#and it ended hopeful. i mean robin’s hitting it off with vickie and

[daylighteclipsed]

The stuff with Will could’ve been handled a little better and I really don’t care about the stancy vs jancy nonsense, but aside from that I think vol 2 was good

#i cried like 4 times #season 4 altogether was way better than 3 #Ik ppl are upset about will and robin but nothing about how they were handled felt malicious #we were supposed to feel for them in those sad scenes #and it ended hopeful. i mean robin’s hitting it off with vickie and #well honestly idk about will and mike #but i feel like the fact that will’s the one who painted that painting for mike and sees mike as the heart could come up again #the fact that it’s will who feels that way not eleven #i mean. there’s still a whole other season. it’s not over til it’s over #both will and mike were sidelined this season so hopefully they’ll get some character attention in the next one #but really I’ve never cared for the romance in this show #it’s the friendship and family relationships that get me grinning and sobbing #I’m also so so glad max did not die. was eleven bringing her back somehow a little cheesy? yeah. but if max had died #after this whole season about her healing from her trauma and wanting to live again #i would’ve been crushed. would’ve soured the whole ending for me tbh #but she’s alive and I’m interested to see what they do with her in a coma #since eleven is trying to lead max out of that coma using her powers #ik ppl got real attached to eddie too but i thought his death was good and the private scene between dustin and mr munson was so much more #effective than if everyone had mourned/there’d been a funeral #it was so good i broke down crying #anyway. yeah i had a pretty great time watching this season

[resident-gay-bitch]

okay, i don’t know where this thought came from. sue me. i don’t care it’s amusing.

———

steve was very drunk. like, super drunk. he’d faced the almost-end of the world for fucks sake, you can’t get mad at him for wanting to get drunk.

vecna had happened, and they’d almost killed him, and then eddie died. but then he wasn’t dead anymore, he was brought back to life by none other than their resident bad guy and practically betrayed the party, but then he didn’t… it was so confusing, steve was just trying to not die whilst defending everyone else the whole time. dustin kept making references to this “kas” guy… eddie seemed to agree, once he was back to his normal weird self.

eddie had graduated, today actually, after summer school. the weather was hot and eddie was finally free and they wanted to have a party and celebrate success. freedom.

so, here they were. all drinking the night away and laughing and dancing and fuck, all those hits to the head really fucked with steve’s tolerance because after those three shots with robin and the two beers he’d had prior, he was blasted. he decided to stop drinking, but then eddie was nice enough to make him up this “special concauction” and he couldn’t say no. so another drink down… and a strong one at that.

so steve was drunk. very drunk. so drunk that his consciousness wasn’t really there, and his vision was blurred, but he was still having a good time. just no more alcohol. he yelled that out to everyone, made sure they all stopped him from the beers.

he was dancing with robin, their arms linked as they jigged around the room to Gimme Gimme Gimme, singing off the top of their lungs. everyone was amused, especially because robin was now out to everyone there since she started seeing vicky, and steve was a guy. a straight guy at that. right?

eddie was slumped back against the wall, beer in hand, he was pretty drunk too, but not nearly as gone as steve. he was smoking a joint, passing it to jonothan beside him. nancy gave them shit for smoking inside, but it was steve’s house, not hers, and steve didn’t care. they poked their tongues out at her.

eddie had his eyes locked on steve, as they had been ever since gym class in their shared senior year. steve just wore such tight little shorts, and when eddie was forced to go up against him in one v one basketball against his will, and he was trying to get the ball and steve shoved his ass into eddie’s crotch in defence… well, yeah. eddie hadn’t gotten an erection so fast since middle school when he had to get changed in the locker room for the first time.

he wasn’t sure if he’d had a chance with steve. sometimes it seemed like he was flirting, but then he’d start talking about this pretty girl that came into work and all hope would be lost. why must life be so confusing?

steve however, had been harbouring secretive feelings for eddie since like… his freshman year. well, he didn’t know he liked eddie back then, he was just so entranced by this weird guy with gorgeous eyes and soft pink lips and a daring grin and such confidence. he was in awe. he’d only realised he actually liked eddie, after talking with robin about his bisexuality and after dustin wouldn’t shut up about the guy.

he couldn’t blame the kid though. eddie was everything.

but god these feelings sucked ass. steve just wanted to be normal, he didn’t need to deal with being more of a disappointment. he hated himself. and he hated eddie because there was no way eddie could be into him, right? eddie was straight. he had to be. i mean, it’s not like eddie ever talked about girls, or had ever had a girlfriend, or seemed interested in the girls steve tried to set him up with, or had any nudie mags lying around his room or any thing like that… but like… he wasn’t gay. he just… no.

