u/muslim_ballerr

Was I smooth or did I move too fast? Honest feedback needed

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Met a woman today who works at a hotel.

I approached her casually and opened by saying she looked familiar and asked if she had a sister in New York. That turned into a real conversation and we vibed well.

She mentioned she’s originally from New York and is visiting next month. We kept talking and getting to know each other. I asked about her interests (gym, hiking, outdoors, etc.) and brought up UFC since I host watch parties.

She was engaged the whole time and eventually wrote her number down for me. For context, she’s married (no kids).

Later we ended up grabbing coffee and talked in person. Conversation went well and felt natural.

At one point I was pretty direct about my intentions instead of keeping it strictly friendly, and she didn’t shut it down.

I kept the vibe going and complimented her multiple times. I told her I wasn’t trying to be in the friend zone and that when she visits New York we should do something fun. She agreed. During the coffee, I didn’t ask her about her husband at all. After we left the coffee shop, I gave her a hug and we kissed on the lips for about 10 seconds.

Afterwards, we kept texting and I asked if she’d be down to grab a quick vanilla chai latte before she goes into work tomorrow morning around 6:40am, and she was open to it.

From start to finish it felt smooth in the moment, but I’m trying to get an outside perspective.

Was this confident/smooth or did I move too fast given the situation?

Be honest.

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I'm 28 years old and looking for some honest advice from people familiar with New York teacher certification.

I have a bachelor's degree in Accounting/Business and currently work as a teacher aide in a self-contained special education classroom on Long Island. My goal is to become a certified Special Education teacher in New York.

I've been looking at SUNY and CUNY master's programs, but one of the biggest issues I'm running into is that many don't offer all of the required courses year-round. As a result, what looks like a 2-year program often ends up taking closer to 3 years or more.

Because of that, I've been considering Western Governors University (WGU). The flexibility and self-paced format seem like they could help me finish much sooner.

A few questions:

Has anyone in New York completed WGU's M.A. in Special Education and successfully become certified?

How was the process of transferring your credentials to New York?

Did employers in NYC or Long Island care that your degree was from WGU?

Also, if I started my master's at WGU and then got accepted into a program like NYC Teaching Fellows or Teach For America, would that create any issues? Would I have to stop one program, or is there a way to make it work?

Lastly, I'm starting to feel discouraged with Long Island. It seems like there's a lot of politics and networking involved in getting hired. As a career changer, would I have a much better chance of landing a Special Education teaching job in NYC compared to Long Island?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's been through a similar career change or has experience with WGU, NYC Teaching Fellows, or hiring in New York.

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I know I messed up and I'm looking for honest advice.

I work in a school and recently developed a crush on a coworker. I'm 28 and she's 45. I had been buying her lunch fairly often and eventually asked her out.

She turned me down and explained that we're coworkers, I'm too young for her, and that she didn't want to give me the wrong impression. Later that day she texted me and said that I made her uncomfortable, that I was being unprofessional, that I was asking too many questions about her personal life, and that a 4 a.m. text I sent gave her "stalking vibes." She asked that we keep things strictly professional going forward.

I immediately apologized, told her it wouldn't happen again, and asked for forgiveness. She replied, "Thank you."

The reason I'm especially worried is that a few months ago I had another workplace issue that resulted in a meeting with my principal and union representative regarding professional conduct. I wasn't disciplined, but there was corrective guidance and documentation. Because of that history, I'm worried this situation could be viewed much more seriously if it gets reported.

I fully understand that I made mistakes. Looking back, I should not have been buying her lunch so often, asking personal questions, or texting at 4 a.m today because i asked if shed like coffee. I respect the boundaries she set and do not plan on contacting her outside of work again.

My question is: should I just go to work tomorrow, keep my head down, and be professional? Or would you take a personal day to let things cool off?

I'm honestly pretty anxious and embarrassed about the whole situation and would appreciate honest feedback.

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I know I messed up and I'm looking for honest advice.

I work in a school and recently developed a crush on a coworker. I'm 28 and she's 45. I had been buying her lunch fairly often and eventually worked up the courage to ask her out.

She turned me down and explained that we're coworkers, I'm too young for her, and that she didn't want to give me the wrong impression. Later that day she texted me and said that I made her uncomfortable, that I was being unprofessional, that I was asking too many questions about her personal life, and that a 4 a.m. text I sent gave her "stalking vibes." She asked that we keep things strictly professional going forward.

I immediately apologized, told her it wouldn't happen again, and asked for forgiveness. She replied, "Thank you."

Now I'm honestly scared to go into work. I'm worried she's going to report me, that coworkers will find out, or that I'm going to get called into an office.

