I teach 3rd grade and I hear so often from parents complaining that they “don’t understand how math works anymore” and that they’re having to “relearn” and “back in my day” etc. I usually just smile and nod, but truthfully, if you can’t comprehend your child’s 3rd grade math homework, you never understood the basic foundations of math in the first place. Stop blaming your ignorance on “new math” or whatever.

Edit 2: ignorance just means that you don’t know something. I’m not calling the parents brain dead lmao.

Edit: Some of y’all are really not getting this:

“As a parent with elementary school kids this is the issue. I see none of the instruction and am trying to help my 7-8-9-10 year old kids relying on them instructing me on math they don’t know how to do.

The few times I’ve seen their work is seems so much more complicated than the old way of

XX
+ YY

That I’m left wondering why we are wasting our time.”

This is literally my point. If you can’t understand an alternate strategy for adding and subtracting and only understand stacking, you never understood math in the first place. If you did, while you might have not seen the strategy before, you’d be able to figure it out.

I TEACH my students how to take notes. I go over it extensively in class and even take notes”live notes” along with my students. I believe this is invaluable.

But about half (yes HALF) of my students have an IEP that calls for me to share notes. I think this is bullshit by the way, especially if I am taking notes live in class myself. So what happens is that this half of students doesn’t feel the need to (rightfully so) to take notes. The other half just gets the notes from their friends who have the IEP.

They don’t seem to understand that the note taking and the synthesis that goes with it IS the learning.

So what do I do? Side note: we just seem to keep setting these kids up for failure.

My second year of high school teaching and I’ve come to accept that I’m not a well liked teacher. No thank you cards, no little gifts.

I don’t know how to be the strong teacher which is appreciated by students. I often wonder I’m if I’ve made a career mistake

Basically the title. What made me think if it and get irritated enough to post was a Gerry Brooks video outlining his own frustrations. There are three types of parents:

1. I will buy NOTHING because the school should supply everything (but have nails done and the newest iPhone as well as the newest name brand clothing for kids). I actually get the point here, but the issue is that schools DON'T supply everything so some pencils, some paper, expo markers, and tissues would be appreciated (that is literally my list- those 4 things).

2. I will put my child's name on EVERYTHING and refuse to allow ANY supplies to be communal. That's fine, but I'll be calling when those supplies run out for you to send more. Don't ask me to let your child share crayons from my communal supply.

3. I just want my child to express him or herself (crazy folders, etc.). Listen Linda, teachers aren't trying to stifle your child. It's just easier if the red folders are for math and the blue for ELA. Feel free to get as creative as you want with the folder for messages home.

And, I would be remiss to not add a fourth (and we love these parents!):

1. I want all kids to succeed and don't mind sending in some extra pencils and expo markers. Teachers work hard and shouldn't have to buy supplies for all the kids in their class on their salary! (Most places are having HUGE sales right now too).

I'm not going to lie, 1-3 are exhausting and I don't understand the thought process. Everyone wants the village but no one wants to be a villager. Staples is literally selling packs of pencils for 50 cents and still parents will NOT buy them. The #4 parents are getting to be very few and far between, but we do love you!

Short post: I do not agree with communal bins in a classroom for shared supplies. Every student should use what they brought from home that their parents bought them. I, as a teacher, do not have the right to take what a parent buys for their child and give them to other students.

Longer post: I am an elementary teacher going into my 28th year of teaching. I do send a supply list to my first grade families every year, and yes, I expect parents to buy some simple school supplies. There is a Dollar Tree a couple miles from my school, and there is no reason why a parent cannot pick up a few pencils, folders, and glue sticks from there. I’m not asking for hundreds of dollars worth of supplies.

That being said, I do understand that buying school supplies can be a big expense to some families; therefore, they do not want the few supplies they buy to go into shared bins for everyone else. I fully support that each child uses what they bring from home, rather than everything going into communal bins. I fully support parents labeling their child’s crayon box, pencil box, glue sticks, etc, and that those are the supplies their child uses. Why should a parent buy glue sticks for everyone else? They are using their own money for their own child, and I see nothing wrong with that. I have never been a teacher who makes parents buy supplies for the entire classroom.

I will never be a teacher who takes supplies out of my students’ hands on the first day of school and dump everything they brought into communal bins. I just can’t get on board with that. Especially when a child goes with their parents to pick out specific things that they want to use, like decorative folders or special crayons, only for those to go into a classroom bin to get used by everyone else. I think it’s a terrible idea.

