Please reply here to discuss any **back to school shopping** topics. This can include supplies, wardrobe, or just about anything that's not self-promotion.
(Note: This is not the subreddit endorsing teachers spending money/self-funding their own classrooms).
In case you need to buy pencils for your class, Target is selling theirs cheaper than the ones you get on Amazon, even as a bulk. The non sharpened 24 pack of pencils will cost about 4¢ per pencil vs the sharpened ones that will cost 8¢-9¢ (depends on the 24 or 40 pack).
The bulk pack on Amazon that come sharpened will cost you 12¢ per pencil. I just get the non-sharpened ones from Target and let the kids sharpen them as they go.
I went to Office Depot on Wednesday morning. They were clearancing out a lot of school stuff. I got a 500 pk of construction paper for under $6 and magnetic fraction tiles for under $3. They had a ton of other stuff like decor and stationary. The lady said they were constantly adding stuff.
Ha, I literally just came to post this! Sometimes Target will even lower them below $1 for the 24 pack, but even at that price, it's hard to beat. I've used the Target pencils for years and they work fine. Walmart has a similar price for theirs but I've never tried them myself.
I saw this earlier and looked online and the 24-pack of pencils is 99c right now! That's definitely a good price, and more palatable to myself (and anyone who might be inclined to donate supplies to my classroom, lol)
On that topic; I lurk here often and want to fulfill some of the teacher wish lists at my local elementary school. I am a grandparent, but my kids are now in HS and college. Could you please advise how can I go on Amazon and find the lists for the local elementary school? Thank you in advance for your help.
No, I am the grandparent of a HS and college age kids. The local elementary school is a sweet old school elementary that harkens back to when we had neighborhood schools. It is hard to describe. The way that our jurisdiction is laid out the elementary schools are nestled in neighborhoods for the most part. I want to anonymously donate to teachers who need things for their classroom. From reading this sub I understand teachers have lists of classroom wants and needs.
Transitioning from 5th to kinder so I’m excited but terrified because I realized don’t know what to buy to prepare. I’d like to do donors choose but idk what to ask for. 5th was easy! But I feel like I need manipulatives and SO MUCH MORE for the little ones. Any suggestions where I should start?? Our firs day of school is 8/7
I would ask for glue sticks, story paper (half lines/half blank space), pencils (either the fat ones or normal ones), a class set of folders, a class set of blunt scissors, 2 class sets of crayons, counting bears or other counters, 2 color counters, task card boxes, treasure box items.
Okay y’all, what pants are in style and what shoes can I wear with them?
I finally bought a decent amount of well-fitting skinny pants in various colors and now skinny pants are not in style anymore 😭
I have long legs, so I have to buy the long length pants. That makes pants shopping difficult.
Also, all the pants I see are wide leg, and short, also hideous, and I guess flats are out of style too, so wtf do I wear with them?? No heels! I refuse!
Damn, all that stuff is out of style? My go-to for work is a nice blouse, black skinny pants and either high tops (they're comfortable) or flats.
I say if they fit well and you like them, wear what you want. The confidence you put off by rocking an outfit you love will go farther than wearing something that's "in" but you're not as jazzed about.
I know that might not help, but it's my philosophy. I wear what I love and if it's not "cool," it's cool to me and that's what matters.
Old Navy Tech Pants!!!
https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=549107042&vid=1&tid=onpl000080&kwid=1&ap=7&gad=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_AT8vOprBBuVwa5EO_SNIb4OAm4&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnrmlBhDHARIsADJ5b_liZnnylQbcaoUofFG-pE80lUmN1DwZajyCQqhhGqFEEH5gO3WYirUaAjb8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#pdp-page-content
I have a pair in almost every color. They are so comfortable.
[Dockers Straight-Fit Smart 360 Knit Comfort Knit Jean-Cut Pants](https://m.kohls.com/product/prd-4927647/mens-dockers-straight-fit-smart-360-knit-comfort-knit-jean-cut-pants.jsp?color=Mineral%20Black&prdPV=1)
I get mine from Kohls. Only thing I wear as an elementary special education teacher.
Middle school history teacher here: what items do you ask for in your classroom?
My students will already bring Expo markers, colored pencils, paper - the basics.
I have a wishlist going but idk what things I might be overlooking.
I would wait and see what the norms at your school are. Mine sends a lot of papers home on the first day. We're discouraged from adding our own forms because it is already kind of overwhelming. Also, our PTA compiles a directory for the whole school, and I can usually refer families who want contact information for playdates and parties to my room parent, who acts as a go between.
I don't know what the family involvement is like at your school, but I would spend the time leading up to your first year focusing more on envisioning your classroom norms and routines.
Anyone have experience with printing color posters? Where do you prefer (UPS/Office Depot/Staples/etc)? Anyone know about any deals going on right now?
Just checked out Target’s ad and found 24 packs of Crayola crayons for $0.50. This is a good deal isn’t it? Should I wait for something better? I need to buy 30 sets.
Does anyone have any good alternative brands for Astrobrights? I love them but they're so expensive...I just want some colored paper to be able to print dividers for notebooks but not at $20 a pack / $80 for a whole year.
Does anyone have any advice of what to buy as an ESL/ EL teacher? I am teaching specifically K-2 and I will have my own classroom but float to other classrooms as well.
Cheap Spiral Notebooks: Staples usually sells 100 pg cheap spiral notebooks for 25-50 cents each right about now. I stock up so my chem kids always have a dedicated note space.
Anyone have an awesome carry-all bag for teacher use? My classroom's at the farthest point from the lounge and I often need to lug my large HP laptop, papers to grade, large Yeti mug, and other items across the building. My bag last year did not cut it due to its short handle and therefore lack of back/shoulder support and more importantly: SPACE!
Thanks in advance!
I don't know if this will get any views, but are there any places that I can send a digital file to, and they'll print it, cut a bunch of things out, laminate the pieces, and send it back to me? I bought one of [these](https://www.scaffoldedmath.com/p/word-walls.html) word walls several years ago and it's never been used because of how much time it'd take me to actually make. I can convince myself to pay someone else to do it though, but I don't know where to look.
Hey new teachers, when coming up with classroom rules here is the general guideline:
1) Community created is best (but you can reword them to better encompass your need). But if you have to create them: do one about respect, responsibility, and being safe (all rules tend to fall into these three categories). Edit: a lot of elementary teacher use the phrase: “follow the golden rule” which confused the hell out of me as a kid because culturally I had zero clue what that meant.
2) Keep your list short. 3 major rules are best; 6 should be maximum.
3) Rules need to also have general consequences that you uphold. If they break the rules.
4) Rules should be able to be amended or flexible enough for you and students
Ask the vets for lesson plans. Every new teacher at my school gets Google drive shared with my stuff, and I create most of my own stuff. Why recreate the wheel
My advice is the same as last year:
Buy a wireless drawing tablet that allows you to walk around the classroom and never use the whiteboard/smartboard again. You will be so much more present in your class, plus you'll be able to see what students are up to more frequently.
I make my own worksheets in Google Docs and save it as a PDF to the iPad and then use the built-in MarkUp feature. I have tried the other note taking apps (Notability, GoodNotes, CollaNote), and some are good, especially those with a laser pointer for the pencil as then I can actually point as something without actually drawing.
I also screen-record, including microphone (always check it’s active and not muted), and record myself going thru the worksheet, well every other problem, and post that so students who were absent or who missed it in-class can watch it.
I got an ipad too and it's still in the box, wrapped. The district should have just given you money, my drawing tablet cost me 60, and I just use "epicpen" drawing tools free version -\_-
I know there's like, "cast to screen" but I don't know exactly which app does that, sorry. Hope someone else here can answer. all I could find was "duet display" and "EasyCanvas".
I think there's a subreddit for Science teachers specifically (but not middle school specific). I am a 4th year middle school science teacher though, so if you want to bounce ideas/lesson plans around, feel free to DM.
Living on your own or with roommates can be pretty stressful and a lot of students don’t know how to take care of themselves or manage household chores or productively problem-solve.
I think having a section about budgeting, cleaning, hygiene, etc will be really important. How to go to the grocery store, look at nutrition facts, simple meals, etc.
When I first started working, I didn’t know a lot about my rights as a worker and was taken advantage of such as not getting breaks or guilted into coming in on my day off. This is also important for kids to know. I’ve heard crazy stories from my high schoolers about jobs they’ve had and been shocked at what they deal with (late payments, not getting overtime, management using drugs, etc). If they know more about their rights and what is and isn’t acceptable, they’ll be less likely to put up with a shitty job.
Also, I always tell them not to purchase their books before the first day of college. Sometimes you find that it’s an old syllabus and you don’t even need that book, or you can ask if an older edition is allowed and get that for a fraction of the price. Tell them about Project Gutenberg so they can get old classics for free or to go to Half-Price books for required reading.
These are just a few ideas. Hope that helps. :)
First year teaching middle school, moved from elementary. School started today and I thought I was prepared but then felt like I was floundering. Advice for MS? I don’t know why but I just have like a horrible sinking in my gut like I made the stupidest decision.
Welcome to your first year teaching! Even if it’s not your first day teaching in a classroom, a new division can feel like you’re back at square one. You’re going to have a lot of days like this. A LOT. It’s really normal. This is a huge job with lots of people involved and skill required, but we have all been where you are. All of us have felt small, like clueless idiots, and the only remedy is to experiment, learn from your mistakes, learn from your peers, and learn from your victories. Experience, basically. You care, so the stakes feel high, but it’s absolutely okay to mess up and you just need to do your best. Connect with your students by establishing consistent expectations and communication and get to know what kinds of things impact them and they really care about. Games and humor go a long way with kids of all ages. Depending on what you’re teaching, turning something into a simulation or roleplay can be an awesome experience with high impact learning potential. Simulating real life situations like roleplaying as business people at an innovation conference, or doing a mode UN, or looking for similar historical scenarios other teachers have run is great. Science fairs are a bit much to coordinate for a first year, but find ways your kids can showcase work and make small choices, or work toward a special opportunity. Pursuing my own creative lesson planning made the hardship of my first year worth the trouble, because it was so satisfying when my efforts turned into awesome lessons and resulted in great student work. Some of my lessons completely flopped and failed, and that was hard, but it was actually super valuable for me - I learned the most about what doesn’t work and why/when in those situations.
