upworthy

classrooms

Family

Mom admits she's not 'teacher's favorite’ because she doesn't care about grades

A lot of people feel the same, but are afraid to say it.

via Canva/Photos

A child who is bored in school.

A mother has stepped out and made a bold claim about her true feelings on her children’s education, and, surprisingly, a lot of people agree with her. Annie, who goes by @mom.behind.the.scenes on TikTok, believes that grades aren’t the best marker to measure a child’s developmental or emotional health.

Annie is a mother of four who has a unique family. She has one biological child and three adoptees. Given the struggles her family has had over the years, she’s a mental health advocate for children who’ve been involved with the foster care system. Annie is also a doula who really enjoys coffee and has some pretty severe PTSD.

Mom says she doesn’t care about grades

“I don't care about my kids' grades. Now, that might not make me the teacher's favourite, because I really never look at what grades my kids have. I truly don't care now if my kids are passionate about their grades,” she opens her video. “What matters to me is that my kids are doing their best and that they have the resources and the opportunities they need in order to do their very best.”

Annie believes that the child’s emotional health surpasses academic achievement

“I care more that they are mentally okay and emotionally okay and passionate about things in life and kind to other people. And those things are not defined by a letter on a piece of paper or a percentile,” she continues. “It doesn't work that way for the rest of life; it doesn't define who my kids are. If my kids have straight Cs, a D or two mixed in, and they're good humans, I'm good. That doesn't define who my children are.”

happy teens, group of kids, big smiles, smiling teens, group photos, A group of happy teens.via Canva/Photos

Surprisingly, many teachers in the comments agreed with Annie. "I'm a teacher who also doesn't really care about grades. I care that my students put forth effort. I tell my students they cannot fail my class if they show up every day and try, and that's true," a teacher wrote. "Yes! You are raising good humans, not good 'students.’ I love that. As a teacher, that’s what I care about in my students," another added. "As a teacher, I have learned that you are correct and the system isn't what's best for everyone," another teacher wrote.

Motivation is the key to real learning

happy tween boy, happy kid, kid with arms raised, headphones, laptop, green shirt A kid wearing headphones raising his arms in celebration.

Ashley Lamb-Sinclair, a high-school instructional coach and the 2016 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, says that motivation is often an overlooked part of child development. “A willingness to learn for its own sake represents intrinsic motivation, while grades and other accolades represent extrinsic. Research has shown time and again that intrinsic motivation leads to more profound learning. The truth is that the willingness to learn leads to achievement, but so often achievement is the only part that matters to others,” Lamb-Sinclair writes in The Atlantic.

We all have different experiences and priorities with our children, and every family has its unique advantages and struggles. Annie’s philosophy may not be right for everyone, but it is a reminder that grades aren’t everything; there are a lot of qualities that we should develop in children that go far beyond the three Rs.

From Your Site Articles
moms
FamilyMotherhood
Joy

20 classroom 'facts' we learned that weren't actually true at all

Who remembers tongue taste maps?

Canva

Look, teachers aren't perfect.

Education has certainly changed over the years, and is continuously evolving. That goes for teaching methods—utilizing more technology, providing more resources to students with special needs, and incorporating more personalized approaches—as well as what information is actually being taught in classrooms.

Surely, if you think back to your childhood, you'll remember certain "facts" being drilled by your teacher that nowadays seem like straight up nonsense. And if not, you can copy off of the Reddit community's homework.

Redditor u/authorized_join31 recently asked "What’s a fact that was taught in school that’s been disproven in your lifetime?" and people did not disappoint with their answers.

Of course, while many of these are harmless fun, it's easy to see how very problematic others are. Particularly when it comes to health and history—diet fads, medical myths, falsely idolizing historical figures to perpetuate a skewed narrative…you get the picture.

If anything, these anecdotes just go to show that we should never stop trying to learn, even after school if over.

And with that, class is now in session.

1."That strangers will give me free drugs on street corners and on Halloween candy."

—u/Slight-Mess-6615

2. "All fat was bad for you. Thus, fat-free foods became a thing for a while."

—u/SpewPewPew

3. "I learned about tongue taste maps at school. Turns out it’s complete nonsense."

—u/TimmyMTX

false facts

If this were true, I'd only be using the "sweet taste" portion of my tongue.

upload.wikimedia.org

4. "In pharmacy school around the turn of the century, we were taught that people in legitimate pain don't get addicted to opiates and opioids."

—u/PayEmmy

5. "Your permanent record will follow you into adulthood."

—u/Darth-Byzantious

6. "The whole 'A meteorite killed the dinosaurs' thing wasn't yet the accepted theory when I was a kid."

—u/senefen

7. “No one is going to wait for you to look up information in the real world, you have to know it.”

—u/cheezturds

8. "That George Washington’s teeth were made of wood."

—u/alloverbeautiful

A brilliant example of an inaccurate piece of history that was completely injected onto our consciousness during school, that perhaps covered up a more difficult truth to swallow. In truth, Washington's dentures were made of materials from lead-tin, copper and silver alloy, as well as cow, horse and human teeth. The latter of which were bought from slaves, or at least a portion of them. That might have been more pertinent to know.

