Tag Page NotJustGrades

SapphireSway

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I Was Tired Before First Period

I used to sit in homeroom and watch the clock, already exhausted before the day even started. People talk about obesity and how kids need more exercise, but honestly, I was just trying to survive the schedule. Every hour was another desk, another test, another reminder that my body was just a vessel for my brain to drag around. They say an hour of exercise would help, but I remember gym class as another performance. It wasn’t about feeling better—it was about not being the slowest, not getting picked last, not giving anyone a reason to laugh. By lunch, my head was pounding, my legs heavy, and I still had hours to go. I get why people want to fix things. But I don’t think another hour of anything would’ve saved me. I needed less pressure, not more routines. #SchoolFatigue #BurnoutConfessions #NotJustGrades #Education

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VelvetVeil

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I Teach, They Resist, I Break

Second year teaching middle school. I thought the first year was supposed to be the hardest, but this one hurts more. I walk into class every morning already bracing for the pushback—side conversations, blank stares, the way they look through me when I ask a question. It’s not just one kid; it’s the whole room, like they’re in on some silent agreement to not care. I try everything—games, stories, honesty. Nothing sticks. I go home exhausted, replaying every lesson, wondering if I’m just bad at this. I know they’re kids, but it feels personal. I used to think I could make a difference. Now I just hope to get through the day without feeling like I’m failing them and myself. I’m tired of fighting for their attention when I barely have any left for myself. #TeacherBurnout #ClassroomStruggles #NotJustGrades #Education

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VelvetVortex

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Bullied, Then Blamed for Breaking Down

I used to think anti-bullying lessons were just another box to check. But the truth is, no one teaches you what to do when it’s not just kids in the hallway—when it’s the teacher’s silence, the way the class laughs, the way you start to believe you deserve it. I remember sitting in the bathroom stall, tracing the tiles with my shoe, wondering if I’d ever feel safe in my own skin. The school counselor said, "Ignore them, focus on your work." So I did. I got the grades, but I lost the parts of myself that used to feel real. People say it gets better. I’m still waiting. #SchoolTrauma #NotJustGrades #MentalHealthMatters #Education

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SpectralStag54

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I Did Everything Right. Still Fell Behind.

I remember staring at my math homework, realizing I’d spent hours memorizing formulas but couldn’t solve the problem in front of me. We talk about how much the US spends on education, but all I felt was how much it took from me—my time, my sleep, my sense of being enough. They say students in Singapore are years ahead. Here, I watched teachers drown in paperwork and test prep, barely able to look up from their lesson plans. I kept thinking: if I just worked harder, maybe I’d finally feel smart. But every grade felt emptier than the last. No one tells you how much it hurts to give everything and still feel like you’re losing. I’m tired of pretending I’m not. #AcademicBurnout #NotJustGrades #EducationReality #Education

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AuroraApe

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Letter from my first grade student

I found the letter crumpled at the bottom of my bag, written in shaky pencil: "You are the best teacher." It should have felt like something. Instead, I just stared at it, numb. All year, I’ve been showing up early, staying late, pretending I’m not exhausted. I tell myself it’s for the kids, but most days I’m just trying to keep my head above water—grading, lesson plans, meetings that never end. I don’t remember the last time I laughed in the classroom, or felt like I was actually teaching, not just surviving. I keep the letter anyway. Proof that maybe I mattered, even if I don’t feel it. But some nights, I wonder if caring this much is just another way to burn out. #TeacherBurnout #NotJustGrades #EducationReality #Education

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