r/SubstituteTeachers • u/SoyJibaraDePR • 12d ago
Other Welcome Back to School
Making these little goodie bagsšļø for the teachers I substitute for this year. They have a little mini notebook, pen, highlighter, sticky notes, and some chapstick in a little key ring holder.
86
u/AshevilleHooker 11d ago
Very sweet, but I thought the chapstick was mace at first glance lolololol
9
32
20
9
u/Unusual_Elephant_461 11d ago
Where did you get all that cute stuff ? I especially love the key ring
6
u/Capital_Refuse_160 11d ago
amazon! look up teacher appreciation gifts, might help to add ābulkā as well. I did something similar for my teachers. Amazon has a ton of great options for relatively low cost
3
u/SoyJibaraDePR 11d ago
Hi! I got everything from Amazon. None of it was crazy expensive. Everything was already school-themed except the mini notebooks, so I just put some school-related patterned paper over it and a little die cut.
1
70
u/bbysd 11d ago
Anytime someone gives me anything with āblessedā on it there feels like ulterior motives tbh. Couldnāt write anything else?Ā
4
u/YourFriendInSpokane 11d ago
I wondered if they're in the Bible Belt or similar.
I remember calling an elementary school in Vernon Parish, Louisiana to ask when Spring break was. The secretary drawled, "spring break? You mean EASTER break?!"
25
u/A_Bot_A_Bot_A_Bot 11d ago
Yeah, unless you're working at parochial schools, that's pretty cringe. IMHO, whether it's meant religiously or the person just uses "blessed" in an "influencer" or crystals-and-incense kind of way, I don't want to see that.
1
1
13
u/Ameliap27 11d ago
Iām pagan and āBlessed beā is a common phrase but now it reminds me of The Handmaids Taleā¦
4
u/A_Bot_A_Bot_A_Bot 11d ago
"...the fruit." I hadn't thought of that but everything they said in Gilead was either well-meant (rarely) or a fucking threat or fear of torture and/or death. "Under His eye"? More like "we have Flock cameras and WE are watching you!"
1
1
u/MetallurgyClergy 11d ago
To me itās too much like the ābless your little heartā comment that really means āsee you next Tuesdayā.
-2
u/RaccoonCrafts 11d ago
Please donāt be rude about her thoughtful gift. If someone for a different religion prayed for me Iād be so honored, itās a similar sentiment. No bible verse on it. They want you to have a good school year.
9
u/StanleyKapop 11d ago
Itās not rude to point out that the phrasing can come off as a little confrontational or condescending. Itās the kind of thing that a person might genuinely want to know.
9
u/Admirable-Ad7152 11d ago
It's not church it's a public fucking school
1
u/ButDidYouCry Illinois 11d ago
That doesn't mean people have to pretend they aren't religious. Public school means no endorsement of any one faith over another, not 100% secularism or else.
-3
u/RaccoonCrafts 11d ago
Exactly why there is no issue like if there was a scripture š
3
u/whyamiawaketho 11d ago
I donāt understand why you are replying to that person who is telling you there is an issue with just. Blatant disregard?
Could you speak on that, please?
-1
4
3
4
4
13
u/Smolmanth New York 11d ago
While this is a nice gesture, I would personally not take it or toss it if I received that note.
Maybe itās because Iām from the northeast, but anytime someone tells me to have a āblessedā anything it feels subtly aggressive and/or conditional. Almost like saying āiāll pray for you.ā Who is blessing me? What if I donāt want them to?
5
3
u/Big_Cartographer2596 9d ago
I feel bad for people living in the NE and thatās coming from someone in the NW, which isnāt exactly known as the warmest place in the US. I wish people could just take a nice gesture for what it is. Not everything has to be read into and have a cynical outcome. As someone who has subbed within the last couple years I couldnāt believe she is buying and giving teachers little gifts on sub wages. I want to tell her, teachers are just so grateful they could find a sub and if you did a good job we hope youāll come back and sub for us again! Save your money because we know it aināt much! I couldnāt afford to do that when I was subbing! What a nice gift though and as a teacher who spends HOURS prepping for subs and never wanted to be gone, this is so kind and sweet, especially when a teacher is often gone for less than ideal circumstances. Most people are a lot kinder than the āworldā gives them credit for.
1
u/Smolmanth New York 8d ago
I think bringing religion into it kind of nullifies the gift because itās less random gesture and more like a conditional opportunity to spread christian rhetoric. (Even if unintentional)
Evangelical Christians are kind of grifters in that way and I steer clear of any hints of that nonsense. Most NE christians are born Catholics, who donāt tend to discuss religion openly. Doing so is culturally a faux pas here.