Personal property is not only fine to have in first grade, but it also teaches the other kids about boundaries. Yes, sometimes a classmate has sparkly crayons that they brought from home, and I think that is fine for them to use, even though no one else has them. As “unfair” as it seems to 6 year olds, that’s life. They are not always going to have everything that everyone else has, and that’s an important skill to learn early on.

I'm in the middle of moving back to the U.S. from overseas and applying for teaching jobs, and I found a district application portal with 17 essay questions just to submit my application.

Not "Tell us about yourself." I mean full-on educational and life philosophy prompts.

"Describe the role relationships play in a classroom."

"What role will classroom assessment play in instruction?"

Buddy... I have three years in the classroom and a Master's in Special Education. I'll happily talk your ear off for forty-five minutes about relationship building, accommodations, assessment, IEPs, and differentiated instruction during an interview.

But writing a term paper just to get my resume looked at?

Come on, man.

And then theirs licensing in another state.

Retaking Praxis exams. State-specific licensure tests. Fingerprinting. Background checks. Official transcripts sent to multiple agencies.

I have a licenses, yet I still have to prove to another state that I know what an IEP is because, apparently, pedagogy is regional.

Meanwhile, nurses have the Nurse Licensure Compact. An RN in a compact state can practice in any other compact state under that license. We trust that a nurse who's cleared the bar once has cleared it. But not a teacher.

Teaching has nothing close to that, just a patchwork of reciprocity deals that might waive your exams, might not, might hand you a "provisional" license. I all depends on the states your moving between.

Last i checked, there's a nationwide teacher shortage. Every district says they're desperate for qualified teachers. Yet the process feels like it's designed to filter out anyone who doesn't have hours to write a dissertation about their educational philosophy.

I understand wanting to know how someone thinks. Ask one thoughtful question. Better yet, ask it in the interview, where it can actually become a conversation.

But seventeen essays? Really!

And here's what's really interesting.

In the past, I've applied to several public school districts and waited weeks without hearing anything back, only to get phone calls after the school year starts asking me to interview.

I've applied to charter schools with the exact same resume and had interview requests in less than twenty-four hours.

If one system can move quickly and another can't, maybe we don't have a teacher shortage, maybe we have a its to difficult to apply problem.

Anyway...

Back to writing another essay about why relationships matter in the classroom.

Ironically, the relationship I'd really like school districts to think about is the one between "we have a teacher shortage" and "we made applying for this job feel like another graduate school assignment."

Anyone else feel this way?

I was asked to give a presentation about a program we piloted last year to a group of local funders. Cool, I love talking about this stuff and was already thinking about how we could expand with more money. I barely got through the intros before one of the funders (he calls himself "an amateur education expert" wth?) starts asking a bunch of questions about research supporting "this pedagogy." Come again? The rest of us are focusing on curriculum. I tried clarifying the difference but he kept going back to teacher practices. All morning. Several other folks started rolling their eyes every time he spoke. I'm generally pretty good at keeping groups focused but this guy was beyond. He clearly was not there to learn from the professionals in the room, he just wanted to wow us with his amateur education expertise.

My principal called yesterday and offered me a job teaching 1st grade! 🫶🏻🍎 School for the kiddos start Aug 6th and I’m scrambling on how to prepare. I’ve got my rules, expectations, consequences, things like that ready to go. My question is where to get all the material things for my class. Books for my library. Toys/games for indoor recess. I’m also stressed because I can’t get in the classroom until my background check comes back. And since it’s so close to school starting I’m stressing. Lol. Any tips or tricks to help me get ready for my first year? Thanks!!

TL;DR: A private school charging about $40,000 per year is opening in Edmond, Oklahoma this August that replaces most traditional classroom instruction with AI-powered learning software. Students spend roughly 2 hours a day on core academics using AI, while the rest of the day focuses on projects, life skills, entrepreneurship, and other enrichment with adult guides instead of traditional teachers. The school claims students learn up to twice as fast, but that claim has not yet been independently verified. While headlines say the school has “no teachers,” adults are still present to coach, supervise, and support students—they simply aren’t delivering most academic instruction.

https://oklahomawatch.org/2026/07/21/a-40000-per-year-ai-school-with-no-teachers-is-opening-in-oklahoma-this-august/

I would like to get some advice on how to handle a situation….

