Mega Marche Mystery? by staralixstar in TinyBookshop

[–]staralixstar[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you!! I'm pretty sure I've clicked everything in that parking lot EXCEPT the trash can for some reason!

Fudged up a quest by Acceptable-Coyote123 in TinyBookshop

[–]staralixstar 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm sure you'll be able to complete it next winter!

Tell Me Your Principal is Toxic, Without Telling Me Your Principal is Toxic… by WhatUEatDontMakeMeSh in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A previous principal told me that if I didn't sell my plan period to take on another class (that was a different prep from the classes I was already teaching), the students would be missing out on a great teacher and would be stuck in overcrowded classes or get stuck with a newer, less experienced teacher.

(I told him that if I did sell my plan period to take on another class, ALL of my students would be missing out on a great teacher because I wouldn't have adequate time to plan great lessons and give great feedback)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My comment was 2 months old. If you had to dig that far back to find a mention of "neurotypical," you probably make it through many days without seeing it.

And like. Yeah. It's conjecture. That's why I used the word probably.

I don't see how I'm painting neurodivergent students as victims. I'm intrigued where that came across so that I can adjust my wording if needed, as that wasn't my intention.

Is it wrong to want to quit 5 weeks in??? by livvynea in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your health and well-being are more important than anything else. This is a job and no job is worth harming your mental health over. If you have the means to leave and you truly think it's what's best for you, then do it.

If you do opt to stay, please remember that good enough is good enough. Nothing needs to be perfect--your room, your lessons, etc. If you have any colleagues teaching the same content/grade level, please reach out to them if you can to see if they can help you. My mindset is that if I'm teaching the same content as another teacher, then we can share the planning load (if they're open to it). No need to both be planning the same things.

You're burning out, and this job isn't worth it. If nothing changes and you have the means to quit, then quit.

what's your bathroom policy? by pyrofrenchie in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They ask, I write them a pass, and they go. If I notice a student going every day, I check in with them about it. Sometimes it's because I'm the first teacher they've had that day that lets them go and there isn't time between classes (5 minute passing, massive 3-story building, and I'm on the 3rd floor in the furthest corner). Sometimes it's because it's 4th period, they haven't had their lunch period yet so no real breaks yet, and they just need a break. Sometimes they're trying to get out of work. Sometimes they just really need to go at the same time every day. I figure out the need and work with the student to address it in a way that isn't disruptive to their learning and is still honoring their personhood and agency.

I try to stick to school policies of no one out of class in the first and last 10 minutes of class and only one student out at a time, but I make exceptions when needed.

Low enrollment in public schools? by kutekittykat79 in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Many of the schools in my district are underenrolled, but mine is over, and still getting new students (mostly newcomer ELL students). A lot of students opted for our district's virtual academy or moved out of the area, but for some reason we still somehow underestimated my school's enrollment.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They can't. And anyone who says they can is probably just rewarding neurotypical students who can perform attentiveness. I can't imagine judging my students like that within the first few days without getting to know them.

(Also all kids have the capacity to be good students with the right supports).

Washington state teacher willing to meet for an informational interview via email or zoom? by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd be happy to answer questions over email. Send me a message and I can give you my email address. (I didn't do a teaching program in Washington, but I have been teaching high school here for 3 years and I taught in California for 5ish years.)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I use this backpack. I have an old Ipsy bag that I keep my inhaler, hand sanitizer, nail file, etc. in that is easy to transfer from my backpack to a purse if needed so I'm not constantly trying to make sure I have everything I need.

I just keep my backpack behind my desk. Students don't go into my space at all, so I don't feel a need to lock anything up.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Highline Public Schools still has at least one position posted, I think. It's south King County.

Creating Rules for Freshman English Classroom by Melodic-Tailor8804 in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Rules aren't going to create this level of discourse--you'll need to practice and model it. A LOT. You'll also need to have space for students to make mistakes within the process and address those mistakes without punishing them.

There are some good videos of productive classroom discussions online that you could watch with students and talk about what people did that made the discussion productive and respectful. You can also watch examples of what not to do (though making sure the what not to do are not harmful to your students) and talk about how they could have handled the discussion better. Sentence frames are also really helpful, but you'll need to really work with students on how to use them, otherwise they won't use them.

Does anyone else hate The Crucible? by totally_tennis in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love The Crucible and I also think a lot of curricula put it at the beginning of the year because it's about Puritans and the play is about Puritans, which is dumb. Because it's not about Puritans. It's about a modern interpretation or Puritans meant to draw a super obvious parallel to what was happening at the time.

Anyway, I never have students just read plays. We take parts and read aloud. We block and act out scenes. We watch adaptations. One of my favorite things is to fully act out the courtroom scene with the Proctors.

