Elementary school teachers

I really wish I hadn't spent part of my career working in a school system—if I hadn't, I might still hold a decent opinion of teachers and professors. The whole idea of teaching being a "calling" feels like pure science fiction to me now. You have these instructors in their 60s who spend an entire period just screaming at kids, or teachers gossiping about one another right in front of the students... then there are the younger ones, barely out of college, strutting through the gym in high heels while bickering over some young PE coach. And don't get me started on faculty meetings, where everyone agrees on a decision only to turn around and mock that exact same decision in the breakroom later. Then you see the grading—it's all based on "my students are all honor roll because I'm such a great teacher," making every page in the gradebook look identical. There's blatant favoritism toward wealthy parents, while those from lower-income families just get looked down upon... and of course, there are always those five people who end up doing absolutely everything for the entire staff. They handle all the organization and stay at the school for 10 or 12 hours a day simply because they actually care... they're the ones the students truly love and go to before anyone else, yet they get mocked by colleagues for being "fools" or for sucking up to the principal. Those people chose this path. The rest are just counting down the days until the holidays or retirement, letting kids out of class five minutes early just so they don't get stuck in the hallway rush, leaving everyone else to deal with the chaos for a few extra minutes...
That’s why I say I regret working in education. Now that I'm a parent, I find myself second-guessing every move a teacher makes—though I never doubt my own kids. I don't fall for that "my child would never" illusion, because I know exactly how they behave at home, so it actually surprises me when they tell me they're behaving perfectly at school.
I truly admire the teachers who can endure working with children, who actually do their jobs and find joy in it, but most people just follow the crowd—they decide that for that specific salary, they aren't going to sacrifice their mental health, so they just go along with it. They blame the parents for failing to raise their kids... but again, a school is supposed to be an educational and developmental institution, which means half of a teacher's job is actually the character development of the students. But because of all the pressure regarding standardized testing and other nonsense, that developmental side gets buried under grades, since grades are used as the sole metric for whether a teacher is actually doing their job or not.
And nobody can tell me that if 20 out of 25 students fail a test, it's not because the material wasn't explained properly. I had one teacher who gave us "idiot tests" because she assumed we were all idiots. She would literally copy math problems onto the board from a hundred-year-old notebook, and if she made a typo while copying, we were the ones who had to correct her.
I agree that there are bad apples in any profession, but it feels like lately, they've been multiplying...

So, I’ve got one daughter starting first grade and the other in second. Her teacher is on the older side—probably somewhere in her 60s—but honestly? She is incredibly patient with the kids. Right from the jump, she’s kept three of us parents in the loop. Plus, she actually stays current; she brings in these printed handouts for us and talks about modern parenting techniques. It actually feels like she might even follow 🤣🤣🤣 because she’s totally living in the present rather than stuck in the Stone Age. I have nothing but praise for her.
The other daughter's teacher is young, and man, she is a total genius! I was actually pretty nervous about how things would go since we just moved to a new city and started at a new school, but it turned out way better than I expected. Knock on wood—because I definitely don't agree with the idea that all older teachers lack patience; this one has plenty. None of our meetings have lasted less than two full class periods, and the woman really knows her stuff. Seriously, major props to everyone working in education, because I know for a fact I could never do it!!!!

Kate Allen said:So, I’ve got one daughter starting first grade and the other in second. Her teacher is on the older side—probably somewhere in her 60s—but honestly? She is incredibly patient with the kids. Right from the jump, she’s kept three of us parents in the loop. Plus, she actually stays current; she brings in these printed handouts for us and talks about modern parenting techniques. It actually feels like she might even follow 🤣🤣🤣 because she’s totally living in the present rather than stuck in the Stone Age. I have nothing but praise for her.
The other daughter's teacher is young, and man, she is a total genius! I was actually pretty nervous about how things would go since we just moved to a new city and started at a new school, but it turned out way better than I expected. Knock on wood—because I definitely don't agree with the idea that all older teachers lack patience; this one has plenty. None of our meetings have lasted less than two full class periods, and the woman really knows her stuff. Seriously, major props to everyone working in education, because I know for a fact I could never do it!!!!

I know someone like that too!

