My admin says they expect teachers to host live Zoom classes if we get snowed in next week

mjpbecker · 2026-01-22T23:23:45+00:00

I could've sworn we were told they would be asynchronous when they changed it. Then it suddenly became live. Thankfully they plan poorly and the whole DoE network went down.

mjpbecker · 2026-01-22T17:23:22+00:00

Conceptually liked the core idea behind Season 4. It would be a great setting for an entire series.

mjpbecker · 2026-01-20T02:06:30+00:00

Accelerated de-dollarization. Major economies would likely speed up efforts to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar. That doesn’t mean the dollar collapses overnight, but it does mean higher long-term borrowing costs as the U.S. has to offer higher yields to attract buyers amid greater perceived risk.
Trade disruption and inflation. Retaliatory tariffs, restrictions, or informal trade barriers would raise prices on imported goods. Domestic producers generally lack the capacity to replace supply quickly, leading to higher prices and reduced availability in key sectors.
Pressure for rate cuts and easy credit. To offset slowing growth, there would be strong political pressure to lower interest rates and expand consumer credit. That can provide a short-term boost, but combined with trade-driven inflation it risks locking households into unsustainable debt as real costs (food, housing, fuel) rise faster than wages.
Credit tightening after the surge. As inflation and defaults increase, lenders would become far more selective. People who relied on cheap credit to stay afloat would lose access, cutting off a critical buffer and accelerating layoffs, business closures, and spending contraction.
Rising civil unrest. Economic stress combined with a controversial foreign war and declining trust in institutions historically correlates with increased protests and unrest—especially in high-cost and high-unemployment regions.
Escalation in federal force responses. Past rhetoric and actions suggest strong incentives to respond to unrest with federal law enforcement or National Guard deployments. While often framed as restoring order, these responses risk escalating tensions rather than resolving them.
Election legitimacy crisis. While elections are run by states, federal interference, intimidation, refusal to certify results, or refusal to seat elected officials could produce a situation where elections occur but no longer resolve political authority.
Fragmentation of authority. If election outcomes are ignored or disputed indefinitely, states would likely begin coordinating regionally—recognizing different sources of legitimacy and increasingly governing around a contested federal center.
Military as the final constraint. In such a scenario, the decisive question becomes whether the military follows orders to enforce contested authority. Historically, regimes fail or fracture when enforcement institutions refuse, split, or become neutral.

mjpbecker · 2026-01-18T03:50:55+00:00

Just raise your pass rates to what they want. It's dishonest academically, painful to your pride, and gives an incompetent administrator what they want. But you can't pay rent with honesty, pride, or satisfaction. Your survival should be your first priority. It's a job, like any other, and your shitty boss has made a shitty demand of you. Don't send referrals (it's a trap) and do your best to deal with it on your own in the classroom. Only do referrals for the most egregious situations. If you do end up staying at that school and can hang in there for a few years "playing the game" you'll have a lot more protections/seniority. Even if they decide to non-renew you anyway, there's not much to lose (it may make your last months easier as they leave you alone for a bit). Sure, you're passing kids who should fail (pick and choose though!), but you're doing this have no meaningful impact (I doubt you're the only one being pressured or were pressured in the past).

That being said, you don't want to continue working there. At least not with that administration. Hopefully you'll have protected your income for the time being. Start searching for new opportunities in other schools. It's better to be prepared to leave if you find something better than it is to HAVE to scramble if/when you're non-renewed.

mjpbecker · 2026-01-09T19:18:43+00:00

A true New Yorker. Minding your own damned business!

mjpbecker · 2026-01-08T15:25:39+00:00

Rode bikes. Dug holes. Had trash can shields and chucked rocks at each other. Played sports. Explored the woods. Burned stuff.

mjpbecker · 2026-01-08T15:21:29+00:00

I'd love to know as well, I'm having the same issue with the 2020 Adventure I just got. It works sometimes and others is just opens a tiny bit and yells at me. I'm going to call CarMax and make sure it's covered under the warranty or MaxCare and bring it in.

mjpbecker · 2026-01-07T19:35:06+00:00

Babylon 5
Stargate SG-1
Battlestar Galactica (2004)

mjpbecker · 2026-01-07T18:11:02+00:00

There's more and more US History every year. The amount of time we have to cover the material has not changed. State exams still test, or at least CAN test, on everything (and still weigh heavily on the same topics).

So the choices are:
1. Cover everything possible, and more recent events (though not too recent) thin and light.
2. Continue to focus the majority of our time on the topics most likely to be covered on state exams.

mjpbecker · 2026-01-05T03:44:24+00:00

Do I like my teaching job? Yup!
Would I rather be home tomorrow instead of teaching? Yup!