I fully understand that I made mistakes and I respect the boundaries she set. My question is: if you were in my shoes, would you go to work as normal and keep your head down, or would you take a personal day to let things cool off?

Looking for honest advice, even if it's tough to hear.

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I'm looking for honest opinions because I'm not sure if I'm overthinking this.

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I work in a school and there's a female coworker that I'm attracted to. Over time, I've started buying her lunch pretty regularly. At first it was just a nice gesture, but now it's become frequent enough that some of my coworkers have started joking about it and teasing us.

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For additional context, there is an age gap. I'm 28 and she's 45. She's single, and I've always tended to be attracted to older women, but we've never discussed dating or anything like that.

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Nothing inappropriate has happened, and she has never seemed uncomfortable. However, because coworkers have started noticing and making comments, I'm wondering whether buying lunch for the same coworker all the time starts to cross a professional boundary.

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Could someone actually get in trouble at work for this? Or is it more that it creates gossip and makes it obvious that one person may be interested in the other?

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For context:

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* We are coworkers, not supervisor/subordinate.

* I work in a school setting.

* She has never told me to stop.

* Coworkers have definitely started noticing and making jokes about it.

* I'm 28 and she's 45.

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Am I overthinking this, or should I probably dial it back and keep things more professional?

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I'm looking for honest opinions because I'm not sure if I'm overthinking this.

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I work in a school and there's a female coworker that I'm attracted to. Over time, I've started buying her lunch pretty regularly. At first it was just a nice gesture, but now it's become frequent enough that some of my coworkers have started joking about it and teasing us.

​

For additional context, there is an age gap. I'm 28 and she's 45. She's single, and I've always tended to be attracted to older women, but we've never discussed dating or anything like that.

​

Nothing inappropriate has happened, and she has never seemed uncomfortable. However, because coworkers have started noticing and making comments, I'm wondering whether buying lunch for the same coworker all the time starts to cross a professional boundary.

​

Could someone actually get in trouble at work for this? Or is it more that it creates gossip and makes it obvious that one person may be interested in the other?

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For context:

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We are coworkers, not supervisor/subordinate.

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I work in a school setting.

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She has never told me to stop.

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Coworkers have definitely started noticing and making jokes about it.

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I'm 28 and she's 45.

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Am I overthinking this, or should I probably dial it back and keep things more professional?

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Met a woman 13 years older than me (40F, I'm 27M) and after months of saying no, she finally agreed to a date. What changed?

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Back in December, I met a woman at a grocery store and got her Instagram. Before she even gave me her IG, she made sure to tell me she was 40 with two kids. We texted for a bit, but she was busy and told me she wouldn't really be around until March.

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When I reached back out in March, she basically told me I was too young for her, that she had two grown kids, and joked that I probably still lived with my parents. I took the hint and left it alone.

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Last week I randomly messaged her asking what she'd been up to. We started talking again and I eventually asked her out. During the conversation she asked what my intentions were.

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I was honest and told her I wasn't looking to be friend-zoned and wanted to see if there was a vibe in person. To be transparent, I'm not necessarily looking for a serious long-term relationship right now. I was interested in her, found her attractive, and wanted to see where things went.

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She responded with something along the lines of: "I get where you're coming from, but there's also dating with intention. Why waste your time if it will never go anywhere? I literally have adult kids."

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About an hour later, she followed up with: "Idk, I guess we'll see."

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Fast forward to now, and we actually have a coffee date scheduled for Friday. I suggested 11:00 AM and she countered with 11:30 instead of declining.

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My question is: what do you think she meant by "I guess we'll see"?

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Does that sound like someone who is still skeptical about the age gap but willing to give me a chance? Or does it sound like she may actually be open to exploring something despite previously saying I was too young?

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Also, if someone says they're focused on "dating with intention," does agreeing to a first date mean they're now considering you as a legitimate dating option, or is it more likely she's just curious and wants to meet before making any decisions?

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Hey, quick question about Android texting (Google Messages / RCS).

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When I text someone, I sometimes see **2 check marks** under my message. From what I understand, that means the message was delivered to their phone.

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My question is:

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If someone blocked me, would I still see 2 check marks, or would it stay at 1 check mark (or not show delivered at all)?

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Just trying to understand how reliable this is, because I’m not sure if I was blocked or if they’re just not responding.

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Thanks.

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A few days ago I posted asking about Wagner College's teacher residency program, and I wanted to give an update after speaking directly with the program.

For background, I'm currently a teacher aide on Long Island with a bachelor's degree in business/accounting looking to become a certified special education teacher.