I guess I’d just be boring until someone actually notices me🙂

There were some teachers posting about this topic earlier... please, tell us more😉

Peter Doyle2 said:Well, now that the original poster's issue has been sorted out, I’d like to restate my questions—mostly directed toward elementary school teachers:

What is this growing trend where kids seem to have more and more "field trips" every single year that require extra fees?
Are all these excursions actually mandated by the Department of Education's curriculum and programming?
Does the official curriculum even include testing or grading based on the "content" covered during these trips?

And honestly, where does the idea come from to take kids to big cities just to eat at McDonald's😕 instead of providing packed lunches? Can't the school just waive the meal cost for those specific days when the kids are away and won't be eating at the cafeteria—especially since, in the lower grades, almost every student relies on school meals?

We all know there are plenty of people out there who are actually decent and conscientious. But things get messy the second you point out that some folks just don't play by those rules. 😉

Honestly, looking at what was said earlier, it feels like we’re living in a society full of stuck-in-their-ways types. It seems like almost every time someone mentions making a change or shares a positive experience from somewhere else, it immediately turns into an argument or people getting all defensive and prideful. Most of us can see that the current school system is basically broken—it just churns out kids who have no drive and zero skills—but whenever anyone even suggests fixing it, it leads to a total public outcry or a massive union revolt.

So, I honestly lucked out—I ended up with a teacher who was not only incredibly diligent and conscientious, but also older and just had the patience of a saint.
Everything was planned way ahead of time for us; field trips, parent meetings, you name it. Even back in preschool, we’d have these workshops and little shows that were scheduled out a month in advance. Maybe that’s just how things work at private academies, I don't know. They even organized these outings where we parents actually got involved—stuff like tug-of-war and sack races... basically a full-on field day.
Honestly, almost all the teachers there were fantastic, except for one young one who just didn't quite click with us...
And the director? A total legend. She was one of those people you could actually sit down and negotiate anything with. Because she was so flexible, my kids could stay in daycare for weeks at a time while I worked my shift schedule.
I really don't want to jinx myself by bragging too much, but my oldest daughter's current teacher is heading out on maternity leave soon. If this new person coming in after the holidays is even half as good as her, I'll be sitting pretty.

The state of our education system boils down to three main drivers:
1) the structure of the educational system itself
2) the teachers and professors (and yes, let's include preschool teachers too)
3) today's kids and their parents

Now, I’m not saying everything about these three elements is broken, but if we need to change things, we definitely do.

Sure, there are some truly terrible teachers out there—people who don't care about the job, lack basic decency, and act like a cancer within the system. But there are also plenty of educators who give it their all despite every obstacle in their way.

But you can't ignore what kids are like nowadays. I know this from firsthand experience because I used to work in a school. A huge number of them do absolutely zero work at home. Even if you give them the exact same practice problems an hour before a test, they still can't solve them during the exam. To me, that just shows that we, as parents, have raised them to be lazy. Meanwhile, a ton of parents seem to think teachers should use magic wands to download knowledge directly into their children's brains, otherwise, they're deemed incompetent. They completely forget that old truth: nothing worth having comes without hard work. And honestly, that goes for those lazy professors, too.

Then there’s the blatant lack of respect younger people show toward their elders. It isn't just happening in schools; it's everywhere. I had the "honor" of being on a packed subway once, standing right next to two younger students while an elderly man approached them. He said to another passenger loud enough for them to hear, "And here I thought the customs in New York City were the same as they are back in St. Louis—that the younger generation gives up their seats for the older ones." The girls just laughed it off, stared at him, and did nothing. They kept sitting there next to the old man for another ten minutes until they reached their stop. You know that feeling when you feel embarrassed on behalf of someone else? Well, I felt second-hand embarrassment for their behavior, even if I wasn't the one blushing. We see this kind of thing in public every single day, so it’s no wonder we see it in the classroom too.

That whole thing about people refusing to give up their seat on the subway or the bus? Honestly, I remember seeing that back in my day too, way back when 🙈...

Kids really just turn out to be a reflection of how they were raised—and I don’t just mean by their parents, but by society as a whole. It makes me wonder, though. If we were all such paragons of virtue and respect toward our elders during our own time, how on earth did we manage to raise entire generations of entitled bullies? 🤔

Jason Ortiz5 said:That whole thing about people refusing to give up their seat on the subway or the bus? Honestly, I remember seeing that back in my day too, way back when 🙈...