But what's even more baffling is why this false fact was so important to teach in the first place. And is we must talk about a dead president's teeth, why not tell the more exciting (and true) story of how Washington's dental trouble helped mislead the British Army in 1781? But I digress.

9. "The Food Pyramid."

—u/CharlesNotManson69

10. "Once you get to high school, nobody will accept papers not written in cursive."

—u/FridgesArePeopleToo

11. "You won't always have a calculator on you."

—u/Deuteronomy93

school. learning

Algebra was a complete waste of time for some of us.

Canva

12. "I once asked one of my elementary school teachers what a rainbow was, and she told me scientists hadn't figured it out. I walked around until my early 20s thinking that. Also, I think it was this same teacher who told me Columbus thought the Earth was flat. They were training teachers a different kind of way in the '70s and '80s. It's honestly one of the reasons I'm thankful for the internet, because depending on your teacher or an outdated encyclopedia for answers could be a real roll of the dice."

—u/UhOhFeministOnReddit

13. "So many professions that we were taught were ‘lesser-than’ or just looked down upon. Being a plumber was always a joke… wish I woulda took the 70k, Union job with excellent benefits and a pension joke at 20 years old lol."

—u/Ok_Reporter1407

14. "You only use 10% of your brain each day."

—u/E8inches2Short

15. "My primary school teacher told me our bodies can't make new blood and we're born with all the blood we'll ever have. As someone who got nosebleeds, I knew it was bollocks. When I questioned that adults are obviously bigger so have more blood, she said it's watered down."

—u/Appropriate-Divide64

Canva

16. "Carrots are good for night vision.This was a lie the British used to explain how they could spot German bombers during WWII. The truth, that they had broken the German Enigma machine and were decoding secret messages, was kept a secret for decades. The full story was not told until the 1990s."

—u/dylans-alias

17. "That we would all but run out of oil by the year 2000."

—u/fatbongo

18. "That lemmings commit suicide."

—u/study-sug-gests

19. "That Canada didn’t ever have slaves. What's worse is, to my knowledge, they still don’t teach this. I had to look it up myself."

—u/Blue_Moon_Rabbit

And last but not least....

20. "If you study well and have excellent grades, you will end up with a nice job and lots of money."

—u/MyKinkyCountess

From Your Site Articles
humor
JoyCommunity
Education

How the famous 'growth vs. fixed' mindset came to be

Both students and teachers who began using this now famous method noticed near instant improvement.

Canva

Today almost everyone has heard of the "Mindset Method"

True
XQ

Do you think you're born with all the smarts you'll ever have or that you can get smarter over time?

It may sound like a silly question, but many kids aren't aware of the power of their own brains.

This was especially true of Griselda Rutherford's students. In her 20 years of teaching in the District of Columbia Public School System, she'd often have a tough time getting them on board the learning train.

She noticed many students seemed to feel defeated before even starting a task. They weren't willing to take risks during lessons and assignments and were afraid to ask questions. Sometimes they wouldn't even answer her questions for fear of being wrong. It's as if they were terrified of failure, and as a result, their progress in class slowed to a crawl.

Then, in 2013, Rutherford's district started implementing a teaching technique called the "Mindset Method." It changed everything.

brain, education, new systems, improvement

Teacher and students working in the Mindset program

All photos via MindsetWorks

The Mindset Method was developed by Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, and her colleagues. Researchers and education experts like Angela Duckworth and others have added to the body of knowledge over the last two decades to support these theories.

The theories explain that learners think about their abilities in two ways: as a fixed mindset or a growth mindset

People with a fixed mindset think how smart they are is set in stone and that time and effort won't really change much. On the other hand, people with a growth mindset think the brains they were born with are just the beginning, and hard work can improve them. Growth mindset learners are more willing to take on challenges, see failures as an opportunity to learn and persist to overcome obstacles rather than giving up.

In order to prove this theory, Rutherford began working with schools to help teachers apply methods of fostering growth mindsets to their classrooms. The basic teaching principle was to encourage and reward effort rather than just praise achievement.

Teachers also had access to Brainology, a computer program that showed students how their brains were like muscles that strengthen with regular exercise. Through interactive animation and prompted activities, students learn how simple it is to grow and improve their brains. This helps them gain confidence in their abilities, which makes them want to take on more challenges and reach higher levels in the classroom.

Slowly but surely, Rutherford began noticing her students were gaining confidence. And lo and behold, their schoolwork also improved.

program, learning, positive growth, mindset

A student uses the Brainology program.

Photo via MindsetWorks

"The program helped them to identify what a growth mindset looks like," Rutherford writes in an email. "Students are now aware of the idea that the more you learn, the more your brain will grow."

The program also encourages students to be responsible for their own learning and self-monitor their mindset growth. Rutherford actually noticed one of her students doing just that during a class assessment when he asked her for another sheet of paper.

"I saw him write some words on the blank paper and then place a big X on the words," writes Rutherford. "He explained to me he was using the test stress reliever strategies he learned in Brainology." He was crossing out negative words and replacing them with positive ones, which helps knock out defeating thoughts.

