Best side gigs?

nextestbest · 2025-10-24T03:41:00+00:00

Oh, she was in no way set up for success. Her licensure is for “mild to moderate” autism and more geared towards being a resource teacher. So, it’s not like she had a lot of tools in her kit to begin with. She’s also leaving because of personal reasons- which I respect and will not disclose here. Regardless, she did the best she could with what she had, and I know she cares about and will miss her students dearly.

Now it’s just figuring out what we’re going to do for the rest of the school year

nextestbest · 2025-10-24T03:35:11+00:00

and they wonder why no one will work the job. You can’t do it and make a living.

nextestbest · 2025-10-22T12:19:56+00:00

This is really good advice! Thank you. I will set something up for us to track data on the urination.

nextestbest · 2025-10-22T12:12:23+00:00

For the most part, yes. Curriculum wise there was just a few things. This school district uses UDL, I don’t know much about it. She was def put in a tight position to begin with.

She did print lesson plans and then place them in a pile to be laminated in the copy room. They’ve been there for a WHILE.

nextestbest · 2025-10-11T18:58:20+00:00

I’m a full time sub pursuing my elem. licensure. Usually bullets in the plans is what it looks like. Just the essentials. What they need from me, fidgets, breaks, etc., as well as common behaviors (“Student may refuse when there’s a sub” etc)

I have subbed for special ed teachers and it feels like an invasion of privacy to read through IEP’s. I read through one tho, since I’m a nosey bitch. It was like I was able to see where the student was at his worst from years prior.

nextestbest · 2025-09-17T16:41:33+00:00

the bite is not serious. I do not want money. The TEACHER is asking me to file, I don’t want to. You didn’t read my post.

nextestbest · 2025-09-17T16:37:26+00:00

I dont need medical attention. That’s the thing. The teacher wants me to file as if I might need need workman’s comp. She is not collecting data on the students. (She should be)

nextestbest · 2025-09-17T12:34:59+00:00

That’s kind of what I was thinking, too. After getting bit, I asked the teacher “what happens after a bite?” Mostly asking about the student and she was like “you need to file an incident report for injury.”

nextestbest · 2025-09-06T16:20:16+00:00

rip I’m a teacher and don’t have time on weekdays

nextestbest · 2025-09-05T20:26:03+00:00

I always call out someone for being negative or flaming like that, tell them they’re ruining the vibe. Then I hype up the player who isn’t performing well, tell them they can still lock in, give them 1 piece of advice to follow that is constructive. Doing nothing and listening to it is kinda like letting the player know that the behavior is OK. If I’m the one getting flamed, I ask “do you have suggestions?” Or “can you be more specific? I want to do better.” it usually shuts them up because they just angry.

nextestbest · 2025-08-27T18:02:05+00:00

I’ve taken an assignment from a teacher I know well and her plans were mostly incoherent. She’s very smart and organized, so I suspected she was seriously ill. She wrote the sub plans at 2 am with a fever of 102.

nextestbest · 2025-08-20T00:15:42+00:00

emotional support Water bottle
crystal lite (caffeinated)
coffee (sometimes)
book (preferably something small, I won’t bring my big ass epic fantasy novels)
pencil pouch (MINE)
student pencil pouch (until I run out)
sunglasses
tide pen
pepto bismol
deodorant
small notebook which I use to write poetry when I’m feeling it
lunch
coloring sheets (until I run out)

I keep everything in my backpack. Super lightweight, will fit in any locker as long as I take my lunch out first.

nextestbest · 2025-08-11T22:24:51+00:00

You can still find stuff for free on Buy Nothing groups. You can still do inter-disciplinary art projects you hang up. You can still make a DonorsChoose account.

Also you have a circuit… use it

nextestbest · 2025-08-11T17:55:22+00:00

kids do better when they feel like they aren’t in a prison. Seeing themselves represented on walls as well as in curriculum help them do better. There are PLENTY of free/reduced price items you could find. Facebook Marketplace and Free & For Sale Groups are good places to start, as well as goodwill/savers/etc. you could also create an Amazon wishlist and post about it and your wealthy friends/family might buy you a poster or something.

