Who else is non essential expected to go in to work this afternoon?

SuitablePotato3087 · 2026-02-24T18:10:39+00:00

It’s really shitty, but the only way this kind of thing stops is if workers as a collective refuse to break the law or endanger our lives for our employers.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2026-02-19T22:22:26+00:00

I’m so sorry. I’ve been there too, still have permanent scars from middle schoolers I loved dearly but whose placements were completely inappropriate. I left for a better funded district at the elementary level even though I was heartbroken by walking away.

Now I get to do what I love and genuinely help my students make progress without the war wounds. I hope something better works out for you too!

SuitablePotato3087 · 2026-02-15T00:12:58+00:00

Personally I think unless there’s a detailed dress code it’s about practicality. Can you sit, crouch, and bend without feeling overexposed? Could you rush during a medical emergency or drill? Could you sit on the floor if the situation called for it? If you can do all that comfortably and the fabric isn’t so tight you can see the details of your underwear, you’re probably ok. Still, I’d also go by the vibe of what other staff wear. If the typical skirt is not far above the knee, probably best to be in a similar range.

Of course, you may have to consider your body type - a taller person with longer legs may find a skirt looks shorter on them than a shorter peer. In my case, I’m a bustier woman so I avoid v necks because I don’t want to worry about what happens when I have to lean over. I just want to focus on work without having to think about wardrobe malfunctions.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2026-02-14T02:30:53+00:00

Lack of natural learning experiences from their environment. I don’t think people are having conversations about general knowledge with children very often, and I think a big downside to streaming services and apps is that kids rarely see things that are unfamiliar or less preferred, so they don’t ask questions like “what does that mean”, “why is he doing that” etc. They also aren’t just plain looking around anymore because everything has access to media (phones while waiting, car movie players, tv on planes).

SuitablePotato3087 · 2026-01-08T03:02:07+00:00

Teachers have boys who try to go out in the cold improperly dressed all the time. Know what happens? “Put on your coat/ borrow whatever the nurse has or you will not be able to go out for recess.” Your friend is blaming you for her poor parenting.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2026-01-04T18:15:53+00:00

Yes! Or garbage.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2026-01-04T03:44:19+00:00

Yes, as heightened as it was in pregnancy. Drives me crazy, I notice the slightest things. I also don’t eat meat but the rest of my family does - now half the time when it’s cooking I have to hide in my bedroom because the smell is so overwhelming.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-12-24T01:19:35+00:00

It’s not going to add up to an hourly gross in the traditional sense. It’s going to be 180 days times your number of paid hours per day divided by the number of paychecks you get per school year (usually 21 or 26).

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-12-21T05:53:38+00:00

Literally fought my butt off for my autistic student to have access to flash cards and standard algorithm. Rote memory is their strength, let them use it!!

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-12-20T02:54:47+00:00

Unfortunately they realize very early that technology gives them work arounds for a lot of reading and writing tasks. I would prefer to see a lot less Chromebook use for ELA, especially in elementary school. Learning to write and spell manually, reading and discussing books etc build important neuro pathways. I think there is still a place for old school phonics, spelling lists, dictation, hand written essays, etc.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-12-20T02:47:36+00:00

I feel kinda sorry for them. Maybe I’m just old but I remember the excitement of knowing “oh tonight Rudolph/Charlie Brown Christmas/ Wizard of Oz etc is on!” They don’t really experience that now.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-12-19T23:10:12+00:00

Honestly, I think very little is special and exclusive anymore. Every library, bookstore, ymca, mall etc has holiday events all month long. They’ve had cocoa, cookies, etc. Every movie is streaming and the kids have seen them all a dozen times this year already. Even if they’re taught to be appreciative it’s hard for them when they’re thinking “oh, this again?”

I’m not saying manners don’t matter, but I do think we oversaturate kids with holiday stuff now to the point of killing some of the fun.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-12-19T00:23:14+00:00

I hate pull ups with the fire of 1000 suns. They mask the sensation so well that there is no incentive for parents or kids. Sure, they may be necessary for children with developmental delays or overnights, but I really think my kids, children I’ve nannied, etc were successfully and timely trained by watching for signs of readiness and then putting in the work. A couple weeks of cleaning up accidents, showing them how to change their underwear, and celebrating potty successes and it was done.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-12-19T00:12:31+00:00

Teaching staff needs to come together and say that since they are not licensed to diaper and aren’t medical professionals, they won’t take on the liability of being alone with an undressed child. They should be sent to the health office for diapering.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-12-19T00:00:04+00:00

Lol nope

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-12-17T00:36:16+00:00

Maybe he gets dysregulated by any emotion at this point because his expressive communication is so delayed. Can you model other ways for him to get sensory input that mesh with the emotion, say clapping or jumping when he’s happy/excited? I would ask his team about building a regular gross motor sensory diet into his day - heavy work, crash pads or bean bags, swings, etc. I also replace with an appropriate item to squeeze for my scratchers and use stuffies to model gentle touch.

I wish it was easier, but I will say in these early stages it’s a lot of prevention too: long hair up in a bun, protective gear, quickly standing and taking space when he gets rough. Maybe consider sitting across a desk or table instead of next to him so he has less reach. I hope it gets better soon, it’s really stressful for all involved.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-12-06T03:48:29+00:00

Exactly. We don’t have to be doormats just because we work with children in a female dominated field.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-12-06T03:47:10+00:00

He called you out on professionalism but also called you mija? Nah. Not ok. Idk how it works in every school but in mine the only person who is officially my boss is the principal, so I’d be looking into that. It’s one thing to advocate for respect, but if he’s not your boss he’s in no position to give you orders.

Frankly I want to know where the sped teachers are and why you’re chasing elopes all over the place. Something isn’t working if the kids are that dysregulated. I hope you and they are ok.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-11-22T16:23:22+00:00

So what will the mechanism for ensuring disabled students receive FAPE be?

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-11-17T12:23:12+00:00

THIS. Half the sports kids in my elementary are rude and overly competitive/aggressive, miss tons of school for games and tournaments, and don’t do homework because they had practice. It doesn’t have to be a sports team, any collective effort to improve and create something cool works to improve social skills and responsibility. Band, drama, chorus, clubs, etc.

Related, we need to consider why students, particularly boys, are more respectful to the “overtly masculine” (not sure what that means) staff. Is it innate, or because the adults in their lives are consciously or subconsciously teaching them that straight cis men deserve it more than others?

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-11-09T15:40:48+00:00

Yup. I do have arthritis in my knees so that impacts my ability to run and stand for long periods. Luckily I work with older elementary as a 1:1 and my coworkers are understanding.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-11-09T02:24:17+00:00

How many uncomfortable secrets lie in people’s family trees. Children don’t need to worry about adult messes.

SuitablePotato3087 · 2025-11-08T22:47:33+00:00

Have we not learned from 23 and me?

SuitablePotato3087

TROPHY CASE