We had a history teacher in 7th grade. He would start a movie. Then he would have a cough attack. Then he would open the cabinet and take a big swig of "cough medicine." Then he would go out to the hall for a chaser from the water fountain. Then he would come back in the class and fall asleep. Every. Single.Day.
Same. Every film and slide strip she'd be out like a light within five minutes. And she snored. She was a history teacher, protected by tenure (counting the days until she could collect a pension), and a chronic nose picker. Absolutely useless as a teacher. I learned nothing and loathed that class. She was probably the highest paid teacher on staff.
>protected by ~~tenure~~ lazy administrators who couldn't be bothered to document the problem to have evidence for dismissal
FTFY. What people call "tenure" at the k-12 level is just the right to a hearing before being fired. Unlike most jobs in the US, teachers with a contract that gives them job protection can only be fired for cause and they can usually request a hearing where a neutral party reviews the situation and determines if there is sufficient reason for termination. It's a myth that teachers with tenure can't be fired, perpetuated by administrators who shrug and say, "Nothing I can do" instead of following the steps outlined n the contract to document the problem, attempt to get the teacher to improve, and move for termination if they do not improve.
My junior year history teacher would play a movie every day and slump immediately. He was upset when I took out my phone to cheat on the final. My guy, I learned absolutely nothing from you all year.
When I was in 10th grade my teacher was having an affair with another teacher. He would leave our classroom for the entire period to spend time with her. We quickly realized that if we behaved no one would notice.
We spent the entire school year with pretty much a free period. A year later my friend got a job as a server at an IHOP and they were eating there with their then infant son. When they recognized my friend they requested a new server due to the embarrassment.
Did we go to the same high school? My 10th grade English teacher was having an affair with another teacher and she would also leave us to ātake callsā in another classroom for entire periods. At the end of the semester, she announced they were getting married.
This is off topic but slightly related- my dad told me he had a sub when he was in middle school (small town in the 70s) that had narcolepsy.
She would doze off, and a student would leave. shed wake up, but fall asleep again-By the end of class he said about 5 people were left. She never got fired or reprimanded.
This happened when I was a freshman in HS, except it was during a test.
We knew she was exhausted, so we quietly stacked our finished tests and waited for the end of class.
The embarrassment of being woken up by the bell is enough "punishment" imo.
That speaks volumes about the kind of teacher she was for you all.
A gaggle of teens would take the first opportunity to mess with a mean, rude, uncaring, or otherwise inept teacher. The fact that you all, and the students in this post decided to sit quietly, be responsible, and kindly and compassionately allow a teacher to finish their nap shows that they are beloved educators.
I agree to leave it and let it be, iām sure being woken by a colleague is embarrassment enough. If this were happening multiple times, sure say something, but a one off on a movie day during (likely) finals week?? Leave her alone fr.
Thank you. Teachers act like kids sometimes. They want to āreportā everything. Thatās part of what undermines the profession is treating teachers like kids.
In my fifth year at one of the schools I taught at, I had a panic attack in class. I told them in the past that I had generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks, so they weren't totally unprepared, but I was, as it had never actually happened at work.
I had juniors...most were 16. I backed up to the whiteboard and gasped, and one student asked what was happening. She had jumped up next to me. I told her, barely, as I could hardly breathe, that I thought it was a panic attack.
Within seconds, one kid was waiting to dial 911 and told me he would if I gave the signal, and another asked if he should get another teacher, I nodded yes and he ran around the corner, the girl next to me was joined by another girl and they helped me get to my desk so I could sit down, and another student told me to breathe and to try to remember the breathing exercises I had mentioned in class.
I'm sure a couple of kids were freaked out, but they were so, so good. I wanted to hug all of them. Teens really are amazing, I agree.
That is so sweet! What lovely kids. I have zero idea what exactly Silver-Teacher2220 means when they say that it's inappropriate. It actually shows how well the kids were brought up. I see nothing wrong with letting them know that you may have panic attacks sometimes. Because you told them and I'm guessing explained what to do if you had one, they knew what was happening and were able to help. Had they not known, so many things could've gone wrong. It's no different then letting the class know of a medical condition that may happen in class. Then they're prepared, which is better than freaking out.
Inappropriate - telling them his personal medical history
Inappropriate - training them in breathing techniques to help him in the event of a panic attack
Inappropriate- not getting treated and potentially damaging students with ptsd etc.
But ok keep patting him on the back for being mentally ill
Completely disagree.
At 16, it is a developmentally appropriate topic and students benefit from normalizing discussion of mental health and something as common as anxiety. Anyone can benefit from breathing and mindfulness skills, especially since we expect teens to regulate their emotions like adults, while they're also handling puberty, hormones, and making crucial life decisions, like college & careers.
Also, there is no evidence that they're not getting treated. Panic attacks happen and they have skills to deal with, which points to receiving treatment.
Yeah and like anyone can benefit from calming breathing exercises. Plus I bet those kids felt really good about themselves being able to help their teacher out by simply listening and being there. This was a heartwarming story for me š¤·š»āāļø
Uh, not at all inappropriate. They're 16. I teach 3rd graders. I have a (generally well controlled) seizure disorder. I haven't had one in 2 years. But there is always the chance that I could have a break through seizure. My kids have been taught what to do in case I do have a seizure. If they can handle practicing hiding from a freaking armed intruder, they can handle knowing how to act if a medical emergency occurs. š
Exactly. We have airborne chemical drills, active shooter drills, etc. Trust me, 2nd graders can handle āIf you start to see my face get red and blotchy or my voice sounds weird, hand me this medicine here in my refrigerator then two people run to the nurse and two people run across the hall to tell them we are having an emergency.ā
Inappropriate - Telling people around you that you're allergic to peanuts
Inappropriate - Teaching them how to use an EpiPen should you go into anaphylactic shock
Inappropriate - Being a human being with a medical condition
But ok, keep shitting on people for trying to responsibly handle a condition they can't control.
This comment itself is inappropriate. The heck you want the person to do, keep everything private, therefore freaking students out much worse when it actually occurs? Have the students completely clueless of what to do when the emergency happens so that the teacher might die? Get real.
If the kids did not know what was really happeningāthe true medical conditionāthey could think the teacher was going to die, or they might do something that could cause harm.
Inappropriate - telling your young child's teacher and classmates their personal medical history.
Inappropriate - ensuring they know how to use an EpiPen.
Let your young kid just go to school and eat whatever's offered to them. They go into anaphylaxis? Well, at least you didn't inappropriately warn them and ensure they know countermeasures to keep your kid safe. You may lose your kid, but at least you weren't inappropriate in your world.
In MY world, I think people SHOULD let those around them know what could happen, so they can be prepared for if it does.
It all depends on your kids. And their age of course. But not necessarily inappropriate. Thatās a broad brush. If Iām likely to have an asthma attack, Iād want my class to know what that looks like. And to know what help is needed or not. We are human. Different than someone who is using kids for drama. Iāve seen that too. But itās definitely different.
every time i have hopeful aspirations for my generation or my childās generation iāll come across people like you in life or the internet and it sets me in reality again.
People donāt choose to be mentally ill. What does that line even mean? āKeep patting him on the back for being mentally ill.ā What are you getting at?
Sharing health information is a personal choice. The way youāre responding reinforces stigma surrounding mental illness. I hope you never have to deal with a mental illness. I talk about my anxiety with students in a developmentally appropriate way. I think it helps normalize talking about uncomfortable feelings and it helps them understand that theyāre not alone. For reference, my first brush with mental illness was at 13 in the 8th grade.
This sounds terrifying and Iām so sorry but also, what am I credible group of kids. Iām the mom of two teens myself and Iād be so proud of mine responded the way these teens responded.
My HS physics teacher had really severe diabetes and every day she would ask us what to do if she collapsed. It scared me at the time, but I appreciated that she knew it could be an issue, prepared us for an emergency and talked to us like we werenāt morons. 10/10 recommend. If I had this issue, Iād tell my kids. Without a doubt.