and so he was drunk and dancing and singing about wanting a man after midnight and seeing eddie stare at him whilst high out the corner of his eye, and his vision was blurred but it looked like eddie was smiling at him, ignoring jonothan even. god everything was so much. steve either needed to go to bed, or to hook up with some pretty girl. that’s what he’d do anytime he’d have stupid feelings about tommy back in the day.

they finished their dance and then some sappy love song started playing and vicky came over for a dance with her girlfriend and steve took that as his cue to leave. and he did. he stumbled over and threw back another shot before dustin could pull it from his hands because shit, feelings sucked man. especially the gay ones.

why weren’t there any pretty un-lesbian girls here?

oh, there was nancy… her and jonothan were broken up again… he thought… maybe? god it was too hard to keep track. but… it was worth a shot, right? she was clearly attracted to him, at least once.

he walked over to her leaning against the window she stood in front of, crowding her in and putting on his flirtiest grin, “hey there.”

“hi.” she looked at him weirdly.

“how’s it goin?”

“uh, good?” she glanced over to el and max who were just a few feet away, watching and giggling.

“so, i was thinkin…” he put on a charming little laugh.. at least, what he though was charming, “you and me-“

“nancy!” mike shouted from the kitchen, “where the fuck are the cupcakes mum made?”

nancy rolled her eyes, thanking the gods for her insufferable brother, pat steve on the bicep and walked away.

fuck.

he slumped against the window and decided he needed more alcohol.

he managed to steel some from dustin’s cup once he’d put it down to fight with lucas, both of them rolling around on the ground. he slinked away before dustin could notice.

“hey! who…”

steve giggled to himself and stumbled over to argyle, who was fiddling with the music. he made some small talk with the dude. he seemed cool enough. steve wanted to request some tears for fears.

he saw nancy staring at him and his cheeks flushed a little pink, she seemingly looked him up and down before turning to head upstairs. her hair, in all it’s curly glory, bounced as she bound up the steps and steve was intrigued. so he followed.

he struggled to climb the stairs at first, his feet finding the wrong spots and almost rolling down a few times, but eventually he got there. he noticed his bedroom door open.

yes.

distraction with a gorgeous girl, ago. thank fuck she got the message, right?

nope. no one was in there… but then the door to his ensuite swung open and nancy drunkenly stumbled out. steve grinned at her.

“hey gorgeous.” he winked, taking a few slow, very stumbly steps forward.

she clearly was very flustered, “uh, hi…”

steve shut his bedroom door, and then they were enclosed in darkness, “funny seeing you here.”

yeah, he’d kind of lost his charm over the years. blame it on the head trauma.

“ah… yeah?” her voice was deeper than steve remebered… must have been the alcohol fucking up his brain or something, making everything sound wrong.

steve took a few steps closer, until he was right in front of her. she was taller than he remebered too… maybe she was wearing platforms… maybe steve had shrunk. he was probably just super drunk.

“i’m glad.” steve grinned, leaning in a little. she hesitantly leant back, “thought we could have a little fun, whaddya say?”

her eyes widened, “fun?”

steve nodded, “yeah, you and me.” he reached a hand up, curling a finger around a lock of her hair. it felt different. he liked it more, “always loved your hair, you know.”

he felt her melt against him, “you have?”

he nodded, getting closer, “it’s gorgeous.” he whispered against her lips, his other hand slinking around her waist, “i’m gonna kiss you now. is that okay?”

she nodded, crashing her lips into his… it felt different. so different. i mean, it had been a while since they had last kissed. but like, someone’s mouth can’t change that much, right? once again, he blamed it on the alcohol. he sunk his hand into the glorious locks on the back of her head, and she relaxed into his hold, slinging her arms over steve’s shoulders and pulling him closer.

she pulled back and muttered, “fuck, been wanting to do this forever.”

steve’s cheeks turned pink… the last time he’d talked, nancy seemed barely interested in him like this. maybe she’d just been horny lately, and jonothan may not have been as good at sex as steve. that was probably it. steve pulled her backwards and pushed her down onto the bed, climbing over her and kissing down her neck, her jaw, sucking at her skin until he left a purple bruise under her ear. she moaned, a lot, the whole time. steve didn’t remember her being this responsive, but it really turned him on. he came back to her lips and kissed her fucking silly, his hands slid up from her hips, under her shirt and up- wait… he felt around a little. nothing… no bra, no tits, just a flat chest with… pierced nipples? he pulled back in a flash and leant over to turn his lamp on.

fuck.

that wasn’t nancy.

