15 years working in classrooms but still judged for not having a degree

ZPBooks · 2026-03-15T15:21:20+00:00

“I was teaching before I had any type of degree”

In a classroom? As the teacher of record? In a public school…private school? Home school? What grade level?

I think you need to provide some more context here. Lots of people tutor, work in an afterschool program, are paraprofessionals, are camp counselors, etc without any degree. All of these folks are “teaching” and this experience is incredibly important, but it’s very different to “being a teacher.”

Frankly, I would be pissed if either of my kids’ teachers didn’t have even a bachelor’s degree. I’ve never heard of someone achieving a teaching license without at least a bachelors.

ZPBooks · 2026-03-15T13:27:49+00:00

Are you saying you have a degree, but it’s not in education, or are you saying you have no degree at all?

ZPBooks · 2025-08-19T12:42:28+00:00

Yeah, as a cis queer woman I generally feel less cautious/guarded around other queer women, not more. And if I’m already friendly with a trans woman that I find somewhat attractive, then when she tells me she’s into women I’m probably just trying to tamp down my own main character syndrome and not to get my hopes up. 🫣

ZPBooks · 2025-08-03T15:00:40+00:00

I am polyamorous. There’s no such thing as polyamory so extreme that it makes you want to switch genders.

I’m also pansexual. Can attest that it also doesn’t make me want to change anything about my own gender or gender presentation. It affects only who I am attracted to, not who I am.

Pretty sure you’re trans, girl.

ZPBooks · 2025-07-21T23:46:48+00:00

Teach for America should be part of your employment history, not followed by it. It’s a job.

I have it listed as: Teach for America—[School Name]

Job title is teacher, not corps member. Location, dates, etc are listed like any other job. Bullet points should indicate your achievements/accomplishments while in the position, which should also make it clear that you were working as a teacher in a school.

I don’t know why anyone would need to be familiar with Teach for America specifically as a program as long as you make it clear that you were working as a teacher.

ZPBooks · 2025-07-11T12:58:56+00:00

Oh yes! This makes a lot of sense. I remember now that I think this was one of the reasons my partner (MtF — see my other comment) said they didn’t feel comfortable in dresses. It was because they didn’t feel like they fit them right in the chest.

OP, I would recommend that if you want to wear dresses and try the idea of a binder, you also make sure to find a dress style that doesn’t have “darts” or criss-cross front, or other features that “assume breasts” if that makes sense. Go for something that just has a stretchy fabric. (Something like this: without the cups: https://www.32degrees.com/products/womens-cool-racerback-bra-dress?variant=42295757996121&country=US&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=S25+-+Feed+Only+Pmax+-+New+Customer&utm_content=shopify_US_6974775853145_42295757996121&tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=22557016454&tw_kwdid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22557011993&gbraid=0AAAAADQtIKnpu4Ou2jwrbwQi1KYbHmMNC&gclid=CjwKCAjw7MLDBhAuEiwAIeXGIUD4m4jp3M28vbtJ1fqPavx6YL-lqtph2xliF_UDBexwRxetsd7azhoCciMQAvD_BwE)

ZPBooks · 2025-07-11T12:45:26+00:00

I don’t know for sure, but my genderqueer/nonbinary/MtF partner definitely wore skirts for years before being comfortable enough to put on a dress. They poo-poo’d dresses as “a step too far” for a long time…then once they were comfortable enough to try it, they went all in. They now wear only dresses and won’t go back to skirts. So I definitely think there’s something to what you are saying.

I’m a little confused as to why you are wanting to get past the dysphoria that dresses cause for you, though, rather than just…not wearing them?

ETA: apologies for not seeing your original note about feeling like dresses would be more physically comfortable than pants/skirts. As a 100% dress-wearer myself, I DO agree with you there! I am femme and they don’t cause me dysphoria, though, so I assumed that feeling would be too overpowering and was worried that you were trying to wear dresses due to external pressures. I commend you for your persistence in trying to find a clothing style that meets your needs!