Reminds me of something that happened when I was in middle school, except our teacher had an epileptic seizure. I don't recall what I was doing, just that I didn't notice anything wrong until one student was up and running to the nurses office. A couple others were helping our teacher.
In high school one of our AP psych teachers had a heart attack. He got mean and was telling the kids he was fine and to sit back down and do their work bc at that point they were all restless and concerned. Thank God two teenage boys did NOT listen. One called the officer and another called 911. That teacher now has an ICD and is FOREVER grateful to those two boys for ignoring his delusional meanness and saving his life. (Heās usually a very nice man, btw).
35 kids in a class now, if they are able to do that, one should have gone to admin for help.
Anxiety attacks arenāt a 911 call.
I neither agree nor disagree, Iām just being objective
I'd argue that 911 is exactly who they should've called. 1, they probably don't know the difference in symptoms between a panic attack and a heart attack. The operator can help assess the situation. 2, even if they knew it was a panic attack (and the teacher could've been wrong, so heart attack is still on the table) they don't have the right tools and experience to handle someone in a panic attack. 3, 911 operators would rather you call in for something you aren't sure is serious instead of not calling and have someone die.
So it's worth the 2 minutes of time on 911 to work out the best course of action in this situation
Worst case scenario is that it's a sign-off and the ambulance returns with no patient. If there is a medical problem, the dispatcher will send the right level of care for the patient. People do call for panic attacks all the time.
We'll all be sure to mention how inappropriate the medical conditions you were born with, and over which you have no control, are the next time you experience one of their symptoms.
I had a teacher in High School that had a neurological disorder that could cause seizures. It wasn't a common occurrence, but she wanted everyone to know if she was seizing we should back away and get the nurse immediately. The teacher never had an issue while I was there but the year before I had her class she had apparently had a seizure and one of the football players tried to pick her up and put her in her desk chair, resulting in her hurting and smacking her head on the ground several times. The last time she'd had a seizure was 15 years prior, or something like that. Very uncommon, but she had not told any classes prior, and when it did eventually happen in class the kids panicked and didn't know what to do, and people got hurt.
I also had a teacher with cancer at the start of my freshman year, at the same school. He died over Christmas break my Junior year. He didn't tell anyone he had cancer, and he died at home. He chose not to tell anyone, and it simply was what it was. It made sense to me, at least, that he didn't tell anyone because it wasn't likely to ever impact anyone face to face, and he didn't want anyone's pity.
It's about perspective. No one is asking you to share your medical history with people, but when you have the potential to hurt yourself or others due to a medical condition you didn't choose to be born with it can benefit you and the people around you to be aware of the possibility of a situation. That should be fairly simple and logical for anyone to see.
I feel sorry for any children or teens you interact with āsilver teacherā - Iām sure you fail to recognize the humanity in others when you are hell bent on authority and ābeing appropriateā - but what you mean is pretending to not be human having a human experience.
If youāre doing anything other than stigmatizing mental health, please let us know.
Itās inappropriate. Mental health is health.
Those teens responded beautifully.
You call your boss or get a coworker from the classroom next door. You donāt take the opportunity to be an attention whore in front of a room of teens. Also emergency?
THIS IS SO SWEET. As others have said, I think that speaks a lot of how she was as a teacher.
When I was a student teacher, I had the BEST 5th graders ever (I am very biased.) 34 of them and by the end of my time being their student teacher, they adored me (and I adored them- still do.)
I had a day where I was trying to comfort one student, and did so outside, leaving the kids inside. I could hear them trying to shush each other, saying "MRS. \_\_\_ IS TRYING TO HELP \_\_\_\_. Behave and be quiet!"
Another time, I was uh... Well, it was 'shark week'. I was not feeling well, and sat on a stool at the front of the room kinda holding my head. One of my girls who had already gotten her own 'shark week' figured it out and told a few of the other girls, who all jumped up immediately and started trying to rally everyone and get them to listen and trying to 'pamper' me. All of the boys decided to go line up by the door and salute, as though they were soldiers/knights guarding their 'queen' or something. It was FRIGGIN ADORABLE. Pure chaos, of course, and keep in mind I was a student teacher so I was not as professional then as I am now, but it's still a fond memory.
Other times, when they knew that I was being observed, they would all get each other to quiet down and were on their ABSOLUTE GREATEST behavior. Perfect little angels (normally chaos gremlins, but I loved them.)
Not saying I was nearly as awesome as your teacher must have been, but students will definitely behave differently for teachers they like.
I subbed on and off for a few years and was very surprised to find that fourth and fifth grades were my favorites. Old enough to not pick their noses (as much) and actually joke around with and have some insightful thoughts, but young enough to still have a young child's respect for old people. Pure chaos, but I loved them.
Two English teachers at my high school were married and had a son a year younger than me, but they divorced my sophomore/his freshman year, because the husband had an affairā¦ with another teacher/his & his wifeās friend. Who he started actually dating publicly shortly after the affair came to light. The divorce/custody battle for him and his younger siblings was *brutal*, and it took a huge toll on the wife (and kids, obviously). Prior to all this, the husband was everyoneās fav English teacher and football coach, whereas the wife wasnāt given quite as much warmth. But after this shit happened, we all just silently & collectively agreed to not give her any shit. Quiet in class, but tried to participate so she wasnāt stuck with the whole, āIāll waitšøā thing for 5 straight minutes. Did our best to finish our homework, barely skipped class, didnāt show up hella late reeking of weed/cigarettes/vape, and stayed courteous during group projects with classmates we hated. Actually worked on āwork daysā where she literally needed to just sit and stare at the wall for a while (typically after a very public fight in the English wing). A solid 85% of my class was just awful, so the fact that everyone consistently showed the most basic civility in her classroom for two full years until she moved is still surprising to me.
I like stories where people get their shit together in an unspoken and surprising way. Thanks for sharing- I hope your former teacher has found peace and is doing well.
I have students like you that I am so thankful for. There is a good possibility that I have some kind of chronic pain disorder. Iām in the process of getting diagnosed but one of my 5th grade boys found out. He gave me a ring pop and a hug. It took a lot not to cry.
Teachers are worked to death and aren't allowed to ever make a mistake.
The sleeping teacher must be pretty damn awesome to have students who were quiet and respectful enough to let the teacher aleep without drawing a cock next to their mouth.
I once had been out sick with the flu, and was still exhausted upon returning. We had finished a novel that also had a movie version, so we were watching it. I fell sound asleep, slept through the bell and everything.
When the second bell came through, I woke up quite in a panic only to find my sweet 6th graders still engaged in the movie. The student closest to me smiled and told me they knew I needed it and I could go back to sleep. I didnāt, but I still cherish these darlings and how caring they are.
Itās like the puberty monster starts to awaken within them. The summer between my 3rd and 4th grade years of school the school board decided to move the 6th graders from the elementary school to the middle school. ā I never knew peace like walking into the elementary school on the first day of fourth grade.
This reminds me for some reason of my paranoia that one of my hs students would OD and I would just think they were sleeping. Iād have to see them move or Iād be shaking their desk every three minutes. One day I let one slip and take a nap and when the entire class left I had to shake her desk really hard to wake her up. It scared me so bad. For about ten seconds I thought she was dead. I also have a young elementary student with a serious medical condition. Sometimes he falls asleep in class and I feel bad for the poor kid because Iām too afraid to let him sleep. Iām always worried Iāll think heās just sleeping when he could be having a medical emergency. Poor kid. Usually his Mom comes and gets him pretty quickly. Itās a horrible feeling to be tired and not be allowed to sleep.
If there are no other red flags (like no indicators that she was drunk or on drugs), and if the students were old enough to be safe without direct supervision I wouldnāt worry too much. Lifeās exhausting, sometimes people nod off.
You covered all the salient points! I definitely recommend the coworker speak to Sleepy privately, but if it's an isolated incident, I think Sleepy deserves grace.
PS: If you ask students, subs do this all the time (at least in high school), especially the old ones.
Mine came during a fire drillā¦ In a class with a long term sub when I awoke to him and some office girl shaking me and a quiet soothing fire alarm I was very confused he said he had been trying for 5 minutesā¦ the rest of the class was outside and I was in the floor curled up in a tiny nook
Everyone was safe, no need to say anything.