“steve?” eddie asked, seemingly very confused.

“i-“ steve stared, shaking his head as he crawled off of eddie.

fuck, he’d just kissed eddie. oh my god he’d just felt up eddie. oh shit he’s just made out with eddie. he’d fucking sucked a hicky into eddie’s neck… and he let him? he… he’d been wanting to do this forever? shit he was so drunk.

“sorry.”

eddie turned pink, “sorry?”

“i shouldn’t… i th-“ steve took a deep breath, sitting down on the edge of his desk because he was too dizzy to stand still, “i thought you were nance.”

there was silence for a while too long, “you saw me walk up stairs… followed me… looked me dead in the eye and kissed me, all whilst thinking i was nancy?”

“yes.”

well fuck, “oh.” eddie turned white.

“your gay?” steve mumbled out.

eddie was about to cry, “no.”

silence again. “what?”

“i thought you were…” eddie shook his head, racking his brain for a girl that was here that was straight that was old enough that looked enough like steve… of course there was no one, “i don’t know.”

was steve’s first kiss with eddie seriously a drunken accident?

“sorry.” eddie squeaked and ran away.

because that’s what eddie did best, right?

by the time steve made it back down stairs, eddie was gone with the night.

he hadn’t heard from eddie for two whole weeks. after two weeks of missing eddie, steve told robin what had happened. she slapped him.

“are you serious, steve?” she shook her head, “you actually had him underneath you and you ruined it with your stupid heterosexual honesty? you could have just lied, you know? told him later!”

steve groaned, slamming his head on the counter repeatedly, “i know… but he said he’s not gay-“

“he obviously lied.”

“how do you know that?”

“ah, steve…” she scoffed, “if a girl made out with me drunk, then pulled back telling me she thought i was a guy, to then randomly ask me if i was gay, i would lie about it too.”

“oh.” steve stared at the window, “oh.”

“oh!” she flung her arms out.

steve drove straight to the munsons after work that night, and knocked on their door. eddie opened it, guitar slung over his back. he’d been practicing. it made steve all hot and bothered. eddie went white when he saw him.

“steve…” he looked away awkwardly.

“can i come in?”

eddie hesitated before sighing deeply and stepping out of the way to let steve in. he shut the door behind them and took his guitar off. steve wasn’t sure if he was more disappointed or relieved about that.

“whaddya want?” eddie asked, standing awkwardly in the room as steve took a seat on the couch. he needed to sit for this.

“sorry.” steve mumbled.

“for?” he knew what for.

“for kissing you and then telling you i thought you were nance.”

“so… you didn’t think i was nance?” eddie scoffed, “jeez. came up for some experimentation with the freak and realised you didn’t like it, classy, steve. real classy.”

steve looked to the ground, “no… we’ll, i-“ he huffed, hating himself a little too much right now, “i did think you were nancy.”

“amazing.” eddie muttered beneath his breath.

“i just… i wanted sex… is all. i was horny and needed a girl-“

“great.” eddie emphasised the T, “i needa know about that, why?”

steve rolled his eyes, he hated how irritating eddie got when he was feeling emotionally venerable. tell tale sign one that steve had definitely hurt him, and that eddie was one hundred percent into dudes. at least fifty percent into steve.

“because.” steve sighed rather dramatically, “i just… i needed a distraction, okay?”

“okay?” eddie shook his head, eyes wide, “and? i’m not a fucking mind reader, steve.”

steve started to grow a little angry with eddie’s attitude, furrowing his brows and practically growling, “fuck you for looking like nancy.”

eddie rolled his eyes and laughed, “wow, sorry for not living up to your wet dreams.”

steve stood, getting a little defensive now, “asshole, the reason why i was trying to sleep with nancy is because you are my wet dreams.”

“ah huh.” eddie nodded with a disgusting grin that steve knew was there just to spite him, “sure. i’m your wet dream in the way that pigs fucking fly.”

steve folded his arms in a grump, “your a jerk, you know that?”

“your a fucking dick.” eddie snapped back, “learn how to handle your drink.”

“sorry for not realising my tolerance got lower, you know, after sacrificing my life and consciousness for you and all!”

“oh, here we go. you gonna cry hero, try and get my sympathy or some shit?”

steve clenched his fists. that’s the last thing he’d do, “as if. maybe if you’d actually done something with your life other than being a shitty drug dealer, none of that bullshit would have happened and then i never would have mistaken you for nancy!”

eddie laughed again, and it made steve’s insides clench, “wow. just… fucking wow. what ever happened to the ‘oh, it’s not your fault, ed’s. there’s nothing you could do, ed’s. don’t beat yourself up, eds’?”