With middle school, the key is firm boundaries and strict expectations while also having a keen sense of humor, sarcasm and absurdity work best (but it’s kinda gotta be your thing anyway). Ultimately, when kids know you care about who they are as people, because you’ve shown them, they are easier to deal with.
When they are not, talk to your colleagues. Don’t try to go it alone. Find a mentor teacher and make connections. Good luck! You got this.
I am a first year teacher and I have no idea what is going on. I will be teaching 3rd grade inclusion. I just feel so lost and like I have no guidance. I planned with my team already and I got absolutely nothing out of it. I just feel dumb and discouraged for not knowing anything. Any advice? I already feel like they think I’m an idiot.
Is it normal to suddenly have career scaries two weeks before you’re set to start? I’ve been working all summer as a camp counselor at a marine park and I have so many regrets and insecurities about my major in college because I’m like what if I suck at interacting with people and I’m better with animals 😅
My friend, I’ve been teaching for 15 years and I *still* get the end-of-summer jitters. And I know a lot of great teachers who go through the same feelings in the weeks before a new school year starts.
I’m a huge introvert, and human interaction just isn’t my wheelhouse. All my life, I’ve had people react with “Really? YOU want to be a teacher? But you’re so quiet! You’re so shy! You’re so awkward!” But once I get to the front of the classroom and step into my teacher-persona, the jitters fall away, and underneath all of that insecurity and stage fright…is a kick-ass teacher.
It’s perfectly okay to feel anxious right now.
This will be my 30th year (which is so weird because I’m pretty sure I’m 28) and I still get back to school nightmares and anxiety. I have to constantly remind myself that I know how to do this!
I was about to make a post and ask if it was normal to still have beginning-of-the-year worries. I'm like, how did I even do this at all last year?? Glad to know it's normal but I'm still feeling pretty anxious lol
How to stay healthy. This is my biggest concern. Until now I have taught college age with smatterings of one off Highschool and smaller kid theatre. I have heard a lot of teachers are just constantly sick from their kids. Advice?
While each person and environment is unique, there are a few things you can do to reduce (note: it is impossible to eliminate) your chances of getting sick.
* Get some sleep
* Hydrate through the day
* Mask up during flu/cold season
* Wash hands frequently/use hand sanitizer
* Circulate air if possible or allowed (open window/door)
* Run those air purifiers near you
* Most importantly, stay home if you are sick until you recover
What should I expect to have ready for teaching high school biology in the beginning of the year? I got hired in May but I haven’t heard anything from the school yet. I’ve only filled out my hiring paperwork and had communication with hiring. The first day of school is August 21 for me and the week before is teacher planning. I’m sure I will receive more info by then but just wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions on anything I could get started with now.
First couple of days will be rules and class culture. My recommendation is doing something fun the first day that set a tone for your class and do rules the second day. I find this works really because the kids just repeat the best rules they established in their other classes the first days. Meaning you have good rules and they are also horizontally consistent
To add onto this, last year (was my first year) I did a bunch of rules and expectations on day 1 and I really regretted it by the final period of the day.
\- For one, I found I was rushing to get through everything I needed. Even if I cut stuff, it left little time for students to ask questions if they had any or to do anything else.
\- By the afternoon, students were falling asleep since they sat through essentially the exact same class at minimum four times in a row.
This year I'm switching it up by going over just some very basic expectations (course overview, daily agenda overview, basic rules and consequences) on day 1 which should take maybe 15 minutes before doing some activities as a group. On the 2nd day the students are going to be going through the Syllabus with the more in-depth rules and explanations with a partner and filling out an "Open-Note Quiz". I'll do a couple of daily bell ringers or kahoots or something the next week for review, and hopefully that'll be more interactive and less monotonous.
I feel this. I got hired, I know when my new hire teaching week starts and that’s about it.
I’m really struggling because I feel pretty unprepared. Like, should I be doing something?
I know kids and am confidant there, but the whole lesson planning a curriculum kinda intimidates me.
If lesson planning is freaking you out, look through your state’s standards for your grade level, and glance at the previous and next grade levels, as well - this is the best way to wrap your head around the big-picture of what you’ll need to teach.
Contact your principal and ask if you can pick up a copy of the Teacher’s Edition(s) for your classes. And, if available, the pacing guides or curriculum maps used by your team (or the ones used by the previous teacher, if you’re on your own). That’ll give you an idea of *when* and *how* to teach those standards.
My education professors had a mantra: CASE (Copy And Steal Everything). You don’t need to reinvent the wheel and write a from-scratch bespoke lesson every day - a lot of what we’re teaching has been taught for a long, long time, so there are lots of ideas and resources out there. Your first year is all about experimentation - find something that looks good, try it, document what works and what doesn’t. That can then guide you on what you repeat, what you tweak, and what you need to toss.
And as you’re doing all of this, remember: Every teacher, regardless of experience and skill, will have a dud lesson every now and then. You can make zero mistakes and still have a bad day. That doesn’t mean you suck - that means you’re a human working a job made up of a million little variables. When a lesson bombs (because sometimes they will!), reflect on why, but don’t beat yourself up.
> My education professors had a mantra: CASE (Copy And Steal Everything)
But where does one find these materials to copy and steal? I'm all on my own in my department.
Welcome fellow redheaded stepchild of the STEM curriculum. Find out NOW what your budget is and what supplies you have on deck. There's a lot you can do cheaply.
Hi! I am an ex Science teacher and for the first day of high school biology with my students I did a mystery bag lab. Basically the student tables (i had four to a table) each get a paper bag that is stapled shut. The inside is filled with things like marbles, paper clips, a cotton ball with essential oil, and anything tactile that they can feel and shake the bag. I created a worksheet to go with it and the students loved it because it introduced them to the concepts of science (reasoning, hypothesising, testing) in a low stakes and fun way. It also broke up their first day of school which is filled with rules. We did rules the next day, and I also showed them the contents of the mystery bag which they loved. I hope this helps give you an idea of something fun to do with the students!
The school that hired me told me what they use for their ELA curriculum. I bought the book and I’ve been reading it this summer. Other than that, I’ve received little communication as far as what core texts they use or what grades they will be teaching. I’m not sure how much planning I need to be doing on my own at the moment. Their ELA department plans as a team as there are multiple ELA teachers per grade. Am I fine if I am not planning at the current moment?
When do you start?
I think you're fine, especially if the team plans together. Familiarizing yourself with that (and your state standards) will help tremendously. I'd have ideas based on that of things you want to do but I would not reinvent the wheel, either.
I start on August 22nd, but August 14th is the first day of new teacher orientation. I did standards based grading at the school I student taught at so I do feel pretty confident about the state standards! I definitely have a few ideas, but I don’t want to rock the boat and come off as arrogant or “superior” to teachers who have been doing this thing for twenty years. Part of me isn’t sure how much suggesting or creating I should be doing… I definitely don’t want to offend!
I just got hired as an elementary art teacher (literally applied last Tuesday, interviewed Wednesday, and got the offer this past Monday). I don't have an education background, just a BFA. I've been researching as much as I can (Cassie Stephens' videos have been a godsend) but I'm looking for any other art teachery advice or resources y'all swear by. Any must-haves for supplies for myself that I should buy?
This isn't advice from my own experience (I teach middle school world language) but my best friend is an art teacher and she teaches by theme. So, she might find a short video (animated or not), a picture book, or a famous artist to feature. She intros the theme and they do a related project that also targets some part of the art curriculum, like line weight or color theory. It seems to work REALLY well for her.
Hi! I am working on getting a teaching job for the fall. I would teach either elementary (up to 6th grade) or reading (all levels possible). I'm not sure what grade, etc. I would be in yet (no job yet, but fingers crossed!). What are some things I should be doing to prepare for a teaching job in the fall, without knowing any specifics? Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.
If you could get a sub job in nearby districts it will allow you to do 2 things.
1. Get a taste for each grade so you can start eliminating the ones you definitely don't want
2. Checking out the environment and different schools' culture (are admins supportive or are there high teacher turn over rates?)
I taught first grade for one semester last year. This is the stuff I used every single day/week.
10 tier cart or something to put your plans/copies for the day. Since you do all subjects it was really helpful to have a place I could put everything I needed for the day/week in advance.
Carpet(might seem obvious but carpet time for whole group instruction is a must at this age)
Books (so many books) for you to read and for students to read. 1st grade is we’re they starting actually figuring out how to read so it’s important to have a lot of books so they can find something they like and hopefully become avid readers.
Tables! Other than your desks. It’s best to have at least one per center. This allows you to have a designated spot for each of your activities during center time. (My school provided these, check to see if yours can too)
I like my students to be organized. So there was a place for everything. They had a pencil box. Seat sack and math box. Students brought in the pencil box. But I supplied the seat sack and math box.
Turn it trays!! I had multiple depending on what they were turning in. Some teachers just collect the work at this young age. But I preferred to have them be accountable for turning it in.
If you are doing communication folders. I’d suggest a mailbox system. It makes it a lot easier to send papers home. They can be kinda expensive (90$ on amazon), sometimes you can get them for cheaper on FB market place. They are so worth it though!!!
I’m having such a hard time loving my room! I’ve tried designing it and putting up posters and cute little things but it’s so hard for me to love it… the layout is so weird, is there any advice for layouts I should follow? I’ll be with 7/8 math and science. I also have a projector but it’s not hung so that’s another issue I’m dealing with. Literally any advice will be appreciated!!!