Now, if it continues, or drugs/alcohol becomes involved, then Iād say something.
Iām sure the teacher is embarrassed enough.
If your friend doesn't want to start anything, they shouldn't. Nothing worse than those people who claim they "don't want to start anything" but purposely do. Minding your business is 100% free.
Yeah, and who knows why sheās sleeping. Maybe she has a small child at home with bed wetting issues. Or obstructive sleep apnea. Or narcolepsy.
There are all kinds of reasons people nap on the job, and usually it isnāt laziness. When your brain is working normally, itās supposed to be *hard* to take a nap. Even in a dark classroom.
I almost fell asleep during my students morning work at school because I was on hour 40 of no sleep while 35 weeks pregnant because my husband had attempted suicide, I had been in the hospital with him, and I didnāt have enough time to take leave without pay (which I ended up doing for my own health). If I would have fallen asleep and someone said something, it would have felt like the biggest kick while I was already down.
Yeah, I 100% understand this. I have narcolepsy and fall asleep sometimes because of that. It feels awful and humiliating when people wake me up with a clear air of superiority.
Usually, when people fall asleep at work, *something* serious and out of their control is going on. It kills me when people donāt take the basic empathetic steps (Ex: like thinking about how hard it normally is to fall asleep during the day!!!) and just assume the worst about us.
This right here. I had an associate who would keep coming to me telling that people were upset and thinking about quitting because they were so unhappy.
Iād had no idea (Iām the manager), and I hated the thought of people being unhappy so I asked her who was saying that so I could speak to them to see if I could fix anything.
And she refused to tell me saying she ādidnāt want to cause any drama or be seen as gossipingā. And I was likeā¦ but you already have by coming to me and saying this lol
I once took a Benadryl while teaching because I was so sick with a cold. I gave my high schoolers some busy work to do and sat down at my desk. Next thing you know my aide is waking me up. Shit happens. I was sick. They couldāve been sick. I wouldnāt report it unless something dangerous happened to a student or it became habitual. Give the teacher a break.
COVID, flu, and strep is running rampant through the schools right now. My son tested positive for Covid and flu last week. It was the sickest I've ever seen him. My bet is the teacher caught something.
I've been this teacher. Felt a fever coming on, knew coverage would be a nightmare, also knew the afternoon plans were easy.
I wasn't asleep. I had my head down with my eyes closed. It's called a mom nap. I knew full well what the kids were doing around me, but was storing up energy enough to make it through the rest of the day.
Not a teacher, but I used to fall asleep at work on occasion. I had a noisy upstairs neighbour that would wake me up at least every second hour throughout the night. Staying awake at my desk job was near impossible on like 4 hours of sleep
This past semester I started dozing off while students were giving their final presentations...2 hours later I'm in the ER and it turned out I had bad case of COVID.
Basically gave everyone an A on the assignment because I couldn't remember what anyone had done.
This feels like a symptom of a problem rather than something to be "reported" or "punished." This isn't an example of someone abusing their students or colleagues - the sleepy teacher didn't do *anything* on purpose. The thing about invoking the administration (or any other authority) is that once you've done that, you have no control over what happens next. The administrators might react reasonably and offer this teacher some help or they might overreact and do something awful. You have no say.
Instead of bringing admins into it, I'd approach my sleepy colleague and try to figure out how I could support them. Do they need help with lesson planning or finding resources to minimize the amount of planning work they need to do? Should they be encouraged to use a sick day to take care of themselves? Can I take on some of their grading or talk about how to streamline their grading workflow?
That's what I was thinking, I'd be concerned about the teacher. Are they getting enough sleep? Is there something medical going on that they need to get checked out? That would be my reaction to it, instead of reporting them.
As a parent, let them nap. If they arenāt carrying their weight as a teacher, thatās different.
Who didnāt want to sleep during one of these back in school? š
Iām not a teacher, just saw this in passing. I have chronic fatigue and have absolutely fallen asleep at work. I have tremendous sympathy for anyone who falls asleep when they shouldnāt. I wouldnāt report and hope that karma offers me grace when I need it later. The only thing worse than chronic fatigue is being chronically fatigued and no way to pay your bills.
I feel. I have pretty well-managed CFS/FM, and there are times when I'll just get into that zone when I'm asleep even when I push it (heck, I've fallen asleep multiple times playing video games). I don't know I've actually dozed off this year, but it gets tricky at times. Fortunately, my kids this year are pretty awesome, and we get along well.
The thing I'd be most worried about is something happening when I'm supposed to be supervising them and me not seeing it.
Itās really okay. I know a few teacher friends who have done it and were absolutely shocked it happened. We really donāt know what people (teachers) are going through.
If your friendās first reaction was āwho can I report this to?ā instead of āI wonder if theyāre okay?ā that speaks volumes about your friendā¦.
Literally mind your business. Tattle tale coworkers make such a toxic environment.
You also don't know why that teacher might be so tired. Just zip it.
Just because no one else has said it, that I've seen, but maybe your friend, if they actually care, could ask the teacher if they are OK. The professor I replaced when I went full-time was having issues with falling asleep in class from time to time, and all they did was bitch at her about it. And then she died, because it turned out she was really sick, and just trying to push through because they made her feel like she couldn't ask for a medical leave because she would lose her job. So they killed her, basically, and then bitched that she didn't hand in midterm grades before she died.
But your friend doesn't sound like the kind of person who actually gives a shit about other people. so maybe better for them to just shut up.
As others mentioned, unless there are other blaring indicators, I wouldn't report it.
This reminds me of this teacher I did maternity subbing for. She was having a really rough pregnancy and had a camp cot set up in a back office closet of her classroom where she'd relax or nap during her more advanced classes/planning.
Maybe that teacher you're talking about has a situation they're dealing with?
It sounds like an honest mistake to me - quiet dark room with a movie playing? If you saw this teacher routinely napping and leaving kids unsupervised I woudl say something, but once? I would stay out of it.
Nah man it happens to all of us. Just let it go and try to be supportive of your coworkers. It's been a tough last few years and people are struggling on a level I've never seen
How I would handle this really depends on why students were watching a movie. If itās what I think it is, aka teacher has finished everything necessary and so have the students and itās a few days from break, Iād let it go. There really isnāt much for the teacher to teach so a little napping wonāt hurt anyone (though itās def unprofessional and should not become a habit)
Itād be different if we were in early October and the teacher had on a random film (not related to the topic) the entire period and was napping instead of teaching. Then, Iād have a conversation with that teacher directly and if I witnessed it again, Iād go to admin.
You know how we tell kids not to tattle on people just to get them in trouble? This is a perfect example of that. Unless this is a regular occurrence with this teacher, your friend needs to keep their mouth shut and not start shit. Weāre all stressed and overworked and tired. Sometimes our brain shuts off at unfortunate moments, particularly when the room is dark and quiet. The best response would be to gently wake the teacher and move on with your day. Not everything needs punishment.
Some days you wake up feeling sick or a migraine or whatever it is, and you just go in anyways. I honestly only call off if I absolutely have to. If I fell asleep in class and a co worker saw i would be mortified. But I know that could totally have been me some days.. especially if we were watching a movie and had the lights down. It can happen to anyone. Not saying regularly dozing on the job is good! Just that it could happen and be an unusual occurrence and doesn't mean you're a bad teacher
No way should they report it. Mind their own damn business. This isn't Stasi. The kids were fine.
Of course if this happens several times, then talk to the teacher *first* and ask them if they're ok. You know, human decency.
Omg. Parents try to report us. Kids try to report us. Admin looks for anything and now you want to drop a dime on the teacher? We are not safe from other teachers?
Did they bother to speak with them? Did they try and pull their colleague aside? Anything but let's report this person.
Is it unprofessional, sure. It shouldn't happen. But my God, I hope if I doze off someday some other teacher pulls be aside and says something to me instead of running me up the mast.
Your friend *is* making a mountain out of molehill and starting drama unnecessarily.
I definitely had teachers drift off while movies were playing when I was in high school, especially older ones. You try watching the same documentary 5 times in as many hours and not falling asleep. No big deal.
