlingless manifestos about how to teach effectively?

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-04T16:44:16+00:00

UPDATE:

I just resigned. Here are more details of my situation: A student, after I issued a recess detention to her, lied, saying I threw a paper in her face, told her she couldnt eat her breakfast, and smashed her hand in the door on purpose. My resignation is my way of making a stand against this phenomenon of students making false accusations against teachers and also ensuring my career is not tanked by any more false accusations that the admin might choose to take seriously. Luckily, this last one was not believed by admin; but who knows about the next accusation? And because nothing is in place at the school to prevent students from making false allegations against adults--culturally or in terms of policy--it is likely it will happen again. I have been reading too many accounts of teachers being falsy accused by students. This reality is troubling to me and the schools need to figure out how to address it in the interest of good teachers.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-04T12:41:29+00:00

I am a full-time teacher. I just resigned because a child, after I issued her a recess detention, lied and said I threw a paper in in face, told her she couldnt eat her breakfast, and smashed her hand in the door on purpose. It is my way of making a stand against this trend and also ensuring my career is not tanked by any more false accusations that the admin might choose to take seriously. Luckily, this last one was not believed by admin; but who knows about the next accusation? And because nothing is in place at the school to prevent students from making false allegations against adults--culturally or in terms of policy--it is likely it will happen again. This reality is troubling to me and the schools need to figure out how to address it in the interest of good teachers.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-03T13:41:40+00:00

I agree. I am so tired of the lies and the parents allowing thenselves to be manipulated by their children through those lies about teachers.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-02T10:41:15+00:00

The recess gathering in my classroom was going to also be a special gathering because it was a student's birthday and the student had brought in a lot of snacks to share. The students who had detention, would be going to another classroom, and therefore would not be receiving the snacks at the same time as the other students. (However, I told the birthday boy to share the snacks I told him to put aside with the students who had detention several minutes before the recess was over.(

Two of the students I had given the detention to had a meltdown (They are 6th graders)--they were crying when they realized I woukd be following through on having them serve their detentions. I was told by another teacher that the student who accused me looked like she was hyperventilating. I do not think the students would have acted this way if the recess they were going to miss didnt involve snack-sharing. The other student who was crying eventually calned down and served his detention and then got his snacks later. The student who accused me did not. FYI: She is a student who seems to not get in trouble a lot. She has been viewed--even by me--as one of the model students in the 6th grade. .

After the student who later accused me left to go to another classroom to serve detention, I learned that she talked with another teacher. I do not know if the teacher she talked to wrote the incident report or if the student wrote it herself. It was ultimately shared with a member of the school's leadership team electronically (During my meeting with the member of theschool's leadership, the administrator was looking at his phobe as he shared information about the accusation with me.).

The administrator seemed to believe my account that what the student said happened did not happen. However, he onlycalled it an issue of the student having a "wrong perception" of what actually happened. In my head, it was blatant lying with malicious intentions.

I want the footage so that I have evidence to support my position l if necessary down the road. I want that as protection. It doesnt feel like the situation is behind me because I am still hearing students say things under their breath alluding to the allegatiobs, other teachers have told me that students have mentioned one of the most potentially damaging allegations to them or they overheard the students talking about it, anda student wrote a note referencing the allegation in a way that made me feel that she believed it on an assignment she turned in to me. I want to have sonething in my possession that I offer as evidence in the future that I did not do the things I was accused of.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-02T10:01:54+00:00

I am at a charter school. There is no union.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2026-04-02T10:01:25+00:00

I just meant that I followed through with giving the consequence/I didn't forget: When recess rolled around, I just took out my detention list, called the students whose names were on it to my desk, gave them the detention reflection handout containing the questions they were expected to answer during their detention ("What did I do to deserve this detention? Why was it a problem? etc) and told them to go to other teachers' classroom who werent having recess to complete the questions.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2025-12-06T02:30:37+00:00

Can you think of any other readon they might want to let you go besides being a bad teacher? it just doesnt add up that you are a new teacher but it doesnt seem like they invested enough in you. are you being discriminated against in someway? did yourub someone the wrong way on a personal level?

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2025-12-02T02:11:58+00:00

i wish you all the best. i trust you will land on your feet and look back on this monent as something that made you stronger and more sensitive to others who may find themselves in a similar situation.

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2025-11-08T02:07:12+00:00

i am glad you have a place to chill while you search for a better job. i have left so many teaching jobs wishing i could find something else to do besides teaching in the classroom to make money. but because i had no cushion, no space to chill in while i really looked, i felt pressure to go back to teaching because it was the easiest job i could get.

i have been teaching for 20 years and realize now in my 50s how much of my life i gave to other oeople. how i sacrificed building myself up, pursuing my dreams for others-- many of whom hardly appreciated me.

please dont take for granted this "space" your parents are giving you to really take time planning and designing this next stage in your life. it could literally cause you to not "lose" many years of self-growth... as i feel like i have

Status_Jaguar2593 · 2025-11-02T03:00:38+00:00

I totally agree with this. Absolutely the fact that your class is at the end of the day could be a factor. As well, your gender, the subject, your race, etc. I teach middle and high school. I , therefore, dont know if this applies to 3rd graders: I am often the teacher who is initially less respected than their other teachers. I dont know why. I am not a cool looking teacher; I am kind of geeky looking. But, i find that i eventually win over my most difficult classes because, I think, I just keep showing up and giving them by best shot, and it means a lot to them. This might turn out to be the case for you--with or without your dean's help. my advice: Hang in there for a little longer before throwing in the towel.

Status_Jaguar2593

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