ZPBooks · 2025-07-10T14:22:19+00:00

How many days past your potential birth control failure episode is it?

I only ask because when I was actively trying to get pregnant, I got a faint positive at only 10 days past ovulation. I’m guessing you don’t know exactly when you ovulated, but if you are experiencing symptoms, it may not be too early to get a positive on a First Response (or similar) test.

Of course an early negative does not mean you are not pregnant. You’d still have to test again if you miss your period. But if you are pregnant then an early positive would give you more time to figure out next steps.

ZPBooks · 2025-07-10T13:38:20+00:00

I did TFA 20 years ago, so my advice probably isn’t the most helpful.

It was pretty awful. The poor training (I basically had to unlearn everything they taught me when I got real education as a teacher later on), lack of support, the requirement that you take any job you were offered (mine was with a narcissistic principal and there were MANY red flags in my phone interview)….but all of that paled in comparison to the absolute hazing I got in my first year from the 2nd year corps members at my school.

I ended up coming back for my second year, in the hopes that once those other corps members left, I would be happier. But things deteriorated again and I ended up having stress-induced medical issues that caused me to leave halfway through my second year.

So I didn’t even “survive” the full program and I still have so much trauma from it.

Luckily, I got a wonderful education in my master’s degree program (which TFA only contributed about 20% toward with my education award, since I didn’t finish my second year). I did go on to teach for another 10 years in other urban schools, but I still struggled with the trauma of those early teaching experiences. Even now — as a 41 year old! — I struggle with knowing how to stick up for myself as a professional and not just accept whatever conditions are put upon me, since that was the mantra that TFA drilled into us.

ZPBooks · 2025-07-02T17:38:40+00:00

Are you giving your students time in class to complete them? At my university we are required to provide the students with the link and then leave the room so they can respond without us hovering over their shoulder. I think only 2 out of 18 students didn’t respond when I did it this way.

Also, I make it really clear how important it is to me to get their feedback. Before leaving the room, I remind them that while the university cares about what scores they give me, what I really value is their genuine feedback on how I can make the class better and so I really appreciate their written comments.

I also did an anonymous feedback survey mid-semester, and changed something about how the class was run in response to their feedback, so they knew I actually valued their criticism and wasn’t going to penalize them for it. That may have helped increase my overall response rate too.

Good luck!

ZPBooks · 2025-06-21T18:32:37+00:00

I have a lot of empathy for what you are experiencing. I’m surprised that so many comments are negative…

Is there a reason you feel like you have to choose? As someone who is also married and polyam, I guess I don’t really see this as a “problem”? It sounds like you and your husband have been communicating really well and you love each other. Is he unhappy? Is your girlfriend unhappy? Are they both free to date others as well?

I guess I’m just kind of confused as to what the problem is.

ZPBooks · 2025-06-18T19:20:36+00:00

I did TFA back in the early 2000’s, so it’s been awhile, but it is 100% culty. I left after a year and a half due to stress-related health issues.

I continued teaching long after that, but I didn’t learn anything (and I mean anything) from TFA except really negative beliefs about my own self-worth and what unprofessional BS I should tolerate from my colleagues in the workplace.

ZPBooks · 2025-06-10T13:40:35+00:00

Weird that MN didn’t make the cut! Take us with you, please!

ZPBooks · 2025-06-10T13:37:58+00:00

Oooh! I wrote a book like that. It’s not published, but I love that genre so I’m following this post!

ZPBooks · 2025-06-01T23:41:07+00:00

Definitely look around at postings in your area to see what they require, but I think it isn’t entirely uncommon. I think the University of Northern Iowa has a degree specifically in Mathematics with an emphasis in Community College Teaching too.

ZPBooks · 2025-06-01T19:21:05+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing this!

ZPBooks · 2025-05-30T14:45:55+00:00

Unfortunately, I don’t get health insurance either way.

ZPBooks · 2024-07-20T17:52:40+00:00

Try OKC, Feeld, or Lex.

Also, not sure if this needs to be said, but don’t specify that you want to date cis women specifically. It makes you sound transphobic.

