I have to tell you, if I were a teacher I would quit before going back in a pandemic. I have underlying conditions. I wear ALL THE PPE I can get when leaving the house. I just want to shout out a lot of love to all of you who are doing it and share my favorite site to support teachers. You can go to DonorsChoose and help out a teacher in your city. It is of course my favorite charity. I encourage you all to donate. You can pick who you want to support by city or just help them. Teachers need a lot of help right now. You can buy a box of crayons or a computer lab or anything in between. Anything at all will be appreciated. Teachers are about to put their lives at risk. Please help them out.
PS the photo came up when I asked for “teacher” I guess we are fancier than I thought. Anyway, please toss like ten bucks at someone who posts. I was super lucky to have a sponsor when I was teaching. Please give if you can. The teachers and parapros need to know we love them and appreciate them for going back to work.
I love this!! I have such empathy and admiration for all the teachers out there, especially those who are parents! I’m unemployed but I can do $10. Thank you, TT. What a wonderful way to do something positive in all this mess!
As a retired teacher, I want to thank you for your kind words. I retired in 13 and my daughter started her career the same year at my old school. I can tell you that teachers do pay a lot of out of pocket expenses. My daughter did a donors choose and she was funded out of the kindness of wonderful people. Please give to donirs choose and help teachers.
I’m a retired teacher too. When the fall comes I kind of miss buying silly things to spruce up my room. I always had a theme… WHAT I DO NOT MISS is the shitty principals.
I understand. I’ve always felt it was a calling because I, surely, didn’t do it for the money. I’m like you I bought things for my room for each celebration. I bought fir Halloween, Christmas (which turned into winter wonderland, etc. I do miss it.
My husband and sister are teachers-I worry about hem every day. It’s a lot of work on a regular day never mind a pandemic.
I’m rewatching old housewives shows to distract to me. Thanks for giving me a place to share
Of course Kate. I am ready to just fall into bed and sleep. I was so focused on you guys that I didn’t realize the Masked Singer is taping. That is great and very bad all at once. I never get to tape the Masked Singer and I probably should be recapping some dumb show. I.Just. Can’t. tonight.
You are awesome!!! I love this! I’m a 6th grade teacher and went back a few weeks ago.. working in three different rooms as my kids are broken into smaller groups to social distance. The kids have been great.. they are all just happy to be back. ?? love you you all! Stay safe
I am literally bawling for all the teachers. You guys are so brave, Also on different note, I think my dog might have eaten a jar of NiVEA. So the owl of death may have come for Banjo. WTF? do you know how hard it is to even open a can of NIVEA?
Oh no!!! Keep an eye on him.. damn that owl of death! I had 5 blue jays on my fence this am.. wtf does that mean?
Thank you for your site and letting me be part of your family!!! ??
God, Blue Jays are the meanest birds.
T – if he’s still ok now? All that lotion is going to do is give him a pretty slick and nice smelling bm in the morning. Think about it.. dogs lick their humans all the time. If it was medicated I’d be a bit concerned but if over the counter creams were an extreme danger I’d have read about it I am guessing.
I suddenly remember my friend’s dog right after she had her first kid. She had an expensive nipple cream because cracked nips are apparently a thing when you breastfeed. Or can be.
The fucking dog ate the whole thing. All of the lotion and a good portion of the container if I remember right. I was dropping off something and she was SO FUCKING PISSED.
The dog burped and smiled a doggie smile. He survived the lotion AND her wrath. (It probably helped he adored the baby)
My nephew is a teacher. I worry about him all the time. Tamara, excellent post!! Thank you. Between teachers and medical community….. pray for them. And donate!
Teachers need way more love. In my experience the actual interaction with the kids and the teaching part is very rewarding, but the ADMIN is all like SHIT FLOATS. I mean there are people that enjoy TEACHING and then there are Administrators who want to be…. ADMINISTRATORS or principals. When I used to get stuff from Donor’s CHOOSE my principal could not have been more pissed. No one wanted to see me or my kids win.