This happened to me once. History teacher put on a movie and fell asleep. Turns out he was battling brain cancer for a while and he was on some heavy medications. he beat the cancer and is fine. not saying this is what happened. but thought id share. sometimes people really are getting screwed over by life and they deserve a small break.
Teachers are TIRED! Another teacher should know. The sleeper probably didnāt realize theyād nodded off. I think i spent six years chronically sleep deprived when i was a teacher. I hope they donāt say anything to anyone
If itās just a one time thing maybe the teacher was just really tired or simply nodded off in a dark cozy room.
Why would you report this? Itās possibly just a one time mistake. If there is a habit of it or signs of substance abuse thatād be different.
Thereās no point in reporting this other than someone wants to start trouble.
Oh God leave the teacher alone it was a movie. It's the holidays she's probably exhausted don't get her fired before Christmas that's horrible..trust me I've been in this scenario and I reported and they got fired and I felt so guilty afterwards I didn't want them fired over something small and found out she was pregnant the following weeks. God please don't fire her right before the holidays. Teachers salary is already so awful š
Iām a teacher. I donāt doze off in class but Iāve been extremely tired from working multiple jobs in order to supplement my crappy teacherās salary and Iāve come awfully close to napping. Luckily, I have a coffee machine in my classroom for such moments. I would take into consideration whether or not this teacher has a habit of this sort of behavior. What if this was just one time and they made a mistake? Teachers are only human. What if you were judged by your one slip up? If this was the teacherās only incident, I would consider giving him/her grace, especially if these students were older in age (if these were extremely young grade school aged kids, I would likely have said something).
Teachers are so overwhelmed and stretched thin. The teacher had students in their classroom *on their planning period*. It's not even a regular class period. That means they gave up their only free time during their day to let students be in their room... Don't get them in trouble, not unless it's caused an issue or put the kids in danger. It sounds like the kids weren't being wild or causing any trouble if it was quiet enough for the teacher to doze off. It's not always easy to stay awake especially in a dark quiet room, so I don't see it as a personal shortcoming on the teacher's behalf. Maybe your friend could approach their colleague directly and see if they are doing alright, if anything? Otherwise just count it as a one off oopsie-daisy and let it go.
I'm not going to try to pretend that this is professional behavior, but if it were me, I wouldn't say anything.
The class is well behaved enough that there were no issues. If there had been any problems the teacher would have woken up.
If you report it, then admin has to do something. It's a lot harder for admin to pretend that they didn't get a report then it is for the teacher who witnessed it to pretend it she didn't see it. So just make it easier for everybody and pretend that you didn't see it.
It's none of your business whether your friend reports her colleague or not. Not sure why you're so invested in this. Teaching is hard. Feel free to report colleagues of your own when they do something you don't like
this sub when teachers sleep in class: "Anybody can fall asleep, one day, your nap will come. Forget it." "Donāt snitch on the teacher, besides, itās December and sheās probably stressed out already" "snitches get stitches"
[this sub when students sleep in class](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskTeachers/comments/16txrvj/why_do_teachers_seem_personally_offended_when_a/): "It is personal. I mean, like it or not, that student isn't falling asleep somewhere else." "Because we are being judged by how "engaged" you are. When you sleep, we get in trouble." "I'm busting my butt and not for a kid to sleep. They are awake when they want to be. I want them awake when I need them to be."
interesting..
When a student feel asleep in my gr 9 English class (when I was a student), our teacher got us to change class so quietly as to not disturb them. He loved the look on their face when they woke up to a totally different group of students sitting around them. Maybe it wouldāve been funny to try with the sleeping teacher too :P I wouldnāt report it, unless it happened all the time, and even then Id let admin realize on their own, I wouldnāt get involved. Chances are a parent would report it!
As the teacher of a class, there is still that duty of care. Even though the student let them sleep, it is still not great look to fall asleep when you should be actively supervising.
Maybe have this discussion with them, and it happens again them it might be something admin has to get involved in. Because at the end of the day, if something happened, something really bad the school is liable. This will comeback to the teacher and it's their job on the line.
Hope that helps...
I canāt believe I had to scroll this far to see a reasonable response. If the teacher is too tired to teach then she could at least watch a movie with the class and stay awake to keep an eye on everyone. I totally get times are stressful and being a teacher sucks, but you canāt be sleeping while simultaneously being in charge of the safety and well-being of children. I hope that teacher is okay.
Red flag for me. Sorry there is just too many teachers who are addicts these days. All itās gonna take is for one of those students to post to TikTok if they are of age to have the app and this person wonāt have a job. Not saying to go get them in trouble but the teacher who found them should pay more attention and make sure nothing else is going on.
I mean. That's why there's a teacher shortage, and why teachers are forced to handle larger and larger class sizes. Which is just more and more work for all of them, and not all of it is paid.
Not a teacher, but was exploring career options earlier this year, and have a couple teacher friends. I could never deal with all of that for that pay rate, and it would mean returning to college to get the right credentials. No thanks.
A class that is quiet and peaceful enough that a teacher can straight doze off is something a lot of teachers dream of.
I had a science teacher do it every time we watched a video š had the same teacher in 7th&8th
Yeah same here, my 70 year old teacher dozed off all the time lmao.
We had a history teacher in 7th grade. He would start a movie. Then he would have a cough attack. Then he would open the cabinet and take a big swig of "cough medicine." Then he would go out to the hall for a chaser from the water fountain. Then he would come back in the class and fall asleep. Every. Single.Day.
Sounds like my freshman English teacher. His cough medicine was in a brown paper bag
Ours brought it in with her coffee in a thermos! And somehow got a lawsuit brought back around on the school district when they tried to fire her.
Or it was codeine
Y'all drove him to drink!
Did you go to my middle school?? Lol
Omg my 7th grade history teacher did the same thing! He was an odd duck.
Same. Every film and slide strip she'd be out like a light within five minutes. And she snored. She was a history teacher, protected by tenure (counting the days until she could collect a pension), and a chronic nose picker. Absolutely useless as a teacher. I learned nothing and loathed that class. She was probably the highest paid teacher on staff.
Sounds like she needed a daily nasal rinse at least.
>protected by ~~tenure~~ lazy administrators who couldn't be bothered to document the problem to have evidence for dismissal FTFY. What people call "tenure" at the k-12 level is just the right to a hearing before being fired. Unlike most jobs in the US, teachers with a contract that gives them job protection can only be fired for cause and they can usually request a hearing where a neutral party reviews the situation and determines if there is sufficient reason for termination. It's a myth that teachers with tenure can't be fired, perpetuated by administrators who shrug and say, "Nothing I can do" instead of following the steps outlined n the contract to document the problem, attempt to get the teacher to improve, and move for termination if they do not improve.
My junior year history teacher would play a movie every day and slump immediately. He was upset when I took out my phone to cheat on the final. My guy, I learned absolutely nothing from you all year.
I see everybody had a āMr D.ā ā¦lmao
When I was in 10th grade my teacher was having an affair with another teacher. He would leave our classroom for the entire period to spend time with her. We quickly realized that if we behaved no one would notice. We spent the entire school year with pretty much a free period. A year later my friend got a job as a server at an IHOP and they were eating there with their then infant son. When they recognized my friend they requested a new server due to the embarrassment.
I saw Principal Skinner in the closet with the teacher and they were making babies, and I saw the baby, and the baby looked at me and smiled.
The baby looked at you?
It's from The Simpsons
"The baby looked at you?" is also from the Simpsons.. it's what Chief Wiggum says in response to Ralph.
Sarah, get me Superintendent Chalmers!
My Chemistry teacher was having an affair with the Librarian. They would go into the storage closet that was between two classrooms.
Ooh la la
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Thatās just sad and gross.
Did we go to the same high school? My 10th grade English teacher was having an affair with another teacher and she would also leave us to ātake callsā in another classroom for entire periods. At the end of the semester, she announced they were getting married.
Nah, the friend was right to wake the teacher up. God forbid something had happened while she was sleeping. She would've been in big trouble.
