Elementary school teachers

So I stopped by the school to talk to the teacher, and she told me that someone totally messed up the transportation arrangements, which meant the teacher ended up driving just four students in his own car. I told her straight up that I expect someone to sit down with my kid and actually explain why they were left behind and what kind of criteria were used to pick who got a ride. She said she’d follow up with the teacher to figure out what really went wrong.

Jamie Hill18 said:So I stopped by the school to talk to the teacher, and she told me that someone totally messed up the transportation arrangements, which meant the teacher ended up driving just four students in his own car. I told her straight up that I expect someone to sit down with my kid and actually explain why they were left behind and what kind of criteria were used to pick who got a ride. She said she’d follow up with the teacher to figure out what really went wrong.

Honestly, my heart breaks for your kid. It feels like they worked their tail off only to get slapped in the face right at the finish line. It's just awful. We dealt with something similar once during a County competition when they mixed up the names of two different students.
One mom called in insisting it was a mistake and that her child wasn't the one ranked 22nd.
They checked the tests—supposedly—and claimed everything was fine.
But that mother wouldn't back down. She pushed for an official review, and it turned out her child really was someone else entirely.
If she hadn't been so relentless, that other kid would have stayed stuck at 22nd place forever.

So, here’s the thing... I might be slightly off-topic here, but whatever. I’m 20, and my younger brother just got home from school two weeks ago; he’s in 8th grade, and they were sitting there in biology class discussing male and female reproductive organs, pregnancy, and all that standard curriculum stuff. When the conversation drifted toward how a woman gets pregnant through intercourse involving sperm, the teacher asked if anyone had anything to contribute. Well, one of his friends actually asked if a woman could get pregnant if someone were to, say, "dump" sperm into a swimming pool and it somehow made its way into her. Instead of just answering the question, the teacher basically told him how "stupid" he was for even asking something so ridiculous. She did clarify that it wasn't possible, sure, but she used this condescending tone—not that she called him a moron outright, but you knew where she stood.
...Honestly, I feel like some teachers really need to develop a bit more empathy when dealing with middle schoolers on topics like this, because, at the end of the day, it was a valid question, wasn't it? Especially since kids that age are usually too embarrassed to even bring these things up!

He tried to act tough, but he ran straight into a veteran teacher who shut him down instantly. I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of it.

Honestly, I find it pretty ridiculous that she didn't just sit down and have a real conversation with the kids about this. In my eyes, being "experienced" doesn't mean you get to be narrow-minded.
Kids these days are arguably sharper than we ever were, but they still end up asking those same "clueless" questions that we adults deal with, so I don't see why there shouldn't be an open dialogue about it...🤷

There’s no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid answers.
The teacher reacted really poorly.
It was almost as if he had said something incredibly foolish—she shouldn't have even implied he was being dense 🙂

And regarding that "stupid" question, you'd be surprised how many grown adults actually approach pregnant women with questions like that ☕
This is just more proof of how much we need comprehensive sex education in our schools. If the question had been directed at a teacher actually qualified for that curriculum, I doubt anyone would have been called names.

Jessica Kelly4 said:He tried to act tough, but he ran straight into a veteran teacher who shut him down instantly. I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of it.

Look, even if the kid was actually trying to be a rebel, a truly smart and capable teacher would have known how to turn a moment like that into a real teaching opportunity. Instead, she just showed how some people in our school system are more interested in power trips than actual education.

Jason Ortiz5 said:Look, even if the kid was actually trying to be a rebel, a truly smart and capable teacher would have known how to turn a moment like that into a real teaching opportunity. Instead, she just showed how some people in our school system are more interested in power trips than actual education.

We need to hear the other side of this.
It’s entirely possible that what looked "stupid" was actually something else entirely.

And teachers who fall for these little provocations get eaten alive. They're basically asking for it.

Peter Doyle2 said:There’s no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid answers.
The teacher reacted really poorly.
It was almost as if he had said something incredibly foolish—she shouldn't have even implied he was being dense 🙂

And regarding that "stupid" question, you'd be surprised how many grown adults actually approach pregnant women with questions like that ☕
This is just more proof of how much we need comprehensive sex education in our schools. If the question had been directed at a teacher actually qualified for that curriculum, I doubt anyone would have been called names.