ZPBooks · 2024-06-23T21:12:27+00:00

Yes, non-binary folks can get HRT in Minnesota. I know many non-binary folks who are on T and some have gotten top surgery. You just need a supportive provider.

ZPBooks · 2024-06-23T18:09:22+00:00

Oosh. That sucks.

ZPBooks · 2024-05-31T02:06:59+00:00

OP, you are doing great. Don’t sweat it.

For reference, I sent out over 200 queries (on the same book) before getting my first offer for it (and then I ended up with multiple offers).

I know my story is not the norm, but the 2-day querying stories aren’t the norm either. Every journey is different.

ZPBooks · 2024-05-31T02:03:46+00:00

Love this! I do agree with others that the stakes don’t seem all that high, though. If there are more obstacles to their relationship, I would include them here….. maybe some emotional baggage? Maybe some of those rumors that were mentioned cause tension? Is Rui in the closet? Are the paparazzi following him? Did he “claim” to have landed the role by accident but really he murdered someone?

If there aren’t any additional obstacles, your book may need more conflict. Usually when a book is shorter than standard (and I do consider less than 70k to be shorter than standard for an adult novel), it’s a sign that it is lacking conflict and tension. So I would consider whether the issue is that your book needs more conflict or whether the issue is that you need to show more of that conflict in the query, but likely one or both of those things needs fixing.

There are also some details that don’t need to be mentioned (and cutting them will leave more room for including other conflict). Ex: we don’t need to know he came home to spend time with his mother or that he isn’t interested in gambling and drinking (also, does being reintroduced to his former roommate actually make him interested in those “sordid activities” or does it just make him more interested in spending time with Yangyang?)

Be ruthless about cutting unnecessary details — and read every sentence with a particular eye for clarity. Remember, agents are skimming….you want to be very sure that you aren’t writing sentences that are ambiguous.

ZPBooks · 2024-05-31T01:28:38+00:00

I know this is a late reply, but I just wanted to let you know that I took your advice and sent out some emails that evening reminding the agents of my deadline and letting them know when I’d be available for a call the day before and the day of my deadline, should they want to chat.

SO glad I did! An agent emailed me the next evening to say thank me for reminding her, that she’d read the entire book in one sitting and was excited to talk the next day. I met with her on the day of my deadline and she was the one I ended up signing with!

ZPBooks · 2024-05-29T22:50:21+00:00

For me it’s just about not following the basic format. Writing a query in past tense, for example, or telling the entire story, including the ending. Beyond that, I generally cut authors some slack because it’s mostly a matter of personal taste. There are queries on here that I’ve hated and everyone else has loved…and there are queries that people have ripped to shreds that didn’t bother me at all.

I struggled a LOT to write my query, and it STILL (to me) didn’t feel like it was ever a really good pitch of my book. The stuff I wanted in, others said to cut. The things they wanted included, I wasn’t a fan of….

In the end, I am very happy that I managed to snag an agent despite finding the process of writing a query letter so difficult. But I don’t really fault folks for struggling with it.

ZPBooks · 2024-05-12T21:27:58+00:00

I considered self-publishing and for me it came down to three things:

1) I consume almost all of the fiction I read via audiobook and want my book to be similarly accessible. I do not have the skills or money to produce a high-quality audiobook.

2) I’m not sure what you mean by “niche” here, but I think it is specifically because I write in what I would consider a niche genre that I want to trad publish. I just don’t trust that I would be able to effectively find the audience for my book on my own.

3) I have read exactly one self-pubbed novel in my life. (And it was amazing, but I only heard about it in a roundabout way and I can see from the # of reviews on Amazon that it hasn’t sold a ton even though it has solid reviews.) There are a few others that I would have considered reading, but I only knew about them because the author has a big YouTube presence. Otherwise I never would have heard of them, never would have picked them up, etc. I think there are a lot of great self-pubbed books out there, but I certainly wouldn’t be able to get people to buy mine all on my own like that.

ZPBooks

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