After speaking with them, here's what I learned:

* The residency is a 1-year accelerated program.

* Tuition is approximately $30,000.

* Selected residents receive a $30,000 stipend.

* In exchange for the stipend, you commit to teaching in NYC public schools for 2 years after completing the residency.

* They try to place residents in NYC schools and told me they would likely try to find a placement in Queens due to where I live.

* Classes are held once per week at Wagner College on Staten Island.

* Depending on your undergraduate transcript, they determine what content area you qualify for (math, science, English, etc.).

Originally I was focused on becoming an elementary special education teacher (1–6), but now I'm seriously considering the 7–12 Special Education pathway, potentially with a math focus.

Part of me feels that SPED + Math may be a stronger combination for job opportunities than elementary special education, especially since my background is in accounting/business.

My biggest questions now are:

* Has anyone completed Wagner's residency program?

* How does it compare to NYC Teaching Fellows?

* For those teaching 7–12 Special Education Math, how difficult is the actual math content versus the classroom management and special education aspects?

* If you're from Long Island, how realistic is commuting to Queens daily and Staten Island once a week for classes?

I'm honestly torn between pursuing elementary SPED, which was my original goal, and taking advantage of what seems like a fast-track opportunity into secondary SPED with a math certification.

Would appreciate any honest feedback from people who've gone through similar programs.

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I’m trying to become a special education teacher in New York and I’ve been comparing master’s programs lately. One thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of the fully online programs make the timeline look “part-time” because they don’t offer all the courses year-round, so realistically many of them end up taking around 3 years to finish.

On the other hand, programs like Hunter seem like they could get me done faster (closer to 2 years), but the issue is I live on Long Island and the commute into the city would probably be around 90 minutes each way depending on traffic/train. If classes are once or twice a week, I’m wondering if it’s even worth that commute.

I’d also still need to keep some form of part-time work for health insurance reasons while in school, which makes the whole schedule even harder.

So I wanted to ask people already in education:

Does the actual school name matter much for special ed hiring in NY?

Is it smarter to just pick a fully online SUNY/CUNY program and finish a little slower?

Or is the faster hybrid/in-person route worth it long-term for networking and job opportunities?

Would appreciate honest advice from people already teaching SPED in NY.

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Hi everyone,

I posted earlier asking if a suspicious 2019 Honda Civic listing I received through my school district coworker email was a scam. After some feedback here, I realized it likely was.

Unfortunately, things escalated after I responded to the email chain.

The original email was claiming a family member was selling a 2019 Honda Civic and other items due to a death in the family. It instructed me to contact a “Mr. Todd” and mentioned sending a refundable deposit to hold items since they were out of town for funeral arrangements.

I responded asking for basic details (like mileage). Shortly after that, I noticed unusual activity and I now believe my **work email account may have been compromised or accessed without authorization**.

I’m currently changing my password, enabling 2FA, and reporting it to my school district IT department.

Has anyone dealt with something similar where simply replying to a phishing-style email led to account compromise? What should I watch for next?

Any advice would really help right now.

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I had a question regarding eligibility for NYC Teaching Fellows and Teach For America while pursuing a master’s degree.

For some background, I’m currently working as a teacher aide and I’m interested in becoming a special education teacher in New York. I already missed the most recent NYC Teaching Fellows application cycle, and I previously applied to Teach For America back in March but unfortunately was not accepted.

At this point, I’m planning to begin a master’s program in Special Education this fall while continuing to work in schools. I also plan on starting preparation for New York State certification exams such as the EAS.

My question is: if I begin my master’s this fall, would I still be eligible to apply for NYC Teaching Fellows or Teach For America during the next application cycle?

I’m trying to avoid losing an entire year waiting around just to see if I get accepted into one of those programs when I could instead get a head start on my master’s now. However, I’m worried that already being enrolled in a master’s program could hurt my eligibility or chances for NYC Teaching Fellows or Teach For America.

Has anyone been i similar situation or know how these programs view applicants who are already pursuing a teaching master’s degree?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I’m 28 years old, currently working as a teacher aide in NY, and trying to become a Special Education teacher as fast as realistically possible.

My bachelor’s degree is in Accounting (3.51 GPA), so I’m doing a career change into education. I’ve been researching SUNY and CUNY programs like Hunter and SUNY Empire, but a lot of the timelines seem to be at least 2 years full-time and sometimes closer to 3 years part-time because certain courses are only offered once a year.

I really want something more flexible and online while I continue working, which is why I started looking

and their MAT in Special Education.

For anyone in NY:

Has anyone actually used WGU to become a SPED teacher in NYS?

Did NYSED accept everything without issues?