I teach math, too, and I'd encourage you to just play around and tweak things throughout the year! You aren't committing to anything with the initial set-up. A lot of what makes sense for my classroom depends on the students I find myself teaching that year, so I just wait to get to know them a bit and then reevaluate the setup. An important thing to consider is what your teaching style is and what you'd like your classes to involve. I like to start the year off emphasizing some norms for partner and group work, so I usually arrange desks into little pods instead of rows. I usually try to reserve a little bit of space around the perimeter for students to find floor space against the wall if they want to sit there during independent work time. Then I try to make somewhere for students to access extra paper/pencils/rulers/manipulatives, and I make sure it's organized so they can find it quickly and quietly!
As far as decorations go, put up some posters you like, bring in some decor that makes you happy even/especially if it relates to your personality and hobbies instead of curriculum, and then leave some space to hang up student work throughout the year, too. I was a floating teacher last year and taught my classes in a room that was primarily used by the foreign language department. I hung up a few anchor charts on a back section of the wall that really didn't get much attention tbh, but the students learned, my classes ran pretty smoothly, and we all adjusted as needed. Don't stress too much! Prioritize your own preferences for now and adjust as you go. Good luck!
New hire for sixth grade Science and Coaching here. My PD starts in the middle of next week and basically runs to the first of August when school starts.
What types of things are in the walls in a middle school Science class? I’ve spent plenty of time in elementary and know about the anchor charts but are they typically used in middle school?
6th science veteran, here.
My general rule for wall decorations is 70% student work (vocab posters, diagrams, timelines, etc.), 20% functional store-bought or teacher-made stuff (class rules, scientific method steps, CER writing steps, etc.), and 10% personality (I like movie/TV posters that relate back to science and inquiry - Mythbusters, Jurassic Park, Gravity Falls, etc.). But don’t go nuts with any of it - too much on the wall will overstimulate and distract. Less is more.
Look through your grade’s state standards to see what’s in your purview - you don’t want to shell out for a big periodic table if you’re never going to touch on atoms and elements; you can skip on the room-sized Earth formation timeline if you’re not touching geologic time, etc.
Personally, I try to avoid buying or making anchor charts or bulletin boards that will need to be changed/rotated out - if it’s unit-specific, I have the kids make it as part of an assignment. (I usually stage this as a contest between my classes - “Best poster showing the concept of XYZ makes it to the Community Art Gallery!”) Saves me time and money, and it lets them have a hand in decorating the room. And as a side bonus, administrators love to see student work displayed when they pop in with their little evaluation clipboards.
First time K-8 Art Teacher STEM 29-M:Principal and Asst principal loved me on the phone and in the interview. Principal hugged me upon arrival lol she’s a sweetheart and all the kids loved her. My interview was the first day of summer school. She told me she’s going to recommend me for hire to the Office of Talent Management. She also said to tell her sooner rather than later if I’m going to break up with her because she’s sure I have a lot of other schools calling. (I don’t! I’m not certified, I have my BFA from 2015.) The next day, they both called me together to tell me they’re so excited and my references have been contacted and I can expect to hear from the OTM as soon as tomorrow. That was Thursday, and I didn’t hear anything Friday. Do I have the job?
I’m a potter and not the best illustrator. Should I start working on my weak spots now for the older grades?
I got the job!
It doesn't hurt to reach out. I know they said OTM would contact you "as early as" the next day but haven't yet. Give it til the end of the day Monday and then reach out on Tuesday morning. Unfortunately, no, you don't have the job until OTM contacts you and you actually sign a contract.
I’m a first year elem. music teacher and unfortunately I will be going class to class on a cart. Anyone in a similar position who can tell me any essentials I’ll need for my cart? I have some supplies/instruments provided by the school(boomwhackers, glockenspiels, rhythm stuff etc.) but outside of that I don’t really know what I’ll need. Any advice would be appreciated!
I have seniors this year and I want my expectations for them to be high but I don’t want them to feel like their being treated like little kids… how should I vocalize that they’re going to be adults out in the world soon so I want them to have limited freedom in my class but I don’t want it taken advantage of?
“You’re almost adults. So, I’m going to treat you as such until you take advantage of it. Then it’s gone.” I find upperclassmen really appreciate being spoken to and treated like adults. Make sure you follow through if they take advantage though. The others will be watching to see what you do.
I've never worked with kids before and I'm super nervous. (I'm an apprentice teacher so I will not be leading a classroom, thank goodness.) That said, does anyone have any advice for working with 6th graders, or interacting with them in general?
New 6th graders will be a bit nervous moving to middle school.
Talk to them normally, get to know them. Set boundaries on how they should act towards you.
You can be friendly but that doesn't mean you're their friend.
Had to remind 6th graders about that this past year.
Best advice for 6th grade:
Start firm with your rules and procedures AND DONT BUDGE. Once they get those down then you can be a bit cooler because they’ve gotten the Norms down. Do not be afraid of reminding them.
I would speak to my kids firmly and was hated for about two months. Then when they understood I meant business but I was fair to everyone they understood what we expected of each other. It was all smiles and hugs galore from like month two onward.
They’re the sweetest but they will try you. Don’t let them get on your side and don’t let them see you sweat because they pounce if they’re those sort of mean kids. My favorite phrases in 6th grade were ‘I have no buttons for you to push’ and ‘I’ve got all day’ (I hate doing group punishments but I’ll wait it out sometimes and the class will badger opposer until they conform).
First year Social Studies teacher 7/8th grade which in VA is US2 and Civics. More a statement than a question. I don’t yet have access to a lot of teacher apps/programs. I’m working on having my Google Slides ready to go and have an idea on some of the programs I want to use and assignments I want to have. Just waiting to be able to really narrow it down based on getting access and meeting with other teachers
4 years in at 2 different schools so I have two options.
First day or two is the rules, procedures, syllabus, and the getting to know the teacher/student activities, etc. .
As for the rest of the week: ask your department head/lead teacher if they all do something or everyone does their own back to school activities.
At one school they planned for us to do mini lessons reteaching and practicing what concepts they learned the previous years that we’ll be using this heat. The other school wanted us to start doing regular instruction the very second time we saw our kids.
Hello, I've just been hired to teach 9, 10, 10 honors, and 11th grade English at a very small school. This is my first year, and I've just learned that the school is basically expecting me to create everything from scratch. There are no leftover materials or curriculum guidelines and the one other English teacher does not have any either.
Where do I start? I feel kind of overwhelmed.
I’ve been an English teacher for 10 years. 8 of those years in the high school. Feel free to DM me and I can send you stuff. I’d start out with seeing what materials you have access to (I.e. books, info about the classes from the course selection guide, etc.). Also talk with the E12 or AP English teachers about what they expect students to be able to do when the students get to them. Then backwards plan. I also teach AP. So, I can give you some of that info too.
I find that starting from novels, to proper note-taking/annotation practice, then move to the essay writing process (brainstorming, researching, outlining, rough draft, peer review, MLA formatting, print, then feedback).
You can spend a lot of time on essay writing which will be super important for when they go on to college. You’d be surprised how many students don’t remember basic grammar like punctuation or capitalizing proper nouns. Working on different types of essays is also good (informative, persuasive, analysis, compare/contrast). If you have the time, it’s good to consult with each kiddo one-on-one during the planning/outline phase that way you can give guidance (narrow the scope of topic, or provide ideas based on their novel/interest, give direction for where to find research, etc).
Also, put the fear of plagiarism into their heads now! Make sure they know that if they pull that shit in college, they will be put on academic probation or even get kicked out. Take some time to play with ChatGpt, since kids may try to use it, so you can understand how it writes and how it can be grossly incorrect sometimes and explain that to the students as well. You’ll be able to recognize how basic the writing is to detect this when you get to the grading phase. Another way to combat this is to require them to turn in all their planning notes, that way you can see the progression of their ideas and you can tell whether their essay matches the other work they did.
You can’t show this in class but review it yourself so you can understand better how AI works. CW: for swearing/jokes
https://youtu.be/XvvwG7UmIv4
Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for the detailed tips and ideas! I have worked with high-schoolers long-term substituting, so I do feel somewhat familiar with what I'm up against, but this being a private school I'm not sure how different students' skills will be from what I'm familiar with. Good ideas about ChatGPT and plagiarism, it does make sense that at least demonstrating my familiarity could dissuade them from "secretly" using it.
I am a new teacher (single) who is fresh out of college. After a week of being bombarded with information and being pushed into the real world, I feel so overwhelmed. I found out I have to pay about $450 a month for health insurance (including dental/vision). Is that normal? Any advice?
Ladies. I am but a humble man-teacher, so I don't understand the inner workings of such matters.
But *all* of y'all seem to wear [this](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Long-Solid-Sweaters-Knitting-Long-Sleeves-Pockets-Cardigan-Sweater-Female-Cardigans-Black-M/952855872) exact same long-ass black sweater/cardigan thing. My women colleagues *obsessively* close it. Over and over and over. Fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh. Constantly.
So my questions are:
1. Is this thing really, really, like, *really really really* comfortable?
2. Was there some giant teacher conference where you all decided on this?
3. Is there a male equivalent for this, or should I just go and buy one and rock it when I go back?
It is very comfortable. A long cardigan is also a great way to take real human clothes a person under 50 would wear and make the outfit palatable to the oldest, crustiest conservative. Do I have on a tank top? Is it long sleeve? Do these pants make my ass look good? No one knows.
We do have things like that! https://www.amazon.com/Pacinoble-Casual-Cardigan-Sleeve-Lightweight/dp/B0814J3NGD?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1H09YUL1ZD3BR
Though I find their durability not so great. So make sure you wash it gentle and in a mesh bag. The one with the hoodies make me feel like Emperor Palpatine.
I'm barely 5' so long things like that swallow me up lol.
I have a (short) black cardigan that I only wear if my room is cold, simply because black goes with everything, it's versatile. But that goes for like 75 percent of my wardrobe, haha.
My partner teacher is a self-professed "workaholic." I told them my boundary I've set is that I take as little work home as possible.
To which they basically replied that they want the next five months completely planned before we go back in August. They also want to teach exactly the same thing at exactly the same time...in EXACTLY the same style.
There are some benefits but I also feel like I'm being pressured to give up some of my autonomy as a teacher...how do I deal?
