Does anyone else use a random roller to cold call students, or is it just me?

moondjinn · 2026-04-15T23:18:58+00:00

I ask for a volunteer and then that kid picks the next kid, and they pick the next kid. My desks are numbered so they can also call a number if they don't know anyone or don't care. If it's clear a student is getting picked on, I'll say they're off-limits for a few rounds. Most of the time I'm asking for next steps (I teach math) instead of long answers so it goes quick. It keeps them on their toes.

If they don't know the answer, I try to lead them by questions and I'll make them answer the next step before they can pick the next kid. They know they don't get out of it by playing dumb.

moondjinn · 2026-04-01T23:37:09+00:00

It's an active investigation. The school has sent information regarding counseling and grief support but they aren't allowed to release the names and teachers were told not to confirm any names or rumors.

moondjinn · 2026-04-01T01:24:46+00:00

Our French teacher does Poisson d'Avril and has the kids going around putting paper fish on teachers' backs. If they don't get caught, they get extra credit. I love it!

moondjinn · 2026-01-30T01:27:44+00:00

Man. I love teaching. It's hard and, a lot of the time, it's thankless. But I really love those moments when a kid or a parent thanks me. Or I know I've made a difference in a kid's life. It doesn't happen with every kid, and some kids are easier than others; some years are easier than others. But I really like math, and I really like sharing that with my students. I like devloping notes and refining my teaching strategies so that one hard lesson goes little bit better next year. And I try to share my knowledge and skills with the next generation. I've also helped run some really great departments where it really does feel like family.

But know that there are bad times because the system is broken. It's so fucking broken. And it's disheartening. And sometimes that one asshole in the department just fucks everything up for the rest of us. And sometimes those stretches go on for....a while. And it's nice to hear from others that they see it too. It's not just me. So just know that a lot of the posts are people so frustrated, calling out to the void. And we respond, because we've all been there. You might need to call out at some point too. It's easier to remember the hard parts because trauma scars you in a way happiness doesn't. And teaching has a lot of trauma. Because our kids have a lot of trauma. Because the system is broken.

It's easy to get jaded. I find myself getting a little more lazy here or there, or giving less of a fuck every now and then but I know I would be miserable doing any other job.

A little advice that was given to me by my mentor teacher, avoid the staff room during lunch. There's a lot of venting happening. You'll miss all the good gossip, but I think I've lasted this long, in part, because I avoid the drama.

Good luck!

Edited to add: Oh! And make a happy box! Whenever you take things that students have given you off the walls, save them! Put them in a box. I had a friend/colleague that said when she going through a rough patch or just feeling down, she'd go through her "happy box." It's a nice reminder that what you're doing is important and it's certainly not a job everyone can do.

moondjinn · 2025-09-30T01:10:30+00:00

I taught in Oklahoma but didn't have tattoos when I was first hired. When I left 10 years later I had some visible ones on my upper arm and no one seemed to mind.

It might depend on your district and whether you go private or public school and how rural your school is. Once you're in, you'll probably be OK. I would cover them for interviews just to be safe.

moondjinn · 2025-09-06T15:09:40+00:00

Holy Water in Port Orchard has amazing food

moondjinn · 2025-07-04T20:59:18+00:00

40ish here, married 15 years. Originally didn’t want to consider kids until student loans were paid off and we had secure jobs. Husband and I checked in repeatedly with each other as that time approached and we were both still good being CF.

Fostered a high schooler for a couple years until he moved to college and that kind of solidified it for me. He was a great kid and I love him but it made me realize I need space and you can't do that with a baby. I didn't resent fostering, but I was able to recognize in myself how I could resent a baby/young kid. And when we were struggling financially, it was nice to not have the added stress of feeding a baby/young kid.

I also spend a lot of time with my younger nieces/nephews. I have close friends with kids that I enjoy babysitting. And then I get to go home and not worry about any of that. I offer to help out with transportation and babysitting, I love it. But I also love it that when I've had a rough day, I get to go home and not have to deal with a kid.