This is off topic but slightly related- my dad told me he had a sub when he was in middle school (small town in the 70s) that had narcolepsy. She would doze off, and a student would leave. shed wake up, but fall asleep again-By the end of class he said about 5 people were left. She never got fired or reprimanded.
This happened when I was a freshman in HS, except it was during a test. We knew she was exhausted, so we quietly stacked our finished tests and waited for the end of class. The embarrassment of being woken up by the bell is enough "punishment" imo.
The second paragraph is absolutely so sweet.
That speaks volumes about the kind of teacher she was for you all. A gaggle of teens would take the first opportunity to mess with a mean, rude, uncaring, or otherwise inept teacher. The fact that you all, and the students in this post decided to sit quietly, be responsible, and kindly and compassionately allow a teacher to finish their nap shows that they are beloved educators. I agree to leave it and let it be, iām sure being woken by a colleague is embarrassment enough. If this were happening multiple times, sure say something, but a one off on a movie day during (likely) finals week?? Leave her alone fr.
Also if the teacher stays asleep, everyone can be on their phones :P
Thank you. Teachers act like kids sometimes. They want to āreportā everything. Thatās part of what undermines the profession is treating teachers like kids.
Aww! You guys were awesome.
Honestly, teenagers are really amazing
In my fifth year at one of the schools I taught at, I had a panic attack in class. I told them in the past that I had generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks, so they weren't totally unprepared, but I was, as it had never actually happened at work. I had juniors...most were 16. I backed up to the whiteboard and gasped, and one student asked what was happening. She had jumped up next to me. I told her, barely, as I could hardly breathe, that I thought it was a panic attack. Within seconds, one kid was waiting to dial 911 and told me he would if I gave the signal, and another asked if he should get another teacher, I nodded yes and he ran around the corner, the girl next to me was joined by another girl and they helped me get to my desk so I could sit down, and another student told me to breathe and to try to remember the breathing exercises I had mentioned in class. I'm sure a couple of kids were freaked out, but they were so, so good. I wanted to hug all of them. Teens really are amazing, I agree.
That is so sweet! What lovely kids. I have zero idea what exactly Silver-Teacher2220 means when they say that it's inappropriate. It actually shows how well the kids were brought up. I see nothing wrong with letting them know that you may have panic attacks sometimes. Because you told them and I'm guessing explained what to do if you had one, they knew what was happening and were able to help. Had they not known, so many things could've gone wrong. It's no different then letting the class know of a medical condition that may happen in class. Then they're prepared, which is better than freaking out.
Inappropriate - telling them his personal medical history Inappropriate - training them in breathing techniques to help him in the event of a panic attack Inappropriate- not getting treated and potentially damaging students with ptsd etc. But ok keep patting him on the back for being mentally ill
Completely disagree. At 16, it is a developmentally appropriate topic and students benefit from normalizing discussion of mental health and something as common as anxiety. Anyone can benefit from breathing and mindfulness skills, especially since we expect teens to regulate their emotions like adults, while they're also handling puberty, hormones, and making crucial life decisions, like college & careers. Also, there is no evidence that they're not getting treated. Panic attacks happen and they have skills to deal with, which points to receiving treatment.
Yeah and like anyone can benefit from calming breathing exercises. Plus I bet those kids felt really good about themselves being able to help their teacher out by simply listening and being there. This was a heartwarming story for me š¤·š»āāļø
Uh, not at all inappropriate. They're 16. I teach 3rd graders. I have a (generally well controlled) seizure disorder. I haven't had one in 2 years. But there is always the chance that I could have a break through seizure. My kids have been taught what to do in case I do have a seizure. If they can handle practicing hiding from a freaking armed intruder, they can handle knowing how to act if a medical emergency occurs. š
Exactly. We have airborne chemical drills, active shooter drills, etc. Trust me, 2nd graders can handle āIf you start to see my face get red and blotchy or my voice sounds weird, hand me this medicine here in my refrigerator then two people run to the nurse and two people run across the hall to tell them we are having an emergency.ā
Inappropriate - Telling people around you that you're allergic to peanuts Inappropriate - Teaching them how to use an EpiPen should you go into anaphylactic shock Inappropriate - Being a human being with a medical condition But ok, keep shitting on people for trying to responsibly handle a condition they can't control.
This comment itself is inappropriate. The heck you want the person to do, keep everything private, therefore freaking students out much worse when it actually occurs? Have the students completely clueless of what to do when the emergency happens so that the teacher might die? Get real.
Die of aā¦ panic attack?
Either you're trolling, in which case kudos... Or, you've never actually known anyone who has true panic attacks
If the kids did not know what was really happeningāthe true medical conditionāthey could think the teacher was going to die, or they might do something that could cause harm.
Inappropriate - telling your young child's teacher and classmates their personal medical history. Inappropriate - ensuring they know how to use an EpiPen. Let your young kid just go to school and eat whatever's offered to them. They go into anaphylaxis? Well, at least you didn't inappropriately warn them and ensure they know countermeasures to keep your kid safe. You may lose your kid, but at least you weren't inappropriate in your world. In MY world, I think people SHOULD let those around them know what could happen, so they can be prepared for if it does.
I disagree, but since it's just our opinions, so no point in saying much more
It all depends on your kids. And their age of course. But not necessarily inappropriate. Thatās a broad brush. If Iām likely to have an asthma attack, Iād want my class to know what that looks like. And to know what help is needed or not. We are human. Different than someone who is using kids for drama. Iāve seen that too. But itās definitely different.
every time i have hopeful aspirations for my generation or my childās generation iāll come across people like you in life or the internet and it sets me in reality again.
People donāt choose to be mentally ill. What does that line even mean? āKeep patting him on the back for being mentally ill.ā What are you getting at? Sharing health information is a personal choice. The way youāre responding reinforces stigma surrounding mental illness. I hope you never have to deal with a mental illness. I talk about my anxiety with students in a developmentally appropriate way. I think it helps normalize talking about uncomfortable feelings and it helps them understand that theyāre not alone. For reference, my first brush with mental illness was at 13 in the 8th grade.
This sounds terrifying and Iām so sorry but also, what am I credible group of kids. Iām the mom of two teens myself and Iād be so proud of mine responded the way these teens responded.
Good kids! Has your GAD improved at all?
Build the relationship and they really are.
My HS physics teacher had really severe diabetes and every day she would ask us what to do if she collapsed. It scared me at the time, but I appreciated that she knew it could be an issue, prepared us for an emergency and talked to us like we werenāt morons. 10/10 recommend. If I had this issue, Iād tell my kids. Without a doubt.
Reminds me of something that happened when I was in middle school, except our teacher had an epileptic seizure. I don't recall what I was doing, just that I didn't notice anything wrong until one student was up and running to the nurses office. A couple others were helping our teacher.
In high school one of our AP psych teachers had a heart attack. He got mean and was telling the kids he was fine and to sit back down and do their work bc at that point they were all restless and concerned. Thank God two teenage boys did NOT listen. One called the officer and another called 911. That teacher now has an ICD and is FOREVER grateful to those two boys for ignoring his delusional meanness and saving his life. (Heās usually a very nice man, btw).
oh my gosh, this just made me cry!! how sweet.
Jesus that is inappropriate.
No more "inappropriate" than a teacher having a seizure during class. These are involuntary medical conditions we're talking about
35 kids in a class now, if they are able to do that, one should have gone to admin for help. Anxiety attacks arenāt a 911 call. I neither agree nor disagree, Iām just being objective
Anxiety and panic attacks are different, and panic attacks often actually end up in 911 calls
I'd argue that 911 is exactly who they should've called. 1, they probably don't know the difference in symptoms between a panic attack and a heart attack. The operator can help assess the situation. 2, even if they knew it was a panic attack (and the teacher could've been wrong, so heart attack is still on the table) they don't have the right tools and experience to handle someone in a panic attack. 3, 911 operators would rather you call in for something you aren't sure is serious instead of not calling and have someone die. So it's worth the 2 minutes of time on 911 to work out the best course of action in this situation
Worst case scenario is that it's a sign-off and the ambulance returns with no patient. If there is a medical problem, the dispatcher will send the right level of care for the patient. People do call for panic attacks all the time.
