u/South-Lab-3991

We suffered an unexpected, heartbreaking loss in our family in August, and the thought of having to play juvenile ice breaker games on the first day of school next week is giving me anxiety and preemptive anger. It takes every ounce of fortitude to even get out of bed in the morning. I absolutely do not want to play two truths and a lie with my “elbow parter” about summer vacation or go “find someone I don’t know” and play 20 questions about the highlight of my summer. I don’t want to do any of that pollyanna nonsense right now, and I also feel like I shouldn’t be compelled to share WHY I don’t want to do it. These games are predicated on everyone being cheerful and happy-go-lucky, and I am currently anything but those things right now. Please just let me come in and do my job.

Date: by December 31, 2026

Evidence: recent quotes from his son and his visible frailty in recent pictures

I wish this wasn’t the case, but he’s looking rough, and family and friends tend to downplay the severity of health issues surrounding prominent figures. Considering his son basically came right out and said that his body is being ravaged by cancer and that he’s nearly 84 years old, I think the writing is unfortunately on the wall. A genuinely decent man who will likely be remembered fondly by history will never live to see any of it.

What other choice does he have unless he wants to literally wave the white flag and admit total defeat? Gas prices as climbing again and will likely skyrocket to untenable levels by late summer. He has zero, and I mean ZERO bargaining leverage against them as a quick end to the war is 100x more important to him than it is to Iran. 2 troops were killed this weekend and another is missing. He’s going to need to do something drastic to show what a macho man he is, and dropping missiles on elementary schools only goes so far with his base. Unless he stages a successful coup, his lackeys are going to get annihilated at the polls in November. He’s boxed in every way he turns, and he’s not going to admit defeat, so I expect a full ground invasion to be announced in the next 100 days. Make no mistake. His ego is worth the lives of thousands of American service members.

Date: by the midterms

Evidence: there is no other option besides that or accepting total defeat and withdrawing with his tail between his legs. And we know a malignant narcissist isn’t choosing the second option.

I absolutely love, love, love being off in the summer. 100% what I live for.

I’ll preface this by saying that the yearbooks aren’t cheap, and I understand the concept of why this would be upsetting.

Anyway. Did the student come to school on picture day? No. Did they attend the makeup day in October? No. Did they attend the makeup day in November? No. Did they attend the makeup day in December? No. Did they attend the special session the school scheduled in February for makeups and corrections to senior pictures? Also no.

This student had five opportunities to get his picture taken and blew all of them off. At this point, it’s completely on him.

I’m an 11th grade ELA teacher who is only gen ed certified. I’ve been at my school for three years, and the assistant principal told me enrollment is down next year and that my position is being eliminated as part of a numbers game. He offered me two choices- get a special ed emergency certification and go through a program to get certified in special ed and take one of the unfilled special ed jobs at the school or a second option of being transferred to the middle school up the road. The special ed program costs $7,000, and I would likely be reimbursed for less than $3,000 of it. With that being said, I plan on taking the middle school option. I genuinely feel that’s the right choice, but why do I feel so sad about it?

Our district firmly believes that if we go around the room and ask kids if they prefer crinkle cut or waffle fries and force everyone to participate regardless of it they’re an introvert or not, that kids will magically feel SO welcomed that they’ll put down their vape pens and get out their books, ready to explicate some Shakespearean sonnets! “I was going to go start a brawl in the stairwell, but since Mr. ___ is going to make everyone go to a different side of the room based on if they prefer Skittles or M&M’s, I think I’ll get to class early so I can have a good seat for when he explains the Pythagorean Theorem.”

Wow, is there any magic that those district level admin who haven’t taught since 2004 can’t come up with?!? They have truly revolutionized teaching!!

One of my 11th grade classes has a class clown only in her own mind. No one ever laughs at her antics, and she’s just a genuine annoyance to everyone in the room except her one friend who encourages her. Anyway, she comes in twenty minutes late per usual, and no one reacts at all until she blurts “I WAS IN THE MAIN OFFICE” over me while I’m finishing going through the slides. Cool….no one asked. As I’m helping another student she interrupts me again to ask another question about what I just covered in the slides. I don’t answer because I’m….you know…helping someone who cared enough to show up on time. “EXCUSE ME!!!” she blurts over the whole room. Like….can you shut the hell up and let me help someone who cared enough to show up on time? I’m not going to privately tutor you because you wanted to roam the halls or hang out in the bathroom while I was covering the material.