For reference, I have ovarian cancer-without getting too deep into diagnosis- I taught January through May while starting chemotherapy. This week I will have surgery to finally remove the tumor and ovary. I work because I need the health insurance and bills have to be paid. The world doesn’t stop unfortunately and I don’t get familial financial support.

A teacher at my school quit last minute. Administration approached me and asked me to take over her classes. I said no, my health is not stable enough for 4 different classroom curriculums. Especially after they completely changed how we have to write our lesson plans, so I have to redo my lesson plans from last year already. Today I checked skyward to do some ahead planning before my surgery on Friday and saw that they added the other teachers classes anyway.

I’m genuinely in shock. The school I work at is under at will hiring procedures. So I’m unsure how to even deal with this. I can’t afford to lose this job in the midst of my treatment but I also don’t have the energy to teach 4 different math classes, with 4 different curriculums and 3 different tests. I’m only 26 and have never experienced something like this. Hoping for some advice on maybe a cordial or respectful way to handle this…

This will be my 5th year teaching in a couple weeks, and I’ve made a lot of changes over the years to improve my teaching, but this year I’m gonna go for something really big.

No Chromebooks allowed on the desks during notes (open or closed) they have to be done on paper, no Chromebooks allowed during pretty much any activity aside from webquests and specific stuff where they need it. They technically have to open their chromebook to make a bathroom pass BUT NO! I will manually make one for them if they raise their hand.

I teach 12th grade and even though I seat students in groups and encourage discussion in activities I have witnessed them just using ai and technology to crutch their way past meaningful learning.

I think we have all seen the data come out on how reliant the current generation has gotten on technology, so I am really going to go in hard on paper and pencil or verbal discussions this year.

I want the kids to see each other’s faces and actually talk to each other, not look at screens constantly. What is everyone else’s plans and policies around Chromebooks?

It's approaching two weeks before school starts again and I am absolutely dreading it.

I spent last year as a resident teacher and have committed 4 more years to my district. I know that teaching is not really what I plan to do for the rest of my life (but I am in a TRAP contract) and am choosing to ride it out. All things considered, I think that I am a decent teacher and I really want to make children's lives a better place through education.

The problem is that I am starting at a new school. I know no one (I thought one of my friends would be teaching at this school but she left because the kids were too taxing on her mental health), I don't know the curriculum (AT ALL, despite reaching out to the school about it), and the principal is under investigation so currently admin is a mess so I can't actually get in touch with anyone.

On top of that, my certification is still processing which means I am being paid substitute rates until ~October and I am not eligible for any reimbursement for classroom supplies. I'm painting all my decorations myself. I don't know what all I will have provided to me, but based on my understanding of this school, very little outside of paper and pencils.

This is a title 1 school and is the worst ranked in my state. I struggled at a non title 1 school with students that didn't know how to read in the 11th grade but looking at the proficiency ratings its far worse. I don't know what to do and have pretty much zero support. My friend said that she had to start taking medications and going to therapy after working at this school and quit for her mental health.

I don't know if I want advice or what. I just feel like I have absolutely zero resources and preparation and am about to be thrown into something that will be far over my head.

Long time lurker. First time poster. Thought I’d reach out to fellow educators for advice. I work in a district where the superintendent is queen of micromanaging. In order to look for new opportunities, we have to fill out a reference release form. First district Ive worked at where I’ve had to do it. I did get an interview yesterday but since receiving the form, my principal has tried to talk me out of leaving at least 3 different times including at 8:50 last night. They kept telling me that I won’t be supported the way I would be at my current district, that supposedly behavior is ridiculous, that it’s not always about the money etc.. ( we’ve been on a pay freeze for 3 years, so money talks) I know a few teachers working at this current school I interviewed at and they said it’s one of the best admin teams they’ve worked for.
My current principal has lost a few teachers and my take is that she’s nervous on losing another. But she didn’t do what she did to me to the others who left. Am I missing something? Why is she trying to stop me? #feelingoverwhelmed

On Wednesday I lost my teaching job for Chicago Publics Schools, and I feel completely lost, hopeless, and uncertain about any attempt to continue to be a teacher. I was a high school English teacher for almost four years at a public school in the city. I really felt like my job was secure, and I was entering my tenure year, so I was feeling really good about my position and personal confidence.

The last few years have been so incredibly challenging for me between managing student behavior, lack of support from admin, lack of funds, constantly needing to reinvent the wheel, burnout, and often feeling inadequate. This past year I really felt like I was starting to get my footing, and I was mentally preparing to start the 2026/2027 school year with a new mindset: I am doing the best that I can with what I am given, and I am going to do even better than the previous years. I was basically trying to convince myself that I can get through another year, and that every new teacher feels this way this first few years of teaching.