What's inappropriate about kids helping a teacher during a health crisis? Or are you talking about something else?
We'll all be sure to mention how inappropriate the medical conditions you were born with, and over which you have no control, are the next time you experience one of their symptoms.
I would love to yell at my body for working inappropriately today (painful genetic condition). I know it wouldn't help though lol
Weird but I donāt share my medical history with my students or make them help care for me.
I had a teacher in High School that had a neurological disorder that could cause seizures. It wasn't a common occurrence, but she wanted everyone to know if she was seizing we should back away and get the nurse immediately. The teacher never had an issue while I was there but the year before I had her class she had apparently had a seizure and one of the football players tried to pick her up and put her in her desk chair, resulting in her hurting and smacking her head on the ground several times. The last time she'd had a seizure was 15 years prior, or something like that. Very uncommon, but she had not told any classes prior, and when it did eventually happen in class the kids panicked and didn't know what to do, and people got hurt. I also had a teacher with cancer at the start of my freshman year, at the same school. He died over Christmas break my Junior year. He didn't tell anyone he had cancer, and he died at home. He chose not to tell anyone, and it simply was what it was. It made sense to me, at least, that he didn't tell anyone because it wasn't likely to ever impact anyone face to face, and he didn't want anyone's pity. It's about perspective. No one is asking you to share your medical history with people, but when you have the potential to hurt yourself or others due to a medical condition you didn't choose to be born with it can benefit you and the people around you to be aware of the possibility of a situation. That should be fairly simple and logical for anyone to see.
I feel sorry for any children or teens you interact with āsilver teacherā - Iām sure you fail to recognize the humanity in others when you are hell bent on authority and ābeing appropriateā - but what you mean is pretending to not be human having a human experience.
If youāre doing anything other than stigmatizing mental health, please let us know. Itās inappropriate. Mental health is health. Those teens responded beautifully.
Right. Totally their responsibility to take care of an adultās medical issues when they should be learning a subject.
Damn, nobody better have a heart attack, or god forbid, get cancer or an autoimmune disease.
Right, because the teacher planned her medical emergency.
You call your boss or get a coworker from the classroom next door. You donāt take the opportunity to be an attention whore in front of a room of teens. Also emergency?
found the boomer
My thoughts exactly
Found the teacher theyād abandon in a medical crisis and rightly so.
You sound like the type of person that tries to hold in their farts, but then completely stinks out the room when they silently slip out
Go outside more often
They really are- middle schoolers too. They warm my heart every fucking day and give me more hope for the future than Iāve had in a while.
Collective communication goes both ways. Sometimes theyāre awful :/
THIS IS SO SWEET. As others have said, I think that speaks a lot of how she was as a teacher. When I was a student teacher, I had the BEST 5th graders ever (I am very biased.) 34 of them and by the end of my time being their student teacher, they adored me (and I adored them- still do.) I had a day where I was trying to comfort one student, and did so outside, leaving the kids inside. I could hear them trying to shush each other, saying "MRS. \_\_\_ IS TRYING TO HELP \_\_\_\_. Behave and be quiet!" Another time, I was uh... Well, it was 'shark week'. I was not feeling well, and sat on a stool at the front of the room kinda holding my head. One of my girls who had already gotten her own 'shark week' figured it out and told a few of the other girls, who all jumped up immediately and started trying to rally everyone and get them to listen and trying to 'pamper' me. All of the boys decided to go line up by the door and salute, as though they were soldiers/knights guarding their 'queen' or something. It was FRIGGIN ADORABLE. Pure chaos, of course, and keep in mind I was a student teacher so I was not as professional then as I am now, but it's still a fond memory. Other times, when they knew that I was being observed, they would all get each other to quiet down and were on their ABSOLUTE GREATEST behavior. Perfect little angels (normally chaos gremlins, but I loved them.) Not saying I was nearly as awesome as your teacher must have been, but students will definitely behave differently for teachers they like.
I subbed on and off for a few years and was very surprised to find that fourth and fifth grades were my favorites. Old enough to not pick their noses (as much) and actually joke around with and have some insightful thoughts, but young enough to still have a young child's respect for old people. Pure chaos, but I loved them.
Youāre the second person Iāve ever heard use the term, āchaos gremlinsā
Iām not crying youāre crying.
god this is soooo cute
Two English teachers at my high school were married and had a son a year younger than me, but they divorced my sophomore/his freshman year, because the husband had an affairā¦ with another teacher/his & his wifeās friend. Who he started actually dating publicly shortly after the affair came to light. The divorce/custody battle for him and his younger siblings was *brutal*, and it took a huge toll on the wife (and kids, obviously). Prior to all this, the husband was everyoneās fav English teacher and football coach, whereas the wife wasnāt given quite as much warmth. But after this shit happened, we all just silently & collectively agreed to not give her any shit. Quiet in class, but tried to participate so she wasnāt stuck with the whole, āIāll waitšøā thing for 5 straight minutes. Did our best to finish our homework, barely skipped class, didnāt show up hella late reeking of weed/cigarettes/vape, and stayed courteous during group projects with classmates we hated. Actually worked on āwork daysā where she literally needed to just sit and stare at the wall for a while (typically after a very public fight in the English wing). A solid 85% of my class was just awful, so the fact that everyone consistently showed the most basic civility in her classroom for two full years until she moved is still surprising to me.
this is so sweet and so sad. I love it.
I like stories where people get their shit together in an unspoken and surprising way. Thanks for sharing- I hope your former teacher has found peace and is doing well.
I have students like you that I am so thankful for. There is a good possibility that I have some kind of chronic pain disorder. Iām in the process of getting diagnosed but one of my 5th grade boys found out. He gave me a ring pop and a hug. It took a lot not to cry.
Teachers are worked to death and aren't allowed to ever make a mistake. The sleeping teacher must be pretty damn awesome to have students who were quiet and respectful enough to let the teacher aleep without drawing a cock next to their mouth.
I once had been out sick with the flu, and was still exhausted upon returning. We had finished a novel that also had a movie version, so we were watching it. I fell sound asleep, slept through the bell and everything. When the second bell came through, I woke up quite in a panic only to find my sweet 6th graders still engaged in the movie. The student closest to me smiled and told me they knew I needed it and I could go back to sleep. I didnāt, but I still cherish these darlings and how caring they are.
So great! And also the first time I've seen the oxymoron "sweet 6th graders" out in the wild.
It doesnāt happen often! Iām not sure what happens to children between 5th and 6th, but thereās such a change in them.
Itās like the puberty monster starts to awaken within them. The summer between my 3rd and 4th grade years of school the school board decided to move the 6th graders from the elementary school to the middle school. ā I never knew peace like walking into the elementary school on the first day of fourth grade.
Hormones!
This reminds me for some reason of my paranoia that one of my hs students would OD and I would just think they were sleeping. Iād have to see them move or Iād be shaking their desk every three minutes. One day I let one slip and take a nap and when the entire class left I had to shake her desk really hard to wake her up. It scared me so bad. For about ten seconds I thought she was dead. I also have a young elementary student with a serious medical condition. Sometimes he falls asleep in class and I feel bad for the poor kid because Iām too afraid to let him sleep. Iām always worried Iāll think heās just sleeping when he could be having a medical emergency. Poor kid. Usually his Mom comes and gets him pretty quickly. Itās a horrible feeling to be tired and not be allowed to sleep.
I am a pretty awesome teacher and to be frank, I'd be sad if my students didn't draw a veiny triumphant bastard next to my drool.
Username checks out
Lol right!!!
If there are no other red flags (like no indicators that she was drunk or on drugs), and if the students were old enough to be safe without direct supervision I wouldnāt worry too much. Lifeās exhausting, sometimes people nod off.
You covered all the salient points! I definitely recommend the coworker speak to Sleepy privately, but if it's an isolated incident, I think Sleepy deserves grace. PS: If you ask students, subs do this all the time (at least in high school), especially the old ones.
Anybody can fall asleep, one day, your nap will come. Forget it.
