Hyperbole lessons for elementary

demographics: asian male, rising senior, small, public, charter ib school
Location: new mexico
intended major: political science or public policy
ACT: 34
gpa: UW:4.0 W: 5.0
coursework: all ib classes, L&L (HL), Math AI, History (HL) , TOK, Biology, Mandarin (AB), Theatre (HL)
ecs:

• started youth voting group: pre registered 50+ voters, created and maintained social media page spreading info about voting in state (100+ followers), partnered with local nonprofits
  
• student council: member (9) treasurer, (10) member (11)
  
• model un club: co president and founder
  

-volunteered at local children’s museum (150+ hours) and was a counselor for summer program (supervised groups of 30+ children (Ages 4-9)along with my fellow counselors, teaching them STEAM based lessons and conducting STEAM based experiments) - teen writer for local newspaper circulation ~23,00)

• interned at mayor’s office under public affairs; created and supervised projects, chosen to meet president biden and white house press secretary during presidential visit
  
• volunteered for local nonprofit helping youth in the foster care system/ homeless youth
  
• tutored underprivileged students at local elementary school and peer tutored students (7,9,11 in mandarin at my school
  
• assisted with research at nearby law school, reviewed sources, compiled information, etc.
  
• interned for member of the house of representatives for my state; reviewed advisory meetings and tracked press clippings
  

awards: 1) 2nd place in statewide mandarin competition 2) received award for academic excellence from school

3) received award for exhibiting the ib trait of “knowledgable”

letters of recommendation: history teacher (11), english teacher (12) mayor (harvard alum), member of house of representatives (brown alum)
REACHES: Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, UPenn, Williams, Amherst, Brown, Dartmouth, Rice, USC, Northwestern, Rice UChicago, Duke (legacy), Boston University, NYU, Georgetown
TARGETS: Baylor, American
BACKUP: UNM, NMSU

TL;DR: Student teaching this fall & graduating in December, considering teaching private lessons on weekends during the semester & possibly continuing after graduation. Have a few questions about the logistics of teaching private lessons like what to charge, location of lessons, dealing w taxes, and if it’s even possible to support myself financially teaching privately.
Hi all,
I’m a senior art ed student slated to student teach this fall and graduate in December. At this point, after teaching in person practicum units in elementary, middle, and high schools, I have no interest in or intention to teach art in a public K-12 setting after graduation. I think it’s such important work and I respect it so much, but I simply do not think I am cut out for it. I’m way too deep into my degree to switch majors now so that’s not an option unfortunately. I do love the idea of teaching art, but the school systems just do not seem to make the effort worth it.
I also will need a way to financially support myself while I am student teaching. The professors at my school heavily discourage working another job while student teaching but like… I have to eat & pay rent so that’s not realistic for me whatsoever.
I’m considering teaching private children’s art lessons on weekends while I am student teaching, and if I like it enough and it ends up being decently successful, I may continue after I graduate. I have a few questions for getting started on something like this.

• In what price range should I charge? I’d want things to be accessible for lower income families too, so could I incorporate something like a sliding scale for pricing or offer cheap/free group lessons occasionally?
  
• Is it better to teach the lessons at my own home, or could I travel to the families’ homes to give lessons? Would that change how I price the lessons?
  
• How would it work legally, with taxes and business ownership type stuff? Is there any resource or guidelines out there for this?
  
• How likely/possible is it that this could end up being successful enough for me to support myself? Cost of living in my city is pretty close to the USA average if that’s helpful.
  

Thanks for reading, I appreciate any advice or thoughts anyone has to offer.

https://www.youtube.com/@bbclearningenglish/playlists
https://www.youtube.com/@EnglishpronunciationwithTom/videos
https://www.youtube.com/@Canguroenglish/playlists
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=learn+british+english+beginner+level+
https://www.youtube.com/@Oxfordonlineenglish1/videos
https://www.youtube.com/@rachelsenglish/playlists
https://www.youtube.com/@BookLove/videos
https://www.youtube.com/@EngfluentPlus/videos
https://www.youtube.com/@EnglishforCambodia/playlists https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEF6pwHhuQQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXJiq888iLM
https://www.youtube.com/@CambodiansLearnEnglish2019/playlists
https://www.youtube.com/@EdnicheSchool/playlists https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dJztpQukPM
https://www.youtube.com/@DekRean9/playlists https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSKbdoWbc9c
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFsky1qIchUJ1y5jTMtrk7DmMm2VEOwkP
https://www.youtube.com/@studyenglishkhmerchannel/playlists
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCMMRIYgA8Z9H7pmT1r2IJPCzK7afSjzB
https://www.youtube.com/@ComprehensibleEnglish/videos
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening
https://www.memrise.com
https://www.busuu.com
Learn words in sentences and phrases not individual. Watch TV shows and online streams.
Watch movies/series/YouTube channels in English, with English subtitles at first and then without
My khmer family uses my Netflix and what they get out of it has been invaluable in terms of their English. Three years ago my brothers English was very poor. Just from reading subtitles he is now fluent
https://listenaminute.com
https://www.duolingo.com
https://en.islcollective.com
https://www.onestopenglish.com
https://cambodia.britishcouncil.org/english-online/mobile-apps
Reading and listening are important. Listen to English-speaking radio. You can get lots of them on the internet. Try different English-speaking countries. Watch TV shows if you can. Get them on YouTube or other similar sources. Look for programmes like news or documentaries. You have the pictures to help you understand. Language in them is more genuine than in a soap opera. Look for programmes or things to read that are of interest to you. So if you have a hobby or other interest, look for things in English that relate to them. You will learn English and maybe something about your interests.
Lately, I've just found out this site ( https://www.conversationexchange.com/ ) where you can chat/speak with native English speaker, it's really cool.
Always have a notebook with me to makes some notes or write down some new vocabulary or phrases.
And the most important thing … speaking practice. I can recommend you ,,speaky app.,, It’s really cool. Lot of weird people which do not distinguish this app from tinder there but I have found some decent people that I am able to speak a few times per week with. I can even say that after few months they even became my friends.

• try to embed yourself in english
  
• persistance and constistnecy, do it daily, event if it’s just one new word its always step forward,
  
• find an english speaking friend and stay in touch with him frequently
  
• exercise your speaking muscles everyday for 5 minutes
  

https://discord.com/invite/english in there you can find people to speak with anytime
I've learned English on my own through YouTube.
Step 1. Unsubscribe from all the channels in your native tongue.
Step 2. Subscribe to all English Learning Channels you can find.
Step 3. Watch Videos from the subscribed channels whenever you have occasion.
​In 2-3 months you will understand most of the content.
If you're a complete beginner, read books meant for kids.
Honestly I'd suggest trying a couple of nature documentaries first. The speech will be very slow and give you lots of time to understand what you heard. If you're still struggling with that, then worry about kids shows.
I'd also suggest looking at podcasts for English beginners. They should deliberately speak slowly and not use complicated words
Some that come to mind easily are two tv shows called Sesame Street and Peppa Pig because of their simple language (aimed at native English kids learning English).
For listening practice you could try this free Whatsapp group with daily British English listening practice - https://chat.whatsapp.com/ELjBO3HwTMgK3xxqq3mq6d
Try Nonsense.com :) It is free and you get to watch movies.
This explanation is a little long so you can translate it to your native language by using www.Deepl.com
There are many ways you can learn English as a beginner. First, I think it's important to find out exactly what your level is. A great framework for understanding language level is called CEFR "The common European framework for Reference". There are many free tests online you can take to find out your level. I recommend the EFSET test. It's free and fast. Here is the link.https://www.efset.org
After you have found out what your level is, you need to learn the necessary content. You also need to manage your time expectations. Each level of the CEFR A1 A2 (beginner) B1 B2 (intermediate) C1 C2 (Advanced) takes a different amount of time. The A levels take about 100 hours each. The B levels take about 200 and the C levels take about 300 hours.
To complete a level you will need to improve 8 areas:

1. vocabulary = Improve your vocabulary by buying an appropriate vocabulary book. Try to learn 20 new words each day. Download an SRS app (spaced repetition) to help you learn the vocabulary faster. e.g. Anki or Quizlet. Also, try to make or use mnemonics to remember what the words mean.
2. grammar = Buy an appropriate grammar book (I recommend Grammar in Use by Murphy) Each CEFR level has about 200 grammar structures. First, study the structures and understand what they mean, then activate them and make sure you can use them all in conversation. To help with this, you can use my Youtube. I post grammar lessons every day (Yes, I know this is a shameless plug) https://www.youtube.com/learngrammarwithstuart
3. conversation = Make sure to practice what you have learned by speaking to a native speaker. There are a lot of great apps like Italki and Cambly where you can practice this for a very low cost.
4. pronunciation = Improve this by shadowing (listening and repeating what people say) e.g. the audio content from the reading textbook. You can also improve your pronunciation by watching Youtube pronunciation channels.
5. conversation = Make sure to practice what you have learned by speaking to a native speaker. There are a lot of great apps like Italki and Cambly where you can practice this for a very low cost.)
6. reading = Buy a graded reader and practice reading at your level. To see if the content is at your level, use the following rule. If you need to translate more than 10 words per page, the book you are reading is too hard.
7. listening = Improve your listening by watching TV shows that use simple English. I recommend kids cartoons and sitcoms e.g. friends. There are also lots of great youtube channels that you can use.
8. writing = Improve your writing by using an app like Hello Talk or a similar SNS. It allows you to easily practice writing and communicating with other English speakers and language learners.

