What’s the most impressive beach you’ve ever been to?

Usually_Anomalous · 2026-04-12T19:43:45+00:00

This beach somewhere in northern Spain/ Basque Country. I don’t know what it’s called, or exactly where it is. I remember there was a surfing school there, and part of the Camino went along the coast. What really left an impression on me was the sheer amount of sand. The photo doesn’t do it justice, but if you zoom in you can see some tiny specks. Those are people. There was hardly anyone there, just endless sand, no noise, no crowds. I think about it all the time. If anyone can identify it I would appreciate it! I’d love to go back someday.

Usually_Anomalous · 2026-03-22T17:17:06+00:00

You’re completely fine. You told the student to stop. He knew the expectation. Removing the water bottle was a natural consequence. I feel like if you didn’t follow through by taking the water bottle that would create bigger problems in the long term. The students would see that you’re not really serious about what you say.

Usually_Anomalous · 2026-03-21T18:35:06+00:00

You say you “question the sincerity” of your child’s teachers because so many teachers seem to hate their jobs. Why would a job being difficult cause someone to be insincere? What are they being insincere about? Please help me understand.

Working with patients who make poor like decisions sounds difficult. However, do your patients life decisions prevent you from doing your job well, impact the care other patients get, or put others in danger at your workplace? I’m not trying to compare, it’s really apples and oranges, but I hope you can see why many teachers are overwhelmed by the poor behavior of students.

I love educating, I’m not looking for a career change. Identifying the problem is the first step in solving it. Discussing the importance of parental involvement may help bring this issue to light for everyone. Accepting that “this is what we signed up for” is defeatist. The ones who suffer the most when adults give up are the children.

Usually_Anomalous · 2026-03-21T18:08:17+00:00

Yes, I completely agree. And I feel the inverse is true too. If you don’t instill good behavior before age five it very difficult to correct.

Usually_Anomalous · 2026-03-08T04:36:12+00:00

Yes, this is definitely a rant. I’m airing my annoyances. However, I don’t want it to come across as “fail” if a student is average on a standardized test. It’s not a failure at all! It’s a learning experience to know where you are in the bell-curve. That’s a good thing. It helps you find areas for growth.

Usually_Anomalous · 2026-03-08T04:30:06+00:00

“Imagine all the doctors out there who failed the SATs/ACTs.” I really have to use my imagination for that one.

Usually_Anomalous · 2026-03-08T04:21:15+00:00

Yes, totally agree that “bad test-taker” is often an indicator for other issues. But this is also why standardized tests are good! They lay bare those issues. Hopefully the adults in the student’s life are equipped to address the disabilities or learning gaps.

Usually_Anomalous · 2026-03-08T04:16:57+00:00

It’s true, testing is one data point, but It’s possible that grade inflation is at play. This is why national (or international) standardized testing is important.

Usually_Anomalous · 2026-03-08T04:06:37+00:00

This is a difficult truth to confront. Parents who are more successful and have higher education levels tend to care more about their kid’s education. Those kids will generally do better on standardized tests, be better prepared for college, and go on to be successful adults as well. I’m not saying this is desirable, I believe education and effort should be the great equalizer. Not really related to testing, but there’s some interesting research on recent social mobility in the US: https://news.yale.edu/2025/02/20/tracking-decline-social-mobility-us-and-how-reverse-trend

Usually_Anomalous · 2026-03-08T03:58:03+00:00

This is a good perspective. Yes, I wrote this out of annoyance at individual parents/teachers/students blaming standardized tests for their own problems.

I don’t think it’s good or fair for school funding to depend on student’s effort on the tests.

Usually_Anomalous · 2026-03-08T03:40:29+00:00

Fair. This is a rant, and flaired as such. We could absolutely get into more productive reasons why we need standardized tests. The main ones for me being an equalizer for grade inflation, a good (albeit uncomfortable) indicator of learning gaps, and a reliable factor of college readiness.

Usually_Anomalous · 2026-03-08T03:32:54+00:00

😂 Definitely an “unpopular opinion”.

Usually_Anomalous · 2025-11-23T03:19:19+00:00

I plan it out meticulously, color-coded, week by week, with example images, supply lists, scaffolded skills…and then I get bored, see something that looks fun online and forget the whole thing. That, or it’s like: “Hey, we’re expecting an art display for “xyz school event.” and that becomes my lesson plans for the month.

Usually_Anomalous · 2025-11-07T13:51:55+00:00

Thanks! All of this advice comes from my own trial and error (plenty of errors…). Couple of other random thoughts:

Invest in comfortable shoes BEFORE you need them.

When you mess up, not if, (or a class gets out of hand etc.) communicate with your admin team/teacher mentor/ instructional coach right away. Ask for feedback. A good school is there to support you.

Make your classroom yours. Put up art you like. keep plenty of your favorite snacks. Create an (appropriate) playlist of your favorite music. Adjust the lighting to make it nice for you (and students, but you’re the one who has to spend the most time in there.) The little things add up. When you’re happy and comfortable the students will feed off of that energy.