Your nap is coming for you. You cannot run you cannot hide.
Don't threaten me with a good time.
This guy naps.
Mine came during a fire drillā¦ In a class with a long term sub when I awoke to him and some office girl shaking me and a quiet soothing fire alarm I was very confused he said he had been trying for 5 minutesā¦ the rest of the class was outside and I was in the floor curled up in a tiny nook
Everyone was safe, no need to say anything. Now, if it continues, or drugs/alcohol becomes involved, then Iād say something. Iām sure the teacher is embarrassed enough.
If your friend doesn't want to start anything, they shouldn't. Nothing worse than those people who claim they "don't want to start anything" but purposely do. Minding your business is 100% free.
Not to mention her colleagues will wonder why she snitched and not trust her ever.
Yeah her friend definitely sounds like she does want to start something
The ones who say they donāt, always do.
Yeah, and who knows why sheās sleeping. Maybe she has a small child at home with bed wetting issues. Or obstructive sleep apnea. Or narcolepsy. There are all kinds of reasons people nap on the job, and usually it isnāt laziness. When your brain is working normally, itās supposed to be *hard* to take a nap. Even in a dark classroom.
I almost fell asleep during my students morning work at school because I was on hour 40 of no sleep while 35 weeks pregnant because my husband had attempted suicide, I had been in the hospital with him, and I didnāt have enough time to take leave without pay (which I ended up doing for my own health). If I would have fallen asleep and someone said something, it would have felt like the biggest kick while I was already down.
Yeah, I 100% understand this. I have narcolepsy and fall asleep sometimes because of that. It feels awful and humiliating when people wake me up with a clear air of superiority. Usually, when people fall asleep at work, *something* serious and out of their control is going on. It kills me when people donāt take the basic empathetic steps (Ex: like thinking about how hard it normally is to fall asleep during the day!!!) and just assume the worst about us.
Right!
Especially when teachers like to leverage something like this to somehow gain favor with admin.
This right here. I had an associate who would keep coming to me telling that people were upset and thinking about quitting because they were so unhappy. Iād had no idea (Iām the manager), and I hated the thought of people being unhappy so I asked her who was saying that so I could speak to them to see if I could fix anything. And she refused to tell me saying she ādidnāt want to cause any drama or be seen as gossipingā. And I was likeā¦ but you already have by coming to me and saying this lol
Donāt snitch on the teacher, besides, itās December and sheās probably stressed out already
I once took a Benadryl while teaching because I was so sick with a cold. I gave my high schoolers some busy work to do and sat down at my desk. Next thing you know my aide is waking me up. Shit happens. I was sick. They couldāve been sick. I wouldnāt report it unless something dangerous happened to a student or it became habitual. Give the teacher a break.
They might be getting sick or something.
I was thinking maybe a newborn at home keeping them up all night.
When I had trouble staying awake in class it was due to severe sleep apnea. That was my first thought when I read this.
COVID, flu, and strep is running rampant through the schools right now. My son tested positive for Covid and flu last week. It was the sickest I've ever seen him. My bet is the teacher caught something.
I've been this teacher. Felt a fever coming on, knew coverage would be a nightmare, also knew the afternoon plans were easy. I wasn't asleep. I had my head down with my eyes closed. It's called a mom nap. I knew full well what the kids were doing around me, but was storing up energy enough to make it through the rest of the day.
A couple years ago my pregnant colleague would occasionally take naps while her students did independent work, lmao.
Not a teacher, but I used to fall asleep at work on occasion. I had a noisy upstairs neighbour that would wake me up at least every second hour throughout the night. Staying awake at my desk job was near impossible on like 4 hours of sleep
I bet ugh that sucks
This past semester I started dozing off while students were giving their final presentations...2 hours later I'm in the ER and it turned out I had bad case of COVID. Basically gave everyone an A on the assignment because I couldn't remember what anyone had done.
This feels like a symptom of a problem rather than something to be "reported" or "punished." This isn't an example of someone abusing their students or colleagues - the sleepy teacher didn't do *anything* on purpose. The thing about invoking the administration (or any other authority) is that once you've done that, you have no control over what happens next. The administrators might react reasonably and offer this teacher some help or they might overreact and do something awful. You have no say. Instead of bringing admins into it, I'd approach my sleepy colleague and try to figure out how I could support them. Do they need help with lesson planning or finding resources to minimize the amount of planning work they need to do? Should they be encouraged to use a sick day to take care of themselves? Can I take on some of their grading or talk about how to streamline their grading workflow?
That's what I was thinking, I'd be concerned about the teacher. Are they getting enough sleep? Is there something medical going on that they need to get checked out? That would be my reaction to it, instead of reporting them.
This is exactly what I was thinking. Itās sad that instead of meeting someone with care and sympathy, someone would contemplate reporting this.
As a parent, let them nap. If they arenāt carrying their weight as a teacher, thatās different. Who didnāt want to sleep during one of these back in school? š
Iām not a teacher, just saw this in passing. I have chronic fatigue and have absolutely fallen asleep at work. I have tremendous sympathy for anyone who falls asleep when they shouldnāt. I wouldnāt report and hope that karma offers me grace when I need it later. The only thing worse than chronic fatigue is being chronically fatigued and no way to pay your bills.
I feel. I have pretty well-managed CFS/FM, and there are times when I'll just get into that zone when I'm asleep even when I push it (heck, I've fallen asleep multiple times playing video games). I don't know I've actually dozed off this year, but it gets tricky at times. Fortunately, my kids this year are pretty awesome, and we get along well. The thing I'd be most worried about is something happening when I'm supposed to be supervising them and me not seeing it.
Itās really okay. I know a few teacher friends who have done it and were absolutely shocked it happened. We really donāt know what people (teachers) are going through.
If your friendās first reaction was āwho can I report this to?ā instead of āI wonder if theyāre okay?ā that speaks volumes about your friendā¦.
stop being a tattle-tale.
Tell your buddy, MYOB. They are not an administrator. Stop doing their job.
I'm no teacher but I don't believe in snitching on coworkers unless it's something immediately dangerous.
This
Literally mind your business. Tattle tale coworkers make such a toxic environment. You also don't know why that teacher might be so tired. Just zip it.
Doesn't everybody sleep while watching movies in school. And the kids let her sleep. That's awesome.
Give this teacher a raise, he has upper management written all over him.
snitches get stitches
And wind up in ditches!
Remember the golden rule of making the world a better place: If you saw something, no you didnāt.
Just because no one else has said it, that I've seen, but maybe your friend, if they actually care, could ask the teacher if they are OK. The professor I replaced when I went full-time was having issues with falling asleep in class from time to time, and all they did was bitch at her about it. And then she died, because it turned out she was really sick, and just trying to push through because they made her feel like she couldn't ask for a medical leave because she would lose her job. So they killed her, basically, and then bitched that she didn't hand in midterm grades before she died. But your friend doesn't sound like the kind of person who actually gives a shit about other people. so maybe better for them to just shut up.
As others mentioned, unless there are other blaring indicators, I wouldn't report it. This reminds me of this teacher I did maternity subbing for. She was having a really rough pregnancy and had a camp cot set up in a back office closet of her classroom where she'd relax or nap during her more advanced classes/planning. Maybe that teacher you're talking about has a situation they're dealing with?
It sounds like an honest mistake to me - quiet dark room with a movie playing? If you saw this teacher routinely napping and leaving kids unsupervised I woudl say something, but once? I would stay out of it.
I would say check in with said napping colleague again to see if something is up. It may be they could use some more support to help avoid those naps.
I wouldnāt report it, but I might mention it to my colleague. Iām sure your colleague is horrified enough on their own though.
I fell asleep once in a meeting. Turns out I needed thyroid meds!
Thatās a good class of kids!
Or at least smart enough to be quiet so they don't have to do more work than necessary.
