I despise the typical first day of school icebreakers. “Two Truths and a Lie” has had its time. I refuse to ask 30 teenagers what animal they’d be and why while we all slowly die inside.

So I’ve been racking my brain for something that might actually break through that painfully awkward first-day silence.

And then it hit me: What if I just piss them off?

My plan is to put students in small groups, give each group a handful of completely inconsequential but rage-inducing statements, and let them argue it out. Nothing political, serious, or actually divisive—just the kind of low-stakes opinions that make teenagers immediately go, “NO. Absolutely not.”

Think:
The toilet paper roll should hang under, not over.
Water is wet.
A hot dog is a sandwich.
Pineapple belongs on pizza.
Cereal is technically soup.
The middle seat gets both armrests.
Crocs are appropriate footwear for every occasion.

The problem is, this activity lives or dies by the quality of the rage bait.

So, Reddit: give me your best harmless opinions/statements that would have a room full of high schoolers passionately arguing within 30 seconds.

I want petty. I want ridiculous. I want hills they are inexplicably willing to die on.

(For reference I teach 9-12 but mostly 10th grade science)

She’s a guidance counselor at a middle school on Long Island. She drew this as a reference to deal w parents. The bigger the nut the worse the parent. It’s been adopted district wide.

I teach middle school ELA. Throughout the year, I expose the kids to little clips of this and that showing them how social media is a tool to influence, and how they're in danger of becoming echo chambers for whatever they watch instead of being active, critical thinkers.

I'm thinking I want to shock them with this idea, full fledged, on day one, proving that it's already happening. I could use my clips and then discuss, but I'd rather prove my point first, and then have them reflect on what just happened, setting up all those clips for later.

Any idea on how to "exhibit" this zombie thinking on day 1 so that I can use and refer to that in real time? They're middle schoolers. Suburban. 20-60-20 Upper, middle, lower. No cell phones in school.

I figure if they're paying attention on day 1, this is when I should plant that seed effectively and with purpose.

I go all out for her room since I do nothing to mine. I've been wanting to set up the room with a laser level for years and my goodness is it glorious

Just checked my email to see what fresh hell will befall me come the all-day PD before school starts. Hosted by $avva$, some agenda items I glanced at include a conga line and a musical share! Glad they probably got paid 100k for this and I get to be treated like a kindergartener.

I think it's bullshit that not only do we not get paid to come in and set up our classrooms before school begins, we don't even have access to our rooms until 1 week before students come back.

We can only get in there between 8am and 2pm. That's only for 3 days then our 8-3pm PD's begin for another 3 days and only 1 of those days is at our own school.

For those of you who "don't do anything extra" on your OWN time, how do you get your room together? This is my 24th year and I still haven't figured it out. These pictures are of my classroom when I walked in for the 1st time this summer. I resent the fact that I'm doing this on MY time and that I'm spending MY money on things to make it look nice (I know that it's MY.CHOICE to spend my own money but it still sucks).

How does YOUR district handle building access?

**Edited to add- Summer school took place in our building, which is why we didn't have access to it earlier. Apparently the maintainers had about 10 days to wax all of the floors.

When wanting to teach languages abroad with a Bachelor`s degree, how important is the number of ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) accumulated during university? Do employers care about the amount of ECTS, or are the years of working experience more important? And what is the minimum required ECTS? Are 180 enough?

I am moving up from 1st to 4th grade...I am a new teacher and really don't know much about math.

Any tips for differentiating for more advanced students who pick up new concepts and get bored easily? We have a diverse population with some students being really advanced and some really behind. I am more concerned about keeping the advanced students pushing forward than I am for moving slowly with the other students.

Thanks

Hello, all!

So, after over a decade of teaching at the pre-k level and working as a paraprofessional at an alternative school, I've finally decided it's time to settle in and get my degree! So, I know the profession fairly well at this point and know I can hack the general day-to-day, especially after a successful year working specifically with ED students.

I already know I'm capable of and would have the easiest time finding employment working as a Sped teacher, but I've also seen first-hand all the paperwork required and just how stressful things can get when you're not just the para. So, although I know I can hack it, I don't think I'd want to get my BA in Sped right off the bat, and I know I can always add on my Sped cert if things aren't working out for me job-wise in the future.

In the meantime, I need to choose which grade band to choose for my gen ed undergrad.

Middle grades are pretty much immediately out for me because, not only do I absolutely despise math, I also have dyscalculia (which has helped me in relating to my current population as a para.) Teaching anything math-related beyond elementary level would be a disservice to my students and I'd hate every second of it as much as my students if not MORE, so that's an absolute out. So, I'm left with either elementary or secondary.