You make me wish that my former principal/superintendent was still alive to send him a thank you note. I was a student when he was a principal, and he was a super when I was a teacher.
As a student, I felt heard and as a teacher, I felt supported. Moving to a different district, I realize how lucky I was.
The only really good one I had was in Savannah. He was the best principal ever. But I am always the problem child. He was great and I took another job teaching college and I thought about staying in middle school. And he was like no, please go, lol. I loved that job, I had real life friends and he was the best principal I have ever had, He had a WHOLE LOT of Jesus in him and was always kind. I remember being called into the office (this happened to me a lot) and he told me that my kids were saying I cussed at them. They said I called them Chicken heads or something like that. And he basically said he didn’t believe them (because not true) and was like Tamara would have called you (many expletives go here) if she wanted to cuss you out. I need to find that principal. He helped me relocate and too me for my pee test. LOL. ME, the person that has to pee every five minutes could not pee! I had to come back. Anyway. He is the best principal in the world.
But it was middle school.
He was the only principal I have ever liked. And I am pretty sure he hated me. lol. He was a very religious black man. And I was kind of in love with him. But I feel like he prayed for my soul every day. 🙂 And I appreciated that, Even if the prayers were “Dear God, help me to deal with Tamara….” Now I have a neighbor who prays for me, and a “twin” I take all prayers. I definitely need prayer.
OH, I had good principals at the district where the aforementioned super worked. Now, I admit that part of why they liked me? I was one of their homegrown kids. It really is too bad things didn’t work out and I moved districts. The other district chewed me up and spit me out. When the people I knew from my home district showed up as part of their accreditation review committee, they were all shocked faced when the one known to be the toughest bitch was giving me a bear hug. I digress.
Your “she swore at me” story reminded me of something. It was toward the end of the semester. This kid not known to me was released from JUVY. There was no way he’d get credit for 2 weeks in my class before the end of the semester, so I was a glorified babysitter. This was HS.
Kid wasn’t really a problem. I’m sure in part because he had a probation officer. I gave him a talk about how he could use these 2 weeks not to necessarily attempt to cram in everything in my semester, but to get back into the swing of being a student and to work on studying skills, etc. (I was willing to help him). If I remember, I figured out what classes he was taking the next semester and handed him the novel covered in one of them.
I remember one day he kept playing with his lighter. I don’t remember the specific laws then, but he was close to 18 if not over 18… I was only 24, and at my HS we had a goddamn smoking section for students! So I took it away when he wouldn’t put it away instead of distracting everyone with it. My usual policy was to just give shit like that back at the end of the period, but he wouldn’t stop. So I told him that he’d have to wait until the end of the day and if he kept at it… I’d keep it until the end of the week.
As he left my class at bell, he thought the door had shut but it didn’t. I heard WHAT A BITCH. (One of the kids later told me that with that reaction, he thought that he was probably huffing the lighter. I was so naïve.)
Well, kiddo was a TA at the office during my planning period so they could keep an eye on him. I go to pick up my mail, etc. and I spy him as the principal is saying hi to me.
Me: Hey, that kid called me a bitch today! (and I explain)
Principal: QUICK! GET INTO MY OFFICE! CLOSE THE CURTAINS BUT KEEP THE DOOR OPEN! (I do it)
Principal: (kid’s name) HOW ARE YOU! Glad you are working in the office! It will give me time to check in with you. I know you’ll work hard for (secretaries names) and that this is a new page for you, right?
Kid: Says placating stuff I can’t really hear. Principal is clearly being effervescent so I can hear him.
Principal: We’ve had some changes since you’ve been gone. We have some new people. There is one I personally asked to come here, and she’s special to me. She was one of my students like you are. I really want to introduce you.
(I hear them coming closer as Principal continues to blow smoke up the kid’s butt about how he thinks the kid has an opportunity here AND about me… just a few seconds really…)
Principal: She’s in my office and I wanted to introduce you to her, she’s one of my favorite people (they come to the door) but I think you already know her (they come to the door) AS THE BITCH.