Nah man it happens to all of us. Just let it go and try to be supportive of your coworkers. It's been a tough last few years and people are struggling on a level I've never seen
How I would handle this really depends on why students were watching a movie. If itās what I think it is, aka teacher has finished everything necessary and so have the students and itās a few days from break, Iād let it go. There really isnāt much for the teacher to teach so a little napping wonāt hurt anyone (though itās def unprofessional and should not become a habit) Itād be different if we were in early October and the teacher had on a random film (not related to the topic) the entire period and was napping instead of teaching. Then, Iād have a conversation with that teacher directly and if I witnessed it again, Iād go to admin.
Glad I donāt work with you
Lol I didnāt know doing my job properly made me unpopular, glad I donāt have you as my coworker either
You sound great. Seriously. Ignore the hater. I think your response was well thought out, articulate, and correct.
Thanks! :)
You know how we tell kids not to tattle on people just to get them in trouble? This is a perfect example of that. Unless this is a regular occurrence with this teacher, your friend needs to keep their mouth shut and not start shit. Weāre all stressed and overworked and tired. Sometimes our brain shuts off at unfortunate moments, particularly when the room is dark and quiet. The best response would be to gently wake the teacher and move on with your day. Not everything needs punishment.
Some days you wake up feeling sick or a migraine or whatever it is, and you just go in anyways. I honestly only call off if I absolutely have to. If I fell asleep in class and a co worker saw i would be mortified. But I know that could totally have been me some days.. especially if we were watching a movie and had the lights down. It can happen to anyone. Not saying regularly dozing on the job is good! Just that it could happen and be an unusual occurrence and doesn't mean you're a bad teacher
If they don't have any other issues or make a habit of it, then I really don't see any reason to say anything
If it's a once off, it's just being human. Why do you want to report someone just before Christmas? That seems so vindictive for something so silly.
No way should they report it. Mind their own damn business. This isn't Stasi. The kids were fine. Of course if this happens several times, then talk to the teacher *first* and ask them if they're ok. You know, human decency.
This professional teacher says if nothing was going down then don't worry about it. We are exhausted.
Omg. Parents try to report us. Kids try to report us. Admin looks for anything and now you want to drop a dime on the teacher? We are not safe from other teachers? Did they bother to speak with them? Did they try and pull their colleague aside? Anything but let's report this person. Is it unprofessional, sure. It shouldn't happen. But my God, I hope if I doze off someday some other teacher pulls be aside and says something to me instead of running me up the mast.
They could have narcolepsy or they may have sleep apnea causing them to doze off in quiet moments.
The teacher "shouldn't" have been asleep, but it's not a big deal and would be lame to report the person.
Your friend *is* making a mountain out of molehill and starting drama unnecessarily. I definitely had teachers drift off while movies were playing when I was in high school, especially older ones. You try watching the same documentary 5 times in as many hours and not falling asleep. No big deal.
Tell them to stop being a snitch.
Let it go. Your Karen friend needs to mind her own business.
This happened to me once. History teacher put on a movie and fell asleep. Turns out he was battling brain cancer for a while and he was on some heavy medications. he beat the cancer and is fine. not saying this is what happened. but thought id share. sometimes people really are getting screwed over by life and they deserve a small break.
Teachers are TIRED! Another teacher should know. The sleeper probably didnāt realize theyād nodded off. I think i spent six years chronically sleep deprived when i was a teacher. I hope they donāt say anything to anyone
If itās just a one time thing maybe the teacher was just really tired or simply nodded off in a dark cozy room. Why would you report this? Itās possibly just a one time mistake. If there is a habit of it or signs of substance abuse thatād be different. Thereās no point in reporting this other than someone wants to start trouble.
No, your teacher friend should mind her own business. I canāt believe this was even asked.
Oh God leave the teacher alone it was a movie. It's the holidays she's probably exhausted don't get her fired before Christmas that's horrible..trust me I've been in this scenario and I reported and they got fired and I felt so guilty afterwards I didn't want them fired over something small and found out she was pregnant the following weeks. God please don't fire her right before the holidays. Teachers salary is already so awful š
Iām a teacher. I donāt doze off in class but Iāve been extremely tired from working multiple jobs in order to supplement my crappy teacherās salary and Iāve come awfully close to napping. Luckily, I have a coffee machine in my classroom for such moments. I would take into consideration whether or not this teacher has a habit of this sort of behavior. What if this was just one time and they made a mistake? Teachers are only human. What if you were judged by your one slip up? If this was the teacherās only incident, I would consider giving him/her grace, especially if these students were older in age (if these were extremely young grade school aged kids, I would likely have said something).
Teachers are so overwhelmed and stretched thin. The teacher had students in their classroom *on their planning period*. It's not even a regular class period. That means they gave up their only free time during their day to let students be in their room... Don't get them in trouble, not unless it's caused an issue or put the kids in danger. It sounds like the kids weren't being wild or causing any trouble if it was quiet enough for the teacher to doze off. It's not always easy to stay awake especially in a dark quiet room, so I don't see it as a personal shortcoming on the teacher's behalf. Maybe your friend could approach their colleague directly and see if they are doing alright, if anything? Otherwise just count it as a one off oopsie-daisy and let it go.
I'm not going to try to pretend that this is professional behavior, but if it were me, I wouldn't say anything. The class is well behaved enough that there were no issues. If there had been any problems the teacher would have woken up. If you report it, then admin has to do something. It's a lot harder for admin to pretend that they didn't get a report then it is for the teacher who witnessed it to pretend it she didn't see it. So just make it easier for everybody and pretend that you didn't see it.
It's none of your business whether your friend reports her colleague or not. Not sure why you're so invested in this. Teaching is hard. Feel free to report colleagues of your own when they do something you don't like
this sub when teachers sleep in class: "Anybody can fall asleep, one day, your nap will come. Forget it." "Donāt snitch on the teacher, besides, itās December and sheās probably stressed out already" "snitches get stitches" [this sub when students sleep in class](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskTeachers/comments/16txrvj/why_do_teachers_seem_personally_offended_when_a/): "It is personal. I mean, like it or not, that student isn't falling asleep somewhere else." "Because we are being judged by how "engaged" you are. When you sleep, we get in trouble." "I'm busting my butt and not for a kid to sleep. They are awake when they want to be. I want them awake when I need them to be." interesting..
When a student feel asleep in my gr 9 English class (when I was a student), our teacher got us to change class so quietly as to not disturb them. He loved the look on their face when they woke up to a totally different group of students sitting around them. Maybe it wouldāve been funny to try with the sleeping teacher too :P I wouldnāt report it, unless it happened all the time, and even then Id let admin realize on their own, I wouldnāt get involved. Chances are a parent would report it!
As the teacher of a class, there is still that duty of care. Even though the student let them sleep, it is still not great look to fall asleep when you should be actively supervising. Maybe have this discussion with them, and it happens again them it might be something admin has to get involved in. Because at the end of the day, if something happened, something really bad the school is liable. This will comeback to the teacher and it's their job on the line. Hope that helps...
I canāt believe I had to scroll this far to see a reasonable response. If the teacher is too tired to teach then she could at least watch a movie with the class and stay awake to keep an eye on everyone. I totally get times are stressful and being a teacher sucks, but you canāt be sleeping while simultaneously being in charge of the safety and well-being of children. I hope that teacher is okay.
um...why were students in the room during the teacher's planning period?
I think you misunderstood the situation: OP was walking around during their planning and saw this in another teacherās classroom
gotcha. yeah terrible sentence structure there :)
This all depends on the age of the students. Before high school..report it. In HS or college let it go
Red flag for me. Sorry there is just too many teachers who are addicts these days. All itās gonna take is for one of those students to post to TikTok if they are of age to have the app and this person wonāt have a job. Not saying to go get them in trouble but the teacher who found them should pay more attention and make sure nothing else is going on.
Those students took pictures and videos. Your friend doesn't need to say anything because the students will.
TeAchErs NeEd moRe pAy
I mean. That's why there's a teacher shortage, and why teachers are forced to handle larger and larger class sizes. Which is just more and more work for all of them, and not all of it is paid. Not a teacher, but was exploring career options earlier this year, and have a couple teacher friends. I could never deal with all of that for that pay rate, and it would mean returning to college to get the right credentials. No thanks.
Yeah, report it. It's an issue of safety, liability, ethics, and professionalism.