I hope this helps and good luck with your studies.
About me: I have been working as an English teachecurriculum developer for 16 years.
Mostly pdfs:
https://www.pdf-language-lessons.com/english/english-pdf-lessons/
https://www.infobooks.org/free-pdf-books/language-learning/english/
https://helenadailyenglish.com/101-short-stories-for-learning-english-beginner-to-advanced-level-text-audio-and-video
https://www.englishclub.com/pdf/
https://www.bbc.com/learningenglish/english/course/how-to-speak-english/unit-1/downloads
https://www.englishclass101.com/learn-with-pdf
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-levels/understand-your-english-level/a1-elementary
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/basic-vocabulary
https://www.learnenglishteam.com/common-daily-english-phrases-for-beginners/
https://www.espressoenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/free/500-Real-English-Phrases.pdf
https://www.bbc.com/learningenglish/english/course/how-to-speak-english/unit-1/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/
https://www.lingoneo.org/learn-english/page/pdf-audio-video-downloads
https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening/a1-listening
https://s1.papyruspub.com/files/demos/products/ebooks/educative-books/general-english/English-for-Everyone/Preview-Course-Book-English-for-Everyone1-Beginner.pdf
https://english-at-home.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/50-Speaking-Phrases1.pdf
https://english-at-home.com/
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/best-websites-to-learn-english/

I’m DESPERATE for help. I’ve posted to both the UK MH sub and the DV sub - and both have simply removed my posts. This is very long, very rambling, very surreal, and contains mentions of r*pe, so please be aware if you’ll find that triggering.
Both my parents are narcissists, but this concerns my mother (though I have no relationship with my father, either). My MINO (mother in name only) has sabotaged my life at every turn, whatever I’ve tried to do she’s destroyed. It didn’t help that I didn’t attend a conventional school (it had nuns - of the Irish Catholic ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’ variety). She absolutely HATED me me being good at anything; I could read and write before I started in reception - but the head put the idea into her head that I was dyslexic (she hated me for some reason, she called me ‘satanic’ and ‘the devil’s daughter’). I finished the school reading scheme, such as it was, before I’d been in Reception a half-term, my classmates always used to ask me how to spell words, etc., basically I found pre-prep incredibly boring, because I was so far ahead of my peers (that sounds really arrogant and conceited, doesn’t it…?), so I used to take myself off and do my own thing. MINO arranged for me to have extra lessons in literacy which, obviously, I never went to (because I didn’t need them). They were taught by Sister Mary Candida, who taught nursery (and once LOCKED me in a cupboard).
So determined was I to get out of her stupid lessons that I came up with a plan; I had a book I was reading at home (I forget what it was now, but that’s not really relevant). It had my name and an address label inside the front cover and I thought that, if I took it to school and showed it to her, she would demand I read to her from it and that would be that. Of course that didn’t happen.
So I took my book into school and I showed it to her. The resulting conversation went something like this:
SMC: “Did you find that…? Give it to me and I’ll find out who it belongs to:
Me: “No, Sister, it’s mine. I’m reading it at home”
SMC: “Don’t be silly, that’s a grown-up book” (it wasn’t really, but far more advanced than what your average 5-year-old would be reading) Me: “I’m not being silly, it’s my book - look it has my name in it”
She obviously decided that I’d written my name in someone else’s book, because she whacked my hands with her ruler (standard nun-issue weapon) and I was forced to write ‘little girls who tell lies will burn in hell’ 1,000 times (yes, really)
She gave the book to Sister Kevin (head) who called my mother; MINO denied ever seeing me with the book (she LIED to a nun). MINO then arranged for me to have lessons with s SaLT from the Dyslexia Institute - they obviously ‘loved’ me because they were spending all this extra money on me.
Again, I went twice and then stopped turning up. I took my book and went and hid behind the pre-prep where I thought nobody would find me. The deputy head did (she wasn’t a nun, but she might as well have been). My mother was obviously called into school again.
That night, they removed all the furniture from my room - including the carpet tiles (under which there was concrete) and as punishment for wasting their money, I was forced to sleep on the bare floor (if you were to ask MINO about this, she would deny it ever happened). I used to write a kind of diary/journal - she found it, and I was forced to watch as she ripped out the pages and BURNT them.
I spent my entire childhood being dragged round child shrinks - she even considered having me enrolled in a residential school.
I wanted to die aged 5. I tried to kill myself aged 6.
She sent me to Sunday school (they rarely attended church) where I was r*ped by the curate. I do remember one incident where she literally frogmarched me up to the altar to get her some flowers one Mothering Sunday. I also remember her taking me to WHSmith’s and choosing a mother’s day card, making me pay for it out of my pocket money, then dictating to me what I should write in it when we got home.
I left school at 16 with no GCSEs I desperately tried to leave, but my parents live in a small town with not much in the way of public transport (and, obviously, I had very little money).
She has ensured that I’m completely dysfunctional.
Because I was so desperate to get away, I made the mistake which has led to the situation I now find myself in. I moved in with someone I met on a forum; he seemed charming enough - but what really attracted me to him was the fact that he lived at the other end of the country. In his forum bio he said he was a “former alcoholic” and divorced. If I’d had my wits about me and wasn’t so desperate to get away from my PINO (parents in name only) that should’ve been a massive red flag but, obviously, I wasn’t thinking straight.
He lived in the middle of the arse-end of nowhere in County Durham (and I mean that, where he lived was just a row of houses surrounded by fields). It was okay for a while, then he became controlling. Then violent. Obviously the “former alcoholic” was a lie - he was drinking at least a bottle of gin a night. I wasn’t allowed to use the computer, unless he was there to supervise. He took my phone and chucked it over the wall into the adjacent field where it was promptly trampled to bits by cows. He worked for BT as an engineer, so it was trivially easy for him to bug the landline (he used to explain the delay in call connection by the fact we were so remote). He r*ped me. More than once. He controlled what I ate - and when. He changed the locks on the front and back doors, and refused to give me the keys. He forced me to pay my benefits into a joint account. I wasn’t allowed to leave the house unless he was with me.
I attempted to escape; he’d made the mistake of giving me a credit card and I thought that, if I could just get a bus into Darlington I’d be able to get a train - and I’d be free (of course I had no fucking idea where I was going to go). He got absolutely shit-faced one evening and passed out on the sofa. I found the front door key in his pocket, packed up what I could, and left. I had about 8 hours to wait out before the bus arrived. Thankfully, it was June so it was warm.
Unfortunately, he woke up and went looking for me; he found me and dragged me back. He then decided he’d had enough of me, downed most of a bottle of rum, forced me into his van and locked the doors. Once we got onto the A1(M) he floored it, I can’t remember where he decided to dump me - somewhere in the Midlands, I have a feeling it was either Stoke or Stafford. I do remember he was doing around 100 - I honestly thought he was going to kill me.
I didn’t know wherever-it-was, anyway. So there I was, with no phone, obviously I was a complete mess and, even though it was the last place I wanted to go, I had no choice but to return to my parents.
As you can imagine, I had a complete breakdown, which mutated into PTSD. I was trapped; obviously, they weren’t going to do anything to help me and there was nothing I could do to help myself - at least not while they were in the house (because, obviously, I couldn’t use their landline while they were there).
Eventually, they fucked off on holiday for a fortnight, so I took the opportunity to attempt to escape; because I’d escaped a violent relationship, I called Women’s Aid, thinking I’d be able to get myself into a refuge at least.
(This next bit won’t mean anything to anyone outside the UK/Ireland, and I’m really posting here because I need help from people in the UK)
What actually happened was they contacted social services and I had two social workers at the door. They made assumptions that, because I was basically living in a dump (for reasons I would hope were obvious) and that I was basically stuck in bed, that I didn’t understand the health risks of living in such a state - NOT because I’d escaped a violent relationship and had a complete breakdown.
I was sectioned. Spent almost 18 months in an ATU (assessment and treatment unit). From there, I was moved to a care home for people with learning disabilities and complex needs about 100 miles away. It was only when I was there - and quite by chance - that I learnt that I was now being held hostage by the Court of Protection under the Mental Capacity Act and DoLS (denial of liberty safeguarding).
My detention under both is unlawful because, in order for the court orders to be valid, the person to whom they’re being applied has to have undergone an assessment and, had I undergone assessment, I’d have known I was detained. I do not lack capacity.
I was there for another 18 months, where I had to contend with another resident constantly slamming his bedroom door (staff were meant to be posted outside his room to prevent him doing so, but he was extremely obese, prone to violent outbursts and they were scared of him, so there was rarely anyone there).
I was then moved to a poky little flat back in my parents’ home county; the flat was up a steep flight of stairs and I was struggling with my mobility. Due to the court orders, I am essentially gagged and nobody has to take a blind bit of notice of anything I say. When I bought food, I had to struggle with it up four flights of very steep stairs myself. Eventually the flat manager told staff to bring it up and I’d put it away. Then I had to contend with the flat manager binning it less than 2 days after I’d bought it, claiming it was all out of date. So, eventually, I just stopped eating. If I left the flat, she would ‘stalk’ me, following me about 10 paces behind.
I managed to escape from there early one morning, after lying to her manager that I needed to take my MBP to the Apple Store. I got on the first bus to the nearest station, and got on the first train and ended up in Birmingham. I then got the next train out of there and ended up where I am now. I spent 3 months in hospital (where I couldn’t get taken seriously so I am now severely chronically ill), where I saw 2 psychiatrists who stated that I was completely lucid, that I didn’t have any mental illness (how they couldn’t see how traumatised I was, I’ve no idea) and that I wasn’t suicidal. I was then dumped where I am now - and this is by far the worst place I’ve been - and this is what prompted this post because I need help, it’s not hyperbole to say my life is in danger.
I am trapped - both legally and physically. This is WORSE than being in a violent relationship because I can’t escape; if I was to do so, the police would simply bring me back here.
Staff control my food. Just like my ex
Staff have taken my phone. Just like my ex
Staff are physically abusive if I don’t do what they want, when they want. Just like my ex.
Staff have full control over my finances. Just like my ex.
Staff control who I see - and when. Just like my ex.
Staff won’t allow me to keep the flat front door locked, just as my ex changed the locks on the front door of his house - and refused me a key - so he always had access.
Staff control my internet access. Just like my ex (they have removed the router from the flat, so they can now cut me off whenever they feel like it, this is a connection that I am paying for, but they control my finances, so they can claim they are)
Staff open my post. Just like my ex
There is an alarm on the front door of the flat (100dB, which is well above the threshold which damages hearing), so I am literally trapped. I can’t leave. I have been informed by staff that they are legally allowed to enter the flat at any time and for any length of time. They have told me that this is “written down”, but that they “don’t have to show it” to me. I am now severely chronically ill, due to the abuse, the stress and the fact that I am being denied anything remotely resembling proper meals (a ‘meal’ often amounts to nothing more than cheap processed meat dumped on a - very often paper - plate).
The door alarm (cheap Chinese junk, you can buy a pack of 10 for around £12). I have severe tinnitus and hyperacusis (pathological hypersensitivity to noise).
Link to photo of the door alarm - I have removed several of these, but they keep replacing them

