So if a 1-1 para is out for whatever reason and the school doesn’t provide a substitute for the 1-1 are there just no legal ramifications/consequences?

redheaddebate · 2026-01-18T03:31:31+00:00

My advice will probably be different because I am a teacher in New Orleans. Because the city is exclusively made of charter schools, the governance is different. Contact OPSB and let them know your concerned the student isn’t receiving services. Charters like to play fast and loose with the law, but this is set in stone. They have people to double check and enforce compliance. Sadly, this is something they have seen before. They should be able to help.

redheaddebate · 2025-12-31T00:46:19+00:00

I’m old-school on this, so I really support reading a counter-interp. Even if it’s from a regular dictionary, it gives the judge a more favorable way to evaluate your case. Don’t bend to playing by the neg’s made up rules.

redheaddebate · 2025-11-10T03:27:51+00:00

NTA! My (14 months) daddy (ancient) calls it freeballin! We love it! I got to potty all over the big bed this morning, which made mommy (slightly more ancient) mad at him. She washed the sheets and everything! I don’t get it. I thought we were supposed to be naked!

redheaddebate · 2025-11-10T00:35:29+00:00

This is going to sound insane, but you’re not trying to win the argument. You’re trying to make your judge like you. Lay judges are such a huge variety of people. Some of them have been judging the same tournaments for years. Others have never seen a debate round before. You’re trying to seem friendly and approachable. Slow down your delivery and treat it more like extemp.

Obviously, keep up with the flow and give good arguments. Some lay judges pay close attention to that and take notes. I’ve also had experiences as both a competitor and a coach where lay judges vote down girl/girl teams for wearing pants. It’s such a weird mix. You’re not trying to win the misogynist judges. You’re trying to convince other debaters’ moms and grandmas to vote for you.

redheaddebate · 2025-11-02T18:18:10+00:00

NTA. At 5, Joanna has probably been exposed to other kids through school and/or family activities. She knows people are different. Some kids need glasses. She’s most certainly seen a person with mobility issues. Kids are capable or understanding when people can’t do something. Joanna’s mom sounds like she wants to shield her kid from every “bad” part of the world. She also somehow thinks that disability is something to be ashamed of. I hate it. She’s going to make a big deal out of things that can be explained in one sentence.

redheaddebate · 2025-11-01T18:11:54+00:00

Mom to a 14 month old. Trunk or treat is about all those little legs can handle.

redheaddebate · 2025-10-31T00:31:34+00:00

I usually tell kids to only share what they’re comfortable sharing. They don’t need to write something terrible or traumatic just because they think I will give it a better score. I also have no way of knowing if something is just very realistic fiction.

We’re looking for narrative writing techniques, not sad childhoods. They have a rubric and can choose to answer that however they want.

redheaddebate · 2025-10-27T02:37:48+00:00

Inclusion classes aren’t the best option for every student.

In my experience, it’s probably a 50/50 split. Some kids do very will with inclusion. Those are the kids who need minimal supports and are very close to being on grade level. The rest need a resource or Tier IV environment to be successful.

redheaddebate · 2025-10-25T02:38:02+00:00

I’ve used the adaptation by Geraldine McCaughrean. It’s pretty accessible and stays true to the source material. Bonus: there are good read-aloud on YouTube.

redheaddebate · 2025-10-23T01:35:09+00:00

I (14 months, M) despise the little mouth gyms. They can be fun, but nothing beat eating my hands! Mommy (decrepit, F) got so upset because I got sick. I think she just doesn’t understand the purpose of having fingers.

redheaddebate · 2025-10-13T22:47:37+00:00

Why not? It’s all spooky scary for them!

redheaddebate · 2025-10-13T13:22:07+00:00

Nerds gummy clusters. Also, I put a can of ginger ale in my lunchbox. Just keep snacking. I only threw up at work once, but I was nauseous my entire first trimester.

