Dear We Are Teachers,
I’ve been a part of interviews this summer for a vacancy on our team. After researching each of the candidates online, I discovered my principal’s top choice is a teacher TikTok influencer with over 10k followers. She features student faces, promotes sponsored content from her classroom, and has what seems like hundreds of videos of her dancing—some even with students! I notified my principal immediately, but she just shrugged it off. I’m very uncomfortable with our students’ privacy being at risk. Should I reach out to this teacher before the school year starts about keeping her influencer business off campus or wait until I’m working with her?
—Not Here for Hashtags
Dear N.H.F.H.,
OK. First of all, good on you for doing your homework (a light Google search should be par for the course these days in an interview). And you’re absolutely right to be concerned where student privacy, safety, and professional boundaries could be at risk.
But, respectfully, and to borrow a phrase from the youths, let her cook.
Right now, you have limited information, both about this teacher and about the rules she may or may not have broken. Maybe she has parents sign a waiver about being featured in her videos. Perhaps her last district supported her social media presence because of how she portrayed the school in a positive light. Maybe she has no plans to continue her influencer side hustle at your school. There are all kinds of possibilities you may not have considered.
What I’m saying is that if you rush to chastise her when you’re not in a supervisory role, you’re likely to come off as confrontational. Instead, welcome her to your team as warmly as you would anyone else. Then, keep an eye out for how this new colleague operates once the year begins. If you see her ignoring privacy policies, that’s the time to have a chat with her.
Dear We Are Teachers,
Wanting a change of scenery after a breakup, I signed a contract at a school district in a state halfway across the country back in May. The Zoom interview was great, but now that I’m here, I see that I’ve made a huge mistake. The town—sold to me as a suburb “minutes” from the big city—is a ghost town a cool 40 minutes away (and that’s with no traffic). The school feels like a giant health hazard from the 1950s. Missing ceiling tiles, peeling linoleum and paint, random leaks and drips everywhere. My team seems nice, but I can’t shake the feeling that I jumped too soon. Should I break my contract?
—Regretfully Relocated
Dear R.R.,
Breakups will make you do bold things, won’t they? At least you didn’t get bangs. (Actually, bangs may have been easier to recover from. Depends on the bangs.)
Here’s the tough truth: If you signed a contract, breaking it may come with serious consequences. That said, contracts aren’t prison sentences. If you’re truly miserable, it’s worth looking into your district’s resignation policy and timeline. Some schools may allow you to resign with notice before the school year begins. Others may hit you with certification penalties or some kind of other ding on your record. Will that record follow you back to your home state? Those are the kinds of questions you need to be asking.
But before bailing, find the nearest picturesque pond, peer into your reflection, and ask yourself this: Can I give this a year? You like your team—that’s a great place to start. There’s obviously something that drew you to this area. Could this year be a stepping stone to something better?
If the answer is absolutely not, then start making calls now. Look for another position in a district that feels more aligned, and get the official process rolling. Just be sure you’re running toward something better, not just running away.
And next time? Maybe just get the bangs.
Dear We Are Teachers,
I teach middle school in a district that is expected to switch to a year-round model. While I see some upsides, I’m having a hard time worrying about how this change will impact our planning time, family schedules, and the recharge I usually get from a long block of time off in the summer. How can I prepare myself (and my classroom) if this change goes through?
—Calendar Calamity
Dear C.C.,
Why don’t you just stop worrying?
(I’m kidding. Sorry. This is often my dad’s advice and it drives me bonkers.)
I would be worried, too, about a shift that big! I’m sure you already know that the year-round model doesn’t mean more school—it usually just means shorter breaks spread more evenly throughout the year; think nine weeks on, three weeks off. Some districts even keep a six-week summer. Still, it’s a lot to get used to.
Here’s how to ease the transition:
- 🗓 Start planning your breaks now, even if they’re only two or three weeks long. A week at the beach during the less crowded off-season? Yes, please. A three-day nap in March? Downright dreamy.
- 📚 Get ahead on curriculum pacing, as year-round calendars usually mean tighter cycles. Use planning time now to map out units across your new schedule. You’ll thank yourself later.
- 👨👩👧👦 If you have kids in a traditional school calendar, this might get complicated. Start conversations early with family and support systems about coverage, camps, and childcare swaps.
- 🧠 Do a cheeky little reframe! This isn’t “losing summer”—it’s gaining breathing room in what is otherwise a nonstop marathon.
Lastly, connect with teachers in other districts in our HELPLINE group on Facebook (2% of teachers we surveyed are in year-round schools) who have already made the switch. They’ll have tips, hacks, and probably some high-quality memes that perfectly capture the year-round teaching life.
Do you have a burning question? Email us at [email protected].
Dear We Are Teachers,
My principal called this morning and said that a “community member” sent her a picture of me that a local news organization published. In the photo, I’m carrying a sign that says “Protect our democracy.” My principal said this violates our district’s code of conduct, which prohibits “speech that is disruptive, unprofessional, or inconsistent with their educational mission.” She said I’m promoting a “partisan message” that would offend students and families I work with, and that I should have known my attendance would send a negative message to our school community. She asked me to write a statement of apology to the parent, and when I asked what would happen if I didn’t, she said it would result in a “formal reprimand.” I haven’t had so much as a slap on the wrist in the 23 years I’ve been teaching! What would you do?
—Caught With a Cause
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