“maybe, if you weren’t such a dick you would be getting that treatment.”

“you are such a bully.” eddie shook his head, “still king steve at heart, aren’t you?”

steve gritted his teeth, “don’t call me that.”

“what?” eddie leered forward with a teasing smirk, “don’t like the truth, your highness?”

steve scrunched up his nose, shoving a finger into eddie’s chest, “that’s rich coming from a peice of shit, trailer trash freak, like yourself.”

eddie pretended that didn’t hurt as much as it did, “at least i’m not fake.” ouch.

“at least i’m wanted.” fuck.

eddie took a moment to absorb that, shrugging slightly, “but nancy didn’t want you, remember? she broke up with you, for jonothan… and then rejected you the other night, when you came running for the freak instead.”

“hmm,” steve muttered, taking another step closer, thank fully he was taller than eddie so his intention to intimidate seemed to work, “but you did.” it was his turn to smirk.

eddie’s smugness faultered for a moment, only a moment, but steve noticed. of course he fucking noticed. eddie furrowed his brow, clenching his fists and practically blowing steam out of his ears. steve knew he’d got him. he’d hit a sore spot and he was winning. and then he felt a little guilty, because that’s exactly something king steve would have done. fuck.

“maybe i was just using you, jackass.” eddie fought back, “experimenting with a guy with a big enough mouth to fit my cock.” eddie smirked again.

steve’s nose scrunched up in anger, the words shooting down to his dick but he refused to acknowledge that, “motherfucker.”

wow, great come back steve. amazing.

“cunt.” eddie grinned, looking up at steve but managing to intimidate him nonetheless.

“you are such a dick.” steve huffed, his voice seemingly quieter.

“you’re an emotionless asshole.” eddie whispered back.

“am not.” great job steve. yes. fix it by talking like a seven year old.

“are too.” eddie faught back.

“am. not.” steve sneered, “i happen to have a lot of stupid emotions.”

“sure you do.” eddie nodded once, his voice condescending as fuck, “enough emotions to… use your ex girlfriend for sex… or enough emotions to fuck over the only gay guy you know out of spite?”

steve smirked, “so you are gay? awh, you do want me.” he teased, poking eddie in the nose, “how cute. you got a crush on king steve, eddie? did i make you think all your stupid little dreams could come true?”

eddie slapped his hand away from his face. fuck. he nudged forward again, “fine. you got me. but you are a terrible kisser. i feel shame to all those girls who went all the way with you, i just got lucky enough that you felt the need to stop.”

“oh, you fucker…” steve shook his head, “i’ll have you know, i’m renowned for my sexual prowess. a god in the sack, if you will.”

“someone’s feeling a little cocky.” eddie scoffed.

“says the cock sucker.” steve smirks.

“no one said i did the sucking.” eddie grinned.

steve huffed, “all i’m saying, is that you can’t lie to me. once you got a taste, you didn’t want to stop.”

“it was sub par.” eddie shrugged, “like soggy popcorn after a movie. if it’s offered to you, you’ll take it. but it doesn’t mean it’s good.”

steve chuckled, “you seemed to think it was good the other night.”

“it’s my word against yours, big boy.” eddie grinned, “prove it.”

“i will.” steve nodded.

“how?” eddie nudged his face up into steve’s, catching him by surprise.

steve thought about it for a moment, looking at eddie, feeling the warmth of his breath on his face. those gorgeous eyes, his perfect hair and those pretty pink lips. he licked his own lips, looking between eddie’s eyes and his mouth. eddie seemed to be doing the same.

“i will.” steve whispered.

“no you won’t.” eddie smirked.

“shut up.” steve scoffed, eyes locked on eddie’s lips, watching his tongue dart out to lick them. he wanted to suck on eddie’s tongue.

“make me.” eddie quirked an eyebrow.

and steve did make him. eddie was shut the fuck up with a hot, hard kiss. he pulled back quickly, blinking once, twice, three times up at steve, catching his breath. steve looked at him for a moment, understanding the confusion behind eddie’s eyes. he sighed, still with a little aggression.

“i wanted to fuck a girl because i was having stupid thoughts about fucking you again and i needed to get rid-“

and that was good enough for eddie, so he kissed him again. shoving him back until his knees hit the edge of the couch and he was falling down into it, and eddie was straddling steve’s lap and pulling at his shirt and kissing him harder.

steve ended up with a matching hickey under his ear.

neither of them apologised, but after about three weeks of dirty, roughed up sex, robin had caught them making out in steve’s room and blurred out, “thank fuck! i thought steve would never admit he was practically in love with you!”

that got her a pillow thrown to her head, and a series of questions and teasing from eddie. they’re boyfriends now. but they still hadn’t apologised.