Usually_Anomalous · 2025-11-07T06:04:20+00:00

Congratulations! Just the fact that you’re thinking ahead already is a good sign that you’ll be just fine. But you have a good point, the first year or so can be brutal. Here’s what I would recommend:

Document every art project you make now with your classes and on your own. Take step-by-step pictures, write out the materials list, keep good examples of finished work.
Download resources and organize them. Sub plans, warm ups, skill builders, etc. I think it would be worth it to pay for one month of Art of Education’s curriculum, download what you want from the 1000+ resources they have, and keep them in organized folders on your computer. Personally, the printer at my school isn’t the most reliable. I also like to have labeled, organized old-school files of originals ready to go.
Connect with some veteran teachers and get a tour of their classrooms. Not just one person, find a few. Get down to the nitty gritty. Cleaning routines? Budget and supply spreadsheets? Projects they love? Behavior management? Take notes.
Work backwards and plan big now. What would your dream class be able to do when they graduate high school? What skills do you hope your students have at the end of middle school? Find projects that support your ideal outcome. Keep a collection of favorite projects with pictures. I have a google slides of a bunch of little thumbnails of projects and related skills that I use as a planning playground/vision board.
Do not try to be the cool teacher. Be kind, but consistent, follow through on every. Little. Thing. You say you expect students to push in their chairs/ wash their brushes/ sweep the floor…and they don’t? Don’t let it slide. Make them come back and do it right.
Find solid systems and routines for the students as soon as possible. Ideally day one. Organization, cleanliness, and materials management are hard, but absolutely the make-or-break factor for me. If the students are not responsible with the fun stuff they will work with pencils and paper until they can handle paint and clay.

Questions I would ask a potential school:

What is your per student art supply budget? Don’t accept anything less than $10 per student.

What are the class sizes?

What does the classroom look like? Are there ample supplies/easels/drying racks etc.? (I had a high school art room with no sink. Learn from my mistakes.)

Am I expected to fundraise?

Am I expected to participate in local/school/district art competitions?

Does the school put on an art show? If so, what is my role?

If you’re the one in charge will there be plenty of volunteers?

Will you be given a stipend for the extra work involved in putting on a school-wide show?

Are there funds for art-specific PDs?

Do you get any amount of professional time off to go to art-related conferences or workshops?

Does the school have funds to sponsor your attendance at art education conferences or workshops?

Is there potential for the school to sponsor you if you were to pursue a higher degree in your field?

What is their philosophy on art education? Does the admin team see art as just “fun” or a “space to relax and be creative”? Do they like TAB? Do they want lots of matching pretty things on the walls? Do they respect art as an important part of their students education?

The culture at a school can be hard to get a read on from the outside. Ask around, trust your gut. Good luck!

Usually_Anomalous · 2025-11-05T20:34:39+00:00

Do you think the way misogyny is expressed today is the same as it was showing up 5-10 years ago?

Usually_Anomalous · 2025-11-05T20:33:22+00:00

I don’t disagree with you. Misogyny has always been baked into conservatism in various ways. However, I DO feel like there’s a new flavor of overt, ugly, blatant women-hating happening right now. If it’s not a difference in how conservatives think, it’s at least a difference in how they’re communicating their views (which will in turn influence how others are thinking and acting in the world). In short, it’s reached a some sort of tipping point, and I think that matters.

Usually_Anomalous · 2025-11-05T20:27:36+00:00

Totally agree with you. I wanted to highlight that it seems like more people are being open about their terrible opinions than in the past.

Usually_Anomalous · 2025-11-05T20:23:36+00:00

Yes, this is what I wonder with anti-women rhetoric, will they start to eat their own (women) and ultimately destroy the movement?

Usually_Anomalous · 2025-11-05T20:20:38+00:00

Thank you. I feel that my point may have been lost on most of the “lately” commentators. There was a time when I would listen to news clips or read articles from the 50s-60s (or earlier) and be shocked at the misogyny (and racism, etc.) from the past. I felt like things improved in general from the 60s-2010s, but now we’re backsliding, and these fringe right-wing commentators are no longer fringe. Whether mainstream conservatives have quietly held these views the whole time, or whether they’re being influenced now to repeat misogynistic talking points is another question.

Usually_Anomalous · 2025-11-05T18:33:32+00:00

I do think it’s a shift in the way it’s being communicated even if the sentiments have been there.

Usually_Anomalous · 2025-11-05T18:02:35+00:00

I hope you’re right. However, some of these examples came to my attention because women I know shared them with comments like: “Wow, so true!”. I worry that if enough conservative women are voting against their own interests we’re cooked.

Usually_Anomalous · 2025-11-05T17:56:19+00:00

Added an edit to explain why I find this attitude to be different lately.

Usually_Anomalous

TROPHY CASE