Kids really just turn out to be a reflection of how they were raised—and I don’t just mean by their parents, but by society as a whole. It makes me wonder, though. If we were all such paragons of virtue and respect toward our elders during our own time, how on earth did we manage to raise entire generations of entitled bullies? 🤔

Sure, people didn't stand up for seniors on public transit before either, but it wasn't nearly this blatant. Back then, you didn't see kids snapping at elderly people in the face or being openly disrespectful to teachers and strangers on the street.

At the end of the day, the flaws in our education system are tied to all of us and the general state of our culture, whether people want to admit it or not.

I am reading this thread and I honestly cannot believe what you all are writing! 😲😲

First off, regarding the actual situation, I completely understand why the teacher offered to lend a little $6.75 for the MCA trip, and if I were in her shoes, I would have done the exact same thing... Granted, I might not have asked for the money back, but she was absolutely within her rights to offer. After all, she probably didn't want you, as a parent, to feel obligated because she bought something for your little one. Besides, who wouldn't be heartbroken seeing a child be the only one not eating, especially when they keep insisting they are hungry?
Personally, throughout elementary and middle school, I went on so many trips—some long, some short—to museums, field trips, and beyond...
I was quite active in sports, so we were constantly traveling for tournaments. My parents didn't always have extra cash since there were three of us kids in school at once, but it was never, ever an option to sit something out. In fact, it was quite the opposite; my parents were always so thrilled to see me traveling, socializing with other kids, and coming home bursting with new experiences. And if, for instance, we were heading to New York City, my parents might not have been able to give $6.75 for me, but they certainly would have found $5-$2.00 for a burger, and I truly knew how to appreciate that. They definitely wouldn't have let me miss a trip or sit there watching the other kids eat hamburgers while I sat there with my little snack and peanut butter sandwich. 🙄

I really won't get into judging your parenting or the reasons behind why you aren't working while having two children (though I am in complete agreement with what Jason Ortiz5 wrote), but this story of yours just doesn't hold water at all...
Not to mention that you actually sent a message to the teacher claiming your little one couldn't remember what he saw in a cartoon and that he doesn't come from a "happy family" he can describe 😲😲
What kind of mindset are you passing down to your child by doing that? Not to mention how much you are bothering and stressing out a teacher who simply left a comment stating that the boy hadn't completed his age-appropriate homework 😲

And just to briefly touch upon this complaining about too many trips, museums, or beach outings. To me, none of this is surprising; as I mentioned, we were always on the move, and those are some of my most beautiful memories... 😁 Most teachers announce trips well in advance, and it is also possible to pay for larger trips in installments (that $200 a month you mentioned for the beach trip really isn't that much considering the experiences a child gains 😉), so parents truly have plenty of time to save up the funds. It’s all about coordination and communication between the teacher and the parents. Back in elementary school, we had twins in our class, and for most trips, we would all agree to chip in an extra $5-$3.25 just so the cost of one twin's trip could be covered 😉. The same went for a few families who were going through a rough patch financially at the time...
Also, we used to collect scrap paper, and whichever class collected the most throughout the year earned a free field trip. For Christmas and Easter, we would make ornaments, cards, and all sorts of things, then organize school fairs, using the money earned to pay for trips again...
We looked for sponsors, and we were rewarded based on our athletic achievements (we played in county championships, and since we often came in first, we’d be taken somewhere as a reward for representing our school—if nothing else, we'd get a modest little celebration), and so on. There are so many solutions; it's much easier to just moan and carry on against the teacher. You have no idea how many children don't get taken to museums, movies, or horseback riding because their parents don't take them. A school trip is often their only chance. In my opinion, that is such high-quality time spent, because kids come home full of life and talk about it for ten days straight. Ultimately, they learn so much more than they ever could within the four walls of a classroom, not to mention how much more they socialize.😉