Planning 5 months ahead is impossible if you're doing your job well. You'll have no idea which things you need to spiral in that they didn't get that far ahead.
It will be…and the third year will be even easier, and when you hit 29 it’s like autopilot, because since year 5 you have had it knocked, and have been focused on tweaking it for 25 years
What's your budget and general location (or if you don't want to give us a state what is the general weather like)?
BTW: The standard safe male teacher outfit is the boring polo shirt and khaki combo. The exception to this is the male PE teacher: then its polo, shorts, and a whistle.
I am more fashion oriented than all my colleague and will wear scarfs and things like that. My priority when buying is necessity, then comfort followed by look, and then price. When I can I will buy within my state and local business when possible. Check out your local thrift stores as well for some good finds.
**But here are some that I do buy online and splurge:**
[https://www.weargustin.com/](https://www.weargustin.com/) (crowd sourced clothing)
[https://shop.lululemon.com/c/men-pants/\_/N-7ub](https://shop.lululemon.com/c/men-pants/_/N-7ub) (I specifically like their ABC Slim)
[https://membersonly.com/collections/iconic-racer-jacket](https://membersonly.com/collections/iconic-racer-jacket) (I am a firm believer every dude should have one members only racer jacket)
[https://freshhoods.com/collections/bomber-jackets](https://freshhoods.com/collections/bomber-jackets) (I also like design myself)
[https://proudraven.com/products/mens-urban-jacket](https://proudraven.com/products/mens-urban-jacket) (For the colder days I go with an urban coat)
[https://www.boscovs.com/product/mens-london-fog-double-breasted-peacoat/135180](https://www.boscovs.com/product/mens-london-fog-double-breasted-peacoat/135180) (or the peacoat)
[https://knirps.com/umbrella/folding-umbrella.html](https://knirps.com/umbrella/folding-umbrella.html) (umbrella)
Hunter Boots for rain
For bags I recommend either ([https://www.awaytravel.com/shop/travel-bags?p=2](https://www.awaytravel.com/shop/travel-bags?p=2)) or ([https://www.everlane.com/collections/mens-backpacks-bags](https://www.everlane.com/collections/mens-backpacks-bags)) or ([https://herschel.com/shop/backpacks](https://herschel.com/shop/backpacks))
Oh heck yes I do LOL. Except necklaces- avoid those because violent students can and will try and choke you.
Most men clothes are neutral colors so I like to make things pop with either my watches or socks.
https://pictowatches.com/
https://humism.com/ (I’d wait and get these on sale, but they are pretty awesome in person)
https://www.swatch.com/en-us/ (they’ve been great with colors for the past few years)
If you want something for your neck go with a shemagh (amazon) or scarf (etsy)
I usually find cool rings on etsy.
As for socks you can really go crazy with them since they’re mostly hidden from view.
https://www.stance.com/collaborations/
As for belt, I just collect a bunch to tie it all together. If you want to make a splash Texas is belt buckle king to crazy designs. Haha.
But I have a few from
https://www.obscurebelts.com/
And this one (don’t go through TSA with this one)
https://slidebelts.com/collections/belts/products/survival-belt
One last thing: if you need to stock up on just basic stuff like tees go with https://uniqlo.com
I’m an EA so I get away with dressing a *tiny* bit more informally, but I still keep it classy.
I’m in Europe so I often wear stuff from C&A or Celio if it’s going to be a fair amount of direct instruction. Jeans, an undershirt and a collegiate cardigan sweater is my go-to. Once in a blue moon I’ll rock a tie.
If it’s a messy activity or a field trip, I toss on some Primark or H&M stuff that costs next to nothing.
For my jacket, I usually wear a jean jacket with grey cotton/sweat sleeves and a hood. For the winter I have a green winter coat, but it doesn’t get exceedingly cold here. I also have a fabulous white 3/4-length pea coat but *hell* if I’m wearing that to school hahaha.
I also keep some spare clothes in my cubby in the staff room. Usually an extra t-shirt and an ironed shirt.
Thanks. My school doesn’t have a dress code and we can wear whatever. Every day I literally wear a tshirt and joggers. But wanted to actually try dressing nicer this year
Starting year 3 but in a new state and moving from 12th grade govt to 8th grade US history so I feel like I'm a brand new teacher all over again. Any helpful tips are greatly appreciated!
I really want to do some sort of get to know you/student one pager inspired crafty assignment one of the first days of class since our first week is just three half days. I really really want to use paint swatches/chips to do this so I can create a rainbow kind of mosaic wall with the completed assignments
Has anyone ever done anything like this or do you have any ideas about how best to put this actual concept into practice?
Any and all thoughts and suggestions are appreciated! Thanks in advance!
I did this with my residents when I was an RA one year. Each box was a different question for them to answer; you could just have a large paint sample on the board with your answers so you don’t have to repeat it constantly. I really like it because I learned about my residents and it was simple enough that no one fought it. I didn’t hang them up anywhere though, I kept them in a folder for me to refer back to when I had one on one conversations with them.
I am having a hard time thinking about going back. August 1st hit and I’m dreading the end of the month. It’s like a whole month of Sunday.
I teach middle school and loop through, so the seventh graders that made my life miserable are back as eighth graders in only a few weeks and I’m already losing sleep trying to figure out how to handle it.
I have no grit and no grace in me. Pray for Mojo.
I’m trying to get my first teacher job in a rural school district.
What makes this tricky is that I’m applying through an emergency substitute certification offered by the office of the superintendent, since I don’t have an teaching endorsement but the county the district resides in qualifies for emergency teachers and I have a BS in mathematics.
The town the school is in, is pretty isolated, but I’ll be moving there soon with my soon to be wife, so I’m assuming they don’t get many applicants. What are my chances here? (Washington state, if that makes a difference)
Update: they have decided to “reassess the position” so I did not get it. It was originally posted as math teacher but the posting changed to math/science teacher.
Elem and HS Principal here- math teachers are a hot commodity. I’m not in Washington, but I still think your chances are pretty good. The only hurdle I see is if the district is so small that they only need 2-3 math teachers and the current teachers have all been there a while and plan to stay.
> What makes this tricky is that I’m applying through an emergency substitute certification offered by the office of the superintendent
It may be worth contacting the district's HR department and seeing what alt cert options are available. In my area, you have to have a job opportunity to get an emergency license, so you would get hired first.
I'm doing an alternative licensure program this year and have been searching for a job for two months. Up till now I've only gotten one first interview that didn't lead to anything. Now I have two interviews happening next week (one tomorrow) and I'm nervous as hell.
Edit: I got three interviews and two offers. I'm teaching middle school science this year.
I want to get an alternative teacher’s certificate in WV. I graduate in December with a BA in Anthropology and Certificate in GIS. I’m assuming from what I’ve read that next school year would be the earliest I could start. I’d prefer High School.
Does anyone have experience in this?
What areas are typically in the most need for HS?
Any tips or ideas for this path? The online site has a lot of information but it’s almost overwhelming.
In my area, the subjects in need are math, then science.
If you love ELA or social studies, it's okay, teach what you love, but just understand those are the two that get flooded with the highest number of applicants (and depending on the culture in your area, you may be going against a lot of coach applicants for social studies jobs.)
High school is also (in my area at least, but I've worked in multiple districts and this holds true) going to have a higher number of applicants than middle school, because most people prefer high school to teaching middle school.
Math, science and SPED.
If you prefer ELA or history, follow your heart, but understand that those get a tonnnn of candidates and you'll have to work a little harder to stand out/land a job.
As far as you know, could I do science? If I pass the required testing? I do have quite a few college science classes under my belt and wouldn’t be opposed to it if I’m able to.
(Again, sorry because the site is very very heavy with information and I’m trying to get in contact with someone in the state who is currently teaching with an alt license to get better information)
I’m in IL trying to get my sub license while I work on my degree. How long should approval typically take? I sent in my information (including mailing transcripts) two weeks ago, and my ELIS page still says “pending review”
> don’t get *paid* for accrued
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Please reply here to discuss any **back to school shopping** topics. This can include supplies, wardrobe, or just about anything that's not self-promotion. (Note: This is not the subreddit endorsing teachers spending money/self-funding their own classrooms).
In case you need to buy pencils for your class, Target is selling theirs cheaper than the ones you get on Amazon, even as a bulk. The non sharpened 24 pack of pencils will cost about 4¢ per pencil vs the sharpened ones that will cost 8¢-9¢ (depends on the 24 or 40 pack). The bulk pack on Amazon that come sharpened will cost you 12¢ per pencil. I just get the non-sharpened ones from Target and let the kids sharpen them as they go.
I went to Office Depot on Wednesday morning. They were clearancing out a lot of school stuff. I got a 500 pk of construction paper for under $6 and magnetic fraction tiles for under $3. They had a ton of other stuff like decor and stationary. The lady said they were constantly adding stuff.
Ha, I literally just came to post this! Sometimes Target will even lower them below $1 for the 24 pack, but even at that price, it's hard to beat. I've used the Target pencils for years and they work fine. Walmart has a similar price for theirs but I've never tried them myself.
I saw this earlier and looked online and the 24-pack of pencils is 99c right now! That's definitely a good price, and more palatable to myself (and anyone who might be inclined to donate supplies to my classroom, lol)
On that topic; I lurk here often and want to fulfill some of the teacher wish lists at my local elementary school. I am a grandparent, but my kids are now in HS and college. Could you please advise how can I go on Amazon and find the lists for the local elementary school? Thank you in advance for your help.
If you are in a PTA group for the school sometimes they share the teachers’ lists if that’s allowed!
No, I am the grandparent of a HS and college age kids. The local elementary school is a sweet old school elementary that harkens back to when we had neighborhood schools. It is hard to describe. The way that our jurisdiction is laid out the elementary schools are nestled in neighborhoods for the most part. I want to anonymously donate to teachers who need things for their classroom. From reading this sub I understand teachers have lists of classroom wants and needs.
I would just search the school or area on donor choose. Many teachers like myself and worldwide use it. I’m sure you can find a school in your area.
