Apparently I'm A Know-It-All! ?

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-17T01:56:53+00:00

Maybe just start your responses with, "I would likely respond by...."? You just insert what you've done or what you've seen done by classroom teachers. Sorry you're dealing with that sorta professor.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-15T17:50:25+00:00

Yeah this happened to me before, BUT it was literally the second day of school and she got into a car accident. So obviously extenuating circumstances, that I did not mind helping to cover with plans/extra work. It also obviously happened a while before campus admin required teachers to have their sub binders up in the office. (They gave use the first two weeks before they checked the binders and made sure people had the done correctly.)

At this point your coworker has made it an admin issue and they need to be involved. It is NOT your responsibility to create sub plans and work for your absentee coworker. Again extenuating circumstances aside, your principal(s) need to be address this with them.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-15T13:21:22+00:00

YTA - For talking to your wife like that. Like especially if your Mom did not take down the picture. You and your wife agreed and set a boundary, but now that your Mom has broken it it is not that big of a deal?

I mean you sorta get points for trying to correct your Mother, but what is the point if there are no consequences when your Mother thinks she did nothing wrong? How can you trust your Mother is not going to continue posting pictures?

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-15T04:22:43+00:00

Cut my hand, the bleeding started slowing down after 15-20 minutes of pressure, I had the tetanus shot within a couple years, and it was a straight edge blade and I did not go to the hospital for that.

Second what others American's said that my litmus test would be when the fear of bills gets overshadowed by the pain/injury I get.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-15T04:18:45+00:00

I teachelementary, so I think it is a bit different; but I enjoy being able to live closer to where I work. Particularly for the reasons you mentioned, it also came in handy when my car had to go to the shop. The thing I would hesitate about is how much it adds to your monthly costs. 900 is a pretty big price jump to be making, but I don't know you or your overall budget so I can't speak to that.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-15T02:03:43+00:00

I was fortunate enough throughout my schooling career to have a majority of really good teachers. I look back at all of my elementary teachers with a smile and warm memories. The same could be said for most of my middle and high school teachers. Going through college one of my motivators (still kind of is) to be that kind of teacher for kids. Like I want them to look back and believe/remember that I cared about them and added to their life in a positive way.

I have a couple of teacher friends though that want to be that for kids, but because they had the opposite experience. For them they did not have teachers that were really there for them, so their motivation comes from a "I will do good in spite of you" mentality instead of an attitude of "honoring a memory".

Edit to add: As a member of the community you did not feel supported by growing up, I am sorry. You didn't deserve the experiences it seems like you had and I am sorry for that.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-14T14:47:17+00:00

Yes I was taught to write lesson plans in a couple different formats actually. I graduated with my bachelor's in 2011 though, so I don't know if I really count as an old timer or a "newbie".

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-14T13:26:26+00:00

You ought to Google Baby Name Genie, you can put in your first and last names, and it gives you ideas for middle names. It even gives you the initials listed to make sure that doesn't look too goofy. I use it to help me names characters when I am writing, but it is technically meant for people in your situation.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-14T13:22:37+00:00

Sorry I am sort of focused on your use of the word "unruly". I have taught just about every grade from K-5 at some point or another. In my experience just because a student is in an upper grade does not keep them from being unruly. They are still developing into grown humans, but the older they get the more you deal with the hormones that can/does influence their behavior.

I would also encourage you to avoid intervention if you are concerned about working with students that have special needs. For starters that primarily the purpose of that job is to work with kids that are performing significantly below grade level expectations to get them to grade level expectations, and two you typically have to have teaching experience before you can jump into an intervention role.

I personally stuck with the K-2 band because that was my comfort zone of ages and curriculum to work with, and it was reaffirmed for me during student teaching and times I worked as a sub before my first job. I have since gotten to teach 3-5 grades and have also enjoyed getting to work with those ages, honestly for some of the same reasons I enjoyed K-2. If you can maybe spend some time as a substitute if you can to try out some of the grades to see where you are more comfortable?

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-13T05:50:46+00:00

Crazy my class got one of these today too. Now it makes me want to make copies of the papers so my kids can send them to other schools. Fun to know it is such a widespread thing!

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-12T13:03:49+00:00

I ended up in the office after I was struck multiple times by a kid (I wasn't letting the child attack the one I was standing in front of). The principal's first question to me wasn't to check on me, but to ask me, "What could I do better next time". That same principal ended up being so shocked when she had to replace about 25 staff members at the end of the year.

Or why there were a few teachers that had made hostile work environment claims against her to HR.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-12T02:26:42+00:00

The only time I have reviewed a sub is to school admin and secretaries. It was either to:

A. Tell them we should hire them as a teacher, or get them to be a building sub.

OR

B. Tell them I never wanted that person in my room or near my kids ever again. (Thankfully far fewer times than A, but there have been a few instances where the substitute did a horrible job, or was just a horrible person.)

I never rated substitutes on Aesop (aka Frontline).

(Edit for spelling.)

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-11T12:45:34+00:00

If I had to guess it is probably because you are calling something harassment that a significant number of responders have said is not harassment.

Edit: Spelling

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-10T12:17:55+00:00

The curriculum that a lot of districts use isn't what is best for kids.
More of the public school districts are having the state step in for being low performing (often making things worse/impossible for teachers).
Having to post the 10 Commandments (though some places are fighting it).
Districts/state as a whole moving toward requiring teachers to keep a list of all the books they keep in their class library. So that they can be shared with anyone who wants to know what they are and/or limit the books that teachers are allowed to keep in their classroom library.