Hey! Take this class if you have no life. It’s taught by these old teachers that do not have hobbies. It has all you want: required attendance, harsh grading, and tons of homework. Volunteering at an elementary school is fun when you don’t have dinosaurs breathing down your neck. Almost every class involves you role playing as some 5 year old as they teach an elementary lesson. It was fun at first, but it gets a little old after the 10th session. I think the teachers might enjoy it a little too much! 🤭
They love to waste time. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a course where they teach until the 2 hour mark every single time! People drop out of this course halfway through! We had a whole 2 hour lesson about how 1 isn’t prime and someone yelled that it was at the last class. This person was not joking. This was a try hard that forgot the lesson. This is a classroom of 10 people mind you. There’s also no rubric for anything so just suck up to the teacher and make ChatGPT write a lot for a good grade.
This class has taught me that I need to save up some money for private school tuition. I pray for our future.

I dont know who will read this, but i just have to get this off my chest.
TL:DR at bottom
A bit of a backstory: I am 19 right now. 11 days from 20. During my life, i have had it all. The best family behind me anyone could ever ask for. They raised me well, gave me all the support and love humanly possible.
I grew up in an eastern european smalltown, been always above average, and slightly autistic at least, lets admit it. The typical gifted white suburban kid syndrome: never ever ran into problems during my life, everything seemd straight forward, always knew what i shold do with my life. During my blunder years, i have developed some pretty bad traits: a never had to struggle in my life for anything. Every single thing was handed to me on a silver plate. I really am just the luckiest person alive: always done well mentally, academically, and socially. Read the book once before when the teacher said put away your books, aced every exam still, after elementary(8 years here), got accepted to one of the best middle school of my country.
Experienced all the perks of middle school and the freedom of doing whatever the fuck you want during the stupidest years of your life, 15-19. And i did. Of course, procrastinating and not giving a fuck have not lifted me above average as in elementary, but i was still in the middle of the group. Again: everything others sweated blood for, handed to me on a silver plate. Straight goals in my life, stable personality, many friends, altough i still had my innocent nerdy kid persona, which was challenged majorly during the primal environment of a middle school coeducated dorm, but was never particularly bullied, countless friends and family, support and appreciation for who i was, altough i was just being as stupid as a middleschooler is.
Then covid came, and it somehow turned everything around. Not so many friends, no such concrete stable confidence, still being a lazy fucker who somehow lucked his way through everything. also during this time, i kinda started falling off, got into weed, not jsut alcohol, started going out and socialising less, falling off, but i had a great time, thinking about those times fondly, altough not so dearly. Rocked my way through the end exams of middle school with some last minute studying, i mean i absolutely still pulled from my little finger what others couldn't with teeth, tears and blood: got accepted into university as a dentist, still feeling like i am the top of the word.
During the last true summer break of my life, i started doing food delivery. 11:30am till 22-23:00 pm sometimes. During this time, the penjamin really took off in my country, weed being illegal but alternatives, such as Hexahidrocannabinol (HHC) being legal, available in a pen, just like an Elfbar: no neet to sneak out, to talk with the plug(some of you know arranging a meeting with those fuckers isnt as easy as it seems at all lmao), just getting high while laying in my bed. During this time, my weed addiction spiralled out of control, i got high every single night, this being my "well deserved downtime": just existing in my own little world in my bed, for 2 months. Those 4 years really did turned my personality to someone who isn't fit for a course that puts "Dr." in front of your name, this wil be important later.
Before the university, there is a social event hosted for us juniors called "junior camp", where you really are supposed to meet new people, and lay the basis of your entire uvicersity social life. And i took the penjamin(like 4th one in 2 months) with me. Now for those of you who dont know, weed can be a nice social drug, taken with moderation. If you get "schwasted, wake n baked" every day, the devils lettuce really puts you into your own world. No ambitions, no will to progress, just existing in your own little world, being fine as fuck with things as it is. Still had the best memory of my life though: being high as fuck in a water park they organised for us, literally youngsters in their prime, like 1500 of us, just being ourselves in the biggest pool party of the country. What i spent it doing: weed and cigarette breaks, taking slides, which literally felt like descending to hell, and walking around, aimlessly, not giving a fuck about the 1,5k people who came here to meet me and socialise, barely communicating with them, floating in my own world. This, and watching tje closing firework while being high are the best memories of my life until this day, guys if you can, take water slides and watch fireworks while being high, its definitely worth it.
And then came the first oath to myself that I've broken since then: that i will do a conversion of Paul, really focusing on the most important thing in my life: becoming a dentist, which is, besides helping people, is a ticket on first class to upper middle class, for someone from a bloodline of the poorest eastern european easants you can imagine. It takes 4 generations to break out of poverty, and i am the 4th. All the blood and sweat of my ancestors who worked their asses out, slaving away for the communist, them capitalist system, only for their kids to someday, amybe havve the chance i do hae right, now, and I am currently fucking up.
Now for those of you who dont know, university really is the most liberal form of education on the planet: you finally get your own timetable, the only mandatory attendance being the "practices", which you could just get through without putting anything on the table, and the lectures where they actually teach you university shit, not having a mandatory attendance, so who gives a fuck?
This gets us to the University: the first 2 weeks, i was being the typical student: al the lectures, learning from day to day, putting myself there in possibly the most alien environment i have ever been during my life. And turns out, i wasn't ready for the maturity and devotion a serious practice like dentistry takes. Man, i will literally be healing other people, everyones been to the dentist, and to get there, standing above your open mouth: Thats not something what is handed on a silver plate. No matter how smart, gifted, or special you think you are: this will only be achieved with tooth and nails. And i wasn't ready, not the slightest.
This is the point where i really started descending to the level of a fast food worker(no offence, which i was too): the first 3 months can be described with one word: Weed. no studying at all, just smoking that shit, feeling the buzz, it got to the point where i couldnt fall asleep without being hihg. Quite literally, i couldn'T imagine laying in bed, just...laying. IN november, i had it all came down on me, had a small breakdown, took the second oath i have broken: that i will change. This was the 11th of November, 2023
I cut back on weed, started attending lectures, realised that i have no fucking idea what the fuck are they talking about, so whats the point of attending? 3 more weks, sometimes begging to 5-6 different plugs, just to get my dose. Then came the so-called "exam period": where they excpt you to account for what you have "learned" during the "period of diligence". Of course, you can ace all your exams in literally 2 weeks, but for me, i was at diggind the foundation, while others were building the roof, already.
3rd oath: i will put my best, really gonna study my ass off for this one, having no plans whatsoever, just getting through somehow, like i always did. I think this is the time where i have made the first real steps towards maturity: admitting my parents that i havent done shit, and the chance of failure is around 90%. They gave me the encouragement i needed, realy got back on track, and pulled my first half year. So much so, that i got a study scholarship: 13k HUF, 36 USD/month, lower middle class scholarship, but still, that meant im in the top 10 percent of students. Yet again, by partying all yer, doing everything in the last moments.
4th oath: after these few weeks of hell, i will really put myself there, study as the year goes along, being ready and up-to*date with everything. Like the adult i am
For 1 week, this really worked out. studies for hours every day, being with my "new friends": fellow dental students, whom i had a really good start with, but now, arent really close pals. They have had a complete change, a real 180 in their life: being out in a new environment, gangs and friend groups really started forming, and i was there sometimes, having a blast with them, but you know: not really a part of the gang, just the chill, stoner, pretty stupid streets dude, never being up to date, never really giving a serious fuck about them, still smoking weed and drinking with my old middleschool friends. They naturally started inviting me less and less, and slowly fell into the group of a workplace friend, who you really dont just meet after work, you know. Now this might just be my insecurity speaking, i literally have a 2 week vacation fixated with them to the beaches of Croatia, but yeah, just a chill dude whos around sometimes, not *the gang*
And then came the wrost 6 weeks of my life. During my all afternoon studying sessions, i started noticing a slight tingling in my legs and feet, and my visual snow, which ive always had for some degree, starting putting itself into second gear. I even jokingly told one of my friends who happened to study with me: "Man, i might have gotten some real nerve damage from all the weed and fake penjamins, a-ha-ha".
During the next few days, hell unfolded: imagine the worst kind of buzzing, not the gentle weed buzzingm but a genuinely alarming one, an impending sense of doom, and pretty serious unvellness: during an anatomy lecture about the cranial nerves. Figured a snus might help: stuffed a Killa cold mint(european snus is generally stronger than Zyn, this particular one being 4times as strong as the stongrst Zyn, and its still pretty mid in eastern europe lmao). Hell broke loose. If you are familiar with trip reports, i have went trhough something very similar to a bad trip, almost had to run out of the lecture, in front of the teacher and 60 of my classmates beceuse i genuinely thought im gonna die. Went out after surbibing the lecture, ambling around for 2 hours, walking to a pharmacy 45 minutes away and back, speaking with my parents, being in a complete panic which just made things worse.
This went on for a week, then i got to the doctor. The anatomy practice was always the low point: the best teacher of the institute explaining how a human body works, and i was shaking in a corner, not falling into the deepest panic attack i have ever had was taking up all my energy. Drumming with my leg,s counting the tiles on the floor again and again, not paying attention about some of the most important words ever said to me in my life. Went to the doctor that friday finally, and got good words that i am really studying anatomy, i must have known that the innervation of the top of the limbs and and the feet are completely different, so my CNS works just fine, but im describing the most common symptoms of stress induced anxiety. Also told him about my ever worsening visual snow: imagine those old TV-s who had no signal, and displayed what we called "ant football". That is my life, especially when i look at the sky, which was a thing i admired dearly: The giant cloud, not abstructed by any mountain, flowing, and ever changing, still are the most beautiful thing for me, compared with the mind.blowing sunsets we have here, in the great plains. Being robbed of that put me even deeper. The 75mg pregabalin i got described, once a day and night, havent done anything at all. INstead, they amplified my brain fog, the tingling and buzzling, and the feeling of looming dread. I havent known this at the time, so sometimes i took my daily two before the anatomy sessions, which made them truly like hell. Having to walk out multiple times in a span of 1,5 hours of the lesson, just to simply breathe. If someone closed the door of the dissecting room, all hell broke loose, i couldn't breathe. I was bumping into people on the way there and back, being so disoriented due to basically being drugged. Talked about my mother about this, she went through literally the same hell, while attempting university, just like his brother, my Godfather, who was a border guard during the East-German refugee crysis, having to shoot live munition centimeters in front of the feet of pregnant women during the fall of the iron courtain. And this was a true and horrific mental breakdown, a literal *Idegösszeomlás*, akai burnout
So long story short: missed the most crucial 8 weeks of the semester, where we were told in the beginning: if you miss a week, you are done for. The last parts of the period of diligence were spent studying like hell, with my symptoms greatly improvving: attended parties with the dentist gang, smoked weed again, and just laid the foundations for the period of exams, actually studying like hell, like i always wanted to, AND I STILL ACED IT, but with the looming over me the sword of damocles.
Now thinking back, i could've made it. I really cold have. I still can. I completed every single subject i could in the diligence period, cell biology being the hardest, I barely passed that subject with a "2", basically a B-, this will be very important later. The last exam date is at the 7th of july, but with 6 weeks for only the anatomy, and basically the chemistry of 5 years, thats should be enough, eh? Yeaahh, yet another broken oath, spent a week doing nothing, weed, youtube, and old friends, while everyone leraned their asses off. Started learning too, and i took it seriously. But any students, you know how it is:

