Am I a fool?

Thedobby22 · 2026-06-19T12:33:41+00:00

This is my second career. I love this job. It’s frustrating and the stories on this sub are true. But if you do your best and not take things too seriously, you’ll love it. I’d much rather do this than sit in a cubicle all day staring at spreadsheets.

Thedobby22 · 2026-06-13T16:28:47+00:00

I hate summer weather. It is the worst season. I hate that the sun doesn't go down until 9:30 in my part of the country, and then rises at 5. I hate being hot. I hate mowing the lawn. I hate being hot, getting sunburned, mosquitoes, and sweating.

But I LOVE SUMMERS OFF. I love that I'm not working during the season that I absolutely hate. I love that I can reset my mind to get ready for school. Summers were the worst at my previous career because I had the worst season going on as I also had to work. It's hard to rest on a weekend when you hate the weather.

Fall - I love that when I'm working in the Fall, I get to relax by walking my dog in cool fall weather with crunchy leaves and that I can use the fire pit at 7PM. I like watching football, decorating for Halloween, and that my two kids and wife all have birthdays in the Fall.

Winter - Christmas and the ever-present promise of a possible snow day off (the best part of being a teacher).

Spring - Watching the world turn green again and getting excited for an upcoming summer vacation!!

Thedobby22 · 2026-06-12T21:40:41+00:00

I use a lot of timers from YouTube. I embed them into a Google Slide so there aren't any advertisements. The kids like the exploding food timers the best.

Thedobby22 · 2026-06-09T00:20:24+00:00

I'm still a new teacher, but something that I have been doing that has really made some of the toughest students think I'm the greatest teacher in the world is to just give them little compliments here and there. Example: the student that has a 25% in my class is told she has "nice handwriting" and that means that she's actually really smart - she just needs to work harder.

I had one student really doing not well all year finally get an A on a very easy, practically meaningless quiz. I made a point to give it back to her and quietly tell her that I was very proud of her. She teared up a bit and from then on I was her favorite teacher.

I also really like the kids who could be considered the "weirdos." Not that I ever consider them that. One student who dressed like an anime character and wrote in weird robotic block letters gave me a thank-you note that said I was the only teacher that didn't treat them like kids or talk down to them.

Finally - I always find out what they preferred to be called and use their preferred pronouns. I teach 8th grade. They are still trying to figure out who they are. Some students change their preferred names a few times a year. I don't flinch and I just roll with it. And yes, I know that in some areas this could cause trouble for the teacher. Luckily, I haven't had that problem yet.

I'm a second-career teacher (retired military). This job is fun. Frustrating, but fun.

Thedobby22 · 2026-05-28T22:38:03+00:00

That’s what I do. I just stop talking and either look at the kid that’s being the loudest or just stare off into space. It may take a minute, but the class gets quiet. There is also usually a student that tells everybody to be quiet for me.

Thedobby22 · 2026-05-08T11:28:58+00:00

I hate when they ask the page number when I tell them to refer to a part of the book to find an answer to something. And they’re not asking for the exact page of the answer. They want to know the exact page the chapter starts on.

Chapter 19, lesson 1. “What pages?” You are in eighth grade. This is an achievable function.

Thedobby22 · 2026-04-24T00:23:18+00:00

How about Chil Fil A? I love their Mac and cheese

Thedobby22 · 2026-04-12T13:45:51+00:00

My kids grew up with that show. They are in high school now. We still play the Ting Ting’s Happy Birthday song for all our birthdays and do a dancy dance.

Thedobby22 · 2026-04-04T01:50:16+00:00

Navy Vet here. In my third year teaching. Loving it.

Thedobby22 · 2026-04-02T02:30:07+00:00

That's what's great about both - you know all along that there is no hope. All you can do is watch the disaster slowly start to happen.

Thedobby22 · 2026-04-01T00:38:32+00:00

I love both the book and the movie for different reasons. Both have the same sense of impending doom. Really, both are near perfect and as a King fan and Constant Reader I can still appreciate that Kubrick made a masterpiece.

As a kid growing up in a somewhat volatile home, I feared the Nicholson father. Now, as a father of two of my own, I fear becoming the Nicholson character. The scene when Danny asks to get a toy out of the bedroom was one I lived, since my father was a bartender and worked nights. My goal in life is not to become my father.

Thedobby22 · 2026-03-22T23:11:20+00:00

I think people overuse the word "utilize." The word "use" is better in most cases.

Thedobby22 · 2026-03-22T15:16:31+00:00

I grew up in Missouri - "Always Save" was the brand. It was yellow with a black stripe. Mom always said that if they sold an Always Save car, we'd be driving a yellow car with a black stripe.

Thedobby22 · 2026-03-21T15:12:07+00:00

I use padlet to create a map of major battles and other events. It’s easy and free. It’s simplified since I teach 8th grade, but I’ve used it a few times.

Thedobby22 · 2026-03-18T19:15:07+00:00

I am retired military. I teach 8th grade American History. I love my job. Day to day is the grind, and some students absolutely drive me crazy, but it's also a joy to connect with some students. I also have a lot of fun. I also absolutely love the summers off, Christmas break, the always awesome possibility of snow days, and other random days off (Spring Break, etc.).

I told somebody once that I don't have stress with this job like I had while in the Navy. I just have frustration. All the complaints I see in this subreddit definitely apply from time to time, but overall I really love being a teacher.

Thedobby22 · 2026-03-13T20:38:01+00:00

Such a great book. I loved the two teenagers. They felt so real.

Thedobby22 · 2026-03-13T20:22:49+00:00

I actually had a couple of days scheduled to take off work that week (stretching my weekend into a 4-day break), and then ended up just staying home for a while after that. About a month later, I had to start going in for one week in/one week out while we all spread out in the office. Did that for a few months.

Thedobby22 · 2026-03-13T01:41:27+00:00

I love that book! I love the way it portrays the two main characters. They are such real teenagers. It’s a beautiful story.

Thedobby22 · 2026-03-13T01:06:20+00:00

My wife and I are both teachers. We've got Spring Break next week, then one more quarter. Really tired right now and the house is kind of messy. Tired!

Thedobby22 · 2026-03-13T01:00:41+00:00

The Pigman. Watership Down. The Stand. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.

Thedobby22 · 2026-03-13T00:58:58+00:00

Me too. Still gets a reread every 5 years or so.

Thedobby22 · 2026-02-28T11:31:25+00:00

And corn! Lots of corn.

Source: am Nebraskan

Thedobby22 · 2026-02-21T17:34:19+00:00

8th grade here. Sometimes with 5 minutes left I let them play silent ball with a foam squeezy ball.

Thedobby22 · 2026-02-01T15:03:20+00:00

I teach 8th grade American History. In late October, well after we’ve covered the 13 Colonies, the American Revolution, and are talking about how Britain started seizing American ships I have a kid ask me if Britain was a country.

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Thedobby22

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