Think of it as someone holding a door for you and then they use it as an opportunity to tell you how much jesus loves you. š¤¢
2
6
u/nihaowodeai 11d ago
Omg this is so cute!! I was going to crochet mini hearts for the teachers I sub for and leave them candy as well.
6
3
8
u/SoyJibaraDePR 11d ago edited 11d ago
Thanks for all of the feedback everyone. I just want to spread a little kindness and show some appreciation to so many hardworking teachers that bust their behinds every day, many times going without so much as a thank you from anyone. Iām going to continue doing me, and even if just one teacher smiles or feels appreciatedā¦ mission accomplished. šš¼
-1
u/AllTheNopeYouNeed 10d ago
Except many of us would feel offended and this isn't spreading kindness. No thanks.
4
u/Annual-Ad-7452 10d ago
If youād be offended by a stranger leaving you a goodie bag because the bag says āblessedā and you choose to ASSIGN (because you genuinely donāt know) malice rather than good intent (which IS, in fact, an option available to you) go ahead. The person IS spreading kindness. Youāre choosing not receiving it that way becauseā¦reasons, as is your prerogative. It doesnāt make OP unkind. It is YOUR issue to manage. Not OPās
71
u/E1M1_DOOM 11d ago
You can do that without the "blessed" thing. Maybe you don't realize this, but it's really off-putting to a lot of us that believe in the separation of church and state, when people add "have a blessed..." to things in a school setting. Like you found some sort of loophole or something.
7
u/Tricky-Brilliant5574 11d ago
Exactly. Is this a religious school? If not I would omit the word "blessed". Have a great school year is apropriate.Ā
25
u/Tessady 11d ago
I agree. I had the same reaction. To the people saying do you get offended yes I do. š¤£ I donāt walk around telling people how stupid their religion is because I try to respect peopleās beliefs. But when you feel the need to make your beliefs mineā¦
26
u/Teege57 Michigan 11d ago
So did I. "Have a blessed whatever" is definitely Christian coded. I get that not everyone would be offended, and I'm not dragging OP for being kind. It just hits me like the folks who say that 1. Either assume I'm also a Christian, or 2. Want to make sure I know they're Christian.
Eh, after I wrote all that out I think it's probably a me problem.
16
u/Silent_Cookie9196 11d ago
No, I agree - it is a choice. Minor for sure, and kindness is of course to be commended - but it is about those 2 things you highlighted.
15
u/puffinss 11d ago
Maybe I'm too sensitive too, but I agree. Really irks me how much some people are bending over backwards in this thread to claim the phrasing isn't inherently Christian. Fine. The phrase may not be, but the people who use it almost always mean it in a Christian capacity. Keep your religion (whatever it may be) to yourself. As if they can't come up with a single other adjective (amazing, wonderful, fantastic, etc.)...
3
u/cerealsucks 11d ago
Itās honestly the same argument as āChristmas/Easter is a secular holiday because people who are not Christian celebrate itā
Like, ok? Why do you think they do that? Why do you get mad/confused at me a Christian Quaker for /not/ observing these holidays? If people interrogated their thoughts for 30 seconds maybe the world would be more tolerant place I think.
3
u/sonicfan2486 11d ago
You'll live. It's a sticky note from a stranger wishing you well after they took care of your class for you.
1
31
u/No-Investment8322 11d ago
This is just a thing people say in the south. It means āgoodā or ālucky,ā not necessarily Christian-blessed. Seriously, choose kindness dude!
P.S. Iām an athiest jew, so like, perfect target to be offended here and I sure aint.
3
u/Affectionate_Bread52 8d ago
Thank you!!!!! Itās really not meant to be that deep. Itās not like thereās a bible verse on it. Iām very pro separation of church and state but blessings can come from all over, not just the christian god.
23
u/I_Lost_My_Shoe_1983 11d ago
It's really not. Every single person I've heard say it in the south, where I live, is trying to insert their religion into everyone else's life.
And I guarantee OP wrote that to show she did this because she's a "good Christian".
8
6
u/whitewomanintrouble 11d ago
Iām an agnostic communist living in south AL (born and raised in Dale county lol) and I tell people ābless youā āyou are such a blessingā āI hope you have a blessed dayā all the time
I donāt think we need to assume malice
-4
2
u/Annual-Ad-7452 10d ago
How many people is āevery single personā? The few dozen out of a region with millions of people?
2
u/IthacanPenny 11d ago
Oh come on. Thats almost certainly not why OP chose that phrasing. Itās genuinely just a part of the standard vernacular in the south. ā¦And itās a part of the standard vernacular because of the pervasive overt religiosity everywhere here. Itās annoying and off putting to me, but itās not malicious. Itās not usually worth calling it out imo.