alarm set at 7:30 am.
10 minutes of snooze, every single day, the next time i wake up more rested than i should have been after 10 minutes, i check the clock, 8:50AM.
Awesome, get out of bed and shower. Check the time again: 11AM.
Cool, the whole day ahead of me. Just a siiiingle youtube video, while i pass the morning fatigue and the rapid morning hearthbeat of 5 years of chainsmoking, yet another amazing dedication of my life.
Then its 12AM, time to dinner! Post dinner fatigue is exactly a 30min video, 12:30PM, imma begin studying.
Next time i look at the clok, its 14:27. I really lock in until 6pm, then my parents cone home. I talk with them for what feels like 20-25 minutes.
Look at the clock again. 20:21PM. How the fuck did the whole fucking day passed again? i truly lock in for the rest of the day
23:35, i can't anymore. Starting to watch trash streams on youtube, braincells dying every second
Time spent with studying: 2-3 hours.
Every. Single. Fucking. Day.

Then i got the worst news i have ever gotten
Decided to check into the E-uni managament system of my country. "You have an offered grade, you can accept it *here*. Click link. "you can't accept, you have an exam applification of this subject". So this was the first semester where they made the application to the different exams at different dates open at March instead of the end of May, so students can "pre-plan their whole semester", the backstory of this is some uni drama equal in lenght of this post *hungarian text-* (Akinek esetleg volt dolga a Debreceni Egyetem Anatómiai-, Szövet-, és Fejlődéstani intézetével, az pontosan tudja miről beszélek lmao, a többiek úgysem értenék, H***igeci),
So, remember about my offered grade about cell biology? Wel, you have to accept it, because it LITERALLY MEANS THEY OFFERED IT AND YOU CAN DECLINE IT, this is stragiht up ez shit, of course who was the hero, who forgot to do this 5 seconds thing? My pretty faced self. All the while having an exam booked for the 28th of may, which obviously had passed, and i jsut realized this now, because the university e-administration site, which you should check every day for like 10 times, havent been opened by me for a month. And in my country, no matter what grade you get offered, if you take an exam and dont attend, thats automatically a failure overwriting literally any grade you had before. And i really put in the work. Really did got the offered grade, which means 55% on 2 intersemester exams, which both of them are hell. And all undone because im too fucking lazy and stupid to open a fucking website. Because i havent declined the offered grade, and this is the first year they implemented the early exam booking, i still have hope that the email i have written towards Students affairs will have an effect, and i will be able to accept the offered grade. We are talking about a subject where if you do have to take the exam, there is a 90% failure rate. 90. fucking. percent. I have 1 month to learn the Central Nervous System(at least i know that mostly by now), and the complete human body as it is from the shoulders upwards, embriology, histology of the semester, and 1 ENTIRE YEAR of university level chenistry. Im fucked already as it is, cell biology by itself would take 3 weeks of no life learning JUST TO HAVE A CHANCE, which i have completed, and willingly, and ignorantly have thrown away.
What happens if i fail? Well, the state pays 12 active and 3 passive semester. The course is 10 semesters, so i can passivate and then retry, and still have a chance like this once more, before falling out of State Sponsored Scholarship. A semester is 1,3 million HUF, 5 months on minimum wage if you dont eat, sleep, and save 100%. PER SEMESTER. So the world wont collapse, buti would lose everyone i met during university, dropping to a class of strangers, being the failed kid, so laying the path from the best kinda uni life to the worst, in terms of connections and social life. My family knows about my mental health, even my conserative KGB grandparents are very supportive, but i wouldn't be able to stand the shame myseelf.
Had an eye watering hours long convo with a genuine friend about my life, and that made me realise im still aint shit, things reall have to change. this is why im typing this, mainly for my own self. As the first page of a diary im planning on starting, to never forget the feeling of being in the literal bottom right now. I dont except anyone to read this, idk why im even posting this, i dont even except any advice, but ofc if you have made it this far, thank you for dwelving into the life of a hungarian smalltown trash, hope you can learn
Not gonna reread this fucking yapping, sry for the typos and language, english isn't my first one
So this was it guys, my Magnum Opus of literature, the biggest yapping session of my life so far. Still spent 1,5 hours typing this even on my pc, instead of studdying, on 1,5mg alprazolam(xanax benzo), about to smoke a jo. Yet another broken oath
TL:DR: Failed to mature up for a hardcore branch of university, and a silly mistake will destroy my entire semester, and im still not studying, typing this