The Department of Education picked a specialized curriculum, but then a few activist groups blocked it. 🤷

Jessica Kelly4 said:We need to hear the other side of this.
It’s entirely possible that what looked "stupid" was actually something else entirely.

And teachers who fall for these little provocations get eaten alive. They're basically asking for it.

Look, whatever the case may be, there is absolutely zero excuse for an educator to call a student stupid. Period. 🤷

Teachers who fall for these kinds of kid provocations basically get eaten alive. And then they have the nerve to ask for dessert too.

Honestly, if a teacher can't handle a little bit of classroom sass, they probably picked the wrong career. It would be better for everyone—the teachers and the kids—if they just went into something else.

Plus, it’s just sad when people label every tricky question or ambiguous topic as a "provocation" just because a teacher doesn't have the answer ready. Then we act surprised when the general knowledge level in our schools hits rock bottom.☕

Jason Ortiz5 said:Look, whatever the case may be, there is absolutely zero excuse for an educator to call a student stupid. Period. 🤷

Teachers who fall for these kinds of kid provocations basically get eaten alive. And then they have the nerve to ask for dessert too.

Honestly, if a teacher can't handle a little bit of classroom sass, they probably picked the wrong career. It would be better for everyone—the teachers and the kids—if they just went into something else.

Plus, it’s just sad when people label every tricky question or ambiguous topic as a "provocation" just because a teacher doesn't have the answer ready. Then we act surprised when the general knowledge level in our schools hits rock bottom.☕

Kids are lucky most teachers are pretty softies.
I’d be tossing them out the window! 😁
Not exaggerating either—I work around educators all the time, so I know exactly what kind of losers they deal with.

Jessica Kelly4 said:Kids are lucky most teachers are pretty softies.
I’d be tossing them out the window! 😁
Not exaggerating either—I work around educators all the time, so I know exactly what kind of losers they deal with.

I really hope you aren't being serious here. ☕

I'm not exaggerating. I'm surrounded by educators, so I see firsthand just how much disrespect they deal with.

Well, look at that—me too. And honestly, aside from maybe two or three extreme cases who are just jerks in every single part of their lives, everyone else agrees that this stuff is basically just a normal side effect of growing up. It's happened since forever. Most people in the field agree that a good teacher just needs to know how to handle it. (And I'm not talking about that tiny group of truly problematic kids where the issues usually start at home; teachers actually have the tools and the authority to manage those situations, they just seem to lack the drive to use them.) Of course, I also know those self-important teachers who act like dictators, where anything less than total obedience and worship is seen as disrespect. Luckily, there aren't many of them, and nobody takes them seriously anyway. 😁

You honestly think people working with adults don't run into way worse attitudes?

Jason Ortiz5 said:I really hope you aren't being serious here. ☕

I'm not exaggerating. I'm surrounded by educators, so I see firsthand just how much disrespect they deal with.

Well, look at that—me too. And honestly, aside from maybe two or three extreme cases who are just jerks in every single part of their lives, everyone else agrees that this stuff is basically just a normal side effect of growing up. It's happened since forever. Most people in the field agree that a good teacher just needs to know how to handle it. (And I'm not talking about that tiny group of truly problematic kids where the issues usually start at home; teachers actually have the tools and the authority to manage those situations, they just seem to lack the drive to use them.) Of course, I also know those self-important teachers who act like dictators, where anything less than total obedience and worship is seen as disrespect. Luckily, there aren't many of them, and nobody takes them seriously anyway. 😁

You honestly think people working with adults don't run into way worse attitudes?

Unfortunately, I am.
Clearly, I wasn't built for the role of an educator. 🤷

Jason Ortiz5 said:I really hope you aren't being serious here. ☕

I'm not exaggerating. I'm surrounded by educators, so I see firsthand just how much disrespect they deal with.

Well, look at that—me too. And honestly, aside from maybe two or three extreme cases who are just jerks in every single part of their lives, everyone else agrees that this stuff is basically just a normal side effect of growing up. It's happened since forever. Most people in the field agree that a good teacher just needs to know how to handle it. (And I'm not talking about that tiny group of truly problematic kids where the issues usually start at home; teachers actually have the tools and the authority to manage those situations, they just seem to lack the drive to use them.) Of course, I also know those self-important teachers who act like dictators, where anything less than total obedience and worship is seen as disrespect. Luckily, there aren't many of them, and nobody takes them seriously anyway. 😁

You honestly think people working with adults don't run into way worse attitudes?

