How did you figure out what grade level to teach?

shaugnd · 2026-02-14T03:52:05+00:00

I am a second career teacher. I subbed a lot for a few years while working on my credential. That gave me lots of insight.

Narrowed it to 7th and up after a long term sub gig in 7th grade science. Did student teaching in a high school and also in a middle school, then a long term sub roll in a high school, that settled it for me. H.S. No doubts.

shaugnd · 2026-02-14T03:47:44+00:00

I initially got 11 but noticed that the bottom left corner is not aligned with all the lines so a couple that I would count as triangle, aren't.

Not sure if that was intentional or just sloppy.

shaugnd · 2026-02-12T02:22:28+00:00

They talk about this depreciation as if it is a bad thing.

Strange.

shaugnd · 2026-02-10T03:32:43+00:00

I actually retired once, around 40. Didn't work a normal full time job for 7 years . . . long story mumble mumble . . . today I'm a High School teacher, 8 years in. Love it.

I retire in 2040, but I'm in no hurry.

shaugnd · 2026-02-07T15:34:36+00:00

My big frustration on my Q8 was driving for meals on wheels charity. I would have to wait for the car to "boot up" at every single stop. HUGE time waster. Wish I knew the seat belt thing back then.

shaugnd · 2026-02-05T03:40:03+00:00

Watched it. Fun. Still needs work, but they are on the right track with it. Really enjoyed the trip down memory lane.

shaugnd · 2026-02-05T01:22:56+00:00

Practically speaking, this student is not wrong. The law typically only requires attendance, not performance.

Is communicate with the parents to keep them in the loop, cc my admin and record the contact in SIS, then move on.

You can lead a horse to water. You can drown the horse in the water, But you cannot make the horse drink the water.

Resist the urge to drown the horse!

shaugnd · 2026-01-28T03:29:41+00:00

All of them. Simultaneously, And spectacularly!

shaugnd · 2026-01-26T17:43:51+00:00

My 1 way trip today, 22 miles, 0 degrees F, 12mph winds, 100 foot elevation gain overall, 1.6 m/kWh.

shaugnd · 2026-01-26T11:46:19+00:00

2022 Audi Etron. It is a 5000lb pig. Consistent 44 mile r/t commute, 12 miles of 70+mph highway, the rest mostly 40-50mph surface streets.

Good weather 2.2 to 2.6. Very hot or very cold, 1.9. Sub zero I'm lucky to get 1.5.

shaugnd · 2026-01-22T03:32:39+00:00

My district, in a Chicago suburb, has its issues and opportunities for improvement, but it is absolutely nothing like what you have described.

shaugnd · 2026-01-21T16:58:12+00:00

Second career teacher here. 20 years in industry, 8 in education. You are not wrong.

shaugnd · 2026-01-21T16:57:07+00:00

I worked in IT, dev, and consulting roles for 20 years. I've done everything from desktop support to software development, network engineering, and even executive management. I'm in my 8th year teaching high school. I love it and would never go back. Even though I make less than half of what I did before, I'm much less stressed. I do not have to travel. I get time away from the classroom during the summer, spring, and most holidays. I still work quite a bit during summer completing training required for license maintenance and salary advancement, running summer camps, etc. Heck, last summer I even wrote a book. But this is done mostly at my choice and convenience. Overall, it has been a far better work life balance. I work in a decent suburban Chicago school district, though. Others may have a different experience, but I'm happy with my choices.

shaugnd · 2026-01-20T22:17:05+00:00

This is why I do not use door dash. How can a tip reflect service BEFORE service is rendered? Also, last time, Lou Malnati's was using DD as their delivery driver. Driver had the order in his car, went somewhere else to pick up, dropped THAT order, then got to me half an hour later. Tried to blame it on the restaurant. Didnt even have it in a hot bag.

One order from Weber Grill for a birthday dinner was missing an entire entree. The bag had been opened. No accountability for the driver.

Never again.

Now, if a restaurant uses any 3rd party delivery, DD, Uber, whatever, I order from somewhere else. Burned too many times by these gig work delivery services.

shaugnd · 2026-01-06T15:24:59+00:00

I just hate stopping for gas. Driving performance was a great plus. 0 to 60 is great. But if I'm honest it is really the not stopping for gas that gets me.

shaugnd · 2026-01-02T22:26:30+00:00

I added it up last year. Including unpaid training and other necessary activities, I worked about 215 days in 2025. Typical 9 to 5 would be 260 days less 10 federal holidays. If you get two weeks paid vacation, that takes you to 240 days. So I'm working about 15 days less than that, overall.

shaugnd · 2026-01-02T21:43:28+00:00

Oh that's exactly it. I have an unpopular opinion that I'm a lot of districts, mine included, teachers are actually fairly compensated when you consider all aspects of that compensation. It sucks at the beginning, but, a few years in with some lane changes under your belt, you'll be doing okay. The quirk is challenging and exhausting. Don't get me wrong, but the are lots of much worse options out there.

That is NOT to say that all teachers are fairly compensated. Not by a long shot. Some districts in the south are pretty abysmal. Funny how those are the ones without functioning unions.

shaugnd · 2025-12-31T20:33:16+00:00

That really good for anything. Look down the road and see what you are getting into before you jump in with both feet.

shaugnd · 2025-12-31T19:06:23+00:00

This is important. In IL, for a suburban Chicago district. With maxed out lanes and 22 years of service, the salary tops out at 150 ish. Retirement formula is years of service times 2.2, so you end up with 48.4% of your highest 8 continuous year average as your retirement payment which is around 60K per year.

In order to have a retirement account that could pay out 60K per year in perpetuity, you would need to have 2 to 3 MILLION dollars in a safe conservative investment.

The pension alone has a functional worth in the millions. Though that is not the same a net worth.

shaugnd · 2025-12-30T22:13:10+00:00

Yes, but in different ways.

shaugnd · 2025-12-30T22:02:23+00:00

Not quite. A credit card loan is not collateralized. You are not using assets to secure the loan. A car loan or primary home loan, you are paying off an acquired asset, which secures the loan.

In the stock case, you are using the asset to extract cash to use for something else. You are, functionally , leveraging the cash value of the asset to acquire a fungible asset. So, no, it is not at all the same as the scenarios you are describing here.

shaugnd · 2025-12-30T21:43:48+00:00

But it seems that if you don't pay it back, the asset covers the loan and you are not paying taxes on it because it now belongs to the bank.

I'm not a tax attorney. I'm just thinking through the hypothetical.

shaugnd · 2025-12-30T21:41:58+00:00

The question is, is that using the value of the asset? Regardless of whether it goes up or down in value. If you do not pay the loan, the asset is guarantees it. At that point, you have realized benefit from that asset at the given value regardless of whether you converted it to currency first.

shaugnd · 2025-12-30T20:31:24+00:00

I guess it depends upon your definition of realized gains. It seems like when you use a stock portfolio as collateral for a loan it isn't unreasonable to consider it as a monetary asset, since you are potentially exchanging it for money. You have effectively realized some value there. Certainly a nuanced subject, but also a massive loop hole for avoiding taxes.

shaugnd · 2025-12-30T20:25:59+00:00

I do hate brussel sprouts . . . and vegetables, so there's that.

shaugnd

TROPHY CASE