I can still acutely pinpoint the exact moment my life changed.
I was 11 years old, about to graduate from elementary school. A few months prior, I had been accepted into a prestigious private school in the state. For my Asian immigrant parents, this moment signified that their struggles and sacrifices had paid off. They often reminded me that they were the smartest, most educated of their cohort back home, with lucrative jobs and high social status. They had given this all up to move overseas, where they did not understand the language or foreign customs. They had done this for me - to ensure I had a better life. They had sacrificed their dreams, ambitions and everything they knew for me to have this chance. For me, for me, for me. There was no choice but for me to succeed. To prove that their sacrifice had been worth it. To prove that even though they had been demoted to the bottom of American society, that they would live their dreams through their only child.
On that day, I arrived home from school to find a box of chocolates on my doorstep. It was from a boy in my class who I had never thought much of. Surprised, I brought it inside to show my parents. Growing up under the influence of my overly hospitable father, my first instinct was to buy him a similarly-priced gift. Not because I liked him, but because I must return the favour and could not be in his debt. However later that night, the boy called my home. When my father answered, he nervously hung up. He called again 30 minutes later, no doubt hoping to reach me. Again, my father answered. Again, he hung up.
My father became furious. Surely, I, at 11 years old, must have deliberately done something to catch his attention. I must have done something wrong. I must have asked for this. He sat me down, and ordered me to take out my yearbook. He looked through each page, pausing at every boy's profile to scrutinize his message to me. One boy (a friend) had thanked me for dancing with him at the end of year formal. Panicked, whilst my father was momentarily preoccupied elsewhere, I quickly scratched out his words. But it didn't end there. My father rang the boy's home and with hate-filled rage, screamed that he would call the police. He unplugged our phone and ordered me to return the chocolates and never speak to him again. From that moment on, my parents watched my every move. I was not allowed to speak on the phone, I was not allowed to speak to any boy, and every afternoon they called home at 3:15pm on the dot to make sure I came back straight from school. I was forced to constantly show them all my emails and messages.
That event changed my life. It broke all trust that I had in my parents. I could no longer view them as the safe haven that they were supposed to be. Instead, they planted seeds of fear, shame, guilt and self-loathing within me that would plague me for years to come. They taught me, through their actions, that women (even girls) were responsible for the actions of men and boys and should be held accountable for them. That women must somehow always invite the attention of men and furthermore, they must have asked for it. That no matter what I said, that I would not be believed. That I was someone not to be trusted, a naive stupid girl.
I decided on the spot that if I was to be responsible for his actions, then I would be responsible for his actions. I began to 'date' the boy. At 12 years old, I started partaking in sexual acts which were years beyond me, with a boy I did not like who was equally confused and equally not ready.
The situation did not improve when middle school started. My parents had purposely selected an all-girls school to ensure that I would not be distracted by boys. Little did they know, I fell in love for the first time with a female classmate. She was smart, funny, articulate and gorgeous. I could not stop thinking about her. It was a confusing, heartbreaking, but beautiful time. None of which I shared with my parents, having learnt my lesson.
As the years went on, I drifted further and further away from my parents. Communication was almost non-existent apart from the necessary 'time to eat' and the lectures about study and homework. I did not tell them about my first love, my first boyfriend, or even my second boyfriend. I did not tell them my dreams, hopes, and fears. I could not. Just as I was not to be trusted, they were also not to be trusted. This didn't stop them from trying to find out about my life through snooping and detective work. Never by asking me. One time, I found a piece of my diary in my parents' room - where I had written down the highs, lows and heartbreaks from a semester abroad. How I had slept with strangers on a path to discover myself. How I had fallen in love but was too careless with his heart. I should have been furious, but at this point I just expected it. I was numb.
In adulthood, my parents do not know me. We see each other every week because Asian filial piety demands it, but these meetings are meaningless. They do not know about my partner of 10 years. They do not know that we have bought a house together. They do not know that we are trying for a family of our own. And they do not know my deepest fear - which is for my child to grow up to be exactly as I am.

Hello! I have both elementary (2nd/4th) and high school demo lessons that I need to prepare. I have not done demo lessons before. I was thinking of possibly doing Zentangles exploring lines and patterns, blind contour practice for observation and line, radial symmetry, or even a Georgia O'keeffe flower lesson exploring color. Some of these I feel are adaptable for both elementary and high school. I'm open to more ideas but unsure of what to do. Any help I appreciate! Edit: As of now, I do not know what supplies there are, but the demos will be 20-30 minutes in front of 25-30 students. Was going to do a small intro, demo, student independent time to do the artwork, then a small exit ticket/wrap-up.

Tl;dr at the end
This is about field experience btw:
I needed 15 field hours for two classes I had: one for reading literacy (10) and another for math (5). It was already off to a rough start because usually it took about a week for me to get placed at a school, but this time it took me almost two months and half of my semester had gone by. I finally got in contact with someone at the school and I was told to come in to be placed with a teacher. This was all new to me because when I had done my field experience in the past, the coordinator in charge just sent me an email with the teacher who I’d be doing observations with after I explained what my requirements were. This time I was sent to a teacher who I assumed was the field coordinator and she asked me what I needed done…which I had explained through email, but I guess she had forgotten. I needed a few hours a math at any elementary grade level (she was a 5th grade math teacher), and a few hours of reading in a K-2nd grade classroom. She agreed to let me do my math hours in her classroom and said she would need time to find a reading teacher for me and that I had to wait. I finished only one day of observations with her before everything went left.
I came back another day to complete my hours at the arranged time we set up and when I came to the front desk, the office clerk told me she (the math teacher) wasn’t there and that I’d have to come back another time. Plus what really made me think she wasn’t there was because I saw her walking to her car and she didn’t come back for a while, so I was going to go back home. She comes back into to the building right before I left and asked me why I was leaving because she had no intentions of going home for the day, so I was basically given incorrect information from the office clerk and wasted a lot of time. That day I didn’t really get that many hours done because so much time had passed, so I asked to schedule a time again to finish up the rest of my hours and to see if there was an update on finding a reading teacher.
About a week later, I was able to be placed with someone to do my reading hours, but it was hard trying to schedule a time to meet. She’d tell me to come in one day, but cancel on me like 10 or 20 minutes before I was supposed to come in multiple times and the more she did it, the closer my deadlines were. I tried getting an extension from my professor because another month had passed and I still wasn’t finished, but unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to do that. Anyway, I went to the school’s office again I think to finish up the last day of my math hours and I saw the reading teacher and asked if she’d be available to have me come to her class on a day that we hadn’t originally agreed on since her schedule was so busy and that was the only other day I had available. She told me it was fine and so the next week I show up on that day and she goes “Oh, I don’t know why they let you in here. I wasn’t expecting you today” after she literally told me I could come!! And then when I came back to the front of the school, I get a call from the math teacher who began to speak to me in a very condescending tone and proceeds to tell me that I couldn’t just show up to their school whenever I wanted to and that this whole situation was my fault because I didn’t communicate and never showed up on time. I was only ever late once due to traffic, but besides that, I came when I was supposed to and arrived on time. I also communicated with them through email, but the day I spoke to the reading teacher in the office I didn’t get her words in writing and I think that really messed me up. Lesson learned though.
After that encounter, I was pretty upset because all I wanted to do was finish my work and it wasn’t happening, so I contacted the principal and added the teachers to an email and I guess she spoke with them because they both started attacking me. They told the principal that they didn’t need to be held liable for anything because I was always sleeping in their class, didn’t pay attention because my back was always turned to my laptop, and didn’t interact with their students. IT’S AN OBSERVATION!! Nowhere in my requirements did it say that I had to interact with their students. I greeted them of course because I’m sure they were curious about why a new person was in their classroom, but I was strictly told I was only there to observe and take notes. My back was turned because I was trying to complete my assignments and there was no time for me to sleep even if I wanted to because for one, I had plenty of work to do, and for two, the chairs and desks were so uncomfortable and tiny and there were times where I was sitting on a floor. I just thought that was interesting to say the least because there was no time to sleep….
Anyway, long story short, I got in contact with whoever was in charge of field placement for my district and I was just so upset when I talked to him that I was just in tears and couldn’t even tell him what was wrong. I guess somehow he understood what I telling him because eventually I was able to get placed at a different school, but that whole experience was just so off-putting and I’m just afraid that I’ll have to go through something like this again. I really want to be a teacher and I understand that teachers have to go through a lot, especially those who are tasked with dealing with their students and helping those with field experience, but it doesn’t hurt to be kind and have patience. I’m just trying to learn and take in as much as I can before I actually start doing this on my own.
Tl;dr: Basically, I was assigned to this school to do my field hours and the teacher who was in charge of field placements was a bit disorganized and irritable. I was assigned another teacher who I needed to complete a portion of my field hours with as well who claimed to me very busy and could barely accommodate me at all. It resulted in me having to prolong something that really should’ve taken about a week to complete and as a result, it made me very frustrated because I had deadlines to meet. I start my student teaching soon and I am worried that I’ll have a similar experience, so I am looking for any advice or just anyone that can relate to what I’ve gone through to see how they were able to overcome it.
Sorry for the long message :)

Lesson Plan: Exploring Hyperbole
Objective:
Students will understand the concept of hyperbole, recognize its use in literature and everyday language, and demonstrate their ability to create and identify hyperbolic expressions.
Materials:

1. Whiteboard and markers
   
2. Handouts with examples of hyperbole
   
3. Texts or excerpts from literature containing hyperbole
   
4. Paper and writing utensils for students
   

Introduction (15 minutes):

1. Begin with a discussion on exaggeration. Ask students if they've ever heard someone exaggerate or if they've done it themselves. Write down their responses on the board.
   