Kid gives shocked face and literally all the blood left his face. Principal looks at him, said “Have I made my point? You going to do this again?” Kid shakes his head, mumbles an apology, and flees like I used the lighter to set his ass on fire.
Principal shuts the door and we laughed like goddamn loons. As far as I know, kid kept his nose clean the following semester and wouldn’t look me in the eye whenever we passed in the hall.
That principal was the bomb.com as Guy Fieri would say. Sometimes the right response to a kid saying “FUCK YOU” to you is “No. Not right now. GET. TO. CLASS.”
I’m not a teacher. I run student information systems for schools, meaning everything thing technology related that schools use and state’s require for funding is what I do. A huge shout out to every single teacher and administrator who has been very creative in this environment. I deal with data, not people. I deal with systems and making them all work together, not how to get a kid logged on. In NJ we seem to all have banded together to help each other! I haven’t had a single person laugh at me in months when I have to ask how it;s supposed to work for parent or kids…sorry my children are men and I have never done this either…in March and April I got laughed at alot!
I want to do everything I can to support teachers. If you know a teacher tell them about DonorsChoose.
THANK YOU!! This teacher appreciates your post! My county is currently all virtual with teachers working in buildings. The second day of school, our district surprised us with plans to bring kids back earlier than scheduled. No plan, but here they come. Then there was an outbreak among staff. Double digits across several buildings testing positive with triple that being quarantined. The district finally put everything on hold until at least November. We still haven’t had a plan communicated to us but time is mildly comforting. On top of all of that crazy, I’m expecting my first child. There is little to no communication about what I can do if kids come back. I have already purchased a few clear shower curtains in case they come back before my due date. The parents have been so supportive. It’s been so helpful as we’re putting in crazy hours and becoming tech support and programmers and so many other titles to our already endless list. I am definitely learning stress management. But it is really helpful to hear positive support! The system in place is absolutely not ideal but we’re doing the best we can!
What do you need? Put up a DonorsChoose. I’ll support you! But just know if I send you something other teachers will be assholes. Why does she get that?????
Positive vibes are all I need. So much negativity around. Local officials interviewing saying we are failing the kids. The wildest one was “teachers are faking Covid to avoid going back to in person because virtual is easier.” It’s Disheartening and down right disgusting what Some people are saying about teachers right now. But positivity is all the best!
You sound amazing. You’re approaching your job with bravery and creativity, while growing a human inside you. You are a superhero. You must care for your students an awful lot, which makes them incredibly lucky. Thank you so much for everything you are doing.
I want to buy Kelly a pony.
Kelly!
Google Under the Weather Pods. They originally were those phone booth sized pop up tents parents could use watching their kids play sports in inclement weather.
They have “walking pods” now – look at all the versions. Basically the pop up tent is held up by backpack straps on your shoulders. I’ve looked at the short version that has a draw string enclosure for around your waist and elastic arm holes (there are other versions where the bottom is open and your arms just fit through side openings. Ok for rain but not for COVID). I like the short version of the enclosed one because I think you could sit down in it.
The inventor apparently wore one on airplane trip.
If I was teaching and they were having us go back? Hell, I’d get it even if only teachers were in the building, just for the hallway, etc.
AWESOME post! Thank you! My daughter is in school to become a teacher. Considering all that is going on in the world right now and how under paid teachers are, etc I’m very proud of her. Please donate!
Go to the site. pick a teacher They need us now more than ever,
Thank you so much for this post. I am an elementary school teacher in California, and it’s so different than anything we have done before. Thank you for this!!
How can I help? I really want you all to be safe and cared for. Put up a DonorsChoose. I will send you anything you need.
