Curious to hear if anyone finds this useful.... I did use it for creating random lesson ideas, but not much beyond that.

I was offered the opportunity to teach 2nd grade (I need a change).. I've always taught 4th and 5th graders, would you recommend making the switch? What are some of the biggest challenges and positives of teaching younger students? what testing is required for 2nd grade?

I had a 5th grader bring a snake to school in his backpack . Yes, you read that right... a live snake. He said he had to walk slow to class not to rock the snake too much.

"Hello, How do I deal with a counselor who doesn't fully understand the field of counseling?" Thank in advance

I need to vent for a minute... I have one parent who emails me constantly, at this point it's twice a quick, questioning everything I do, why I teach things a certain way and sending me links to “better” methods. I always reply back politely and explain myself but enough is enough 😫 Another parent asked me to have weekly zoom calls to go over her child’s progress, even though I already send home periodic progress reports and we have scheduled conferences! I spend so much time planning lessons and trying to meet the needs of all my students, but it feels like no matter what I do, there’s always someone who wants to second-guess everything... I know that's their job but it's making mine so much harder, it’s exhausting, and takes so much energy away from actually focusing on the students. How do you deal with parents who go a bit overboard? I feel like I’m spending more time explaining myself to adults than actually teaching my class. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks for listening.

It's dogwater for me 😅

This year alone, I've received about 10 or so messages after 7 PM. I usually ignore them and respond the next morning with a polite message like, "In the future, please use email for all communication." However, this doesn’t seem to stop the late-night texts. These usually include questions like: "When will grades be updated?" "What can my child do to improve their grades?" or "What should I do if my child does this..." Is anyone else dealing with this issue? How do you handle these situations?

I'm a 4th grade teacher... I feel like I’m constantly choosing between giving my best to my students and taking care of myself. It's a daily struggle between staying late to grade papers / plan the next day or calling in sick because I  need  the rest... Honestly, I’m curious - how do you all manage it? Do you have strategies for keeping both in check without feeling guilty? Would love to hear what’s worked for others...

I was called in for a meeting with a 'problematic student,' his mom, our school principal, and guidance counselor. Basically, the child comes from a not-so-stable home, and needs extra help with everything he does... The guidance counselor was very sweet and patient, and seems to get along well with the child. At first, things were going well, and the student was speaking his mind very maturely, but as soon as the principal started to speak the whole vibe changed.... She was being super aggressive, saying "you can't not show up to class!" and "we will NOT tolerate this sort of behavior!" This was 100% the wrong approach to dealing with the student, but it was like the principal had her own agenda as to how to deal with this..... I wanted to say something so bad, especially when I saw the student starting to shut down. His body language completely change.... he slouched in his chair, avoided eye contact, and barely spoke after that.... But I held my tongue, being a new teacher and all. How would you guys handle this situation?

We had a class baseball tournament, and my only job was to make sure nothing bad happened. One of the kids (5th grade) was at bat, completely missed the ball, and, for some odd reason, decided to let go of the bat after his swing. Well, the bat hit the catcher right on the thigh, and he went down for the count, yelling, "I can't feel my leg! I can't feel my leg!" It took every bit of energy I had not to burst out laughing! Thankfully, the kid was fine in the end.... there wasn’t even a mark.