2. Define hyperbole as a form of exaggeration used for emphasis or effect. Provide examples, both humorous and serious, to illustrate the concept.
   

Activity 1: Identifying Hyperbole (20 minutes):

1. Distribute handouts with examples of hyperbole. Ask students to underline or highlight the hyperbolic expressions.
   
2. Discuss the examples as a class. What makes these statements hyperbolic? How does hyperbole impact the meaning of the statement?
   

Activity 2: Hyperbole in Literature (20 minutes):

1. Provide students with excerpts from literature that contain hyperbole. Discuss how authors use hyperbole to create vivid images or convey strong emotions.
   
2. Have students identify and discuss the purpose of hyperbole in the given literary excerpts. Encourage them to explore how hyperbole contributes to the overall tone and meaning of the text.
   

Activity 3: Creating Hyperbole (25 minutes):

1. In small groups, ask students to brainstorm situations where hyperbole might be used effectively. Have each group create a list of hyperbolic expressions related to their chosen situation.
   
2. Each group presents their list to the class, explaining why they chose specific hyperboles and how they contribute to exaggeration.
   

Closure (10 minutes):

1. Review key points about hyperbole: its definition, examples, and how it's used in literature and everyday language.
   
2. Assign a short homework task where students find examples of hyperbole in their reading or daily life and come prepared to share them in the next class.
   

Assessment:
Evaluate students based on their participation in discussions, ability to identify hyperbole, and the creativity and effectiveness of their hyperbolic expressions during the group activity.

The other day in ufos, someone had posted about their experiences as a child in an unusual ‘gifted’ program, and wondered if it was somehow tied to ufos, hybrid programs, remote viewing, mk ultra, or what.
At first read it would sound crazy. But it resonated with me, and suddenly I was thinking back on my own childhood and a gifted program I was in called “SPACE LAB” that I hadn’t thought about in almost 35 years. After adding my experiences to the mix I was told that maybe the folks in high strangeness should hear what I had to say, or point me toward similar tales so I could research and maybe sort out some childhood memories of my own. Seeing the posts about others who were grappling with memories of being in odd programs as children is reawakening some of mine that I had filed away.
…so below is a restructured repost if what I said at ufos:
I’m in my 40s now, but in the early 80s I lived in a very rural south Georgia town, attending a tiny elementary school that served K-6th grade. This was before magnet schools, or many of the other special activities or courses were available for kids who seemed… smarter or scoring above their age/class, I guess. “Gifted” was a word that was used a lot. And I hated it. I’m not bragging, but I was one of those kids. I heard it from all the adults in my school and home life. I’m a mess now, but at that point I guess I had a lot of promise and potential. But it was a lot of pressure, and I stopped caring for it once I reached high school.
I was reading books at two. By kindergarten I was well above my peers in reading, writing, abstract thought and getting into math and science. By first and second I was the kid that teachers called on to read books aloud to the class. I was finishing tests first and basically putting my head on the desk waiting for everyone else to finish. Creatively, I was drawing and crafting like mad, writing and illustrating my own stories. I was a walking encyclopedia of space and animal facts. Teachers loved me but could tell I was operating above my classmates and getting bored. I never really thought I was smarter than the other kids, I was just into learning, and enjoyed the whole process of absorbing and sharing information. People told me I was smart, but I always felt, isn’t this how everyone thinks?
Around first grade I think, I was sometimes pulled out of class where I was given hearing tests and read from word cards to sharpen some of my soft pronunciations. I don’t think I even had a hearing issue, but I did have a lisp that may have made them think I was hard of hearing. I had problems with Ls and Rs and some ‘ch’ words. It’s not that unusual. There were also vision tests where I’d look at a red spot, try to align spots, overlay pictures by crossing or uncrossing my eyes, identify odd symbols and other things that may or may not have been standard, idk.
But what was most unusual is at the same time, I was also introduced to a kind of special class called ‘Space Lab’, where I and some other ‘gifted’ kids (some I knew from my classes, and some that went to my school but weren’t in my class) would be pulled out of our normal class schedule to meet in the library, or sometimes go places, and do advanced learning, I guess? I don’t even remember how it began. It just suddenly started happening. I honestly don’t know if my parents were aware of it. More on that below.
Anyway, I felt so confused because sometimes I was getting pulled out of class for the speech, vision and hearing tests or lessons, along with kids who were physically or mentally disabled, and then another huge part of the day was spent doing extracurricular, or ‘above grade level’ stuff with the smart kids. So this was very confusing to my young ego at the time. Neither program was done daily, but once or twice a week, for a few years. The speech and sensory tests maybe lasted a year off and on but Space Lab lasted several.
It didn’t seem that weird at the time, but does now in retrospect. The weirdest thing is that I just don’t remember much in detail about it at all, with a few exceptions that are resurfacing. Some of those are below.
For years I kept telling myself that it was maybe just the rural school’s way of handling smart kids who were bright, but bored, as best they could with no real curricular means to skip kids ahead. We did some special field trips, sat around and talked about space, and science, and the environment (which was weird to do that early in the 80s, especially in that backwater Georgia town), did some advanced crafts, projects and science experiments, but the majority of my time there is a blank.
One thing I do remember..those old ‘psychic’ flash cards- the ones with circles, triangles, wavy lines, etc. I don’t exactly remember the teachers testing us with them, but I remember us being encouraged to playfully test each other with them. Later, I remember seeing that opening scene from ghostbusters and knowing exactly what they were. I also remember some of us sitting in silence, visualizing things we were asked to think about, and even, swear to god, trying to talk to each other with our mind. That part I can’t remember if we were instructed to do, or if we started doing it for fun. Other times we’d try guessing what the other was thinking. A word, or a picture. I do know sometimes we were separated around the room, at distance from each other, and others we were all at the same long tables. I also remember some crude cardboard box divider things that they had to kind of block out light and distractions while we did some of these ‘games’. And sound blocking headphones. A LOT. This is really starting to come back to me. I really remember having to close our eyes and being asked to visualize a lot.
We also did a lot of field trips during school hours that were totally unexpected. We were always back on time but I don’t remember knowing what days they might happen. I remember worrying for my mom and if she knew where I’d be going. I don’t remember bringing home permission slips for them. Some were to aquariums, parks, etc but some were to the local college or other office complex or building that we were told or assumed had some tie to science or something we were interested in (we were little nerds after all) or to go see how something was made, supposedly.
But yeah- the weird thing is I really don’t remember shit about those trips beyond that we went on them. My most clear memory of one is walking down a very modern brick hall that had built in planters and like, a mini ecosystem that smelled like pure nature. Automated misters for the plants, water pump waterfalls, that sort of thing - and I’m walking with my ‘space lab’ classmates and suddenly being embarrassed when one of my dad’s socks that had static clung inside my shorts fell out as we walked and I got teased about it. I couldn’t tell you what the place was or why we were there.
Other times weren’t even that detailed. I remember we’d take a van somewhere and be back before the end of the day. We didn’t take a bus because there were only maybe 6 or 7 of us.
I can bore you with details about pretty much any regular old field trip I went on with my regular schoolmates- movie theaters and what we saw, okeefenokee swamp and buying a rubber alligator, going to a local dairy and seeing milk get pasteurized, etc…but I don’t remember anything specific, interesting or exciting about ANY outings with ‘Space Lab’
But I’ve rambled enough, here are a few final points about the class, and me in general.

• the program did not last beyond 4th or 5th grade
  
• when it was over it was like it was never mentioned again. When I asked other kids about space lab to see if their schools had it, nobody knew wtf I was talking about. At my own school there was never an attempt to keep the program going, and afaik, no younger kids were ever brought in to replace us as we outgrew the class. I don’t know if we were, like, failures,, or if they lost funding, or the next years of kids just weren’t very bright or what. The fact that they had this special progressive class at all, during normal school hours, at such a small rural school in a super conservative, religious, ‘all American’ farm town, is really unusual in retrospect. As far as I know they never did anything like it again.
  
• fwiw, our school also participated in fluoride mouthwash sessions, which even as a kid, creeped me out. I always felt like there was a sinister element about it. My friends and I often found ways to cheat it and pretend to be swishing.
  
• there was no military base near our school. There was an old national guard setup at the small airport, and most adults worked at a local e factory making airplane engines, etc but that’s about as military as it got there.
  
• my dad worked for FermiLab in the seventies but I don’t know much about his time there. It was before I was born. He’d never talk to me or my sisters what he did there, and I’m thinking NDAs were involved. but he got the job right after his service on a nuclear sub. He ended up dying after fighting skin cancers all over his body.
  