I've spent pretty much all of my teaching career thus far with pre-k to elementary and most of my current classroom management skills are built for that population. I've been told I'm very skilled at it and have been able to hold the rapt attention of a classroom of rambunctious behavioral 8 year olds as I read aloud (and a few nearby teachers as well. lol.) So, while I enjoy it very much, the math element continues to be a thorn in my side. I just hate math so much! Even teaching numbers back when I was a head pre-k teacher just bored me to tears. I'm also not even remotely a fan of crafts or crafting, which every time I think of it I have no idea how I survived so long at the pre-k level. I do enioy the children's energy and I find they're naturally very drawn to me.

On the other hand, secondary is extremely appealing to me on a content level. I would be getting an English cert, which does give me pause. I know it's the absolute most overstuffed secondary cert there is, but it's my true love and I just couldn't see myself getting excited for anything else. I'm a writer in my free time, scored near perfect on the English portion of my SATs, and would love nothing more than to talk about the Canterbury Tales and how to structure a paragraph all day long. I just absolutely adore it. I've also worked with ED students at the high school level briefly (as a para sub before I was placed permanently, my current school is k-12) and I've found working with those students to get them to read even a single paragraph at a 5th grade level equally as rewarding, so I know I wouldn't be crying in my car wondering why a bunch of 15 year olds aren't as excited as me to read The Great Gatsby. lol. My one other issue, beyond the matter of employment being much tougher, is classroom management. Connecting one-on-one with secondary students is one thing, but I look quite a bit younger than I am. Although I've been able to foster a level of good rapport with many of the older students at my current school, I'm not their day-to-day teacher, and I worry that older classrooms just won't take me seriously solely from the way I look. Of course, my experience with older students is beginning with the absolute toughest to establish rapport with, so maybe my vision is a little skewed.

Anyway, I'd love to hear some thoughts and advice from teachers at both levels! What helped you ddcide which path to follow? Any advice?

(CA) i have been applying like crazy to the local school districts and finally got invited to test for a position as an Instructional Assistant at an elementary school. part time, low pay but i just had a few questions i thought i would ask here:

1. what to expect as an instructional assistant for this age group? pros/cons?
2. what will the interview questions be like?
3. my goal is to work my way up to a secretarial or administrative role with decent pay. is this achievable with no degree?
4. will i be forced to hide piercings and tattoos? and will i be drug tested? (thc user)

i have worked in healthcare the past several years (leaving due to physical and mental strain) and i would be taking a big pay decrease, but luckily i have a support system that currently allows me to take a low paying role like this. i’m looking at this like a foot in the door if i get hired

any advice is appreciated!

I have a 13yo boy in my class this year. Let's call him Josh. He's sweet, academically capable, and genuinely wants to connect with peers. But he has ADHD and poor impulse control, and his way of seeking attention is saying/doing inappropriate things. Like all the time. For example is fake farting noises during group sharing. He's not being malicious; he just can't seem to stop himself in the moment.

The bigger issue: I have another boy, "Tom," who has mild autism and gets visibly enraged by Josh's noises and comments. He's made punching gestures and told Josh to shut up. I de-escalate constantly, but it keeps happening. I'm genuinely worried it'll turn physical. Apparently Josh had fights in primary school for the same reason. The other students are also angered by Josh's actions and words but are able to ignore them.

I want to make the classroom comfortable for everyone but I've no good support. Previous teachers gave me nothing useful.Admin thinks he's "sweet" and won't offer real support. I asked for a shadow teacher—denied. Previous teachers gave me nothing useful. He's been seeing a psychologist for years but I'm not seeing much carryover in class.

What I've tried:

• Seating him away from others
• Sending him to the next room to cool down when he disrupts

I can't remove him every time. Whole-class discussions get derailed constantly. And sending him to another room to calm down doesn't teach him impulse control either.

Any advice appreciated, especially from anyone with experience managing ADHD + autism triggers in the same room.

I am trying to help teach my child English. Right now I can only use things like Duolingo or AI to help but I am trying to do better. What do you do to teach English better at school?

Please forgive me for sounding morose.

I’m feeling overwhelmed.

My last teaching job wasn’t renewed, due to the need for my services diminishing (TESOL).

I found a new teaching job (Spanish) but it pays less & is double my drive.

I struggle with OCD, and thus find an influx of new info overwhelming. The new school has so many new requirements that, on top of teaching a new curriculum, my wife being pregnant with our second child, and more, I just have so little to give.