Were you able to get hired by public schools/NYC DOE with a WGU degree?

How long did it realistically take?

Did you still have to figure out certifications/exams/workshops on your own outside the program?

Is WGU looked at differently compared to Hunter/SUNY/CUNY?

I’m basically just trying to find the fastest realistic path to becoming a certified SPED teacher without getting stuck in a 3-year program.

Would really appreciate honest advice from anyone who’s been through this.

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I’ve decided to stay in New York and pursue my master’s here instead of moving out of state, mainly because a family member offered to help pay for my graduate degree.

My long-term goal is to become an elementary-level Special Education teacher in New York State. Right now I currently work as a teacher aide in a special education setting.

I had originally considered an out-of-state teacher residency program because I liked the apprenticeship/hands-on structure, but financially and long-term it probably makes more sense for me to stay in NY if my master’s is covered.

My question is:

Is it realistic/helpful to start studying for some of the NYS teacher certification exams (especially the EAS) before even starting my master’s program?

Has anyone here passed the EAS early while still working as an aide or before student teaching?

Would you recommend I continue working as a teacher aide while pursuing my master’s, even if the program is online?

I’m trying to use the next several months productively instead of waiting around before grad school starts.

Would appreciate honest advice from people already teaching in NY, especially SPED teachers or career changers.

Just applied for NYS Master’s in Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship — how likely am I to qualify?

I just applied for the New York State Master’s in Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program and uploaded my unofficial undergraduate transcript.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and my GPA is 3.51.

I also submitted proof of my degree and graduation date as required.

I’m planning to pursue a Special Education master’s program (likely through a SUNY school), but I haven’t officially applied to a college yet — I’m still researching programs.

For anyone familiar with this scholarship:

\* How competitive is it?

\* With a 3.51 GPA, am I in a strong position or is it still very selective?

\* Does anyone know how strict they are about undergraduate major (since mine is not education)?

Any insight from people who have applied or received it would be really helpful. Thanks!

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I just applied for the New York State Master’s in Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program and uploaded my unofficial undergraduate transcript.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and my GPA is 3.51.

I also submitted proof of my degree and graduation date as required.

I’m planning to pursue a Special Education master’s program (likely through a SUNY school), but I haven’t officially applied to a college yet — I’m still researching programs.

For anyone familiar with this scholarship:

* How competitive is it?

* With a 3.51 GPA, am I in a strong position or is it still very selective?

* Does anyone know how strict they are about undergraduate major (since mine is not education)?

Any insight from people who have applied or received it would be really helpful. Thanks!

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I have a Honda CR-V with about 33k miles on it. I got my last oil change around 29.5k miles, so it’s only been about 3,500 miles since the last service.

The Walmart sticker says I’m due for another oil change already, but my Honda oil life monitor still says 70%.

Should I follow the sticker and get it changed now, or trust the Honda Maintenance Minder and wait longer? Curious what other CR-V owners do.

Considering Arizona teacher residency as a reset before coming back to NY — would this be a smart move?

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I’m looking for honest advice from people in education, especially SPED teachers or anyone familiar with NY hiring.

I’m currently working as a teacher aide in a self-contained special education classroom on Long Island, NY. I have a bachelor’s in business and I’m working toward becoming a certified special education teacher.

Today I had a formal meeting with my principal and a union rep regarding multiple concerns that were brought up (student interaction/supervision concerns and instructional issues). It was framed as corrective training and expectations, and I signed documentation that will go into an HR file. I’m still employed, but it’s clear I’m now under closer administrative scrutiny than before.

Because of this and overall frustration with slow progression, I’m seriously reconsidering my path.

I’m looking at a teacher residency program in Arizona that would:

\* place me into a full-time teaching role faster (SPED/high-needs)

\* provide a subsidized/free master’s program

\* allow me to gain 2–4 years of real classroom experience earlier

My plan would be:

\* Years 1–2: Arizona residency + become full SPED teacher

\* Years 3–4: continue teaching and focus heavily on passing New York State certification exams

\* After that: apply back to NY (BOCES, NYC DOE, or Long Island SPED positions)

My main goal is long-term stability as a special education teacher in New York, but I’m trying to figure out if stepping out of NY for a few years would hurt or help that goal.

My questions:

\* Would Arizona experience be viewed positively when coming back to NY SPED hiring?

\* Would I still be competitive for BOCES/DOE/Long Island positions after 3–4 years out of state?

\* Is this kind of “reset + return” strategy actually realistic in education, or does it hurt re-entry chances more than it helps?

I’m trying to make a practical decision, not an emotional one, so I’d really appreciate honest perspectives from people who know how NY hiring actually works.