• As for me, I was born after his stint at FermiLab and was apparently an accident from a vasectomy that ‘didn’t take’
  
• the two teachers of ‘space lab’ were not from our school. I was told they were teachers from the nearby larger town but that was it. One nice, nerdy dark haired woman that behaved like a science teacher, and one very gruff older woman that acted like military or police. She was always just there and barely interacted with us. I can’t even remember their last names.
  
• my fellow lab kids were all really intelligent sensitive and thoughtful, I had long friendships with several until I moved as a teen. I know maybe one on Facebook now who has been very successful in progressive politics in Georgia. The rest I’ve lost contact with, or rural GA life chewed them up and spat them out.
  
• I continued to be on honor roll, win spelling bees, art and writing contests etc until about 8th grade- before I realized being a nerd was not cool in 90s high school and I became more of a slacker. Smart but lazy. I continued to draw and write and made it a freelance career for a while, but I shunned academics for the most part, even though I was able to score 1350 on the SAT without trying, I didn’t pursue a good college.
  
• I have had supernatural events in my life. You can check my post history. Cloaked figures, strange ufos. Not a lot of them, just a couple really strong events. I’ve been able to really get ‘in synch’ with the universe at least two short times in my adult life, where it felt like I was predicting or even willing things to happen; but otherwise normal.
  
• Most of my life I’ve suffered from tinnitus and sleep apnea issues, but am otherwise sane, and moderately healthy for my age.
  

All in all, I’m curious if anybody else had classes like this? I wonder if government might be able to get away with more child research in a small town at a school that really needed some extra money or something, then a larger city with more exposure and communication… But as I said, there wasn’t any military presence in that area of south GA at all.. I will say, watching the first season of stranger things brought back some old geeks, and not in the 80s nostalgia way.
What was I involved in? Why did it stop? And why don’t I remember much about it?

https://archive.is/ucFte
Orange and Petersham will receive a combined $134,530 in state money to implement a package of materials for teaching foundational reading skills in kindergarten through second grade.
The two North Quabbin towns are among the 18 school districts and collaboratives selected to split $1.2 million in grants for Appleseeds, a free downloadable package of instructional materials for reading foundational skills. The grants will fund printing of the materials, plus professional development for educators. Orange will get $91,144, while Petersham gets $43,386.
Elizabeth Zielinski, superintendent of the Ralph C. Mahar Regional and Union 73 school districts, said the latter will use the money to provide the Appleseeds program to preschool students. The grant money will cover the cost of required training and student materials.
“It’s not discrepancy money at all. It is very specific,” she said on Thursday. Zielinski lauded the merits of the evidence-based reading foundational skills program.
“We don’t want to go and reinvent the wheel,” she said. “We want to go with programs with really good results.”
“This Appleseeds grant is an important part of our administration’s commitment to improving early literacy instruction,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “We also recently proposed Literacy Launch in our latest budget, a historic investment in early literacy from age 3 to grade 3, on top of additional funding for continued literacy programming from [the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education].”
Aaron O’Connor, principal of Petersham Center School, said the funds will be used to purchase Decodables, a text that focuses on the phonetic code and presents words to students that follow the lessons taught, as well as professional development for teachers. He said the school uses the University of Florida Literacy Institute’s early literacy program, but that it works with Appleseeds.
“We’re working with the core teachers and laying out the lessons we are using for the year,” O’Connor explained. “It’s not a significant change, just an addition to the curriculum, more tools to support what we are dong.”
O’Connor mentioned the Decodables are culturally sensitive, and said the goal is for students to have good reading comprehension by the second grade. The Decodables will be rolled out in the fall and while they are geared toward students in kindergarten through second grade, they could also be used for older children who require intervention to help build reading skills.
“One big thing we say is there’s nothing better than a kid with a book in their hands,” O’Connor said. “We like that this has gone through a rigorous vetting.”

So, I had my demo lesson today for an elementary teacher position. The school all but handed me the contract, told me I’m the perfect fit and that all they need is for me to meet with the superintendent and get his approval. But, one big problem- I am pending certification. The principal is aware of this, but she isn’t aware I still have to complete two more praxis exams before I’ll get my certification application even looked at. I am assuming this will have to come up in my interview with the SI on Monday. Am I totally screwed? I have the exams scheduled for end of June, but that means I probably won’t get me CE until August. Will this prevent them from hiring me?

Hi amazing teachers,
I'm Keith, and I know transitioning out of education is daunting. You probably feel that switching careers is close to impossible, and you somehow need to figure it out on your own.
Ultimately, however, you know deep in your heart that the current teaching environment is not good for you anymore, and you need to get out. While it is unfortunate for your students, you know that your health and happiness needs to be your top priority.
You deserve a life much better.
(btw, this is a Reddit ad. Bleh!)
It’s June now, and you feel pressured to get a new job quickly before the school year starts.
While you know you need to leave teaching, you are conflicted because you fear of financial instability, lack of good health benefits, and no summers off.
Is a career transition really worth it? Let me tell you…IT IS SO WORTH IT.
Here's a bit about me: I used to be a high school and then higher ed teacher. Ever since I can remember, teaching was my dream. It's embarrassing, but I used to play teacher with all my friends in elementary school. (I can't believe I am sharing this here...)
After graduating college, I quickly got my dream job at a high school. After I started, however, I quickly became jaded by the reality. I was overworked, made a super low income, got so much pushback from kids, parents and administrators for stuff you can only imagine. All of this took a huge toll on my mental health and self esteem.
My breaking point was when I got into a horrible car accident and was admitted to the hospital. I called my principal shortly after getting to the hospital, and his only concern was when I'd return. He said something like “I am sorry about the accident, but remember your students really need you too. I hope your students won’t need to have a sub for too long.”
HE WAS GASLIGHTING ME!
That was my wake-up call.
Like many of you, I feared losing financial stability, summer vacations, and autonomy. I had no clue how to find a job outside teaching. Through a lot of trial and error, however, I finally transitioned to a job at Google, of all places!
Now, I help teachers make the same move I did, but without having to go through the same trial and error.
There are a lot of career coaches for transitioning teachers. But there’s no one like me. Here's why:

• After teaching, I've transitioned into roles at Google, Uber, Meta, DoorDash, and Calibrate. I figured out how to communicate my one-of-a-kind value that no one else has. Not even other teachers.
• I climbed the corporate ladder to become a learning and development leader. Not only do I know what it's like starting in your first role after teaching, but you'll get clear guidance on how to be super successful in the first 90 days of the job—no second-guessing.
• I’ve interviewed over 100 former teachers and hired about 30% of them at big tech companies like Meta, Calibrate and DoorDash. I know exactly what it takes to make the switch and "sell yourself" as the #1 candidate for the role. In other words, they would be dumb not to hire you.
• My first job after teaching, I earned a 61% pay bump. In my most recent role (Head of Learning at DoorDash), I earned more than 7x I did as a teacher. Also, I got unlimited time off, amazing benefits, and great stock options.

My clients say that working with me has helped them no longer second-guess themselves in their career journey and after landing a job. They have all gained so much confidence. They are energized (not depleted) by their job search and new job.
The vast majority of my clients land jobs within 90 days.
You can have the same experience as them.
How? I offer a high-touch career catalyst program that is quite different from others out there. Here's how:

• You get a super structured, 6-step system that has gotten over 40 teachers the career they deserve.
• Daily short, action-focused lessons based on years of research from institutions like Harvard Business School. (btw, I ask that everyone I work with dedicate at least 15 minutes per day to their career shift. Pretty strict about this one.)
• Bi-weekly coaching sessions with me. This is where we'll work together and get super clear on your direction. We'll tailor the program for exactly what you need.

Ready to start?
Schedule a free call with me to see if we're a mutual fit. I only work with 10 clients at a time, and right now I’m taking on 4 more. Click the link in the ad to set up a call, check out my website, and let's get started!
Go to: https://keithand.co/schedule-chat/
Feel free to comment if you have any questions!
Keith
PS: You are amazing and offer so much more than you know. Whether you work with me or not, know that you are capable of wonderful things. You deserve to live the happiest life.