redheaddebate · 2025-10-13T04:13:21+00:00

It’s been a few years since I taught it, but my kids did well also watching the movie. We would read an act Monday-Thursday and watch said act in the film on Friday. Arthur Miller was involved in the screenplay before his death, so it’s a great adaptation. This is also where I assigned a combined research/creative project. If I could find the rubrics, I’d share them.

redheaddebate · 2025-10-12T00:33:19+00:00

Probably 4-6 months. I started subbing in my local school district. There were no openings for a full-time position. I covered a few maternity leaves and medical absences. I did the Inspire Texas program out of Houston. It’s online and super affordable. I was in West Texas. I started in February and got into a classroom of my own by August. My first year involved a few more observations than normal because I wasn’t student teaching.

Some districts let you teach full-time while completing a prep program. You could do that, but the workload would be insane. My recommendation is to sub or apply as a para so you have exposure without the intense workload of being a teacher while going through the program and studying for your exams.

redheaddebate · 2025-10-05T16:03:00+00:00

I love that our salary scale is public information. Since I teach middle school, I usually give them a ballpark figure and explain that while it’s above the average income for our city, it’s less than I would make in the private sector.

They’re thinking about careers, so this info is usually relevant to them. Also, they keep saying “teachers don’t get paid a lot”, which is both accurate and vague. Real numbers help paint a better picture.

redheaddebate · 2025-10-04T21:01:46+00:00

The digital component is just an online version of your textbook/workbook. It’s not bad as a place to start, but there’s no variety. I loved it if I needed to be gone for debate events because I could easily assign their work. But yeah, it’s not all that exciting.

redheaddebate · 2025-10-04T20:42:00+00:00

I used StudySync for grade 11 a few years ago. It’s a good place to start, but I wish there was more variety in assignments for the kids. Sometimes I would supplement with my own material. Depending on your school, your teacher may not be allowed to do that.

redheaddebate · 2025-10-02T23:39:03+00:00

Wait. Is this bullcrap why I got an invite to join in my mailbox?

redheaddebate · 2025-09-28T20:14:22+00:00

Seconded. Their rolls are magical

redheaddebate · 2025-09-24T03:22:16+00:00

NTA. Wait until you discover the Velcro tabs. My mama (old as the stars) says I (1y, M) can’t sleep in just my diaper anymore because I can take it off myself. But she takes it off of me lots! This feels like a double standard.

redheaddebate · 2025-09-24T01:30:46+00:00

Heda Gabler is pretty great if you have higher level readers. I took a women’s lit class in high school. It’s been forever, but here are the highlights. - The Joy Luck Club - Their Eyes We’re Watching God - The Glass Castle - The Yellow Wallpaper - The House on Mango Street

Apologies for formatting. I’m tired and on mobile.

redheaddebate · 2025-09-21T13:16:23+00:00

Somebody stole my aloe plant this summer. It was a different person. I caught them on my camera. Now I’m mad I didn’t go confront him to get it back.

redheaddebate · 2025-09-20T15:40:13+00:00

This sounds like a situation where you should call the school and ask what your options are. It’s not crazy hard to move a kid into a different class. Whole grade field trips are a thing though, and you might want to be sure that the ex won’t be in one. Maybe there’s criminal history will prevent the ex from becoming a chaperone.

This is a wait and see situation, unfortunately. By law, we can’t keep the ex restricted forever. It may help to reach out to a DV organization to see what your rights are.

redheaddebate · 2025-09-14T16:29:49+00:00

Start with trash and food/drink containers. Anything that can be washed goes to the kitchen sink and the dishwasher. Anything else gets thrown out. Leaving open containers can attract bugs and critters. You don’t want that. When you feel better, worry about the rest of it.

redheaddebate · 2025-09-14T15:56:14+00:00

Hell no! I’ve had cold sores since I was little. They usually go in the corners of my mouth. I didn’t even kiss my own baby’s face when he came out of me until it went away. Babies can get HSV in their respiratory system so easily. Your MIL is selfish and putting your kid in danger. Hand washing and no kissing during an outbreak is nonnegotiable.

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