Oh, one more thing, I completely forgot to mention 🙈

Honestly, given how much violence kids are exposed to in the video games they play at home—not even at school, because you can't really blame the teachers for that 😉—and all the absolute nonsense they consume on the internet and TV, isn't it almost funny to read about people weeping over a movie like Harry Potter or those silly ghost stories? 😂😂😂😂

boldpilot31, you’re one of those parents who acts all excited when the kid finally leaves, even though they didn't even chip in a cent to help out... I know the type. You’ve definitely learned some hard lessons from watching others, so now you want everyone to play by your rules. But honestly? It’s just not a good look.

boldpilot31 said:Oh, one more thing, I completely forgot to mention 🙈

Honestly, given how much violence kids are exposed to in the video games they play at home—not even at school, because you can't really blame the teachers for that 😉—and all the absolute nonsense they consume on the internet and TV, isn't it almost funny to read about people weeping over a movie like Harry Potter or those silly ghost stories? 😂😂😂😂

maybe yours are playing....

Anthony White8 said:maybe yours are playing....

What, you living on Mars or something?🙄
She’s actually got a point. Even if they've never touched a PC or played anything intense, they grew up on stuff like Pokémon or Ben 10. It's all monsters and fighting, yet they act like Ghostbusters is the scariest thing ever.🙄

Eric Rogers17 said:What, you living on Mars or something?🙄
She’s actually got a point. Even if they've never touched a PC or played anything intense, they grew up on stuff like Pokémon or Ben 10. It's all monsters and fighting, yet they act like Ghostbusters is the scariest thing ever.🙄

Whatever, go ahead and lecture me all you want. I'm telling you firsthand based on what my niece went through and a bunch of kids our age dealt with.
I still say this movie isn't appropriate for seven-year-olds🙄

boldpilot31 said:I am reading this thread and I honestly cannot believe what you all are writing! 😲😲

First off, regarding the actual situation, I completely understand why the teacher offered to lend a little $6.75 for the MCA trip, and if I were in her shoes, I would have done the exact same thing... Granted, I might not have asked for the money back, but she was absolutely within her rights to offer. After all, she probably didn't want you, as a parent, to feel obligated because she bought something for your little one. Besides, who wouldn't be heartbroken seeing a child be the only one not eating, especially when they keep insisting they are hungry?
Personally, throughout elementary and middle school, I went on so many trips—some long, some short—to museums, field trips, and beyond...
I was quite active in sports, so we were constantly traveling for tournaments. My parents didn't always have extra cash since there were three of us kids in school at once, but it was never, ever an option to sit something out. In fact, it was quite the opposite; my parents were always so thrilled to see me traveling, socializing with other kids, and coming home bursting with new experiences. And if, for instance, we were heading to New York City, my parents might not have been able to give $6.75 for me, but they certainly would have found $5-$2.00 for a burger, and I truly knew how to appreciate that. They definitely wouldn't have let me miss a trip or sit there watching the other kids eat hamburgers while I sat there with my little snack and peanut butter sandwich. 🙄

I really won't get into judging your parenting or the reasons behind why you aren't working while having two children (though I am in complete agreement with what Jason Ortiz5 wrote), but this story of yours just doesn't hold water at all...
Not to mention that you actually sent a message to the teacher claiming your little one couldn't remember what he saw in a cartoon and that he doesn't come from a "happy family" he can describe 😲😲
What kind of mindset are you passing down to your child by doing that? Not to mention how much you are bothering and stressing out a teacher who simply left a comment stating that the boy hadn't completed his age-appropriate homework 😲

And just to briefly touch upon this complaining about too many trips, museums, or beach outings. To me, none of this is surprising; as I mentioned, we were always on the move, and those are some of my most beautiful memories... 😁 Most teachers announce trips well in advance, and it is also possible to pay for larger trips in installments (that $200 a month you mentioned for the beach trip really isn't that much considering the experiences a child gains 😉), so parents truly have plenty of time to save up the funds. It’s all about coordination and communication between the teacher and the parents. Back in elementary school, we had twins in our class, and for most trips, we would all agree to chip in an extra $5-$3.25 just so the cost of one twin's trip could be covered 😉. The same went for a few families who were going through a rough patch financially at the time...
Also, we used to collect scrap paper, and whichever class collected the most throughout the year earned a free field trip. For Christmas and Easter, we would make ornaments, cards, and all sorts of things, then organize school fairs, using the money earned to pay for trips again...
We looked for sponsors, and we were rewarded based on our athletic achievements (we played in county championships, and since we often came in first, we’d be taken somewhere as a reward for representing our school—if nothing else, we'd get a modest little celebration), and so on. There are so many solutions; it's much easier to just moan and carry on against the teacher. You have no idea how many children don't get taken to museums, movies, or horseback riding because their parents don't take them. A school trip is often their only chance. In my opinion, that is such high-quality time spent, because kids come home full of life and talk about it for ten days straight. Ultimately, they learn so much more than they ever could within the four walls of a classroom, not to mention how much more they socialize.😉