That’s the ideal, sure. But reality is different. And it isn't just about the parents. Suddenly, teaching is ranked among the top five most stressful jobs in America, and regular health screenings now include stress-related checks like blood sugar monitoring. It turns out dealing with entitled parents and their kids is actually a massive burden for many teachers.

Jason Ortiz5 said:I really hope you aren't being serious here. ☕

I'm not exaggerating. I'm surrounded by educators, so I see firsthand just how much disrespect they deal with.

Well, look at that—me too. And honestly, aside from maybe two or three extreme cases who are just jerks in every single part of their lives, everyone else agrees that this stuff is basically just a normal side effect of growing up. It's happened since forever. Most people in the field agree that a good teacher just needs to know how to handle it. (And I'm not talking about that tiny group of truly problematic kids where the issues usually start at home; teachers actually have the tools and the authority to manage those situations, they just seem to lack the drive to use them.) Of course, I also know those self-important teachers who act like dictators, where anything less than total obedience and worship is seen as disrespect. Luckily, there aren't many of them, and nobody takes them seriously anyway. 😁

You honestly think people working with adults don't run into way worse attitudes?

Teachers deal with adults too. Usually when they go full mama bear mode. They remain completely oblivious to their own bias and refuse to admit their kid might not be the genius they bragged about to the whole neighborhood. 😁

Arguing over stress levels feels pointless.
There are actual professionals for that. 🤷

Jessica Kelly4 said:Kids are lucky most teachers are pretty softies.
I’d be tossing them out the window! 😁
Not exaggerating either—I work around educators all the time, so I know exactly what kind of losers they deal with.

Now I’m starting to wonder if you happen to be an English teacher, because that is precisely what he told those kids—and they’re only in second grade here in the States.
It was pure luck that it happened at the very tail end of the school year, otherwise I would have certainly stepped in... because if this happens again, there’s going to be trouble.

If you aren't a professional educator, then frankly, that comment of yours is completely out of line. If you can't handle the reality of the American education system, then just move on... let's keep things serious.

Charles Murphy6 said:Now I’m starting to wonder if you happen to be an English teacher, because that is precisely what he told those kids—and they’re only in second grade here in the States.
It was pure luck that it happened at the very tail end of the school year, otherwise I would have certainly stepped in... because if this happens again, there’s going to be trouble.

If you aren't a professional educator, then frankly, that comment of yours is completely out of line. If you can't handle the reality of the American education system, then just move on... let's keep things serious.

Right?
I wasn't anywhere near enlightenment even in my glory days, so don't worry about me. 😁

darkridge28 said:So, here’s the thing... I might be slightly off-topic here, but whatever. I’m 20, and my younger brother just got home from school two weeks ago; he’s in 8th grade, and they were sitting there in biology class discussing male and female reproductive organs, pregnancy, and all that standard curriculum stuff. When the conversation drifted toward how a woman gets pregnant through intercourse involving sperm, the teacher asked if anyone had anything to contribute. Well, one of his friends actually asked if a woman could get pregnant if someone were to, say, "dump" sperm into a swimming pool and it somehow made its way into her. Instead of just answering the question, the teacher basically told him how "stupid" he was for even asking something so ridiculous. She did clarify that it wasn't possible, sure, but she used this condescending tone—not that she called him a moron outright, but you knew where she stood.
...Honestly, I feel like some teachers really need to develop a bit more empathy when dealing with middle schoolers on topics like this, because, at the end of the day, it was a valid question, wasn't it? Especially since kids that age are usually too embarrassed to even bring these things up!

Do you honestly believe an 8th grader doesn't know how conception works? He probably asked that just to see her reaction, especially since they likely covered the basics back in 5th or 6th grade...🤣🤣
Look, take my advice—next time, listen to what middle schoolers are actually doing when they think nobody's watching.☕
That kid probably watches at least two or three questionable videos a day while his mom thinks he's just researching for a school report.