#jay writes #accidentally kissed #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie first kiss #drunken first kiss #steve is a silly goose #eddie is in love #angst? #fluff #angry kiss #enemies to lovers vibe #but its really just closited besties to lovers #with some feist #stranger things #stranger things 4 #post s4 #ficlet

[wilmabyers]

The Fruity Four- Steve x Robin x Eddie x Reader

Story Summary: Steve, Eddie, Robin and you have become incredibly close after saving your brother from the upside down in the Spring of ‘86.(Re-write of S4. Same Characters. No Vecna) As you try to enjoy having a normal life again this Summer, you end up finding yourselves in a poly-amorous relationship.

Warnings 18+ only, penetrative sex, rough sex,

Part One

Part Two: Wet Confessions

I waited outside in the cold for a few minutes before I heard the screeching of the tires on Eddie's van. I turned to see him make the turn onto my street like a bat out of hell. I knew it drove my neighbors crazy, but it drove me crazy too in a totally different way. Just knowing I was about to be in his presence did something to my body. My heart rate started to pick up and little butterflies started to form in the pit of my stomach.

If you would have told me 5 months ago that I would be dating Eddie Munson, I would have laughed my ass off then spit in your face. I couldn't stand Eddie when I first met him. I thought he was an arrogant,  immature asshole. I have a short fuse but it's like he had the manual on how to push every one of my buttons and he loved riling me up. Now he presses all the right buttons, if you know what I mean. It was a very rocky start, to say the least. If it wasn't for him getting wrapped up in all the shit that happened with my family, I would have never had the opportunity to see who he really was underneath it all. We used to bring out the worst in each other but now our love brings out the best versions of our selves.

He stopped abruptly in front of me with another high pitched screech and announced out the rolled down window, "Your chariot awaits M'lady".

He reached over to open the door for me. I immediately get hit with the smell of weed, sweat and that musky smell unique to Eddie. Once I smell that combo and see those deep brown eyes bearing into my soul, I melt. Like a magnet pulled to him, I jump in, slide over the bench seat and pull him by the collar of his denim vest, pressing my lips to his firmly. He instantly grabs the loops of my jeans and slams me against him so my body is flush to his and kisses me back, matching my intensity. I bite his bottom lip hard, like I know he likes it, then suck it into my mouth. He releases a soft moan then backs away.

"Hey, tiger, you keep that up, we're never getting to that party." he says with that menacing look in his eye that leaves me weak. I scoot over to my seat. Out of breath, heart still pounding, I manage to put my seat-belt on.

"Oh, that's right. We can't miss your boyfriend's party."

He starts driving with one hand and reaches the other one over to grab my thigh dangerously close to my core. I’m already starting to feel wet but I can’t pull away. The firmness he holds me with, the warmth and size of his hands, the juxtaposition of the sharp, cold rings against my skin through the rip of my jeans ....it all made my brain feel hazy.

"You used to bitch and moan about how me and Harrington need to get over our caveman bull-shit and be friends and now that we are, you don't like it. There's no pleasing you," he crooned playfully. He started to walk his fingers up higher. I slapped his hand away reflexively and he looked over wide eyed as a sly smile formed across his face.

"Eyes on the road, Ed" I snapped at him and looked out my window, hoping he wouldn’t get the satisfaction of knowing how much he’s affecting me.

"Shit," he cursed as he swerved to avoid hitting the curb. I cackled.

"Don't distract me if you want to get there in one piece"

"Or you could just get better at multi-tasking."

Our normal playful bickering continued and I was finally able to get my body under control. He eventually blasted some Dio and we sang at the top of our lungs together, stealing smiles and touches. We managed to get to Steve’s without running into a tree.

--

The party started out incredibly awkward. I could tell Robin was in a shit mood because Vickie bailed. A part of me wondered if her absence was somehow my fault.

Mindy and her cousin, Beth, were the worst. Steve really did know how to pick them. I tried my best to entertain her all by myself while Eddie and Robin talked about the next campaign he was planning. It took a lot of convincing but I finally got Robin to join our D&D party. With Steve and Eddie’s growing bromance, I’m sure we’ll persuade him to join next.

I tried to keep Beth busy the only way I could think of. Passing her drink after drink in hopes she would stop droning on and on about Gods knows what. She was so boring that my brain kept checking out. Jokes on me though, because apparently she can’t hold her liquor. After shot-gunning a beer ,she ended up puking everywhere. I narrowly avoided her spewing on my face as she unloaded on my fucking hellfire shirt.