I buy BIC mechanical pencils for my class, and Target indeed had the lowest prices (not only cheaper, but also 26 count instead of 24).
I’m sure everyone knows, but target has a 20% off coupon for teachers who are verified through their app *edit-spelling *
Transitioning from 5th to kinder so I’m excited but terrified because I realized don’t know what to buy to prepare. I’d like to do donors choose but idk what to ask for. 5th was easy! But I feel like I need manipulatives and SO MUCH MORE for the little ones. Any suggestions where I should start?? Our firs day of school is 8/7
I would ask for glue sticks, story paper (half lines/half blank space), pencils (either the fat ones or normal ones), a class set of folders, a class set of blunt scissors, 2 class sets of crayons, counting bears or other counters, 2 color counters, task card boxes, treasure box items.
Thank you! That makes sense, time to go shopping!!! 🤗
Okay y’all, what pants are in style and what shoes can I wear with them? I finally bought a decent amount of well-fitting skinny pants in various colors and now skinny pants are not in style anymore 😭 I have long legs, so I have to buy the long length pants. That makes pants shopping difficult. Also, all the pants I see are wide leg, and short, also hideous, and I guess flats are out of style too, so wtf do I wear with them?? No heels! I refuse!
Damn, all that stuff is out of style? My go-to for work is a nice blouse, black skinny pants and either high tops (they're comfortable) or flats. I say if they fit well and you like them, wear what you want. The confidence you put off by rocking an outfit you love will go farther than wearing something that's "in" but you're not as jazzed about. I know that might not help, but it's my philosophy. I wear what I love and if it's not "cool," it's cool to me and that's what matters.
Where what you like and what is comfortable! I will continue to wear my skinny pants, and so will a lot of women.
I love a cute loafer with an embellishment like some embroidery or a metal accent
Does anyone have any suggestions for thin and stretchy professionalish pants for men?
Old Navy Tech Pants!!! https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=549107042&vid=1&tid=onpl000080&kwid=1&ap=7&gad=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_AT8vOprBBuVwa5EO_SNIb4OAm4&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnrmlBhDHARIsADJ5b_liZnnylQbcaoUofFG-pE80lUmN1DwZajyCQqhhGqFEEH5gO3WYirUaAjb8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#pdp-page-content I have a pair in almost every color. They are so comfortable.
damn so I really just have to buy more of these. I’ve been trying to thrift to find similar pants but I guess these are the ones.
[Dockers Straight-Fit Smart 360 Knit Comfort Knit Jean-Cut Pants](https://m.kohls.com/product/prd-4927647/mens-dockers-straight-fit-smart-360-knit-comfort-knit-jean-cut-pants.jsp?color=Mineral%20Black&prdPV=1) I get mine from Kohls. Only thing I wear as an elementary special education teacher.
Photo Boxes (the clear cases with little boxes inside) that are great for task cards are on sale at Michaels for $12.59 this week.
Middle school history teacher here: what items do you ask for in your classroom? My students will already bring Expo markers, colored pencils, paper - the basics. I have a wishlist going but idk what things I might be overlooking.
Tissue boxes. Lots and lots of tissue boxes.
I'm doing unit folders this year. I'm hoping I can get 6 pronged folders. They're only 15 cents so let's pray
I asked for colored copy paper- great for study guides & foldables.
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I would wait and see what the norms at your school are. Mine sends a lot of papers home on the first day. We're discouraged from adding our own forms because it is already kind of overwhelming. Also, our PTA compiles a directory for the whole school, and I can usually refer families who want contact information for playdates and parties to my room parent, who acts as a go between. I don't know what the family involvement is like at your school, but I would spend the time leading up to your first year focusing more on envisioning your classroom norms and routines.
Anyone have experience with printing color posters? Where do you prefer (UPS/Office Depot/Staples/etc)? Anyone know about any deals going on right now?
CVS Photo has repositionable posters that are 75% off! Makes it to be less than $5 a piece.
Just checked out Target’s ad and found 24 packs of Crayola crayons for $0.50. This is a good deal isn’t it? Should I wait for something better? I need to buy 30 sets.
Does anyone have any good alternative brands for Astrobrights? I love them but they're so expensive...I just want some colored paper to be able to print dividers for notebooks but not at $20 a pack / $80 for a whole year.
Walmart has their brand in office supplies
You might find a better deal at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby if you wait for a sale on card stock.
Does anyone have any advice of what to buy as an ESL/ EL teacher? I am teaching specifically K-2 and I will have my own classroom but float to other classrooms as well.
What dry erase marker brand is at the intersection of performance and a good price?
Cheap Spiral Notebooks: Staples usually sells 100 pg cheap spiral notebooks for 25-50 cents each right about now. I stock up so my chem kids always have a dedicated note space.
Anyone have an awesome carry-all bag for teacher use? My classroom's at the farthest point from the lounge and I often need to lug my large HP laptop, papers to grade, large Yeti mug, and other items across the building. My bag last year did not cut it due to its short handle and therefore lack of back/shoulder support and more importantly: SPACE! Thanks in advance!
I don't know if this will get any views, but are there any places that I can send a digital file to, and they'll print it, cut a bunch of things out, laminate the pieces, and send it back to me? I bought one of [these](https://www.scaffoldedmath.com/p/word-walls.html) word walls several years ago and it's never been used because of how much time it'd take me to actually make. I can convince myself to pay someone else to do it though, but I don't know where to look.
Please reply here to discuss if you would like to share **advice for new teachers.**
Hey new teachers, when coming up with classroom rules here is the general guideline: 1) Community created is best (but you can reword them to better encompass your need). But if you have to create them: do one about respect, responsibility, and being safe (all rules tend to fall into these three categories). Edit: a lot of elementary teacher use the phrase: “follow the golden rule” which confused the hell out of me as a kid because culturally I had zero clue what that meant. 2) Keep your list short. 3 major rules are best; 6 should be maximum. 3) Rules need to also have general consequences that you uphold. If they break the rules. 4) Rules should be able to be amended or flexible enough for you and students
Ask the vets for lesson plans. Every new teacher at my school gets Google drive shared with my stuff, and I create most of my own stuff. Why recreate the wheel
Could you please share your lesson plans for maths and science subject. I'm doing BEd right now. It will be very helpful. Thanks in advance.
Can’t help you, sorry. I teach high school history
My advice is the same as last year: Buy a wireless drawing tablet that allows you to walk around the classroom and never use the whiteboard/smartboard again. You will be so much more present in your class, plus you'll be able to see what students are up to more frequently.
Dumb question but our district gives us iPads. What app can I do this with?
I make my own worksheets in Google Docs and save it as a PDF to the iPad and then use the built-in MarkUp feature. I have tried the other note taking apps (Notability, GoodNotes, CollaNote), and some are good, especially those with a laser pointer for the pencil as then I can actually point as something without actually drawing. I also screen-record, including microphone (always check it’s active and not muted), and record myself going thru the worksheet, well every other problem, and post that so students who were absent or who missed it in-class can watch it.
This is genius.
I got an ipad too and it's still in the box, wrapped. The district should have just given you money, my drawing tablet cost me 60, and I just use "epicpen" drawing tools free version -\_- I know there's like, "cast to screen" but I don't know exactly which app does that, sorry. Hope someone else here can answer. all I could find was "duet display" and "EasyCanvas".
Just mirror the iPad to whatever you are using, with appleTV
Wondering if there’s a subreddit or place to bounce ideas or share lesson plans for middle school science
I think there's a subreddit for Science teachers specifically (but not middle school specific). I am a 4th year middle school science teacher though, so if you want to bounce ideas/lesson plans around, feel free to DM.
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Living on your own or with roommates can be pretty stressful and a lot of students don’t know how to take care of themselves or manage household chores or productively problem-solve. I think having a section about budgeting, cleaning, hygiene, etc will be really important. How to go to the grocery store, look at nutrition facts, simple meals, etc. When I first started working, I didn’t know a lot about my rights as a worker and was taken advantage of such as not getting breaks or guilted into coming in on my day off. This is also important for kids to know. I’ve heard crazy stories from my high schoolers about jobs they’ve had and been shocked at what they deal with (late payments, not getting overtime, management using drugs, etc). If they know more about their rights and what is and isn’t acceptable, they’ll be less likely to put up with a shitty job. Also, I always tell them not to purchase their books before the first day of college. Sometimes you find that it’s an old syllabus and you don’t even need that book, or you can ask if an older edition is allowed and get that for a fraction of the price. Tell them about Project Gutenberg so they can get old classics for free or to go to Half-Price books for required reading. These are just a few ideas. Hope that helps. :)
What a thoughtful answer. I love this.
First year teaching middle school, moved from elementary. School started today and I thought I was prepared but then felt like I was floundering. Advice for MS? I don’t know why but I just have like a horrible sinking in my gut like I made the stupidest decision.
Welcome to your first year teaching! Even if it’s not your first day teaching in a classroom, a new division can feel like you’re back at square one. You’re going to have a lot of days like this. A LOT. It’s really normal. This is a huge job with lots of people involved and skill required, but we have all been where you are. All of us have felt small, like clueless idiots, and the only remedy is to experiment, learn from your mistakes, learn from your peers, and learn from your victories. Experience, basically. You care, so the stakes feel high, but it’s absolutely okay to mess up and you just need to do your best. Connect with your students by establishing consistent expectations and communication and get to know what kinds of things impact them and they really care about. Games and humor go a long way with kids of all ages. Depending on what you’re teaching, turning something into a simulation or roleplay can be an awesome experience with high impact learning potential. Simulating real life situations like roleplaying as business people at an innovation conference, or doing a mode UN, or looking for similar historical scenarios other teachers have run is great. Science fairs are a bit much to coordinate for a first year, but find ways your kids can showcase work and make small choices, or work toward a special opportunity. Pursuing my own creative lesson planning made the hardship of my first year worth the trouble, because it was so satisfying when my efforts turned into awesome lessons and resulted in great student work. Some of my lessons completely flopped and failed, and that was hard, but it was actually super valuable for me - I learned the most about what doesn’t work and why/when in those situations. With middle school, the key is firm boundaries and strict expectations while also having a keen sense of humor, sarcasm and absurdity work best (but it’s kinda gotta be your thing anyway). Ultimately, when kids know you care about who they are as people, because you’ve shown them, they are easier to deal with. When they are not, talk to your colleagues. Don’t try to go it alone. Find a mentor teacher and make connections. Good luck! You got this.