The positive effects of encouraging a growth mindset can also be seen across the board in testing scores.

change, method, comprehensive test, improvement

A teacher explains the exercises for the day.

Photo via MindsetWorks

After just one year of using the Mindset Method in her classrooms for fourth through eighth grades, Rutherford says all of her students did better in reading and math. After year two, 83% scored advanced levels in reading and 23% scored advanced levels in math.

Similar improvements were seen in a case study performed at Fiske Elementary School in Massachusetts. They saw a 75.5% growth in state comprehensive test scores in math after a year on the Mindset Method. That's one heck of a jump!

However, it's not just about the students' growth. The teachers working within the Mindset Method program are changing for the better too.

education, empowerment, effort, students

Teachers get learn the program too.

Photo via MindsetWorks

Rutherford, for example, learned how important it was to praise her students for their efforts rather than just tell them they're smart.

"This type of praise empowers all students to take risks and allows them to understand it’s OK to make mistakes," explains Rutherford.

If giving an "A" for effort becomes a real thing in every classroom, it could give so many more kids the chance to reach their full potential.

By constantly repeating the idea that intelligence is not fixed and limitless growth is possible with extra effort and dedication, teachers are giving confidence back to kids. And confidence is the foundation upon which true greatness is built.





From Your Site Articles
science
EducationLearning
Education

Teachers now get a higher tax deduction for supplies they buy. It's still totally insulting.

The new amount still doesn't come close to covering what teachers pay out of pocket.

Photo by Monica Sedra on Unsplash

The IRS raised the tax deduction limit for teachers from $250 to $300.

When I first saw the headline that the IRS was raising the tax deduction limit for teachers buying classroom supplies with their own money—you know, the necessary items to do their jobs well—I was thrilled. The previous deduction of $250 was laughable, a virtual slap in the face to professionals who regularly spend two, three or four times that amount per year buying supplies for their students out of their own pocket.

But when I saw the amount the deduction was raised to, I rage laughed. $300? Are you kidding me?

It sounds great to say, "We're raising the tax deduction for teachers by 20%" until you realize that the teacher deduction hasn't been raised since 2002 and that 20% increase is a measly $50.

Fifty bucks spread over 20 years is $2.50 a year. Whoop dee frickin' do. That doesn't even come close to keeping up with inflation, for the love. Just to keep up with inflation, that $250 deduction from two decades ago should be over $400 now.

And again, even that amount wouldn't be close to enough. An AdoptaClassroom survey of 5,400 PreK-12 teachers at public, private and charter schools across the U.S. found that teachers spent an average of $750 out of their own pockets for school supplies during the 2020-21 school year. About 30% spent more than $1,000.

In the face of that reality, raising the deduction limit from $250 to $300 is ridiculous, gross, rude, disrespectful and insulting. Teachers are professionals who are already paid less than what they're worth. The fact that they have to buy supplies out of their own pockets at all is a travesty. The least we can do is let them deduct whatever they spend out of their taxes.

I've been a teacher and I've also been a business owner. The number of things a business owner can legally deduct is bonkers. You can deduct so many things from your business income that you pay zero taxes on it, and we're putting this painfully low limit on out-of-pocket teacher supplies? Why? Who wins here?

Honestly, why do we even have a deduction limit for teachers at all? It feels like whoever makes these decisions either doesn't fully trust teachers or thinks they aren't deserving of reasonable compensation. I mean, how much do they really think teachers are going to be able to deduct here even if there were no limit? Newsflash: Teachers aren't rolling in extra dough. They're not looking for ways to game the tax system to avoid tax liability. They're literally spending their own money on their jobs—which is ridiculous—and hoping to get some back from the very same government that employs and pays them.

In recent years, some teachers have shared that they're simply refusing to buy classroom supplies out of their own pocket anymore, pointing out that it doesn't solve the problem, but masks it. It's also simply not doable for many. The teaching profession tends to draw people who are willing to make sacrifices for kids, which is admirable, but financial sacrifice should not be an expectation inherent in the job.

When I say teachers aren't paid what they are worth, I mean it literally. People who haven't worked in a classroom have no idea. The energy it entails, the responsibility it requires, the emotional toll it takes and the time outside of school hours dedicated to the work are beyond any other job I've ever had. Yes, the work can be rewarding, but a lot of times it isn't. In no other profession do we expect people to do so much for so little.

It's not just that teachers deserve to be paid well. (Not merely adequately, but well.) Our kids also deserve teachers who are valued by everyone around them. They deserve teachers who have all the resources they need to educate to the best of their ability. They deserve beautiful learning environments and classrooms full of learning materials that their teachers didn't have to dip into their wallets to pay for. They deserve to live in a society that prioritizes education above everything else, a society that understands quality education is the root of solutions to most problems.

Teachers are quitting in droves and many of those who are staying are barely hanging on. We can't afford to keep losing good teachers. Money isn't the only reason teachers are quitting, but it doesn't help. Let's drop the tax deduction limit altogether. It's quite literally the least we can do.

From Your Site Articles
teacher tax deductions
EducationTeachers
Trending Stories