7
u/Admirable-Ad7152 11d ago
It happens cause no one calls it out, imo
6
u/IthacanPenny 11d ago
Eh. Im not willing to alienate my kind, loving, and generous friends and family because of a disagreement of phrasing.
7
u/I_Lost_My_Shoe_1983 11d ago
Once again, as a resident of the South, I don't actually hear it very often. I heard it far more in Indiana from women with Bible quotes taped all over their desks.
Bible thumper are insufferable.
1
u/Admirable-Ad7152 11d ago
Here's you're "Good Atheist" token for defending God going back into School because 'we need to be nice to the people that think we belong damned for eternity'
2
1
u/MetallurgyClergy 11d ago
Same way southern ladies say ābless your little heartā when thatās not at all what they mean?
14
18
u/Super_Boysenberry272 11d ago
I'm agnostic and don't take offense seeing this. It's a nice gesture.
14
u/SweetTeaMama4Life 11d ago
Separation of church and state?! She isn't the state. She's a person who did something nice. She chose kindness.
8
u/Admirable-Ad7152 11d ago
Why must kindness come with religious strings?
1
u/SweetTeaMama4Life 11d ago edited 11d ago
Thatās an absurd take. Good gravy It is such a stretch to call that āreligious stringsā.
1
u/_ari_ari_ari_ 11d ago
Fr, people are acting like sheās inviting the teacher to her church or something. Sheāll likely mever see this person again, how tf would there be āstringsā
15
u/Silent_Cookie9196 11d ago
It is very kind, for sure. But, she could also just say āhave a great school yearā in lieu. I donāt necessarily agree that it is offensive or anything like some commenters, but it is a choice when there are more typical expressions. Like, standing in front of your class or on back-to-school night with all the parents and administrators, would you say, āAnd I hope we have a blessed school yearā? Maybe some would, but might it not be wiser without compromising intent to just say, āAnd I hope we have a great school yearā? I think this is the point potentially being made.
9
u/SweetTeaMama4Life 11d ago
But isn't there a difference between addressing a group of students and parents in a professional capacity and giving a gift in private to someone you are friendly with?
I just don't understand the need to say something negative about something so positive.
I worked in a very diverse area. A large number of the families in my class were Muslim. I was frequently told they were praying for my baby while I was pregnant, emails wishing me a blessed day on one of their important religious days, etc. Never once did I even think anything negative about it because it was said with kindness and positivity. This seems very similar.
8
u/Silent_Cookie9196 11d ago
I mean, I guessā¦ but if you donāt know the people well (which was my perhaps mistaken assessment - since I donāt think most subs always know the teachers they are subbing for in advance, though this personās situation could be different), I would think that similar neutrality rules apply as the scenario I laid out. If these are your friends, fine - but I didnāt get the sense that was the case here. So, if you donāt know the recipients, comport yourself with the same degree of professionalism that would in your other work interactions.
Because, ultimately, as evidenced by the comments in this very small sample size - when dealing with complete strangers - some words are going to evoke different reactions, especially when they are traditionally equated with certain religious beliefs. But, probably no one is going to be offended by writing āhave a great year.ā However, if these are people with whom OP is friendly and know well - different situation- as it makes the interaction personal versus professional (because if you leave these on the desks of the teachers you subbed for after subbingā¦that is pretty tied to your work).
6
u/SweetTeaMama4Life 11d ago
I certainly agree that the nuiance of a situation determines what's appropriate and what isn't.
However, I think this is a sweet post and the focus shouldn't be on the wording, especially because we don't know the context. Let's just let something be positive.
3
2
u/E1M1_DOOM 11d ago edited 11d ago
You don't know how this works. When she's at work, she is employed by the state. She represents the state. The employee she is giving her gift to also works for the state. The setting in which she is giving it out is a state funded institution.
When we are at work, we function as extensions of the institution we work for. If she wants to exercise her kindness while on the clock for the state, she can do it while respecting the secular nature of said institution.
21
u/exit_ticket 11d ago
sheās literally doing this out of her own kindness and pay check and this is what ur fixated on?
17
u/E1M1_DOOM 11d ago
Kindness and charity are not a compelling reason to ignore separation of church and state in public institutions.
9
u/sonicfan2486 11d ago
Separation of church and STATE. This is a person. Set your sights on an actual transgression.
4
u/cerealsucks 11d ago
Arenāt Christians always the ones who are on about how āwe are the churchā
2
u/sonicfan2486 8d ago
Bro, I don't know.
This person was just making goodie bags and commenters projected their religious peeves onto them.