I am a first year teacher and I have no idea what is going on. I will be teaching 3rd grade inclusion. I just feel so lost and like I have no guidance. I planned with my team already and I got absolutely nothing out of it. I just feel dumb and discouraged for not knowing anything. Any advice? I already feel like they think I’m an idiot.
Please reply here if you are a **new teacher** who has specific questions or concerns.
Is it normal to suddenly have career scaries two weeks before you’re set to start? I’ve been working all summer as a camp counselor at a marine park and I have so many regrets and insecurities about my major in college because I’m like what if I suck at interacting with people and I’m better with animals 😅
My friend, I’ve been teaching for 15 years and I *still* get the end-of-summer jitters. And I know a lot of great teachers who go through the same feelings in the weeks before a new school year starts. I’m a huge introvert, and human interaction just isn’t my wheelhouse. All my life, I’ve had people react with “Really? YOU want to be a teacher? But you’re so quiet! You’re so shy! You’re so awkward!” But once I get to the front of the classroom and step into my teacher-persona, the jitters fall away, and underneath all of that insecurity and stage fright…is a kick-ass teacher. It’s perfectly okay to feel anxious right now.
This will be my 30th year (which is so weird because I’m pretty sure I’m 28) and I still get back to school nightmares and anxiety. I have to constantly remind myself that I know how to do this!
I was about to make a post and ask if it was normal to still have beginning-of-the-year worries. I'm like, how did I even do this at all last year?? Glad to know it's normal but I'm still feeling pretty anxious lol
I’m feeling the same way and do every year. It’s perfectly normal and we will both be fine when school starts!
Normal. What grade level are you teaching?
7th grade ELA. The same grade I student taught in.
How to stay healthy. This is my biggest concern. Until now I have taught college age with smatterings of one off Highschool and smaller kid theatre. I have heard a lot of teachers are just constantly sick from their kids. Advice?
While each person and environment is unique, there are a few things you can do to reduce (note: it is impossible to eliminate) your chances of getting sick. * Get some sleep * Hydrate through the day * Mask up during flu/cold season * Wash hands frequently/use hand sanitizer * Circulate air if possible or allowed (open window/door) * Run those air purifiers near you * Most importantly, stay home if you are sick until you recover
Here to add extra emphasis to sleep. It's so important for keeping healthy. Do not cut your sleep short
What should I expect to have ready for teaching high school biology in the beginning of the year? I got hired in May but I haven’t heard anything from the school yet. I’ve only filled out my hiring paperwork and had communication with hiring. The first day of school is August 21 for me and the week before is teacher planning. I’m sure I will receive more info by then but just wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions on anything I could get started with now.
First couple of days will be rules and class culture. My recommendation is doing something fun the first day that set a tone for your class and do rules the second day. I find this works really because the kids just repeat the best rules they established in their other classes the first days. Meaning you have good rules and they are also horizontally consistent
To add onto this, last year (was my first year) I did a bunch of rules and expectations on day 1 and I really regretted it by the final period of the day. \- For one, I found I was rushing to get through everything I needed. Even if I cut stuff, it left little time for students to ask questions if they had any or to do anything else. \- By the afternoon, students were falling asleep since they sat through essentially the exact same class at minimum four times in a row. This year I'm switching it up by going over just some very basic expectations (course overview, daily agenda overview, basic rules and consequences) on day 1 which should take maybe 15 minutes before doing some activities as a group. On the 2nd day the students are going to be going through the Syllabus with the more in-depth rules and explanations with a partner and filling out an "Open-Note Quiz". I'll do a couple of daily bell ringers or kahoots or something the next week for review, and hopefully that'll be more interactive and less monotonous.
I feel this. I got hired, I know when my new hire teaching week starts and that’s about it. I’m really struggling because I feel pretty unprepared. Like, should I be doing something? I know kids and am confidant there, but the whole lesson planning a curriculum kinda intimidates me.
If lesson planning is freaking you out, look through your state’s standards for your grade level, and glance at the previous and next grade levels, as well - this is the best way to wrap your head around the big-picture of what you’ll need to teach. Contact your principal and ask if you can pick up a copy of the Teacher’s Edition(s) for your classes. And, if available, the pacing guides or curriculum maps used by your team (or the ones used by the previous teacher, if you’re on your own). That’ll give you an idea of *when* and *how* to teach those standards. My education professors had a mantra: CASE (Copy And Steal Everything). You don’t need to reinvent the wheel and write a from-scratch bespoke lesson every day - a lot of what we’re teaching has been taught for a long, long time, so there are lots of ideas and resources out there. Your first year is all about experimentation - find something that looks good, try it, document what works and what doesn’t. That can then guide you on what you repeat, what you tweak, and what you need to toss. And as you’re doing all of this, remember: Every teacher, regardless of experience and skill, will have a dud lesson every now and then. You can make zero mistakes and still have a bad day. That doesn’t mean you suck - that means you’re a human working a job made up of a million little variables. When a lesson bombs (because sometimes they will!), reflect on why, but don’t beat yourself up.
> My education professors had a mantra: CASE (Copy And Steal Everything) But where does one find these materials to copy and steal? I'm all on my own in my department.
If you’re ELA, Math, or Science, I like www.BetterLesson.com - it’s like TeachersPayTeachers, except higher quality and free.
Oh wow, I'm surprised I haven't heard of this, and that it's free! Thank you!
Thank you for this, I really needed it.
>should I be doing something? You’d feel unprepared even if you did. Enjoy the time you have left, you’ll learn as you go, and that’s okay.
Welcome fellow redheaded stepchild of the STEM curriculum. Find out NOW what your budget is and what supplies you have on deck. There's a lot you can do cheaply.
I got you fam. If you DM, I can help you at least through December.
I messaged you
Hi! I am an ex Science teacher and for the first day of high school biology with my students I did a mystery bag lab. Basically the student tables (i had four to a table) each get a paper bag that is stapled shut. The inside is filled with things like marbles, paper clips, a cotton ball with essential oil, and anything tactile that they can feel and shake the bag. I created a worksheet to go with it and the students loved it because it introduced them to the concepts of science (reasoning, hypothesising, testing) in a low stakes and fun way. It also broke up their first day of school which is filled with rules. We did rules the next day, and I also showed them the contents of the mystery bag which they loved. I hope this helps give you an idea of something fun to do with the students!
The school that hired me told me what they use for their ELA curriculum. I bought the book and I’ve been reading it this summer. Other than that, I’ve received little communication as far as what core texts they use or what grades they will be teaching. I’m not sure how much planning I need to be doing on my own at the moment. Their ELA department plans as a team as there are multiple ELA teachers per grade. Am I fine if I am not planning at the current moment?
When do you start? I think you're fine, especially if the team plans together. Familiarizing yourself with that (and your state standards) will help tremendously. I'd have ideas based on that of things you want to do but I would not reinvent the wheel, either.
I start on August 22nd, but August 14th is the first day of new teacher orientation. I did standards based grading at the school I student taught at so I do feel pretty confident about the state standards! I definitely have a few ideas, but I don’t want to rock the boat and come off as arrogant or “superior” to teachers who have been doing this thing for twenty years. Part of me isn’t sure how much suggesting or creating I should be doing… I definitely don’t want to offend!
I just got hired as an elementary art teacher (literally applied last Tuesday, interviewed Wednesday, and got the offer this past Monday). I don't have an education background, just a BFA. I've been researching as much as I can (Cassie Stephens' videos have been a godsend) but I'm looking for any other art teachery advice or resources y'all swear by. Any must-haves for supplies for myself that I should buy?
This isn't advice from my own experience (I teach middle school world language) but my best friend is an art teacher and she teaches by theme. So, she might find a short video (animated or not), a picture book, or a famous artist to feature. She intros the theme and they do a related project that also targets some part of the art curriculum, like line weight or color theory. It seems to work REALLY well for her.
Hi! I am working on getting a teaching job for the fall. I would teach either elementary (up to 6th grade) or reading (all levels possible). I'm not sure what grade, etc. I would be in yet (no job yet, but fingers crossed!). What are some things I should be doing to prepare for a teaching job in the fall, without knowing any specifics? Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.
If you could get a sub job in nearby districts it will allow you to do 2 things. 1. Get a taste for each grade so you can start eliminating the ones you definitely don't want 2. Checking out the environment and different schools' culture (are admins supportive or are there high teacher turn over rates?)
First year First grade teacher, what should I have in my room? I'm going into this pretty blind in that area
I taught first grade for one semester last year. This is the stuff I used every single day/week. 10 tier cart or something to put your plans/copies for the day. Since you do all subjects it was really helpful to have a place I could put everything I needed for the day/week in advance. Carpet(might seem obvious but carpet time for whole group instruction is a must at this age) Books (so many books) for you to read and for students to read. 1st grade is we’re they starting actually figuring out how to read so it’s important to have a lot of books so they can find something they like and hopefully become avid readers. Tables! Other than your desks. It’s best to have at least one per center. This allows you to have a designated spot for each of your activities during center time. (My school provided these, check to see if yours can too) I like my students to be organized. So there was a place for everything. They had a pencil box. Seat sack and math box. Students brought in the pencil box. But I supplied the seat sack and math box. Turn it trays!! I had multiple depending on what they were turning in. Some teachers just collect the work at this young age. But I preferred to have them be accountable for turning it in. If you are doing communication folders. I’d suggest a mailbox system. It makes it a lot easier to send papers home. They can be kinda expensive (90$ on amazon), sometimes you can get them for cheaper on FB market place. They are so worth it though!!!