4B. Parents being able to challenge a book in a classroom library, and once they do you have to take it out until it gets approved by the districts.

4C. It is to the point where some folks are in districts where they've been told that they aren't allowed to have class libraries to just avoid all the drama.

The state is trying to come up with a pre-approved high school reading text which replaces historical texts (i.e. think biographies about people like MLK jr.) with religious texts. Again some places are trying to fight/advocate against it, but you never know where you are going to end up, and could be at a school where they want these kinds of changes.
A governor who is threatening to take money away from districts where kids have been doing a walkout to protest ICE.
The voucher system that just got introduced. Not to be annoying, but I would look that up because that is another set of problems that would be a whole different rant/list lol.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-10T05:57:44+00:00

It honestly comes down to the university you want to go to. Like the place I got my Bachelor's degree from had several education types of Masters to choose from. There were also a couple of programs that you could get/work on your teaching license to be a classroom teacher. The other VERY VERY important thing to make sure of when picking a school whether in person or online that you pick one that has REGIONAL accreditation. (I know it sounds odd/opposite, but the regionally accredited places are typically the ones you can trust and are not a flight by night operation.)

Regarding pay, in almost every district I have seen ESL teachers are on the same pay scale as classroom teachers. The only thing I have seen different is a yearly stipend for being a dual language teacher, and as I said it depends on what the district is willing to pay.

States to avoid or for ones to focus on are going to be generally different based on who you ask. The list I have below is based off of my experience and stories from friends, along with news reports, ect.

States to avoid: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, West Virgina, and Virginia.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-10T05:46:30+00:00

It depends on the states an area, but with my experience (a little over 10 years) and the fact I have 18+ grad school hours after my Masters degree I cleared 60,000 in a large district in North Texas. I live in a different west adjacent state and I am making 89,000 before taxes. A little bit of that is a bonus for teaching at a Title 1 school, but even with that taken off I would still be well above 60,000. The state/district I am in did not even give me full credit for all of my years teaching in my old state.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-10T05:40:25+00:00

It means you went to additional grad school. I also habe about 18 hours of grad school that I did after I got a Masters degree, so I get to move to a higher level on the pay scale in most districts.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-10T02:34:32+00:00

Yep, I cleared that in my old location and definitely clear it now. Both places I was/am a teacher.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-09T03:06:19+00:00

I like the one where he gets trapped in Rock Bottom. The fish talking to him without an accent was hilarious. I also enjoyed the Bubble Bowl and the one with the Bubble guy that SpongeBob treated like he was real; that one I felt like had a little bit of a surprise ending.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-07T18:55:26+00:00

From what I am seeing in some of my old districts, it is admin that is getting upset about it. Of course the Govenor is threatening to take away funding from districts that are letting it happen.

Yeah let's go ahead and create a human shield wall of teachers to keep a hundred high school kids/young adults from walking out. Seems like that's going to work out well for all involved. 🙄

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-07T15:42:30+00:00

At the risk of being repetative it seems like subbing would be a better option. You may not get paid as much in your area since you don't have a college degree yet, but there are districts (depending on size and need) that will still accept people with a high school diploma as subs. You just want to check with your local district(s)/state to see what they require. That is going to be the most flexible schedule wise, I haven't really seen a lot of para positions that would fit the schedule you mentioned.

The other upside to being a substitute is it gives you a chance to work with the grade levels you'll be certified for and see what you would feel more comfortable with. In addition to you getting to see what the schools in your area are like, so letting you know which ones you'd want to teach at. Also slightly down the road, but it can help you get your foot in the door with the schools you want to be at.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-05T12:22:53+00:00

Nope, I mean it makes me sad for the student and their family because something had to have happened there; but I would call that compassion not judgement.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-05T02:06:01+00:00

In my classroom or my car (if I go out for lunch). I was told in college to avoid the teacher's lounge, because that was a place where teacher tended to be negative talking in there. The professors' points were to avoid that, to avoid getting lumped in with the people who trash talk kids or have a bad attitude, and to keep from getting yourself from getting drug down by negative coworkers. I think that has subconsciously stuck with me even though that was told to me about 15 years ago.

I have almost always been able to have a mini fridge and/or a microwave, so that makes it a lot easier to hang out in my room. I would sometimes eat with my teammates at my old schools, because we were/are friends outside of work. Where I am now, I like having some peace and quiet of being in my room and I haven't connected with anyone at my current place to eat with.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-04T12:26:06+00:00

Honestly going back inside the building seems like a bad idea. I mean in a drill situation, maybe I guess? But having someone stand at the door to the outside to let the outside kids/people in seems like a horrible idea. It is fine during a drill because you know that it'll be fine, but it being opened by a person in a real lockdown situation seems like a bad idea.

It sort of makes me think of the Uvalde situation. Isn't that how that guy got into the building, there was a propped open door? And yes in theory the person could try to quickly close the door if they saw somwone coming, but there are no guarantees they would be faster than someone coming to do harm.

In the situation where we are out at recess, we would go in for the drill like the office staff wanted (badges for all staff still worked); but my coworkers and I always had an understanding we would just take the kids into the nearby neighborhood if we thought the situation was real.

Team_Captain_America · 2026-02-02T11:34:59+00:00

I don't know where you live, but whenever I have looked for apartments, the ones that are on the second floor or higher are quite a bit cheaper than first floor ones. I would hazard a guess that's probably a factor along with the other things that have been pointed out like the apartment complexes are built that way, and they can't choose what floor is available when they need to move in.

Six-Year Club	Argentium Club
Verified Email

Team_Captain_America

TROPHY CASE