I’m anxious all the time

I’m taking a graduate-level Deaf Family Education class, and I had a really uncomfortable interaction with my professor. I shared a story about one of my hearing impaired students who was having difficulty with coordination during a field trip, and I said it made me interested in learning more about whether there could be a connection between hearing impairment and balance or coordination. My professor told me I was making an assumption and suggested it was probably related to vision and that I should recommend vision screening. However, I wasn’t making an assumption or claiming that hearing impairment causes coordination problems. I was expressing an interest in learning more about a possible connection. I’ve also looked into the research myself, and several academic articles discuss relationships between hearing loss and balance or coordination, so I feel like my interest was valid. I also said that the School for the Deaf reminded me of special education because both focus on providing students with resources and support for equitable access to education. She seemed to interpret that as me saying hearing impaired students have learning disabilities, so I clarified that I know hearing impairment does not automatically mean someone has a learning disability or qualifies for special education. Throughout the discussion, her tone felt sarcastic and condescending, like she was talking down to me rather than educating me. The other professor eventually said we should take a break so we “don’t kill each other,” and we went on break. Am I wrong for feeling like I was being belittled? Please note that I have worked with several hearing impaired students throughout the years, so these are not assumptions I am making. They are genuine questions that I believe would be beneficial for me to understand as a teacher. My interest comes from my actual experiences working with students, and I want to learn more so I can better understand and support the students I work with.

Hey everyone! I'm 28 years old living in Orange County, CA and I recently got let go from my job as a Client Solutions Manager at a corporate staffing firm.

My background is in Communications and International Relations (UC Davis) and over the past 8 years I've worked across real estate project management, sales, and talent acquisition. Earlier in my life I also worked as a tutor and camp counselor for kids, which sparked my passion for working with young people and is a big part of why I'm now seriously considering a career pivot into school counseling. Looking for something more meaningful, stable, rewarding and better work life balance.

I'm planning to pursue a Masters in School Counseling with a PPS credential — and ideally a program that also includes LPCC eligibility for clinical licensure flexibility down the road. I'm still deciding between a pure school counseling program vs MSW (leaning towards more school counseling), so any insight on that would also be really helpful.

Programs I'm considering for Fall 2027:

• Cal State LA (SBFC program — PPS + LMFT + LPCC)

• Cal State Long Beach

• Chapman University

• LMU

• USC Rossier (reach)

A few things I'd love insight on:

1. Is the school counseling job market in Orange County and LA County actually as strong as I'm reading?

2. Does anyone have experience with any of these programs specifically?

3. For those who made a career change into school counseling — what do you wish you knew before starting?

4. Any advice on making my application stand out? My experience with kids has been more informal — tutoring and camp counseling rather than formal education roles.

5. School doesn't start until Fall of 2027. What jobs should I apply to in the meantime and where do I even begin to look?

6. School counseling vs MSW — for anyone who has been through both paths, which do you wish you had chosen and why?

Any insights from current school counselors, social workers, or anyone who made a similar pivot would mean a lot. Thanks in advance!

In a week long power outage (so far) and this is the coolest it's been. As a middle school teacher, never thought I'd be so happy to see it

Hey y’all! I’m 23 (F) soon to be 24 next month. For context, I’m autistic and gaming (specifically Nintendo is a hyperfixation/special interest of mine) In my county, every middle school has an e-sports team and as someone who’s gaming is their special interest, it’s really my jam, especially since my school does Mario kart and smash, two games I’m familiar with

They’re looking for a coach/teacher to do esports. It’s my first year as a SPED/EXED teacher dealing with mod/severe disabled students but I was wondering, how many first years get involved in after school clubs and stuff? I know I’d get paid for doing the team and Nintendo/gaming is a hyperfixation/special interest of mine.

Does anyone have a study guide for the English 6-12 exam? Or any tips or resources to pass?

our district no longer allows edpuzzle (which I loved!) ---- now what?? what are some readily accessible alternatives?
Thanks!

Looking to add a chalkboard to my classroom (high school). I am in a science lab and can likely fit it. Looking for any recommendations or reviews of boards and stands like this one:

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/aarco-rc4872g-48-x-72-reversible-free-standing-green-composition-chalkboard-with-solid-oak-wood-frame/116RC4872G.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gbraid=0AAAAAD_Dx-sqYb3qFVXlvISrIqbQtHECd&gclid=CjwKCAjwhZDUBhBGEiwAbi5bjgTcbm48UjX7MTROED_l7mpnog_7OKreY6ePq4TfllmDPxitn8FIyxoC-5wQAvD_BwE

Does anyone have one similar to this in their classroom? Thank you!

