r/AskTeachers

My child is fairly advanced/gifted, if not profoundly so. She reads 3-4 grades ahead, does math about 2 grades ahead.

She qualified for weekly pull-out ELA and math instructions in first grade, but is expected to follow normal curriculum otherwise. Last year we heard ad nauseam that she was bored, knew everything already, etc etc. She still did her work properly and learned new stuff - writing and spelling improved a lot - but her teacher's consistent feedback was that she was quite resistant to transitions she didn't like.

Is there anything you'd recommend I do to liaise with her new teacher to challenge her more while she is at (her lovely public) school? Or should we just do enrichment outside of school?

p.s. She is a happy and social child. I try to give her a largely fun, carefree childhood while providing enrichment and opportunities to grow. Outside of school she devours chapter books (tons of holds at the local library to borrow about 10 books a week), does some Monster Academy math, piano, swim, lots of arts and crafts. Frequent trips/playdates to the local lake, playground, zoo, museum, etc.

Hello! My rising 5th grader "Jane" is psyched for school to start next week. Her assigned teacher is known for being strict and prepping students well for middle school and we couldn't be happier.

However - Jane faced some tough peer behaviors last spring in 4th that verged on bullying with a couple classmates, "Amos" and "Andy" . At one point there was a physical situation that resulted in Amos receiving discipline. The teacher handled as best she could, but a lot happened outside her view (transitions, specials, sub days). Luckily Amos isn't in Jane's class this year, but Andy is. Andy was very "in the mix", and over the summer the few times we crossed paths he was not kind. So now Jane is expressing a lot of apprehension about the class, table groups, etc. TBH I think table groups will sort themselves out, but I am worried that if Jane has to share lockers with Andy (which happens in our school), there may be issues.

Usually we give our kids wide berth and only talk to the teachers at conferences and events. And I know that 5th is the right time to learn how to navigate these peer situations, which will only get more complex in middle school. And I don't want to be "that parent". And yet...Jane is highly sensitive and emotional (she holds it all in at school lets it all out at home) and last spring was challenging for us. Adding to it all is the fact that we have new admins (both principal and AP) and none of last year's 4th grade teachers are still at the school this year (ie for sharing background context etc).

Would it be out of line to email the teacher later this week and request that they not share lockers? We do have a back to school/ drop off supplies night on Monday, but it's the night before the first day and wouldn't be the right place to have that kind of conversation (and lockers and table groups will already be assigned by then). Appreciate any insight, kind educators on the internet!

I've been seeing soooo many back to school posts lately where teachers are already feeling exhausted and we've literally just started the new year 😭😭 (I completely understand and relate tho)

I know the beginning can be a really difficult, weird adjustment period when you're getting used to a whole new group of kids and trying to help all those students get into routines/understand expectations ... but I'm curious at what point does it actually start feeling "normal" again LOL

like when do you finally get past the whole "okay what the heck am I doing right now and why is no child listening to me??" phase and start feeling like "alright, I think we've got this y'all ... this is how school is supposed to be" /:

I suppose I'd like to pose this question to all educators (and particularly curious for teachers who've been doing this for a good chunk of time too) how long does it usually take y'all to feel decently settled?? a couple days, couple weeks, a month? Longer??? is there anything that helps you feel like you can easier progress over that hump?

I've only been in a teacher role for a couple years myself now, so I'm still definitely figuring out what the normal timeline for that adjustment even is hahaha and it's been different for me every year so far

also, for anyone having a particularly rough start to this school year, wishing y'alll the best of luck and hoping you hang in there!! 🤞🤞

Teachers who live in very high cost of living areas: do you work over the summer? What do you do?

I have one teacher I do adore, he’s amazing and very nice but nice to the point where you could have a student yelling loudly and cussing while he is teaching and the most he will do is joke about it and try to quiet the student down like they are a 4th grader and not a sophomore in highschool.

For our first test, I did great, the rest of the class did so bad our class average was horrible. He said he wouldn’t put the grades in, however that is a slap in the face for the students who studied and tried. I was proud and he praised me but He let the other kids off to easy. He was being too nice.

In class, he apologizes for everything, he apologizes for “long lectures” when in reality he only talked for 10 minutes, he apologizes for “too much work” however all we did today was one worksheet WITH a CHEATSHEET and we never get homework.
(i might be a bit biased because i enjoy the subject he teaches and wouldn’t mind more work, but still)

It’s gets annoying, he lets the students walk all over him, they don’t care if he’s lecturing or teaching they talk over him and joke about things that has nothing to do with the subjects. He lets them..

Maybe he isn’t too nice, maybe he’s a PEOPLE PLEASER and is too DESPERATE to be the students favorite teacher but it’s so annoying, he has no backbone, it’s hard to concentrate with the nonsense, and with a STRICTER teacher the class sure does listen better. - which i think that’s why i always loved the “mean” teachers” and everyone else hated them. They had boundaries, they prioritized teaching and not being everyone’s favorite.