I immediately ran to the bathroom to get cleaned up. I peeled off my shirt, then turned on the shower so I could use the fancy Harrington detachable shower-head to get the little bit that got in my hair.

Eddie barged in, looking wide-eyed and worried until he dragged his eyes down to my bra causing them to turn wide-eyed and lustful. He quickly shut the door and locked it. He inched closer while watching me as I tried to twist my head as to not get the rest of my clothes wet and failing miserably. He shook his head as if waking up from whatever dirty fantasy he was cooking up in his head.

"Here, babe, let me help you" he grabbed the handle so I could comfortably sit on my knees and bend over while he rinse out the vomit.

I looked up at him and saw him eyeing my completely ruined shirt on the floor when he caught my gaze. A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.

"She really got you good, huh?" Then he busted out laughing.

"You're such a dick, Eddie!" I shouted while glaring at him. That just made him laugh harder so I grabbed the handle and sprayed him right in the face. He grabbed my wrist and turned it back on me when we heard a banging on the door.

"You guys better not be making a mess in there, I already have puke to wash out of the couch cushions! Great job being a wing-woman, y/n" Steve’s words were dripping with sarcasm and bitterness. Much like my entire body was now drenched in water. So much for the fancy detachable shower-head short-cut.

"We're not, dude. Chill!" he yelled, fighting laughter. I started to laugh too and he quickly covered my mouth. “We’ll be out in a bit!”.

I reached behind me to turn the shower off and Eddie handed me a towel. We heard Steve angrily stomp off and I bit his hand.

"Ouch!" he yelped as he grabbed my hips and pulled me against him, making the towel drop out of my hand. He stared down at me with a devilish look in his eye and I felt the hard length in his jeans press against my leg.

"Eddie, I’m trying to dry off."

"I like it better when you're all wet though," he said while looking down at the spare beads of water dripping down my breasts. My white bra was now completely see-through and my hard nipples were on display.

“I wonder where else you’re wet..” he says while starting to trail his hand toward the button of my jeans.

I stopped his hand with mine and said " I have to get back out there. Robin will kill me if I leave her alone to deal with that mess. She's already in a mood about Vickie"

He didn’t distance himself or loosen his grip on me. He just looked back into my eyes and started to absently playing with my hair before responding breathlessly" Why did Vickie bail? They get in a fight again or something?"

" Um, maybe. I'm not sure. We should get back out there." I turned my head and tried to get out of his grasp but he grabbed my hand.

"Hey, look at me please." The softness in his voice made my stomach stir. I can't lie to him. I stopped and turned to look up at him.

"There's something I haven't told you.."

His eyes grew worried and serious. He was silent for a few beats. I saw him take a breathe and he let out a shaky laugh "You're kinda starting to scare me, y/n. Spit it out already?"

"It's not that bad but I'm still worried you might get upset." He lowered himself to sit on the edge of the bath but held my gaze. I could tell he was feeling concerned for me and the wheels were turning in his head.

He started rubbing his thumb on the palm of my hand soothingly "Just tell me, baby. I’m sure it will be fine."

The tension in my stomach started to ease at his sweetness and I knelt down to be at his level.

"Last Friday, Robin and I..." ,I couldn’t take his intense gaze anymore so I looked down as I finished "made..out. A little." I peered up and saw him look shocked for a second.

"You made out with Robin?" he asked. The question was laced with surprise but no hint of anger.

"Yes."

He looked away for a second before resting his elbow on his knee ,propping his chin up. He looked back at me with a slight smile and raised eyebrow "Like with tongue and everything?"

"Eddie!" I shoved him playfully but I did it a little too hard on accident knocking him into the bath and pulling the curtain and rod down with him. I quickly got up and pulled the curtain and rod off of Eddie. I put my hand out to pull him up but he just pulled me on top of him. We both started laughing uncontrollably as I found myself straddling him on the bathtub floor. He looked into my eyes with this pensive, soft look and started to run his finger along my arm causing chills to prickle my skin. I ran my hands up his stomach, then over his chest reveling in the feel of his hard muscles under his shirt. He wasn’t ripped by any means. He spent more time meticulously planning his campaigns and shredding on the guitar than doing any sort of exercise but that’s what I loved about him. He lived his life with passion and reckless abandon, not giving two shits about his appearance or society’s limited standards. His body was perfect to me.

He moved those beautiful, chocolate orbs back up to meet mine as I planted one hand on his chest and rose the other to move some stray hairs out of his face.