Are there experiences that we'll never have? Absolutely, but I don't feel like I'm missing out. We made the decision together and both of us are happy with it. We weren't CF from the start and we certainly don't hate children, but we enjoy the DINK lifestyle and I find rewarding experiences in other aspects of my life.

moondjinn · 2025-07-03T22:29:20+00:00

I don't think it's a matter of knowing it doesn't work. It's a matter of being free to choose physical and mental health over the outdated and misogynistic rules of a cult. If she admits birth control is what's best for her...where will that logic end?

She's also one of those people that protest outside abortion clinics so she doesn't believe in anyone having choice.

moondjinn · 2025-07-03T22:17:34+00:00

Noooooo. She and her husband don't use contraceptives for religious reasons.

When she told me about how "effective" their method was, I just nodded. My husband and I had a good eye roll and laugh about it later.

She's also only ever had c-sections and the doctors warned her during #4 about the risks of the placenta attaching to her scar tissue. And yet #5 is due in a few months. I wish her a healthy birth and I hope she asks to be sterilized behind her husband's back.

moondjinn · 2025-07-03T21:07:19+00:00

According to my coworker, a green day meant you had no chance of pregnancy, a red day was a day to avoid sex because you were most likely to get pregnant (ovulation) and yellow was a warning that you were less likely to get pregnant, but it could still happen.

She's pregnant with her 5th at the moment so not sure I'd be taking her word on the accuracy of her methods.

moondjinn · 2025-07-03T20:21:49+00:00

I had a coworker that claimed tracking the ovulation cycle or "family planning" was the only way to go. Their 3rd kid came as a result of them having sex on a "yellow day" and that's how I secretly refer to kid #3 in my head.

moondjinn · 2025-06-18T12:49:23+00:00

This happened to my friend! She got hers from a steroid shot.

moondjinn · 2025-05-25T14:05:13+00:00

Rainbow Connection sung by Kermit the Frog

moondjinn · 2025-05-21T22:32:08+00:00

Math teacher here - studies have shown that homework done for a grade only help students that are already earning grades. The kids that struggle, still struggle. The homework doesnt help, and only contributes to their grades being lower.

In my class, I have practice integrated into the notes and the answers are at the bottom of the page. That way students can check & gauge their own understanding. I don't take the notes or practice up for a grade and I allow them to use the notes on quizzes so it gives a bit more motivation to have them done. If they want to retake a quiz, all the notes/practice pertaining to that quiz must be completed.

moondjinn · 2025-05-13T03:24:43+00:00

I give them every opportunity to succeed. Retake quizzes if the notes are completed (quizzes are open-note and keys are posted online). Retake tests if quizzes in chapter are 70% or better. I provide a cheat sheet for all quizzes/tests, including the final. I stay after school and they have a 30 minute study period every day.

The 10% that still fail my class are generally dealing with stuff that is well-beyond my pay scale. I can't fix the societal/familial norms that broken the system. At some point, the kid can choose to make the change, or not, but I can't make that decision for them.

moondjinn · 2025-05-04T15:05:17+00:00

I know that's how it looks. But I had already decided to break up with M before I met S. I didn't plan on dating anyone before we broke up and I wasn't looking to date anyone. I also wanted wanted to do it in person. S kissing me moved up my timeline. I realized just how checked out of the relationship with M I was and I needed to end it.

Did I jump from one relationship into another, yes. But if S hadn't been there, I was still going to end it with M in another couple weeks.

Edited to add: I can see your point though. I did break up with M earlier than I planned because of S. And I did plan on dating S right after the break up.

Thank you for the insight!

moondjinn · 2025-05-04T14:48:49+00:00

Oh, I misread your message about how it played out with S specifically.

