“Before you can teach children what you expect of them in a given situation, you must clearly define for yourself what you want to have happen.
Often we carry on about the things we want children not to do, or to stop doing, or what we will not allow, instead of what we want.”
- Becky A. Bailey, Ph.D.
Hey guys, I've got some genuine questions for the furry community to help a client and I'm hoping y'all can get this where it needs to go
So a teenage client disclosed to me that they consider themselves a therian or not entirely human. I asked them if there is a particular animal or being that they identify with, and they said wolves.
As someone who isn't a part of this community, I'm hoping y'all can point me towards some resources. Particularly for common terminology (I didn't know what a therian was until they explained) and any considerations I should make to ensure they know that they are welcome and accepted with me. Also open to learning about misconceptions and anything else you wish your therapist would know ahead of time :)
Who knows what he might have gone on to discover, if his passion had not received a killing blow at such an impressionable age? Never mess with people's dreams- that's my advice to you. The smallest action can have huge consequences.
Wackus I know this isn’t really ML-related but I’m gonna get my first experience teaching kids this week and I’m soooooooooooooo nervous. I used to be really good with kids but it’s been ages since I interacted with one properly and I’ve never taught in a formal setting or anything 😭😭😭 I’m so scared I might accidentally say something too strict and make someone cry or won’t be able to hold back a laugh if someone makes a silly mistake and then hurt their feelings and I’m terrified I’m gonna traumatise them for life okay the PANIC is REAL. Do you have any advice for a first time (mid-qualification) teacher?
i do! i have a LOT!!
for context, i have taught elementary school, ages 5 - 12, grades K - 6 for 5 years. (yes i have taught every grade within that range, long story). however, this advice applies universally:
no matter if you're student teaching, staring a new teaching job, or just working in an after school program, the most important thing to remember is, they're JUST kids. they might have attitude, behavior problems, whatever. bottom line is, a kid just wants to be cared for and kept safe and educated, and that's what they will respect you for!
let's make a list, teachers love lists
set your expectations/ consequences for meeting or not meeting them. this is what we do first thing every school year, every monday, every time we start something new. AND HOLD TO THOSE EXPECTATIONS. practicing routines and procedures will make things run way more smoothly.
rely on your coworkers. those ppl are there bc they love kids and love their job, and are in the same boat as you. comiserate with them. plan with them. ask them for their wisdom. the better relationship you have with the other staff, the more resources you get for support!
strict routines. try not to switch up rules/ schedules too much. you'll find anything sets the kids off. a frikin full moon will set them off. a windy day, a rainy day, a spider. literally anything. keep schedules regular, keep transitions quick, and rules universal. keep them trained well to ensure your days go smoothly.
attention getters. they're all gonna wanna talk to each other and not pay attention to you. i teach in spanish so i say, "hola, hola" and they reply "coca cola." my english colleagues say "class class" and the kids reply "yes, yes." if i want my class to verify their understanding i say "capishe" and they reply "kaposh." if i say "waterfall" they say "shhh." these will save your life dude and there are billions. pick your favorite and roll with it!
rewards/incentives. there are also billions of these. i use class dojo, stickers, tickets, anything i can whip out and give them to the kids for instant reinforcement. think puppy training. they need IMMEDIATE praise or IMMEDIATE castigation. for more severe cases you can say "i am going to think of a consequence for you and tell you at the end of the day." they stay real quiet from then on.
affective statements. "i feel happy because you are showing me respect by keeping your eyes on me." "i feel frustrated because you are choosing not to follow the rules." kids need to know you're a person with feelings too. they're always so shook to find out you are human too, and they respect you more for it.
tattletale box. make them write out their grievances against each other and put it in your mailbox. they get writing practice and they leave you alone OR they just forget about it entirely. it's a win/win.
"I’m so scared I might accidentally say something too strict and make someone cry" <- you will do this, and they will get over it. i make my kids cry every day. those kids i am the strictest with, who i make cry the most often, are the ones giving me hugs at the end of the day and telling me they love me/coming back to see me the next year. do not fear! as long as you are coming from a place of love, they will love you too.
"won’t be able to hold back a laugh if someone makes a silly mistake and then hurt their feelings" <- you will do this too, and they will get over it. i make fun of my kids regularly for their silly mistakes, but all in good fun. it actually models for the kids how to joke with each other in a positive light, and what to NOT get butthurt over. like i said, as long as you are coming from a place of love, they will love you too.