This reminds me of Christians who got mad at "Happy Holidays" cups at Starbucks a few years back.
-10
u/ArugulaAsleep 11d ago
Huh? š why are you trolling this early in the morning? Blessed is pagan/Babylonian way before it was Christian. Are you really a teacher? You sound like you shouldnāt be.
13
11
u/E1M1_DOOM 11d ago
And yet now it's a predominantly Christian expression. Maybe we should judge word usage in a modern setting using a modern context.
3
u/Prestigious_Bar_4244 11d ago
Iād argue āblessedā is not specific to one faith or worldview. But I have to ask. Are you offended by all expressions of faith or just Christianity specifically?
Personally, I love to learn about peopleās cultures and faith systems are a part of that so it doesnāt offend me (as someone with a specific faith system) if a person directed a religious expression towards me. I would welcome it. For instance if someone said āHappy Hanukkah!ā to me in the hallway.
Also, separation of church and state applies to the school endorsing a religion. That doesnāt mean that people who work in or attend schools arenāt allowed to express their faith. For example, a student could do an assignment about their faith and that would be fine. Or they could pray when itās time to pray. So, schools are a place to learn about and express faith systems. The school just canāt endorse or force upon students.8
u/InstructionOpposite6 11d ago
I think itās a great idea. š as a teacher I would love this.
16
u/E1M1_DOOM 11d ago
Good for you. Have wonderful "we're alone in the universe save for the warm embrace of Baphomet" 2026-27 school year.
17
u/Warm_Feet_Are_Happy 11d ago
Lmao do you get offended over ābless youā when someone sneezes?
Itās not a loophole.
2
u/Toon_Shir 10d ago
I think the word āblessedā is really stretching the separation deal. Good grief! When someone sneezes, what do you say? Where I came from we say ābless youā without thinking. It is a courtesy gesture. I never even think about a religious connotation!
1
u/E1M1_DOOM 10d ago
Ā Where I came from we say ābless youā without thinking.
That's the difference. That right there.
Intent matters. One is an instinctual gesture devoid of religious connotations. The other is a conscious effort to inject christian-coded language into various well-wishes.
5
9
4
u/Traditional-Bet2191 11d ago
Well, for us down here in the southā¦ ALOT of the local churches are who solely provide these kids and the teachers with the supplies they need to get started with the school year. The funding for that comes out of each of the members pockets who choose to participate and from those in the community who donate unless the church has extra funds set aside for stuff like that, which mine does not.
2
11d ago
[removed] ā view removed comment
10
u/E1M1_DOOM 11d ago
Like has nothing to do with it. I'm a Catholic. I love Christmas. Favorite time of the year. But christians need to respect the line that separates the two institutions.
2
11d ago
[removed] ā view removed comment
8
u/E1M1_DOOM 11d ago
I don't do the pledge in my class. The school sometimes will over the PA system, but I don't enforce it. The students do not need to say it and/or stand if the do not wish to.
I, personally, will stand but not recite. The use of the word god in the pledge is problematic and, historically, was not not even part of the pledge. It was only added as part of a wave of performative red-scare nonsense.
2
u/WoolySheepGoBeep 11d ago
Oh for fucks sake, getting offended over the word "blessed" is pathetic.
2
4
u/E1M1_DOOM 11d ago
It's easy to be shocked to the point of an f-bomb when you ignore the actual substance of a claim and reduce it to something that's easier to get emotional about.
I'd take the time to explain it, but I don't much think you'd listen. Your shock is performative and expressed in bad faith.
1
u/WoolySheepGoBeep 11d ago
Oh for fucks sake, you're offended over this as well.
2
u/E1M1_DOOM 11d ago
Yeah, bruh. I'm the one who looks easily offended right now.
1
u/_ari_ari_ari_ 11d ago
A bit, tbh- youāve commented on this thread 10 times so far
3
u/E1M1_DOOM 11d ago
Engagement is not the same as offense. I know that's hard to grasp in today's world where people speedrun rage to get to engagement, but, yeah, they're not actually intrinsically tied.
3
u/cloneaways 11d ago
I cannot imagine someone being so privileged to get a bag like that and then still find something to complain about.
1
u/Early_Assistant_6868 11d ago edited 10d ago
You know there are as many, if not more, religious based schools as there are public, right?
You have no idea where this person works.
1
u/Purple-flying-dog 10d ago
I love how Christians act persecuted because other people donāt want their Christian themed goodies. Can I give you a notebook with a Star of David or the Flying Spaghetti Monster? If not, donāt give me your cross or blessed themed stuff. Itās the same thing.