"You're not mad at me then?"

"No" he scoffed like I asked him the most stupid question on the planet. He pecked my hand still lingering in his curly locks. He softly grazed my cheek with a finger and I felt the coolness of one of his rings causing me to shiver.

He noticed my reaction, raised an eyebrow and gave a crooked smile as he said "If anything.." He trails off, taking his hand and sliding it down my side, his eyes following its path to grab my hip and pulling his other hand to grip the other side before looking back into my eyes and continues "I’m actually incredibly turned on by the vision of you two tangling tongues" he says as he wiggles his tongue out mockingly.

I roll my eyes and we both laugh.

He closes his eyes tightly, “I can see you two right now..”

There’s a banging on the door again.

"Are you guys boning in there?” Steve’s voice booms through the door.

“No!” we both yell in unison.

"Oh, that’s believable. Just clean up when you're done, you animals."

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fan fiction #eddie munson #eddie munson smut #stranger things fan fiction #stranger things x reader #eddie munson imagine

[jonathanbiers]

longtime reader first time anon! in regards to the "steve doesn't know what a bisexual is" thing, I'm honestly going back and forth about whether ANYONE in a small town in the mid-eighties would be super familar with the concept — as a bisexual myself I am wondering. researching it hasn't come up with much, because while we know bisexuality was definitely developing as its own movement in queer urban spaces, how much of that permeated middle america?

hi, first of all i’m??? so flattered that you’ve read my stuff and stuck around to read more but anyway, getting to the subject of the discussion,

i mean i live in a small town but it’s not the 80s anymore and i was not alive then, so my perspective is still limited. but it’s definitely feasible to me that he’d be aware of the concept of bisexuality, whether or not he had the vocabulary for it.

but correct me if i’m wrong, we have evidence of him having an idea of the concept of bisexuality in the show when he reassures robin that vickie could still be interested, even if she had a boyfriend? and that smile at the end of vol 2 when he sees them interacting. that’s a “go best friend” smile if i’ve ever seen one, he sees her hitting it off. he knows she has a chance, even after they saw her kissing a guy

and if that’s not enough, david bowie was huge at the time and also known for liking both. this would definitely be talked about in a small town like that, even if it’s just to be derogatory(which lets be real it would) which makes it very hard for me to believe he’s never been exposed to the concept even if he’s repressed his own feelings, which is basically what you’re talking about in the third ask. i hope you don’t mind me condensing them all into one post btw jajdhjdnf

also speaking of your third ask, i’ve lived that too!! this discussion is not about me but i wanted to throw it in there. and my experience is obviously different, but. i spent a good chunk of my self discovery journey identifying as a lesbian when i was, in fact, a transmasc dealing with comphet all along. i repressed the fuck out of my attraction to guys even when i didn’t yet realize i was one. that’s a very very real thing. even while doing things that were (for me) a very obvious sign of attraction. also, if you’re a longtime enough reader to have been around before i abandoned the multi chapter steddie fic that i just haven’t deleted yet, that’s pretty much where i was going to go with that just for the record. him realizing he felt the attraction all along and just repressed it because of (he wouldn’t know the vocabulary but) comphet. not some weird “what do you mean, both?” robin handfeeding him the dictionary definition of bisexual thing that happens way to often in fics to even be funny anymore

which brings me to your second ask. who decided that robin “trips and stutters around pretty girls” buckley and eddie “super super senior dnd nerd plays his guitar so much he learns master of puppets in a couple of weeks” munson are the experts on queer history and would be the ones to explain to poor little dumb baby steve that he’s attracted to both like he’s not a big boy with more emotional intelligence and depth than A LOT of main male characters out there, and who can figure shit out his damn self? please. robin is…robin, we love her, but she’s not giving me “goes to gay bars in indianapolis” vibes. who’s taking her to these, anyway? she can’t drive. she’s underage. definitely not giving me “has a fake id” vibes, either. try and convince me robin “or rather my mouth moves faster than my brain” buckley could get past a club bouncer. and eddie, bless his heart(affectionate), whether you’re a virgin eddie truther or not, is not some sex god who knows everything about being gay and swoops in to share this privileged knowledge with steve. those fanfics, while a fun fantasy at first, are something i’m sick and tired of seeing at this point. and yet the damage is seemingly done, the fandom has just come to that consensus at this point.

#anonymous #i’m sorry i got carried away and rambled at you #please don’t be shy to talk to me thoooo #i love talking to y’all and (as evidenced here) i do not shut up

[ninthhousesteel]

fucking hell

i stayed up till 4 am to watch vol 2 cuz i thought it’d be good and it was good!!