"I’m terrified I’m gonna traumatise them for life" <- you are NOT going to traumatize them! the resilience of a child is one of the most amazing things i've ever seen. i can tell just from this that you're a person who cares about kids and wants the best for them. a person who teaches with that mindset is a person who is fated to positively influence them.
i've made looooots of mistakes. i've gotten angry emails from parents, the principal, bad reviews and low test scores. i've also had kids come back and tell me how much they learned in my class, had parents tell me how much their child loves me and misses me as their teacher, and had kids say they wanna grow up and be just like me.
you are gonna be okay. they are gonna love you because you love them. you're gonna be soooo tired and stressed out. you're gonna laugh your ass off. but one of your students is going to tell you thank you for everything you taught them, and then you'll cry and hug them and realize you're in the right place. pink promise 💕
here's a picture of me as a cat princess to motivate you
Hey there! I'm at work (I'm a math tutor), and a question just popped into my head: Are you someone that hates or otherwise doesn't like math classes, math homework, etc? If so, what would make you more inclined to like it? This has been an ongoing discussion my colleagues (even the professors sometimes) and I have been having for a few years now, but we haven't come to any conclusions. Thoughts? (Sorry for the long ask...) ≥_≤''
Oh no, I'm one of the rare people that enjoys math! I have no hate or fear of the subject at all! Well, maybe a little hesitancy for calculus and advanced math stuff... but I was homeschooled, and so I was taught math in a really fun and practical way by my parents. Filling out tests and workbooks was made fun for me as solving puzzles.
So cool that you're a math tutor! If you're asking how you can make learning math more fun for students... just make it relevant and important for them, I guess? Give them reasons to be interested and excited about it, involving things that they're already passionate about, whether it be their friends or games or creating stuff. If you don't already know your student(s) and what they care about the most, you should ask them, and try to implent those things in your lessons, if possible!
If there’s any teachers on this app, please don’t pair the quiet kids with the loud kids! Seriously, as a quiet kid, in my experience there are four possible outcomes and none are what you want:
1. The quiet and the loud kid will become best friends and both will be loud around each other (However quiet kid may also prompt the loud kid to behave this way)
2. The loud kid will become an annoyance to the quiet kid and the quiet kid may get angry (Second most often)
3. Nothing. The loud kid will still be loud and the quiet kid will still be quiet
4. The loud kid will ignore the quiet kid and talk loudly across the room (Happens most often in my school)
I saw from your moodboard that you are a teacher. How cool! If you don't mind me asking, what grade do you teach? I'm in college right now working on elementary education, but knowing me, I'll end up wanting to teach older kids in a few years anyway. Any advice for someone new to teaching?
Yes! I’m a middle school Social Studies/Special Education teacher! I teach Grades 6, 7, and 8 😊
I’m licensed to teach middle school and high school. I always knew that I wanted to teach Social Studies, so I knew teaching older kids was for me. I would feel horrible for any poor children who had to learn Math from me 😂
My biggest piece of advice for a new teacher would be to be kind to yourself and to give yourself grace. Things won’t go perfectly. You’ll make mistakes. You’ll wish you had done things differently. You have things to learn just as much as your students do. Don’t beat yourself up about it, and just try to take everything as a learning experience. And try to focus on the joy in each day. There’s a lot of nonsense that can get you down, but try to always remember why you got into teaching in the first place and celebrate the small victories.
My inbox is always open if you ever have any questions or want to chat! 🍎
Ambien Reid, how do I be a better archaeology teacher to undergrads?
Hi there, Sober Reid is the one answering this because I think that it's a very important question that deserves more than misspelled ramblings from my subconscious mind.
The first thing I'll emphasize is kindness. Make yourself approachable by actively listening to your students, especially if they have concerns. A lot of undergrads worry that they'll get their head bitten off for an email. Make it clear that you don't mind them reaching out if they're struggling.
Also be aware of the materials you assign. Videos cannot be skimmed like readings can, and they will take much more time for students to go through. You also shouldn't expect students to read/watch anything that cannot be accessed for free or through the school library. There are some people out there who evaluate what courses to take based on how much extra it will cost in textbooks etc. If you're tacking on another $25 in movie rental fees, that may be a big deal for those people.
Your materials should be accessible to everyone, meaning that they have closed captions and/or a way for blind/vision impaired people to get the same information. If you're in a classroom, you need to evaluate whether or not it's accessible to people with physical disabilities. Are there stairs? Is there room for a wheelchair? Do some people need to sit close to the board, a door, an isle? This stuff matters. Do the best that you can to make sure these issues are addressed before a disabled student has to bring them to your attention.
Finally, talk about your work if you can fit it into the lesson. I personally have found that instructors tend to be at their best and most engaging when they're talking about what they're passionate about. Don't be afraid to slip in your interests somewhere to serve as an example.
Anyone else, student or instructor, is welcome to chime in if they have anything else to say.