Amanda Hughes37 said:Do you honestly believe an 8th grader doesn't know how conception works? He probably asked that just to see her reaction, especially since they likely covered the basics back in 5th or 6th grade...🤣🤣
Look, take my advice—next time, listen to what middle schoolers are actually doing when they think nobody's watching.☕
That kid probably watches at least two or three questionable videos a day while his mom thinks he's just researching for a school report.

I once saw four high school seniors try to convince a fifth grader that abortion was illegal in America... 🤷
If a teacher spends her time mocking "stupid" questions, she shouldn't be surprised when the smart ones stop coming. They'll just end up on Reddit when they're 22 and dealing with a girl who's late.

Regarding the topic at hand. I don't take my kids to McDonald's, and I don't buy it for them—I don't eat that stuff, so why would they? If the teacher intended to buy that kid a famous McDonald's Happy Meal, she should have just paid for it herself instead of dragging him by the sleeve down the hallway asking if he brought any cash. Honestly, people allow some crazy things to happen. The mother did the right thing by packing sandwiches and water for the field trip, but then the teacher decides she needs to make a pit stop at McDonald's. I don't see any reason why students should be carrying extra money just in case there's an emergency involving McDonald's. Believe me, we aren't exactly printing money, and plenty of people don't have cash sitting around for nonsense like this when they need $6.75 for their bus fare to get to work the next day. This isn't the fault of a mother who didn't have extra money to give her child on top of his actual food; it's the fault of the teacher who created this situation. She has no right to pressure anyone into borrowing money. To me, this feels like coercion, and then she’s pulling a kid by the arm through the hall over $6.75 like it's the end of the world. If those $6.75 are so vital to her that she can't wait until the first bell to ask the mother directly, then why act surprised when the mother doesn't have $6.75 to pay for some junk food alongside his regular meals? ☕ She imposed her wishes on both the child and the mother, and she had no right to do so. Even if her intentions were good, it's beyond rude to corner a little kid in the hallway and grill him about $6.75 which clearly mean so much to her. And she has a steady job, unlike this mother, who is a single mom without steady employment. ☕ They could have just looked at what they brought, eaten their own sandwiches, and gone home. Personally, I would have thanked the teacher for her "kindness" and told her that if she wants to be so "generous" in the future, she shouldn't be chasing my kid down the halls because he didn't ask for it—she forced it on him. End of story.

I have a quick question for the group. I’ve just accepted a teaching position at a different school in another city. I am scheduled to sign my contract at the end of August, though my actual start date won't be until the beginning of the new school year. My dilemma is this: when exactly am I obligated to inform my current principal that I am resigning to move to this new district?
To be perfectly honest, I am feeling quite anxious about the timing. I certainly don't want to jeopardize my current position by giving notice too early and risking the principal terminating my employment over the summer break. However, I also recognize the importance of professional courtesy; I don't want to wait so long that the administration is left scrambling to find a replacement. I actually have a wonderful candidate in mind whom I could recommend to take my place, but I want to handle this with total integrity.

Jerry Campbell2 said:I have a quick question for the group. I’ve just accepted a teaching position at a different school in another city. I am scheduled to sign my contract at the end of August, though my actual start date won't be until the beginning of the new school year. My dilemma is this: when exactly am I obligated to inform my current principal that I am resigning to move to this new district?
To be perfectly honest, I am feeling quite anxious about the timing. I certainly don't want to jeopardize my current position by giving notice too early and risking the principal terminating my employment over the summer break. However, I also recognize the importance of professional courtesy; I don't want to wait so long that the administration is left scrambling to find a replacement. I actually have a wonderful candidate in mind whom I could recommend to take my place, but I want to handle this with total integrity.

Look, if your principal is a decent, normal person, they’ll act in your best interest. Still, you should probably give them a heads-up about the possibility of moving to a new school, even if it's just "considering" it. Why would they fire you over the summer? Are you on a temporary contract? Honestly, I'm no legal expert, but I’d tell my principal my plans. Maybe once we get back from summer vacation in August so they have time to "figure things out." It feels like the fair thing to do. Even knowing my own boss is a pro and someone I trust, I might mention it before heading out for vacation; but if there's a risk of being let go early, definitely wait until August.

Edit: Re-reading this, I see that word "required" 🙂 I can't really help much since I don't know the specifics of employment law, but is there a chance the principal finds out through the grapevine before you tell them? I’d much rather be the one to break the news myself than have them hear it from someone else.