Am i over reacting? He lets everything slide. is takes away the effort the students who try put in.

I’m a newly graduated teacher and have been struggling to find a job. I finally got asked to interview yesterday and went in. Hoping that this would be the end of the job search, the interview felt strange. I was in a meeting for 3 different people in the room, and one made a comment that I seemed too nice and friendly and that it was concerning?? I then reassured them that I am still capable of managing a classroom. But they then said it just seems like I would be friends with my students not a teacher. For context I also explained to them how as a high school teacher for juniors and seniors I want my students to also know that I care about them and that I do not just see them as a letter grade. My goal is to not only encourage learning but to help my students grow and become confident in the individuals they are becoming. I’m just getting worried since I know the interview went okay and a little strange but I have no other jobs interested at the moment, and don’t know if this school would be considered a red flag or not just from those comments??? Any advice would be helpful

I got my undergrad and did alternative certification right after and I finished last year August 2025. Long story short, didn’t know if teaching was for me or if I wanted to teach all together. I applied to a Teaching Assistant position in my field (Math) and have been doing that for a year now as of August 2026. It looks like I’m going to have to do another year of TAing. I’m starting to not enjoy TAing but not because of the kids it’s the administration and how TAs are treated in my district. I had a couple issues over the summer and probably didn’t apply as much as I should have. I am still applying and even hoping to long term sub after December or find any open positions. My question is will I have a tough time finding a job as a first year teacher if I continue to be a TA for another year? My resume would have undergrad, teaching license, 4 years community college tutorin, and 2 years of TAing if I stay this year. Am I digging myself in a hole considering I haven’t started my career

Hi! I’m trying to make a nice going back to school package for a very special lady in my life! It’s her first year teaching STEM & I was wondering what are some things I could include!

Any & all suggestions welcome. Thank you in advance for helping me make her first day special!!

it’s my daughters third week of 1st grade. week 1, the teacher stopped teaching and made the entire class write an apology letter to teacher for taking too long to flip to a certain page. my daughter said she did nothing wrong & questioned why she had to write one. teacher confirmed she was listening and did nothing wrong.

week 2, teacher said she’d take everyone’s recess away for not listening/not behaving for sub. made the kids walk/run laps at beginning of recess for 3 days. again, daughter said she did nothing wrong, doesn’t know why she has to participate.

week 3, another day of laps at recess.

the behavior chart sent home everyday confirms my child is not acting up. parent teacher conferences are coming up & i plan to address it… but only if i’m not wrong for being concerned here. i don’t want teacher to feel as though i’m coming at her, i just don’t think what she’s doing is working for *my* child. for what it’s worth, she was a 3rd grade teacher before moving to 1st.

is this appropriate action or am i being overprotective?

This year my 10 year old has a boy with autism in her class. This boy often makes loud vocalizations including shouting, screeching and screaming. My child was recently diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and finds this, for a lack of better word, triggering. It stresses my child out and they are starting to become angry and resentful of this child. In the morning they don’t want to go to school because they find the unpredictable and frequent sounds overwhelming and stressful.

My child is allowed to step into the hallway to get a break, and they are allowed to use headphones/earplugs. What I’m struggling with is that sometimes my child is missing instruction when this happens. It’s frustrating that my child’s education is suffering due to another child’s constant frequent disruptions. We are working on this in therapy but I would love any insight, ideas, suggestions or perspectives from teachers.

To complicate matters I am well acquainted with this boy’s parents but they very much feel that their child’s needs and their wants/needs for their child should trump all others. Basically, if someone has an issue with their kid, it’s your problem not theirs. They want their child in the classroom as much as possible, and have been known to threaten lawyers, file complaints to the state education board, etc. This child also throws chairs, breaks classroom items, and invades the personal space of others. My child is not the only one who feels uncomfortable around this boy at times. This boy is medicated and his parents are proactive in trying to decrease some of these behaviors, but there’s only so much they can do.

I don’t want to cause waves or ruffle any feathers, but I do want to advocate for my child and their own needs. I feel like this child’s needs are superseding that of my child’s. It’s already been a rough start to the school year.

Edited to add: Thanks to everyone who has responded. Unfortunately switching classes isn’t an option as through some strange fluke, there’s one class in my child’s grade (two classes in every other).

When i was in elementary the book fair week was literally the best week of school. I'm pretty sure that it's still a thing and I hope it's still as awesome now as it was then.

I wrote a letter to my favorite high teacher that I gave him at graduation. He really supported me during difficult times and it always felt like he understood. Do you teachers really read those letters more than once? I’m kind of insecure about it.