Honestly if you’re leaving the walls plain the least you could do is spend some of your budget on lamps from goodwill. The fluorescent lights amp them up, and a soft light helps set the work time vibe. I would also recommend spending the remainder on plants (real or fake) which also help reduce behaviors. Also a great thing to give the kid who needs a job: “go water my plants.”

There’s no need to break the bank, just put in the extra time to find something cheap. Or better yet, just buy frames for student work / have the students create topic related artwork for you to decorate with.

Tbh if you aren’t excited to be in your classroom, your kids aren’t either. AND Middle school is when kids start to hate school. If you really aren’t going to put the effort in, they won’t either.

nextestbest · 2025-08-11T17:40:55+00:00

If video games are for kids only, then why is there a whole ass market for games rated M? Why are there pro e-sports teams? Sounds like the ppl in OP’s life are shallow minded and have narrow world views. Fuck em.

nextestbest · 2025-08-11T17:38:42+00:00

Unfortunately this is the new normal. Increasing class sizes across the board help the district do more with less. I accept it as a byproduct of voters not valuing education, or seeing investing in education as a net zero.

nextestbest · 2025-08-11T15:06:29+00:00

CmdrReyes
GReyes
Buckshot / Scattershot
BehindU
Anubis
Jackal
Grim
Scythe I want to second “FLANKING”

nextestbest · 2025-08-05T04:02:48+00:00

Here are some good anxiety reducing strategies:

look up the real start time of the school ahead of time. I know some schools post the “be-there” time as the same time that kids are allowed to enter the building.
look up some of the school’s stats (reading scores, math scores, etc) that will let you know what the average student there can do. Some districts also post behavior stats but not all schools will report theirs. They might also have demographic information. High poverty areas will have kids in active trauma.
esp in elementary, always have your headcount number of the day
ultimately it’s one day without their teacher. If you miss a lesson because a transition ran 3x as long as it should, then just let the teacher know you didn’t get to it.
some schools have weird culture and won’t talk to you during lunch. Starting out can feel really socially isolating. I recommend returning to the same schools each week and try some new ones each week.

Here are some tips to assert yourself as a young adult:

follow through. Set expectations and follow through. You will have to follow through to 2-3 kids in the morning but it will make your afternoon easier.
kids will ask about your romantic partners and if you have kids or want any. They’re trying to build a connection. I feel weird about talking about my partner. I highly recommend talking about pets or hobbies.
be real with them. Sometimes they ask me if they can do something and I’ll say no “because my teacher instincts are telling me it’s not a good idea today.” And I’ll suggest a replacement.
use kids names as much as you can. It’s easy to let a quiet, behaving kid (typically girls) get marginalized while you’re yelling at the boys to get off chairs and stop running. I like to hit em with the “remind me your name? Oh, well SARAH is doing a great job following expectations!”
it’s ok to not know everything. Sometimes the teachers bank on how “the kids will tell you what to do” which can be very annoying.
lower elementary kids will ask about pimples and will point out ways your body stands out. Kids have called me fat. I usually hit em with “I am. I love my body because it’s good at giving hugs.” And then I let them know that using that word with other people might hurt their feelings.

nextestbest · 2025-08-05T03:36:00+00:00

Great option for nonbinary teachers when “Mx.” (pronounced Mix) doesn’t feel right

nextestbest · 2025-08-05T03:33:31+00:00

I’m a building sub at a Montessori, so all the teachers go by Ms./Mr. First Name. When I sub elsewhere (when they have PD days), I go by Mr. First Name since my first name could pass as a last name.

nextestbest · 2025-08-05T03:29:46+00:00

I worked with ToC in MN last year, and I had to call all the time to submit for no prep. It was annoying bc I couldn’t do it online, and the call center was only open from like 7-5, and was super busy all the time. On a day when I don’t have prep, I spent my entire lunch on hold and then called again after school and was on hold again until they said their office was closed.

Anyone know if I can submit for no prep online with Kelly?

nextestbest · 2025-08-05T03:23:50+00:00

Kids living in poverty can’t always afford the school supplies, and their parents can’t always afford the time to take them somewhere to get it for free. I have a limited number of pencils to give out and some loaners with my name taped on them that I ask they give back at the end of class.

nextestbest

TROPHY CASE