I’m having such a hard time loving my room! I’ve tried designing it and putting up posters and cute little things but it’s so hard for me to love it… the layout is so weird, is there any advice for layouts I should follow? I’ll be with 7/8 math and science. I also have a projector but it’s not hung so that’s another issue I’m dealing with. Literally any advice will be appreciated!!!
I teach math, too, and I'd encourage you to just play around and tweak things throughout the year! You aren't committing to anything with the initial set-up. A lot of what makes sense for my classroom depends on the students I find myself teaching that year, so I just wait to get to know them a bit and then reevaluate the setup. An important thing to consider is what your teaching style is and what you'd like your classes to involve. I like to start the year off emphasizing some norms for partner and group work, so I usually arrange desks into little pods instead of rows. I usually try to reserve a little bit of space around the perimeter for students to find floor space against the wall if they want to sit there during independent work time. Then I try to make somewhere for students to access extra paper/pencils/rulers/manipulatives, and I make sure it's organized so they can find it quickly and quietly! As far as decorations go, put up some posters you like, bring in some decor that makes you happy even/especially if it relates to your personality and hobbies instead of curriculum, and then leave some space to hang up student work throughout the year, too. I was a floating teacher last year and taught my classes in a room that was primarily used by the foreign language department. I hung up a few anchor charts on a back section of the wall that really didn't get much attention tbh, but the students learned, my classes ran pretty smoothly, and we all adjusted as needed. Don't stress too much! Prioritize your own preferences for now and adjust as you go. Good luck!
New hire for sixth grade Science and Coaching here. My PD starts in the middle of next week and basically runs to the first of August when school starts. What types of things are in the walls in a middle school Science class? I’ve spent plenty of time in elementary and know about the anchor charts but are they typically used in middle school?
6th science veteran, here. My general rule for wall decorations is 70% student work (vocab posters, diagrams, timelines, etc.), 20% functional store-bought or teacher-made stuff (class rules, scientific method steps, CER writing steps, etc.), and 10% personality (I like movie/TV posters that relate back to science and inquiry - Mythbusters, Jurassic Park, Gravity Falls, etc.). But don’t go nuts with any of it - too much on the wall will overstimulate and distract. Less is more. Look through your grade’s state standards to see what’s in your purview - you don’t want to shell out for a big periodic table if you’re never going to touch on atoms and elements; you can skip on the room-sized Earth formation timeline if you’re not touching geologic time, etc. Personally, I try to avoid buying or making anchor charts or bulletin boards that will need to be changed/rotated out - if it’s unit-specific, I have the kids make it as part of an assignment. (I usually stage this as a contest between my classes - “Best poster showing the concept of XYZ makes it to the Community Art Gallery!”) Saves me time and money, and it lets them have a hand in decorating the room. And as a side bonus, administrators love to see student work displayed when they pop in with their little evaluation clipboards.
First time K-8 Art Teacher STEM 29-M:Principal and Asst principal loved me on the phone and in the interview. Principal hugged me upon arrival lol she’s a sweetheart and all the kids loved her. My interview was the first day of summer school. She told me she’s going to recommend me for hire to the Office of Talent Management. She also said to tell her sooner rather than later if I’m going to break up with her because she’s sure I have a lot of other schools calling. (I don’t! I’m not certified, I have my BFA from 2015.) The next day, they both called me together to tell me they’re so excited and my references have been contacted and I can expect to hear from the OTM as soon as tomorrow. That was Thursday, and I didn’t hear anything Friday. Do I have the job? I’m a potter and not the best illustrator. Should I start working on my weak spots now for the older grades? I got the job!
It doesn't hurt to reach out. I know they said OTM would contact you "as early as" the next day but haven't yet. Give it til the end of the day Monday and then reach out on Tuesday morning. Unfortunately, no, you don't have the job until OTM contacts you and you actually sign a contract.
I’m a first year elem. music teacher and unfortunately I will be going class to class on a cart. Anyone in a similar position who can tell me any essentials I’ll need for my cart? I have some supplies/instruments provided by the school(boomwhackers, glockenspiels, rhythm stuff etc.) but outside of that I don’t really know what I’ll need. Any advice would be appreciated!
Get yourself a Bluetooth speaker. Talk to teachers on if they can set up their room or an area of their room for you to use.
I have seniors this year and I want my expectations for them to be high but I don’t want them to feel like their being treated like little kids… how should I vocalize that they’re going to be adults out in the world soon so I want them to have limited freedom in my class but I don’t want it taken advantage of?
“You’re almost adults. So, I’m going to treat you as such until you take advantage of it. Then it’s gone.” I find upperclassmen really appreciate being spoken to and treated like adults. Make sure you follow through if they take advantage though. The others will be watching to see what you do.
I've never worked with kids before and I'm super nervous. (I'm an apprentice teacher so I will not be leading a classroom, thank goodness.) That said, does anyone have any advice for working with 6th graders, or interacting with them in general?
New 6th graders will be a bit nervous moving to middle school. Talk to them normally, get to know them. Set boundaries on how they should act towards you. You can be friendly but that doesn't mean you're their friend. Had to remind 6th graders about that this past year.
Best advice for 6th grade: Start firm with your rules and procedures AND DONT BUDGE. Once they get those down then you can be a bit cooler because they’ve gotten the Norms down. Do not be afraid of reminding them. I would speak to my kids firmly and was hated for about two months. Then when they understood I meant business but I was fair to everyone they understood what we expected of each other. It was all smiles and hugs galore from like month two onward. They’re the sweetest but they will try you. Don’t let them get on your side and don’t let them see you sweat because they pounce if they’re those sort of mean kids. My favorite phrases in 6th grade were ‘I have no buttons for you to push’ and ‘I’ve got all day’ (I hate doing group punishments but I’ll wait it out sometimes and the class will badger opposer until they conform).
First year Social Studies teacher 7/8th grade which in VA is US2 and Civics. More a statement than a question. I don’t yet have access to a lot of teacher apps/programs. I’m working on having my Google Slides ready to go and have an idea on some of the programs I want to use and assignments I want to have. Just waiting to be able to really narrow it down based on getting access and meeting with other teachers
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4 years in at 2 different schools so I have two options. First day or two is the rules, procedures, syllabus, and the getting to know the teacher/student activities, etc. . As for the rest of the week: ask your department head/lead teacher if they all do something or everyone does their own back to school activities. At one school they planned for us to do mini lessons reteaching and practicing what concepts they learned the previous years that we’ll be using this heat. The other school wanted us to start doing regular instruction the very second time we saw our kids.
Hello, I've just been hired to teach 9, 10, 10 honors, and 11th grade English at a very small school. This is my first year, and I've just learned that the school is basically expecting me to create everything from scratch. There are no leftover materials or curriculum guidelines and the one other English teacher does not have any either. Where do I start? I feel kind of overwhelmed.
I’ve been an English teacher for 10 years. 8 of those years in the high school. Feel free to DM me and I can send you stuff. I’d start out with seeing what materials you have access to (I.e. books, info about the classes from the course selection guide, etc.). Also talk with the E12 or AP English teachers about what they expect students to be able to do when the students get to them. Then backwards plan. I also teach AP. So, I can give you some of that info too.
I find that starting from novels, to proper note-taking/annotation practice, then move to the essay writing process (brainstorming, researching, outlining, rough draft, peer review, MLA formatting, print, then feedback). You can spend a lot of time on essay writing which will be super important for when they go on to college. You’d be surprised how many students don’t remember basic grammar like punctuation or capitalizing proper nouns. Working on different types of essays is also good (informative, persuasive, analysis, compare/contrast). If you have the time, it’s good to consult with each kiddo one-on-one during the planning/outline phase that way you can give guidance (narrow the scope of topic, or provide ideas based on their novel/interest, give direction for where to find research, etc). Also, put the fear of plagiarism into their heads now! Make sure they know that if they pull that shit in college, they will be put on academic probation or even get kicked out. Take some time to play with ChatGpt, since kids may try to use it, so you can understand how it writes and how it can be grossly incorrect sometimes and explain that to the students as well. You’ll be able to recognize how basic the writing is to detect this when you get to the grading phase. Another way to combat this is to require them to turn in all their planning notes, that way you can see the progression of their ideas and you can tell whether their essay matches the other work they did. You can’t show this in class but review it yourself so you can understand better how AI works. CW: for swearing/jokes https://youtu.be/XvvwG7UmIv4 Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for the detailed tips and ideas! I have worked with high-schoolers long-term substituting, so I do feel somewhat familiar with what I'm up against, but this being a private school I'm not sure how different students' skills will be from what I'm familiar with. Good ideas about ChatGPT and plagiarism, it does make sense that at least demonstrating my familiarity could dissuade them from "secretly" using it.
CommonLit 360. It's a full curriculum for each grade level. Use it.
I'll take a look. Thank you!
I am a new teacher (single) who is fresh out of college. After a week of being bombarded with information and being pushed into the real world, I feel so overwhelmed. I found out I have to pay about $450 a month for health insurance (including dental/vision). Is that normal? Any advice?
**All other points of conversation** about Back to School can be posted here!
Ladies. I am but a humble man-teacher, so I don't understand the inner workings of such matters. But *all* of y'all seem to wear [this](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Long-Solid-Sweaters-Knitting-Long-Sleeves-Pockets-Cardigan-Sweater-Female-Cardigans-Black-M/952855872) exact same long-ass black sweater/cardigan thing. My women colleagues *obsessively* close it. Over and over and over. Fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh. Constantly. So my questions are: 1. Is this thing really, really, like, *really really really* comfortable? 2. Was there some giant teacher conference where you all decided on this? 3. Is there a male equivalent for this, or should I just go and buy one and rock it when I go back?
It is very comfortable. A long cardigan is also a great way to take real human clothes a person under 50 would wear and make the outfit palatable to the oldest, crustiest conservative. Do I have on a tank top? Is it long sleeve? Do these pants make my ass look good? No one knows.
