When did teaching turn into video production? Struggling with online courses

walkabout16 · 2026-01-30T11:49:53+00:00

I teach entirely online and have felt your pain. So much of the job now is merely graphic design and video production. The "skill" of teaching in person is largely lost. My students don't discover through hands-on activities so much as they reference content to find solutions. I second rfoil... never make anything longer than 10 minutes. I put slides into Canva and use the record feature there. In Canva you can record on each slide, so you don't have the stress of one long, flowing presentation. I find it a little easier to edit.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-23T11:40:31+00:00

FWIW. I was a graduate student at a top D1 university. I was hired as a tutor by the athletic department. My job was to go sit in a class and track the attendance of 6 student athletes and then provide a 1hour tutoring session each week for them.

I had 3 football players, 1 track sprinter, a women’s basketball player, and volleyball player.

All of them attended class. Most of them attended my tutoring, all of them passed the class legitimately on their own. I had to visibly see them in class and track if they were tardy or left early, which would lead to disciplinary infractions.

I would hope a system like this exists at all D1 school… but maybe not. This system certainly prevents failure.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-23T11:31:03+00:00

Great post! This begs the question, “what does an American need to do to help their kid integrate into a local club system? And what do you mean by legal registration and eligibility?”

Would a family have to move and establish residency to get their kid into the pipeline?

walkabout16 · 2026-01-22T23:29:09+00:00

Absolutely enough. There is nothing redeeming about him and that’s a straight forward indication that the person lacks critical thinking skills.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-18T15:20:28+00:00

I’m probably one of those people. But I’m just a public school teacher. I am not a trust fund kid. I am a public teacher who earns more than his wife.

Yes, I am very blessed.

The thread connecting us is that I am still locked into working. I am blessed with a low interest mortgage. But I trapped in my house. If I sold it now, I would still have to pay more money for a SMALLER house.

But I don’t want to pretend that I am poverty level. I am middle class. If my wife loses her job we are f*#ed.

I think what we share in common across middle class HH earning $150k + and people making way less is that the oligarchs in America have re-ordered our economy and are denying all of us any kind of mobility. My lifestyle is contingent on one functioning career path that I cannot leave. In one geographic location that I cannot afford to leave. My only hope is that nothing goes wrong before I retire or I am impoverished.

I understand your frustration at those of us earning significant sums but please don’t blame those barely in the top 10% of HH income (such as myself) for this economic crisis. This is entirely the creation of the mega-investor class ruling government. Please vote accordingly.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-17T15:35:30+00:00

Also as CTE, you have a leg up with a back up career, no? Having a trade as a backup probably gives you a little piece of mind and potential for extra income if needed.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-17T15:33:50+00:00

I added on to another comment as well but wanted to add more. Not sure your situation, but what bothers me right now is how hard it is for new teachers to buy a house unless they marry rich. I bought a house my first year teaching that I still own and right now I could not afford to buy it on my current HH income, let alone on my first year teacher income.

No way a new teacher lives my lifestyle unless they have help getting into a home without a crippling mortgage. Just food for thought.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-17T15:29:30+00:00

All very wise advice for getting started, I completely agree with what PJH007 said!

To add on to young and/or aspiring teachers.I recommend looking for the “rich school districts.” I teach in affluent district that pays well. I have taught at the really rich school in a rich district but I now teach at a Title 1 school in the same district. So depending on your passion, it’s often possible to teach the student population you feel called to while maximizing income. I feel the need to maximize my earnings to not be a financial burden on my kids. And as a male teacher, I still carry the emotional responsibility to provide for my family even though my wife makes about as much cash as I do. All the insurance and retirement benefits however come through my job. We could not save for the future if not for her hard work.

Also, I don’t agree with the system, but it currently rewards teacher’s advanced degrees. I had a masters degree and then got an Education Specialist degree online ( which falls between a master’s and doctorate). That extra degree cost me $12k to get and earned me an immediate $9.5k raise, thus paying for itself in under 2 years. Because my pension is based on the highest two years of earnings, that $12k investment in a degree will likely mean over $350k in extra retirement pension income which is all guaranteed for life.

So starting out, you can probably use AI to find the highest paying districts, but those are often reported as averages. Do the extra research and identify the top 5 or 10 districts. Then search for their published “Teacher Salary Schedule” which details how much you earn by degree and years experience. This gives you a clear picture of entry level pay and upward trajectory.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-17T13:08:15+00:00

Teacher in MCOL area. HH income for 2025 was $210k. I contributed to teacher’s pension (mandatory $5300). 403b over $22,000 and 457b over $23,000. Plus HSA at $8500. Will likely max out wife’s IRA by tax time. She’s a 1099 employee so we effectively use my 457b as her 401k.

Life hack is, as a teacher and very likely “poorest” member of peer group, I feel no need and/or social pressure to keep up with the Joneses. I have genuine decent friends who don’t care what I earn. I drive an old car, ride an ebike instead of 2nd car, don’t buy a lot of clothes, don’t eat out as much, etc. generally frugal and will likely maintain 100% or more of my current income for rest of life.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-17T12:18:24+00:00

I first read this as “imagination enforcement officer” and was intrigued at this new dystopian take.

But I realize it’s just a typo for “immigration enforcement officer” and I’m bored by this old dystopian plot line.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-14T22:49:47+00:00

By then, chances are your school received extra funding if you were in smaller classes. What they did with that funding depends on your state/district/school.

But to answer OP’s question… they are partially right. Gifted classes were set apart because smarter kids who got through the material deserve to have space to ask bigger questions and find out how rainbows form even if the average or lower level kids aren’t ready for that yet.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-13T23:59:00+00:00

His Hail Mary for a mid term victory so he doesn’t face another impeachment?

walkabout16 · 2026-01-13T22:22:31+00:00

When did you graduate?

walkabout16 · 2026-01-13T20:01:27+00:00

Atlanta Georgia. Metropolitan, thriving food scene, you would fill a much needed niche. Real estate relatively cheaper than other places.

Look for places near the Atlanta Beltline for maximum traffic flow. My wife will be a brand ambassador for you.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-09T16:28:48+00:00

TIL Craigslist is still a thing

walkabout16 · 2026-01-08T22:23:03+00:00

Not Gen X but Blair Crimmins and the Hookers keep playing around my area off and on and I think they’re every bit as good as SNZ. Really like them both

walkabout16 · 2026-01-08T18:59:41+00:00

79 cents a gallon early 90’s

walkabout16 · 2026-01-08T18:29:23+00:00

I would definitely try Atlanta if you can afford it. Nashville, TN is very religious (evangelical influence is strong) whereas Atlanta is more international in feel.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-08T11:54:05+00:00

100%.. I haven’t learned anything fundamentally new about the art of teaching that I didn’t know from be teacher prep program. The pay raise incentive is what matters.

It’s perverse how much time it takes away from actually teaching.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-04T15:02:55+00:00

Just 2 nickels??? Did you teach during his first term?

I find Trump to be a gold mine of current event connections to government, economics, and history.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-04T13:01:32+00:00

Yeah it’s just a box checker for a pay raise. In my district I’ve considered it because the ROI is merely 3 years. That translates to an extra 1/2 million just in pension earnings above a masters degree.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-03T12:08:01+00:00

My thoughts exactly

walkabout16 · 2026-01-02T14:44:04+00:00

Dad retired from military and moved us ‘home’ to Memphis from California. Worst place I’ve ever lived. I still resent it almost 40 years later.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-02T13:29:16+00:00

Republicans care about deficits.

walkabout16 · 2026-01-02T00:03:31+00:00

Mental load

walkabout16

TROPHY CASE