My 5 year old Daughter started school this week and today was her second full day. When I went to pick her up from school she came out crying and instantly sat on the curb and took her shoes off. Once she was in the car I asked her what was wrong and she told me after recess her shoes well full of pebbles from the playground. She said once she was in class she raised her hand and asked the teacher "may I please get the rocks out of my shoes because it hurts my feet?" The teacher responded with "No" and went right back to teaching. My daughter spent the rest of the day walking around with shoes full of rocks. By the time school was over her feet hurt so bad she was struggling to walk. Am i crazy or is this outrageous!? That's a child in pain and discomfort! I told her if this happens again try to clean your shoes out before you go back in to school but if you still have rocks in your shoes you should raise your hand and tell the teacher you're going to empty your shoes in the trash bin and you just get up and do it even if told no. I promised her she will not get in any trouble and the teacher can call me if it's an issue. I guess I'm just venting but has anyone else had a similar issue?

Hi all, I browsed and searched and read all I could everywhere online. I'm looking for advice.

my kid is 7, repeated kinder twice and was forced into 1st grade. he's in after school speech and ot twice a week, and ABA twice a week. he has an IEP for speech, ot, and "special education" to help with reading and handwriting for a total of 2 hours a week. he's diagnosed autism 1.

He cannot read. He can barely recognize letters, and the ones he does know take a few seconds to register. I've been reading to him almost daily since he was born. we've done sight words. we've done letters on flashcards. Bob books. tested for everything under the sun. he's on level in math, can tell you anything about insects or the moon, but cannot read. we have an hour daily limit on screens, and most days are zero screen time. I've followed every single rule to teach your kid to read and it's like teaching a brick wall. Local teachers point out that most 7 year olds are struggling but I'm just stuck because I know I "did everything right" and nothing has worked. does anyone have any unconventional ideas? things that have worked on the students struggling most? I'm in a very rural, very poor area and I'm so close to pulling him for homeschool, upping his ABA, and focusing mostly on reading, because no one outside of his ABA program is taking me seriously about it!

I don't want to hound his teacher, she doesn't get paid enough for the work she's doing and I know she can't give just one kid special treatment, but I'm just at an absolute loss on how to help me son. please help.

Sorry if this question isn't allowed; feel free to remove if not.***

Just curious because I recently heard something about teaching/education being a top profession where infidelity is highly likely to occur. I am pretty sure I witnessed two married people engaging in actions that danced on the line but never witnessed enough evidence to know for sure. I am an aid who quietly observes things from the background.

is it better to take notes or is it better to put all your attention towards listening rather than writing stuff down, if you were only able to do one at a time? what results in better grades/learning?

Next spring I am planning to retire from the Army after 20 years as an Apache pilot. I know it's a big change, but I really want a change of pace, and the schedule seems like it will work well around my kids and my wife's schedule as she starts practicing as a Nurse Practitioner.

I will be 38 years old with a bachelor's in business. My plan is to enroll in a master's program for licensure and hopefully be teaching by 2028 as a social studies teacher and coaching with a little luck. We are currently targeting Madison, Wisconsin.

I'm looking for any advice and just trying to pressure test the feasibility of the plan. I understand history/social studies can be oversaturated, but I am really invested in the subject and would love to teach it. If the job hunt gets desperate, I am willing to teach business instead.

Thanks in advance, everyone. I truly appreciate everything you do!

So I posted this in an ADHD sub, but also wanted to get educators’ perspectives. I‘m hoping to find tips for improving my son’s writing and story-telling skills, because I want to set him up for success in the future - I don’t care who he becomes so long as he is kind and happy, but everyone needs to be able to narrate to some extent. Even the guy who fixes boats for a living.

He’s been diagnosed as 2e (ADHD + profound giftedness) and I’m really looking for ideas for home support to bolster the skill (kinda like how kids should read for 20 minutes a day) rather than suggestions for school-based supports via 504/IEP, etc. He has those.

My goal is just that he becomes more fluent in writing, internalizes the basic “formulas” for writing, so that it becomes faster for him. My reasoning is that he thinks fast, so the structure/formula with writing needs to come automatically. At least, one of his complaints is that his thoughts are so much faster than his hands.

The thing that’s helped him the most has been daily practice: Over the summer, we’ve made him keep a journal (he can and does write whatever he wants, we supervise only to make sure he’s actually doing it) where he writes five sentences in it every day. He’s gotten faster and more focused, but I’m not sure he’s getting the structure of different sentence formulations. Any good resources that have those formulas spelled out (here’s what an opinion paragraph looks like, here’s a story structure)?

He uses graphic organizers for research assignments, and we’re okay with him using speech-to-text software for longer assignments when that time eventually comes. Whatever helps him. But is there anything else we should do at home to help support this skill development?

I (21m) have been working in a daycare while in school to get into teaching. This summer, I’ve been running a summer camp for 4-12 year olds and it’s been rough. The summer camp is in the school 75% of the kids attend and they’re mostly students I have in the before/after school program. The ‘problem’ students are the same ones who are here for 9 hours a day, 5 days a week without a week off. I do feel for them, but I’m exhausted and starting to lose patience. By the time I get home, I have no energy for anything and unfortunately I’ve turned to (legal) cannabis use to relax after a long shift, but I know that’s a terrible way to go about it. What are some ways some of you younger teachers are able to unwind after a long day?