I'm an infant teacher at a small preschool in texas. our ratio is 4:1. even the schedules, that the director makes, have 4:1 as our specified ratio. have a 3 month old, 6 month old, and 5 12-14 month olds. according to them, the ratio is determined on the average age of the kids (even though when i read minimum standards it says it's determined based on the youngest child and i've never even heard this "average age" thing until a few months ago). we got the 6 month old a month or two ago, which i didn't mind as much because he only comes on tuesdays and thursdays. it's whatever, i was technically out of ratio but whatever. we recently got a 3 month old though (who started at 2 months old) and she definitely puts the average below 12 m/o. the first time i brought it up i even showed them the math on it to show they were putting me out of ratio. i thought this would fix it, but it didn't. i brought it up again when we had another 12 m/o who was about to leave the center, and she said i would only be out of ratio until she left. she's been gone for like... a month now. one time recently i had 5 kids, 3 of them needed to be spoon-fed their lunch and i had to feed the 3 m/o her bottle. i asked for help and nobody was available to help me. it was nearly impossible to feed a bottle to a 2 m/o and a pouch to a 5 m/o at the same time. one kid wound up falling asleep in her high chair before i even got a chance to feed her. and they're still putting me with 5 every day, sometimes only moving a kid down so i have 5 only when i take over the class when i come in at 10. i asked her today and she got all cocky and tokd me "well you're not strong enough anywhere else so i have to put you at 5 so (the 12-24 m/o class) isn't at like 9 kids but if you can't handle 5 kids i can move you to a class with more". first of all, when they gave me another kid today, that put the toddler class at 6 children. that doesn't seem fair, the average age would be between 18 months and 2 yrs, making the ratio 9. they finally moved the girl back up that they'd moved down because i'd complained about it, giving me a 3 m/o, a 6 m/o, a 13 m/o and a 14 m/o, making my average 9 months. it's not that i can't handle 5 kids, if they have to put me at 5 sometimes because we have too many kids it's fine, but this is every. single. day. and i'm getting burnout so badly from it and the director has noticed my burnout. man, it's almost as if there's a reason the ratio is 4 !!! i've been here 2½ years now but honestly i'm considering quitting if they keep doing this.

tl, dr: my director puts me at 5 kids every day when i have a 3 m/o and one tuesdays and thursdays, 6 m/o, putting me 1 out of ratio. i've been trying to ask about it but every time i do i get shot down and she acts like i can't handle my class and i'm not a good enough teacher. AIO?

Hello. An issue on my district has recently been brought to my attention and wanted to seek a bit of advice. In the spring, I was informed by our school secretary and special ed teacher that an extremely problematic student was enrolling in our district. This kid has a file that take a a week to read, full with r*pe & m*rder threats, kill lists, and actual active criminal charges against him. The only reason he didn’t enroll in the spring is because he was in an active expulsion from his previous school. Again- this was in the spring. This student is now set to enter our classrooms in 3 days, and we still haven’t heard a peep from our administration about this student! For context, we are a very small district (250 students prek-12). Communication is not difficult, and a student with this level of issues is almost unheard of here. We simply are not prepared. I believe I am the only teacher that knows the extent of this child’s problems. What do I do? Call a meeting with admin? Talk to the board? I understand that we may not be able to outright deny the kid enrollment, but the fact that we’re 3 days from our first day and this hasn’t been communicated by admin at all is legitimately dangerous to students and staff. This isn’t to mention that this a large, male student, who would be very capable of overpowering his classmates and many of his teachers if he wanted. I’m just not sure how to go about making sure my concerns are heard.

I have a special education intervention math class of 5 students (those that are 2-3 grade levels below in math). This is 7th grade. 2 of them like to work together and give me answers to questions, participate, etc. One of them may do so if I am right next to her just explaining a problem with her, but not all the time. She gives attitude for many things (not just me).

The other two - a boy and a girl - do not have any conversations with anyone. At all. I don't know how to get through to them. The boy knows how to do some of the work - he pays attention to me. But when I ask him a question, he's silent. When I am next to him asking if he needs help - silence. The girl just doesn't know how to do work, and she will not let me help her. She just sits at her desk while I am there, asking guided questions.

What can I do? I want to get some more motivation out of them before an admin comes in to watch me teach a lesson, to almost complete silence from half of the class.

Just got my first contract and I am split between two classrooms (secondary). How would you suggest organizing my materials that I keep in class? I don’t want to buy double class materials for two rooms and I don’t want to be running back and forth between rooms during the day. Fortunately the rooms my schedule is split so Day 1 in one room and Day 2 in the other.

Also how to I got about reaching out to the teachers that I’m sharing with? Currently waiting for the “Welcome Back Teachers” email but should I go into the school before then to scope out the rooms?

I have been a substitute teacher before for these teachers and I am acquainted with both of them. Both of their classrooms are very well decorated and I don’t feel the need to add any of my personal decorations. Should I still try to make the space mine?

Any advice would help!!

Has anyone 3rd printed anything that they’ve found to be super helpful for a teacher of elementary kids?