I agree with some of what you said, but that bolded part really shows that "it's easy to be generous when your stomach is full" mentality. Maybe that amount doesn't feel like a lot to you, but for someone else, their entire livelihood might depend on that specific sum. Just because someone is struggling doesn't mean they don't want to send their child on a field trip or whatever else. Why do you think some people end up scavenging for recyclables just to get by? You can't view the whole world through your own lens, though I guess you’ll probably realize that as you get older—it seems like you're still young and focused on different life priorities right now.

One more thing: I see the point in going to the theater to see a movie like "Ghostbusters" if that was part of the curriculum in school, or if it's something tied to broader culture or the academic program.

Jeffrey Cook55 said:I agree with some of what you said, but that bolded part really shows that "it's easy to be generous when your stomach is full" mentality. Maybe that amount doesn't feel like a lot to you, but for someone else, their entire livelihood might depend on that specific sum. Just because someone is struggling doesn't mean they don't want to send their child on a field trip or whatever else. Why do you think some people end up scavenging for recyclables just to get by? You can't view the whole world through your own lens, though I guess you’ll probably realize that as you get older—it seems like you're still young and focused on different life priorities right now.

One more thing: I see the point in going to the theater to see a movie like "Ghostbusters" if that was part of the curriculum in school, or if it's something tied to broader culture or the academic program.

man, that ain't exactly freshman year reading material

I honestly feel like things have taken a bit of a turn for the worse lately... It’s heartbreaking, but it seems like kids these days are being judged by an entirely different set of rules. There was one moment today that just left me completely speechless. It feels like people are more focused on who a child's parents are, where they work, and how much money they pull in than anything else. I actually have my first little one starting first grade this year, and I have to tell you, I'm feeling pretty discouraged right before we even get started.

Anthony White8 said:man, that ain't exactly freshman year reading material

I know it isn't. That's exactly why I brought it up. Some kids are just more sensitive than others.

Melissa Gonzalez2 said:boldpilot31, you’re one of those parents who acts all excited when the kid finally leaves, even though they didn't even chip in a cent to help out... I know the type. You’ve definitely learned some hard lessons from watching others, so now you want everyone to play by your rules. But honestly? It’s just not a good look.

Where on earth did you pull that conclusion from? 😲 😲
I don't feel the need to justify myself to you, I am simply curious as to how you managed to extract that specific point from my entire post 😂:

@lana74 I don't have children of my own, but I do have a younger brother and I work with kids quite a bit through coaching. And let me tell you, seeing the violent games and cartoons being pushed on them makes me realize how much is being forced upon them; when I see what they actually watch and play, isn't it just laughable to hear someone being afraid of Harry Potter? 😂

@Jeffrey Cook55 Some children might be more sensitive than others, but why should that stop the rest of the class from going to the movies?

I am certainly not viewing the world solely through my own lens, though perhaps I didn't express myself clearly enough in that sentence you highlighted 😉 I realize that for some families, this represents $6.75 an overwhelming amount of money. However, as far as I am aware, the original poster is unemployed, and her boyfriend is unemployed as well. Is it really fair for a mother in that situation to complain about a teacher constantly organizing trips to the beach, visits to the cinema, or outings to the theater? My parents worked from dawn until dusk; I mentioned before that there were three of us brothers, and we never lacked for anything because my mother would be willing to go out and clean houses after her regular job just to earn those extra $67 for our field trip fees. Instead of complaining that the teacher takes us everywhere, shouldn't she be grateful that we get to go anywhere at all, knowing exactly what those opportunities meant to us? 😉 It is always so much easier to complain 😉