There is a special place in heaven for teachers. Its a underappreciated job but one of the most important. Thank you to all past and present teachers
My sister and nephew are teachers at an elementary school in the Mt. Diablo School District in N.California. THANK GOD for the California Teachers Union. The superintendent had wanted onsite classes, with NO MASKS for students in Kindergarten and first-grades. Maybe second grade, cannot remember the cutoff age.
My sister teaches first grade. Not only do I not want my sister exposed to COVID-19 by a roomful of unmasked kids, I WOULD NOT WANT MY CHILD in a class of unmasked kids, either. Distance learning was A WHOLE LOT of extra work for teachers. Learning the camera technology, creating “virtual homework drop folders,” creating html template docs (thank you Google). All on unpaid hours. My sister and nephew teach distance learning from their physical classrooms. Much easier than having two people in a tiny house of four people trying to make room for two classrooms and breaking everything down for room to eat and sleep!
DonorsChoose is a bonafide program. My sister got an overhead projector / computer setup several years ago. There are fake sites being set up, so go with Tamara’s recommendation.
With TT’s permission, I want to share a charity I came across, Alice’s Kids. https://aliceskids.org/
They try to provide things that other charities don’t. Things like soccer or basketball shoes for a kid that makes the team. Prom tickets. Hygiene products. Field trip fees. A new backpack. Books for the kid struggling with reading. Yearbooks. Things so that they can feel or do things that the other kids do.
They don’t take referrals or requests from the general public, but teachers, social workers, etc.
The one I noticed first was that a basket ball team won state championship in basketball, and none of the kids could afford the rings. They paid for the rings. Another was in the pandemic, 3 kids were spending their days with grandma so she could supervise the online schooling and b/c she had internet. They didn’t have chairs (which the teachers wanted them to sit in) So they bought them chairs.
What I think is REALLY cool is that they often use gift cards, and if possible or practical, they get that card in the parents’ hands so Mom or Dad can take the credit and not have to tell them we can’t afford new shoes or whatever. If not, it is still done anonymously through the school.
Stuff like this is so important for kids’ self esteem. I was the yearbook advisor my first year teaching. One of the teachers came in (before we had handed them out). She overheard two kids talking – their family could only afford one yearbook between them and they were figuring out how they would share it (like figuring out which pages would be “theirs” for friends to sign). She paid for the second yearbook and “no one was to know it was from her”. I forget what I came up with when it came time to hand out the yearbooks and they were handed two of them. More than one teacher paid for yearbooks that year.
xoxoxoxo ~tt
Wait, hold on, Is Dr Will back on Big Brother???
Never mind. Not that exciting. False alarm.
This middle school history teacher loves you.
I love you back. Jesus Christ Middle school was the WORST. And I had the very best principal ever, I resigned to teach college and almost decided to stay and he was like,…. NOE! Please go, lol
Lol. We’re a special breed.
Thank you for being a part of, and indulging in (all) of my guilty pleasures.
Rooting for you, always and all ways!
Tamara, thanks for alerting me to donors choice. I just donated to a local school for desks. I also made a town mgr aware of the site in the hopes of getting the teacher to her goal. Long time lurker, love your site. Walked away from a good paying but soul crushing job this summer. Looking for work but enjoying taking a breath. Much love to all the teachers
I teach Kindergarten and we have been suffering through online learning for 7 weeks. It took time to figure out how to make learning on the computer work for very young children. The parents need so much support in working with their own children at home and for weeks there was a ton of trouble shooting I had to do regarding the online platforms and devices. On top of that, there were a couple of cases on campus that caused several classrooms to close down for 7-14 days.
What this pandemic has shown me is that technology is a need right now, but there are many families who can’t afford the tools their children need to access curriculum, my meetings with them and their peers. Consumerism over compassion has caused a bigger gap between the haves and the have nots. It’s not fair that all children can not get access to tools essential to learning.
I don’t need many things in my classroom this year. My students and their families need technology and other supplies to work on learning goals I’m teaching them through videos I make and activities I do in online meetings.
Our society needs to rectify this disparity and injustice. Thank you for your kind words and thoughts about educators during this challenging time.