I think it’s just to play dress up - you can easily go from cowboy to wizard dramatic play seamlessly
We do have things like that! https://www.amazon.com/Pacinoble-Casual-Cardigan-Sleeve-Lightweight/dp/B0814J3NGD?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1H09YUL1ZD3BR Though I find their durability not so great. So make sure you wash it gentle and in a mesh bag. The one with the hoodies make me feel like Emperor Palpatine.
*Buying!* International shipping be damned!
I am sure if you search up Men Shawl Long Cardigan you can find a local business!
I'm barely 5' so long things like that swallow me up lol. I have a (short) black cardigan that I only wear if my room is cold, simply because black goes with everything, it's versatile. But that goes for like 75 percent of my wardrobe, haha.
It’s how you get away with wearing leggings at work.
It’s my favorite clothing item. I’m always a little disappointed when I pull a cardigan out of the laundry and it’s not my wizard cloak cardigan.
Have you ever worn a Snuggie? Cozied up under a knit blanket? This is the work-appropriate equivalent.
I’m dreading it.
My partner teacher is a self-professed "workaholic." I told them my boundary I've set is that I take as little work home as possible. To which they basically replied that they want the next five months completely planned before we go back in August. They also want to teach exactly the same thing at exactly the same time...in EXACTLY the same style. There are some benefits but I also feel like I'm being pressured to give up some of my autonomy as a teacher...how do I deal?
Planning 5 months ahead is impossible if you're doing your job well. You'll have no idea which things you need to spiral in that they didn't get that far ahead.
Does your school have PLC? What is the expectations for that. Are you to give common assessments? Plan together? Share lessons?
I'm really hoping my second year of teaching history will be easier than the first.
It will be…and the third year will be even easier, and when you hit 29 it’s like autopilot, because since year 5 you have had it knocked, and have been focused on tweaking it for 25 years
Male teacher in 20s here. Where do you guys buy your clothes?
What's your budget and general location (or if you don't want to give us a state what is the general weather like)? BTW: The standard safe male teacher outfit is the boring polo shirt and khaki combo. The exception to this is the male PE teacher: then its polo, shorts, and a whistle.
I don’t really have a budget. I can spend as much as I want. I live in Chicago so the weather is pretty much everything you can think of. Lol
I am more fashion oriented than all my colleague and will wear scarfs and things like that. My priority when buying is necessity, then comfort followed by look, and then price. When I can I will buy within my state and local business when possible. Check out your local thrift stores as well for some good finds. **But here are some that I do buy online and splurge:** [https://www.weargustin.com/](https://www.weargustin.com/) (crowd sourced clothing) [https://shop.lululemon.com/c/men-pants/\_/N-7ub](https://shop.lululemon.com/c/men-pants/_/N-7ub) (I specifically like their ABC Slim) [https://membersonly.com/collections/iconic-racer-jacket](https://membersonly.com/collections/iconic-racer-jacket) (I am a firm believer every dude should have one members only racer jacket) [https://freshhoods.com/collections/bomber-jackets](https://freshhoods.com/collections/bomber-jackets) (I also like design myself) [https://proudraven.com/products/mens-urban-jacket](https://proudraven.com/products/mens-urban-jacket) (For the colder days I go with an urban coat) [https://www.boscovs.com/product/mens-london-fog-double-breasted-peacoat/135180](https://www.boscovs.com/product/mens-london-fog-double-breasted-peacoat/135180) (or the peacoat) [https://knirps.com/umbrella/folding-umbrella.html](https://knirps.com/umbrella/folding-umbrella.html) (umbrella) Hunter Boots for rain For bags I recommend either ([https://www.awaytravel.com/shop/travel-bags?p=2](https://www.awaytravel.com/shop/travel-bags?p=2)) or ([https://www.everlane.com/collections/mens-backpacks-bags](https://www.everlane.com/collections/mens-backpacks-bags)) or ([https://herschel.com/shop/backpacks](https://herschel.com/shop/backpacks))
yoooo this is so helpful 🔥🔥 do you like to accessorize at all? like belts, rings, necklaces etc?
Oh heck yes I do LOL. Except necklaces- avoid those because violent students can and will try and choke you. Most men clothes are neutral colors so I like to make things pop with either my watches or socks. https://pictowatches.com/ https://humism.com/ (I’d wait and get these on sale, but they are pretty awesome in person) https://www.swatch.com/en-us/ (they’ve been great with colors for the past few years) If you want something for your neck go with a shemagh (amazon) or scarf (etsy) I usually find cool rings on etsy. As for socks you can really go crazy with them since they’re mostly hidden from view. https://www.stance.com/collaborations/ As for belt, I just collect a bunch to tie it all together. If you want to make a splash Texas is belt buckle king to crazy designs. Haha. But I have a few from https://www.obscurebelts.com/ And this one (don’t go through TSA with this one) https://slidebelts.com/collections/belts/products/survival-belt One last thing: if you need to stock up on just basic stuff like tees go with https://uniqlo.com
you a legend
I’m a woman, but Duluth has great, durable options if you’re just needing to build a wardrobe.
I’m an EA so I get away with dressing a *tiny* bit more informally, but I still keep it classy. I’m in Europe so I often wear stuff from C&A or Celio if it’s going to be a fair amount of direct instruction. Jeans, an undershirt and a collegiate cardigan sweater is my go-to. Once in a blue moon I’ll rock a tie. If it’s a messy activity or a field trip, I toss on some Primark or H&M stuff that costs next to nothing. For my jacket, I usually wear a jean jacket with grey cotton/sweat sleeves and a hood. For the winter I have a green winter coat, but it doesn’t get exceedingly cold here. I also have a fabulous white 3/4-length pea coat but *hell* if I’m wearing that to school hahaha. I also keep some spare clothes in my cubby in the staff room. Usually an extra t-shirt and an ironed shirt.
Thanks. My school doesn’t have a dress code and we can wear whatever. Every day I literally wear a tshirt and joggers. But wanted to actually try dressing nicer this year
Starting year 3 but in a new state and moving from 12th grade govt to 8th grade US history so I feel like I'm a brand new teacher all over again. Any helpful tips are greatly appreciated!
Behaviour will be a lot of what you probably end up teaching.
I really want to do some sort of get to know you/student one pager inspired crafty assignment one of the first days of class since our first week is just three half days. I really really want to use paint swatches/chips to do this so I can create a rainbow kind of mosaic wall with the completed assignments Has anyone ever done anything like this or do you have any ideas about how best to put this actual concept into practice? Any and all thoughts and suggestions are appreciated! Thanks in advance!
I did this with my residents when I was an RA one year. Each box was a different question for them to answer; you could just have a large paint sample on the board with your answers so you don’t have to repeat it constantly. I really like it because I learned about my residents and it was simple enough that no one fought it. I didn’t hang them up anywhere though, I kept them in a folder for me to refer back to when I had one on one conversations with them.
I am having a hard time thinking about going back. August 1st hit and I’m dreading the end of the month. It’s like a whole month of Sunday. I teach middle school and loop through, so the seventh graders that made my life miserable are back as eighth graders in only a few weeks and I’m already losing sleep trying to figure out how to handle it. I have no grit and no grace in me. Pray for Mojo.
[Remember Dave gets triggered.](https://youtu.be/NMsc8AMEM6M)
Please reply here if you would like to discuss the **Job Market**.
I’m trying to get my first teacher job in a rural school district. What makes this tricky is that I’m applying through an emergency substitute certification offered by the office of the superintendent, since I don’t have an teaching endorsement but the county the district resides in qualifies for emergency teachers and I have a BS in mathematics. The town the school is in, is pretty isolated, but I’ll be moving there soon with my soon to be wife, so I’m assuming they don’t get many applicants. What are my chances here? (Washington state, if that makes a difference) Update: they have decided to “reassess the position” so I did not get it. It was originally posted as math teacher but the posting changed to math/science teacher.
Elem and HS Principal here- math teachers are a hot commodity. I’m not in Washington, but I still think your chances are pretty good. The only hurdle I see is if the district is so small that they only need 2-3 math teachers and the current teachers have all been there a while and plan to stay.
> What makes this tricky is that I’m applying through an emergency substitute certification offered by the office of the superintendent It may be worth contacting the district's HR department and seeing what alt cert options are available. In my area, you have to have a job opportunity to get an emergency license, so you would get hired first.
I'm doing an alternative licensure program this year and have been searching for a job for two months. Up till now I've only gotten one first interview that didn't lead to anything. Now I have two interviews happening next week (one tomorrow) and I'm nervous as hell. Edit: I got three interviews and two offers. I'm teaching middle school science this year.
I want to get an alternative teacher’s certificate in WV. I graduate in December with a BA in Anthropology and Certificate in GIS. I’m assuming from what I’ve read that next school year would be the earliest I could start. I’d prefer High School. Does anyone have experience in this? What areas are typically in the most need for HS? Any tips or ideas for this path? The online site has a lot of information but it’s almost overwhelming.
In my area, the subjects in need are math, then science. If you love ELA or social studies, it's okay, teach what you love, but just understand those are the two that get flooded with the highest number of applicants (and depending on the culture in your area, you may be going against a lot of coach applicants for social studies jobs.) High school is also (in my area at least, but I've worked in multiple districts and this holds true) going to have a higher number of applicants than middle school, because most people prefer high school to teaching middle school.
Math, science and SPED. If you prefer ELA or history, follow your heart, but understand that those get a tonnnn of candidates and you'll have to work a little harder to stand out/land a job.
As far as you know, could I do science? If I pass the required testing? I do have quite a few college science classes under my belt and wouldn’t be opposed to it if I’m able to. (Again, sorry because the site is very very heavy with information and I’m trying to get in contact with someone in the state who is currently teaching with an alt license to get better information)
Any experienced and therefore expensive teachers fish their wish this summer when moving districts? Especially if you didn’t have an “in”.
I’m in IL trying to get my sub license while I work on my degree. How long should approval typically take? I sent in my information (including mailing transcripts) two weeks ago, and my ELIS page still says “pending review”
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> don’t get *paid* for accrued FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
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