Then I got the call on Wednesday. I am completely gutted. I don't know what to do. Is it even worth going back if that is ever an option? Should I be trying to find another school to work at? Is this a sign? Is teaching even right for me? Am I having an identity crisis?

I don't know what outcome I want from this post, but I am hoping others can share their experiences with teaching. Did you feel this way? Did you go through layoffs? I've heard that some teachers go through multiple layoffs in their careers. How did you handle it? Is this career really worth it, and is it ever going to get better? Does it REALLY get easier with time?

Hi. Wondering if anyone has any recommendations for books about teaching math to upper elementary kids (4th and 5th grades). I've read Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Liljedahl and a colleague suggested Mathematics for Human Flourishing by Su. Appreciate any ideas. Thanks!

I'm returning to a school where I worked for 6½ years before leaving 4 years ago to take a higher-paying job in another school. Unfortunately, that decision didn't work out the way I hoped. I've worked at two different schools over the past four years, and each year has brought difficult experiences. I've been unhappy ever since I left.

Now I'm returning to the school I loved, but in a new role. I've told a few people, but not everyone knows yet. I'm looking for a funny, slightly snarky response for when people ask why I came back. Some of the people that will ask are just looking for gossip, and I don't feel like sharing everything I've been through.

I am not good at thinking in the moment. I have been in the same school district the entire time. I was a higher ranked school.

Like the title suggests, we all find PDs as a waste of our time. But every once in awhile, there’s a PD
Where you can learn something useful. My second year teaching, I went to a PD that taught us how to get kids to cooperate more. I’d never have been able learn that on my own.

This may be controversial, not sure how people on this thread feel about charters, but my principal came from a charter school which is fine, everyone starts somewhere BUT my issue with charter schools is the lack of educational background many teachers and staff have. In the past school year, there were several new hires throughout the year, and only one of them came from a non/charter background. My principal has really only hired teachers from charter backgrounds. It seems phishy to me… idk. I just don’t understand how a teacher from a charter school who isn’t licensed is more qualified than a licensed teacher who went to school for education? And now my school is filled with them.

*EDIT* : you may disagree but I believe all charters are bad. Not all teachers in charters are bad, but I just can’t support them. And a lot of their teachers do lack experience, not all. When I say lack experience I’m not talking about years of teaching, I’m talking hours in the classroom, pedagogy, etc. I majored in education policy and have read several books on charter schools so yes I am nervous about the # of charter hires in my school.

Hello everyone I am a first year teacher with a license in K-12 integrated Social Studies. I was recently hired by a local charter school in what I thought was a 5th grade social studies teacher role. During the hiring process the recruiter multiple times specifically said I was going to be in a 5th grade social studies role. But now only three weeks before the start of the school year they told me it was for 4th/5th grade general Ed. I was not prepared for this I have an alternative license and no background in teaching general education. I'm not sure what to do I feel like the rug was pulled out for under me. Anyone have any advice?

I have 7 years teaching experience. My top choice district just scheduled an interview for next week and I won’t be in town, but they accommodated me by allowing a virtual interview while I’m out of town. I’m feeling excited and hopeful!

I’ve been out of the interview world for a few years. This is for a middle school language arts position in California. Any tips or advice as I prepare for the interview? Thanks 🤗

As a teacher, I prefer to just do my before school duties a week at a time each quarter rather than having to remember that every Tuesday and Thursday I have duty for the entire school year.

What is your preference? What does your school do?

Hello! I'm a fairly new teacher trying to flesh out my classroom setup. I work at a severely underfunded school in an underserved neighborhood, so it's been tough. I've been using DonorsChoose for a lot of smaller stuff, like pencils and markers and whatnot, but need better teaching furniture -- I'm thinking an easel for anchor charts, large storage bins, etc. I had the thought to ask retired/retiring teachers if they have larger things they can pawn off to me, but I can't figure out how to actually find them.

Does anyone have any recs for finding retired teachers trying to get rid of their stuff for free? Ideally in the southeast PA area. Thanks!

Year 1: Okay cool, a PD! I might learn something useful that'll help me be a better teacher.

Year 8: Didn't they go over this during the last PD? Data this. SEL That. Budget blah blah blah. I'mma go ahead and start grading.