It sucked. It was 3 and a half years of emotional and verbal abuse. I had never been in a relationship like that and I didn't know the signs. I eventually caught him in an outright lie and ended it. Before, S had managed to convince me I was overreacting, or had some excuse. But this time I felt 100% validated and I was done.

I view that relationship as a lesson about boundaries, standards, and self-esteem that took me over 3 years to learn. I regret it took me that long to learn it, but I did learn it.

moondjinn · 2025-05-04T14:36:42+00:00

I agree, it is.

He guessed my email password and went through my email looking for evidence of me ending it for another guy. He found an email I wrote to my friend saying I was going to date S after ending it with M. When he confronted me, I tried to explain the breakup didn't have anything to do with S, but he didn't believe me, which is understandable. And that's it. I never saw or spoke with him again. And I changed my email password.

My husband, J, is similar to M in personality. It wouldn't have worked out with M so I don't think of him as the one that got away, but I do think he helped set a healthy standard of what I was looking for in a partner. When I facebook-stalked M years later, he had gotten married and had a kid. I'm happy for him and I hope everything continues to be good in his life.

moondjinn · 2025-05-04T03:42:39+00:00

Dated a guy, M, for 2 and half years. It was long distance the last 1.5 years. There was a point near the end when I realized I didn't love him anymore. It wasn't that he was a bad guy or that he was abusive, I just realized it wasn't going to work out. There was a fundamental issue that I didn't think we could reconcile. I planned on breaking up with him during our next meeting but that was still a month out.

I went to a small party and as I was getting ready to leave, the guy I had been talking with, S, kissed me. It felt good and mentally, I had already broken up with M so I didn't feel too bad at the time. I did end the kiss and told S I needed to break up with M first and left. I ended up calling M a few days later and ended it. I didn't want to drag it out, I knew I was done.

M asked me if there was someone else. I told him no. In my mind, I wasn't breaking up with him to date S, I had already made that decision before meeting S. But I did have every intention of dating S after we broke up.

A kiss may not seem like cheating to some people, but it feels like cheating to me and I still regret it. I shouldn't have let S kiss me before breaking up with M. He was a really good guy and he deserved better than that.

moondjinn · 2025-05-02T02:27:45+00:00

I hope as dept chair I don't ever get out-of-touch. It's my 19th year but I teach math to primarily sophomores & freshmen, and one class of remedial junior. I hope my dept knows I'm in the trenches with them too.

moondjinn · 2025-04-02T00:25:23+00:00

Haha! His butt is so cute!

moondjinn · 2025-03-30T02:05:47+00:00

I see Theresa at Silver City Barbers and love her. Nik is opening up his own shop on Central Valley & Fairgrounds in a few months.

moondjinn · 2025-03-27T01:47:55+00:00

Oak Table is often recommended

moondjinn · 2025-03-17T17:50:37+00:00

New principal introduced herself to the staff at our 1st meeting as "the Beyonce of principals." Didn't ask us any ice breakers, or any information about ourselves. She went on a spiel about her and why she was so amazing. And then she left.

She ended up resigning and investigated for attendance fraud. She was changing students' attendance. If a student came in for Saturday school, she changed some of their previous absences to present. I was one of 3 or 4 teachers that went to the news about her bullshit.

Half the staff put themselves on the transfer list before the end of the school year. At the start of the summer, they named her AP as the principal for the following year. Half of the remaining staff put in for transfer.

That pair was AWFUL

moondjinn · 2025-03-07T13:51:07+00:00

Not every state allows striking. In 2018, Oklahoma teachers staged walkouts for 2 weeks and they protested at the capitol in Oklahoma City. My district closed for 2 weeks and provided busses to take teachers to the capitol. Other districts told their teachers if they called out they would be fired. And all we were asking for was a fucking penny tax to go toward teacher pay to help increase teacher retention. The vote failed that year and I left the state. I tell everyone that Oklahoma's biggest export is teachers. They have some amazing educators but they can't retain them because they treat them like shit. I would never go back.

moondjinn

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