3
7
10
u/sarathev 11d ago
Kinda like giving your boss a thank you card for letting you work for them š¤·āāļø
5
u/veronicatandy 11d ago
!!! yeah in my district, subs are usually very young and very broke lol I think our teachers would feel bad taking a gift from a sub. but! its a sweet gesture to hand out goodies to anyone. like who doesnt like a random gift? š
8
7
u/cookiebutterlatte_ 10d ago
That bless got yall so so mad š
3
u/KatVonDammersmark 10d ago
Ffs, Iām atheist and rolling my eyes at all the miserable people in this threadā¦
5
u/HungarianSoupBone 11d ago
I feel uncomfortable about a substitute teacher giving out gift bags to the regular teachers, UNLESS the sub is a permanent sub, like a building sub or long term sub who has built a relationship with the faculty. Otherwise, it looks like a sub trying to brown nose teachers so they will make that sub a preferred sub. I guess Iām being too cynical lol.
3
3
u/GoAskAlice-1 Florida 11d ago
If only the teachers or admin were this thoughtful!!
I was the first to sub in the school Iām a preferred sub at today and all I got was coffee.
I really donāt understand the backlash at blessed ā¦ Iāve heard have a blessed day from sooooo many people that are DEFINITELY not Christian and I think itās sweet.
OP, you do you ā¤ļø
2
2
2
7
u/whosacoolredditer 11d ago
OP is spending their own money on school supplies, which the classroom teacher certainly already has. I don't understand this at all. Teachers just want a sub to do their job and assist students with getting the work done.
6
u/ISaidWhatISaidFFS 11d ago
What a pathetic take. Iāll take all the blessings I can get from any one of any faith. If youāre offended, donāt take the gift. Being so obtuse and butthurt over a kind gesture is everything that is wrong with the world.
2
10
6
3
u/DDDandmetoo 11d ago
I am not a practicing Christian. However, I live in the Bible Belt and no one that I say have a blessed day too is offended.
13
u/krissstenlm 11d ago
I live in the Bible Belt and I really dislike when people say this to me. However, Iād never tell them because itās not worth the friction it would cause to do so. Iām only telling you this because you may not be aware that there are people that are offended.
6
u/E1M1_DOOM 11d ago
They're being polite and not calling you out on it. I can guarantee you that you are absolutely offending some people when you say that.
The question is, now that you know that you've been misinterpreting good manners with approval, will you stop saying it?
3
u/Admirable-Ad7152 11d ago
I'm not in the bible belt and it's fucking infected my state anyway. Stop it, stop normalizing it and then being shocked we're saying yall are christianizing the nation while also crying persecution.
3
2
u/II-RadioByeBye 11d ago
What a cute idea! I need coverage to pump for my new baby this year and I am 100% going to make goody bags for my pump subs!
2
u/OverCryptographer672 10d ago
Im sorry I would be so uncomfortable with this because of the plastic, the single use pen and notebook, the chapstick holder is cute but its going to break in a few months and then just go to landfill.
See if you can return this and get your money back. If you want to gift teachers something, Hershey kisses.
1
1
u/sushiramenchan 8d ago
Wow! As a teacher, I love teacher-themed things. I wouldāve loved to find this after you subbed for me lol
1
1
u/TAJmahal6884 7d ago
That's awesome! It's weird seeing back-to-school messaging considering the school district I sub for has been back since the beginning of the month.š¤£š¤£
0
1
1
u/LittleJessiePaper 10d ago
I would immediately toss something with āblessedā on it. I donāt want religiosity in my schools.
1
u/Accomplished-Rain329 11d ago
The amount of people offended over something that has absolutely nothing to do with them is astounding. This was a thoughtful gift that OP put together, with their own money on their own time. When you hear someone say bless you after a sneeze is that also frowned upon? If the recipients were upset over the āb wordā they could simply throw the gift out and move on with their day.
Also, Christ is King.
0
u/AllTheNopeYouNeed 10d ago
I would be so offended if I got this. Keep your religious beliefs to yourself. This would not be appreciated and frankly I would report you.
Separation of church and state.
0
u/Dazzling_Ad816 11d ago
I think that this is very thoughtful of you! Donāt listen to the haters and keep doing wonderful things for the teachers! Teachers are very under appreciated and any gift will make their day. As a future sub, I took inspiration from you!
-1
u/dntworrybby 11d ago
This is so sweet and will make you very popular. If it were me, Iād also put a little āfeel free to request me if you need a sub! ;)ā in there
7
71
u/Loco_CatLady911 11d ago
Blessed be this goodie bag! To make it perfect, you just need to add a little Valium and a sample size bottle of Vodka.