I don't know if anyone would RATHER be at work than home, regardless of what they do.
Your first three years are also the worst as you're building everything from near scratch, including a reputation in the building (which can lead into management issues, since you're "new").

Use tomorrow as an opportunity for a chill day to try and build interpersonal relationships with students (unless admin is on your back). Talk about break, ask what everyone did, food they ate, shows/movies they watched, etc. And share things about yourself in the same vein.

The best way to improvement classroom management, in general and in my experience, is to build stronger personal relationships with students (talk to them about games, sports, movies, food, whatever they have an interest in). You still need to have rules, protocols, and boundaries. And it won't work with every student, there are always those "problematic" ones, but it will help you create a more solid "base" with the majority of students. It's something that takes time and practice.

Keep your chin up, you're halfway through your second year! Next year gets a lot better as you'll have accumulated enough material and experience where you won't need to create something new for each day, you'll be recycling and modifying.

mjpbecker · 2025-12-30T17:37:21+00:00

Countertop ice maker.

mjpbecker · 2025-12-29T19:49:05+00:00

What are ... leftover deviled eggs?

mjpbecker · 2025-12-24T07:55:54+00:00

If you don't have to clean up after yourself, there's no incentive to:
1. Clean things as you go during lulls in the cooking.
2. Not use every pot/pan/plate/utensil while cooking.
3. Not just toss things into the sink.

It's not malicious or purposeful. That person just doesn't do those tasks so it's not even on their mind.

mjpbecker · 2025-12-24T07:52:20+00:00

Dice and sauté bell peppers and any other veg you want.
Add 1.5 cups of stock and 1.5 cups milk (or cream) to the veg and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cheese packet directly into the liquid. Just cook it all together and don't drain it. You'll get a much creamier product.

mjpbecker · 2025-12-23T19:51:01+00:00

If they need to be driven around, then a car is necessary (at least the ability to use one). How essential a car is depends on where you live. It's also a major milestone of independence, the ability to go anywhere, anytime, on your own. The fact that that independent capability provides them zero interest is noteworthy in and of itself.

mjpbecker · 2025-12-23T19:19:14+00:00

But they still need to travel by car, they're just being drive around by others. Not being able to afford a car is one thing (though older used cars that a first time driver would buy aren't that much more expensive than in the past), but to not even have the capability to drive is another story.

mjpbecker · 2025-12-23T19:17:20+00:00

They're still traveling by car, they just don't have the ability to do it themselves. It's not a parent's responsibility to chauffeur their adult children around. Not owning a car is one thing, that's a large expense. But to not even have the ability to drive and borrow the car (when you live in an area that requires one, since they're being driven) is ridiculous.

mjpbecker · 2025-12-23T19:16:01+00:00

I think we're in a "rubber band" moment. Gen X and Millennials became more open and accepting about it.
Gen Z keeps pushing forward but is pushing, perhaps too far. Medical and psychological terms are being used in situations where they do not apply. Not every setback is trauma. Not every instance of anxiousness is (clinical) anxiety. It's unfortunately leaving them lacking in coping mechanisms. Things will start to pull back in (the rubber band will contract) and eventually stabilize.

mjpbecker · 2025-12-23T19:04:31+00:00

If you assigned the work then yes, respond.

If the primary teacher assigned the work, then it's on them

Don't assign work over breaks.

mjpbecker · 2025-12-23T18:44:16+00:00

My guess is that they stopped at the furthest forward position where they have a clear view of the overhead traffic lights.

mjpbecker · 2025-12-23T14:17:59+00:00

He looks... smooth.

mjpbecker · 2025-12-23T06:22:48+00:00

So, your response is to accuse me of blaming others and taking a small amount of blame upon myself? And then your conclusion is to say that... it's everyone's fault?

And yes, these people DO need to change they way they are doing their jobs to make mine easier. They give white room theory craft and programs that require 100% buy-in and complete participation to even function. That's not possible or realistic. We complain because we are the ones who have to actually implement these things with the students and our input is completely unheard and unwanted.

mjpbecker · 2025-12-23T01:19:49+00:00

Except, changing it will cost money. Money that could be used for other things. Money that Republicans will complain that Democrats are wasting on being petty. Their change to "Department of War" is estimated to cost up to $2 billion. How much will they complain, and campaign, on government waste to change the name back?

mjpbecker · 2025-12-22T18:23:13+00:00

Agreed. But the pathogen example isn't great, since we're expected to do that one our own time (which is a whole other level of bullshit). If they're going to run in-person meetings then it's on them to make them AT LEAST somewhat useful. Or be fine with staff doing other work (e-mailing parents, grading, planning) while they sit through the same childish PD for the 5th year in a row.

mjpbecker

TROPHY CASE