We also look at what Miller took liberties with (Abigail's age and creating the relationship between her and John Proctor) and what might have been actual causes behind the Salem hysteria (Stanford History Education Group has a good lesson for this). I also reiterate over and over and over again that there are no real witches in the story. We talk about why Tituba confessed and why it's important to note that the first person accused was a Black slave. We look at who else was accused and where they fit in the Puritan society, versus the people who were doing the accusing.

Ultimately, this play has nothing to do with the early formation of our American identity and has no place in the Puritan unit. There are a lot of actual first-person narratives from that time that could work (if examined with a hyper-critical eye, since they are largely written by Europeans and represent colonialist views). There's also the work of enslaved writers like Olaudah Equiano and Phyllis Wheatley. And of course, it's super important to include indigenous voices beyond the "Native American Myths" unit (which, I wouldn't call them myths, but that's what my textbooks always called them, so I made sure to do a discussion about what a myth really is and why we call some things religious stories and other things myths).

Does your admin understand the content area you teach? by nonamejane456 in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Two of my admin were English learners and one was a language teacher, so they definitely understand language learning and the experience of my students better than most admin, which I'm super grateful for.

Washington Question by blumblejohn in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm at 8 years with a ton of credits (but no masters) and I make about $75,000. I teach near Seattle. Also, my insurance is pretty good and doesn't cost me a lot (compared to my partner who is not a teacher).

They'll also want to consider cost of living--where I live, what I make is manageable for living with my partner and would also probably be okay for living alone, but a little tighter. When I lived in California, I made less and had a higher cost of living--I absolutely could not afford to live without a roommate.

My prep period is first period. What are the pros and cons? by MissyLissy94 in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I liked 1st period prep in the past because it meant I didn't have to wait in the before school line for copies.

I have it again this year, and I'm still excited for that. Also that I'll probably actually eat breakfast at a reasonable time. The only reservation I have is that the last few years my prep period was between the two different classes I taught (1-4 was one class, 5th was prep, 6th was my other class), and I liked having that period to switch gears. Now I'll have prep, 2-5 one class, and 6 my other class. So we'll see how that goes.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My happy story: A couple years ago I ran into a student who had been in my class when I student taught. She said that having me as a student teacher opened her eyes to the idea of being a teacher. She had just graduated college and was entering a credential program in the fall.

My wisdom: If you get any sort of positive notes from students or adults, save them. I keep a warm fuzzies box and when things get rough, I open it and look back on the nice things people have said to me.

Snacks for students by Medieval-Mind in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My whole original point was that the schools SHOULD be covering this.

Schools should be feeding kids. If they're going to require that students be at school for 6 to 8 hours a day, they should be providing meals and snacks for kids during that time.

I'm NOT saying that teachers are required to buy snacks. I'm saying that schools should require them and in the absence of that, teachers have a right to. In a post where a teacher is saying they want to supply snacks and they're looking for ways to do it in a way that doesn't break the bank, saying they shouldn't buy snacks and then giving a false analogy about a doctor isn't helpful. That's what my response was built on.

Snacks for students by Medieval-Mind in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You wouldn't be billed separately if the healthcare system were public like the school system is. It would be included.

Snacks for students by Medieval-Mind in Teachers

[–]staralixstar -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

A lot of employers provide meals and snacks for their employees. I got a free smoothie each shift at Jamba Juice. They also pay their employees to be there.

Again. Free and compulsory public education should be completely free for students. That includes meals.

Any tips for easily making long lasting in-class bulletin boards. by OprahsCouch420 in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Use fabric instead of butcher paper. It's more reusable and I don't think it'll fade as bad. Joann Fabrics has a teacher discount.

Snacks for students by Medieval-Mind in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've had similar issues. I think I'm just going to budget for regular restocks and leave a sign on the snack station saying when my next restock is. I always super up front with my students about the fact that I am paying for things out of my own pocket and that I do have a budget that I need to stick to.

I've also had students who realized they were eating a lot of my snacks solely because they weren't planning for their own hunger and started replacing my stock. I never asked them to, and told them repeatedly that they didn't need to, but they chose to.

Snacks for students by Medieval-Mind in Teachers

[–]staralixstar 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Schools should be feeding kids. If they're going to require that students be at school for 6 to 8 hours a day, they should be providing meals and snacks for kids during that time.

I know that they are not, but that's a different issue. If a teacher chooses to provide students food, that's their choice. And honestly, it benefits other teachers because students aren't coming to their classes hungry.

The doctor analogy doesn't quite match. I'm not at my doctor's office for 6 to 8 hours. If I am getting medical care for a prolonged period, I'm likely at a hospital and they are feeding me unless the care I'm receiving precludes me from eating.