Hey guys, wanted to see if anyone could remember the show I used to watch in elementary school, I’m pretty sure the main characters where a brother and sister who would go on different adventures, each one having a lesson (It’d be math problems, fears, bullying, etc.). One big thing I remember was that the artist was also a character; They would have trouble with something or needed something and you’d see a brush come in to help. The most I remember is an episode where they went to a scary amusement park, they went through a hallway of pictures of clowns I think and had to go up a mountain but could only proceed by solving math problems on it. This was a show that my teachers would put up on the smart board back in 2010’s, on a cd I imagine, I’m 21 now and have had this show stuck on my head for years, if anyone remembers it you’d be helping my inner child lol, thank you :)

To the mind of a child anything is possible. We go to school starting very young to learn valuable knowledge and skills that can be used later in life. Everything you learn in school is usually seen as fact. In elementary school I was taught my multiplication tables, this is a fact. I also learned about the parts of the circulatory system these are also facts. I also learned that god gave me this land, so I have the right to occupy it. This was just as much as a fact to me as math or science. Let me explain:
In my private Jewish education, I was never really taught about Palestine in depth. It was always presented in a way that implied both Palestinians and Israelis were fighting because they both wanted the land. The actual reasons behind the conflict were never fully explained.
If you want to learn where the ego of Israel came from here you go. I was also taught that Jewish people are inherently better because of God's favor and that Jews are naturally more successful. This narrative suggested that Jewish success was a divine gift, rather than the result of historical circumstances. Our education often emphasized the idea that Jews are the "Chosen People," implying a divine preference that translated into inherent superiority and success. This teaching reinforced a sense of pride and nationalism but lacked critical examination of the broader historical context. The reality, however, is that Jewish success in various fields is more accurately attributed to historical and socio-economic factors. For centuries, Jews faced severe restrictions and persecution in many parts of the world. These limitations forced Jewish communities to develop strong networks, value education highly, and adapt to various professional niches where they were allowed to participate.
In school, there was a class where the focus was primarily on Jewish history and identity. We learned a lot about the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, and the creation of the State of Israel. These lessons emphasized the necessity of a Jewish state for our safety and survival. We were also told we were there first. Because of this focus, the history and experiences of Palestinians were rarely mentioned, if at all.
Given the holocaust, there was a strong emphasis on the importance of Israel as a safe haven, and how we had the right to its ownership since god. This perspective shaped how the conflict was taught to us. The narrative we were given highlighted Israel's security concerns and its right to exist, often without delving into the Palestinian perspective.
In an effort to make the conflict understandable for us as students, the teachers often simplified it. They described it as two groups fighting over the same piece of land. This simplification meant we didn't get to learn about the deeper historical and political issues, such as the displacement of Palestinians in 1948 or the impact of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.
I was also taught about Zionist holidays rather than Jewish holidays. We celebrated days that were some of the worst days for Palestinians. Yom Ha'atzmaut marks the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. It is a day of national pride and celebration in Israel, featuring ceremonies, military parades, fireworks, and various cultural events. This is before nakba day. Yom Yerushalayim commemorates the reunification and annexing of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967. These aren’t holidays, they are celebrating the colonization and cleansing of a nation.
What I learned: The region was part of the Ottoman Empire until World War I, after which it came under British control.
What I didn’t: This period saw rising tensions between Jewish and Arab communities, partly due to conflicting promises made by the British to both groups
What I learned: The UN proposed a partition plan to create separate Jewish and Arab states. The establishment of Israel in 1948 led to a war.
What I didn’t: Jewish leaders accepted it, but Arab leaders did not. The establishment of Israel in 1948 led to a war and significant displacement of Palestinians, creating a large refugee population.
While I think my Judaics class should have been about exclusively the Torah, the private Jewish education focused heavily on Jewish history and identity, which often led to a simplified portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The complexity and deeper historical context, such as the displacement of Palestinians and the ongoing issues surrounding Israeli settlements, were not fully explored. This approach likely stemmed from a combination of cultural insensitivities, and an emphasis on nationalistic narratives.
Contrary to what the Zionists say, I’m still Jewish. It’s just that not everyone wants to be a zealot and colonist nationalist. This is how people get their opinions.

Demographics: rising senior, asian female, NY average public school (at least 1 student into harvard every yr, at least 3 to cornell)
Intended Major(s): biochemistry, biomedical engineering, or neuroscience (maybe double major in violin performance)
SAT: 1530 in march; retook in June but waiting on score
UW GPA: 99/100
Coursework:
(bad AP scores so far (2 scores known)...how will this impact decisions?)
APs - world history, us history, chem, physics 1, comp sci a
IBs - sl econ, sl chem, hl 1 english, hl 1 spanish, sl 1 math
SENIOR YEAR
APs - physics 2, bio
IBs - sl psych, hl physics, hl 2 english, hl 2 spanish, sl 2 math
Awards:
(weak. help.)

1. regional music competition (1st place piano: every year, grades 4 - 11; 1st place violin: grades 10-11)
   
2. regional concerto competition (winner: grade 11, performed solo with city orchestra)
   
3. national merit semifinalist (not released yet but assuming)
   
4. national honor society (elected president - grade 12)
   
5. seal of biliteracy
   

Extracurriculars:
(mid)

1. city's youth orchestra (member for 8 years, concertmaster - grade 11, elected president - grade 12)
   
2. all-state qualifier (perfect score, first violin, seated in top 10 of the state)
   
3. founded youth STEM program (working with local elementary schools (50+ students per session), starting summer camp with local library (100+ students) to provide free STEM learning opportunities for elementary students)
   
4. working with and volunteering at middle school music departments to offer free after-school violin lessons for students unable to afford or make time for private lessons
   
5. volunteer at city's science center (200+ hours at summer camps, translated lessons and directions for non-English speaking students/visitors from other countries, helped with activities, supervised student break times)
   
6. hospital volunteer (50+ hours)
   
7. class president (planned school-wide events, fundraised for causes, worked with teacher board, etc.)
   
8. varsity sport (4 years)
   
9. tutor for nonprofit program that teaches English to students abroad (created lesson plans, called thru zoom, social media coordinator, etc.)
   

LORs:
grade 11 english teacher (estimate 8/10)
grade 10 chemistry teacher (estimate 9/10)
grade 4-12 orchestra teacher (estimate 10/10)
Schools:
reach - ivies, t20s
EA - harvard???
*pls chance me and help with awards/extracurriculars/ways to raise chances...*

HELP ME!! [fully lost] elementary school poster
My sister and I both went to the same elementary school (in the west of Boston area) around 2010 for me and 2015 for her and there were these “anti-bullying” superheros. The poster was displayed in our hallway, and we had many lessons surrounding these villains. Each were based around one bullying tactic… one of them was a brick wall, a clown that had something to do with not repeating jokes, and maybe one that was a brain. There were maybe 20 of them. In class, we were instructed to create our own superheros to combat the bullies (or maybe we made villains??). I also know there was a white blonde hero guy (maybe wearing blue with a red cape) on the top of the poster- pls help!! We have been looking for this for years, and haven’t had any leads and we have asked numerous friends in the school system.

HELP ME!! [fully lost] elementary school poster
My sister and I both went to the same elementary school (in the west of Boston area) around 2010 for me and 2015 for her and there were these “anti-bullying” superheros. The poster was displayed in our hallway, and we had many lessons surrounding these villains. Each were based around one bullying tactic… one of them was a brick wall, a clown that had something to do with not repeating jokes, and maybe one that was a brain. There were maybe 20 of them. In class, we were instructed to create our own superheros to combat the bullies (or maybe we made villains??). I also know there was a white blonde hero guy (maybe wearing blue with a red cape) on the top of the poster- pls help!! We have been looking for this for years, and haven’t had any leads and we have asked numerous friends in the school system.

I have a software engineer (solid junior going into mid-level development experience) who's looking to upskill into systems/devops. They asked me for advice on this, and I was disappointed that I couldn't give them a good answer at all.
The way I learned my chops is experimenting and labbing, but I know they're a hands-on learner - otherwise I'd just give them a couple servers and point them at the hard way guide. I also know they'd work better in a structured environment than self-learning. Travel to an off-site class is fine, I'm willing to pay.
I don't require certs, and probably would be a bad idea here, if the courses out there are all to help you ace the tests, not learn the work.
Recommendations for such hands-on structured classes would be appreciated. At a minimum I'm hoping to have said course cover:

• Docker, containerd (they have some elementary exposure to Docker with local development containers and the like)
• Kubernetes (it's fine to not get nitty gritty here, and in fact exposure to just managed Kubernetes is fine with me, preferably GKE)
• that includes Kubernetes objects, networking/ingress, etc.
• configuration/resource management in version control (kustomize, kubeaudit, etc.)

I think that'd be a good stopping point for a 1-2 week course - or am I being too ambitious for a relatively new engineer with no/light systems background?
Recommendations for good future lessons are appreciated, like security basics, cluster security practices, LGTM (monitoring/metrics/logs), etc.

My contract is ending in August, and my elementary school JTEs have asked me for ideas about a final lesson. I feel great about my idea for the older kids (cooking lesson in English!), but I am at a total loss for the younger kiddos (1-2 grades).
Does anyone who is leaving/has left have any ideas? We want to do something that involves speaking English but something a little more fun/memorable than one of their regular classes. I've really enjoyed teaching at all of these schools, so I don't want to let my coworkers or students down by dropping the ball on this.

Hello! I have made it to the final round of interviews, and need to do a 30 minute demo lesson next week. This is my first demo lesson ever, and I am so nervous. This job is in my dream district, and is highly competitive. I currently work in the district at the elementary school as a long-term leave for an elementary ENL/ESL teacher.
The demo lesson is for a high school position, and I have very little high school experience. There was no standard given, but I was given the topic of Imperialism and Colonization for global history ENL. I have to create a lesson for students of varying abilities pertaining to the causes and effects of imperialism and colonization. There will be 15 students. They have chromebooks and a BENQ board.
I am really lost on how to hook students to the topic and how to explain the topic to the students. I am thinking of showing a map of colonizers and colonies to show it but I am still not sure. Since there are varying proficiencies of English, I am scared the lower-proficiency students will be left behind. I am also lost on how to create student centered activities that help students understand the causes and effects.
I am really lost so ANY tips or ideas would be so helpful! Thank you so much.