Good ol’ queer bait thats what it fucking was.

I’m sorry that the duffer brothers felt that this was good enough writing to finish something amazing, and i am willingly ready to partake in a rewrite of vol 2 because this was blasphemous. (apologies ahead of time for the sheer amount of ranting i am going to do)

okay like first?? steve??? just. no. that whole spiel about the six ‘nuggets’ (that wounded me) and him LITERALLY SAYING THAT LIKE HES STILL IN LOVE WITH NANCY AND HE WANTS HER TO HAVE S I X KIDS WITH HIM ITS LIKE HE DOESNT EVEN KNOW HER BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW SHE AINT BUILT FOR THAT. ALSO nancy was in the middle of talking about robin, a person for whom they both care about, and its like he just redirected the conversation onto him. it looked like someone tried to inject more ronance but then someone else just like sidestepped it into Steve/Nancy, which was SO bad. Steve and Nancy shouldn’t be a thing. they just cant give each other what they need. Same with Jonathan and Nancy. Honestly, I did enjoy their relationship in all the past seasons, but s4 its been so strained and weird and the fact that Jonathan didnt even come clean to her at the end about the college apps was just ridiculous, and the exact moment i knew that they weren’t going to last. even their interactions at the end seemed weird and stiff, like neither of them really wanted to be there. (I hope they dont make her get with either of them. And maybe im just a diehard Ronance shipper, but Robin and Nancy make the most sense!!!)

Second point- Robin and Vickie

10000000.999999% unneeded and unwanted and unfunctional. If youre going to give the only explicitly confirmed gay character a love interest, the worst thing you could do was use the ‘oh no my crush is straight oh wait no she dumped him and now i think she likes me’ trope. tired, overdone, nasty. not even to mention the fact that Vickie is just. a straight (haha) up clone of Robin. They are the same person. They could be revealed to be cousins in s5 and i wouldnt be surprised. It’s tasteless and pathetic to watch. And it’s even more hurtful, because so many of us fans genuinely are in love with Robin and invested with her because we can connect to her the most, and the Duffers just cop out of a genuine and amazing relationship (ronance) and just turn to the basic and unflavorful This Was Obviously Written By A Straight Person relationship of Robin and Vickie.

And Max. And, you know let’s loop in Eddie too. Since they both died. Oh wait.

I’m not even sure to tackle Max’s death. i love her SO MUCH. she’s my second favorite character (right behind Robin). if i was in that situation, i would have let her die. its just easier, and we dont even know if, once dead, she even wanted to come back. this trope of bringing someone back always has consequences, which is why im not really a fan of it in the first place. it requires delicate writing because the situation can get bad very fast. and as of vol 2, im not sure the duffers can do it. (that being said, obviously i dont know their plan for max, but plots like these are kinda hit or miss yk? its just such a big thing)

Eddie’s death was anything but compelling. Like, i knew he was dying but i was kinda…. bored? idk if thats the right word to use, but it just felt kinda off. and the fact that no one addressed it besides Dustin, like, Eddie had so many more friends. and in my mind i think the whole ‘eddie died saving a town that didnt love him’ was more of a white lie for his uncle, because eddie didnt owe Hawkins anything. i mean, it does make him a hero in the way that everyone who helped was a hero, but not everyone needs a ‘redemption’ arc to better be accepted by society. like, his whole thing was kinda that he was different and he didnt care what other people thought. and he had so much potential too!!!

this is long lmfao sorry if i jump into your asks later because i still have more grievances

st4 spoilers

no need to apologize for the long ask because everything you said is true

i know duffers will never actually let ronance happen but Why push stancy it just doesn't make sense to the plot at all please just let nancy pull her self worth away from whichever boy she chooses duffers let nancy be single challenge

and im grilling them for putting in the whole six kids thing ESPECIALLY with the word nuggets it wasn't cute it wasn't funny it made me literally gag

AND VICKIE im

i love amybeth and nothing of this is directed to her bc she was getting paid to play a role and i love her <3

BUT THE DUFFERS let vickie be a barely present and exact carbon copy of robin just to serve as her love interest. how fucking lazy is that? they see how popular robin's character is Plus she's the only confirmed queer character (since they wanna be ambiguous with will) on the show and they just throw her with an underdeveloped character for diversity points... and with the whole extremely similar personalities thing yeah vickie started to ramble but robin said like 4 words and ik thats just bad writing and they don't actually care about my girl but im choosing to interpret it as she got over vickie which Good For Her

max my poor angel they really did just use you for bait </3 and sadie doesn't even know her role in s5 yet and its breaking my heart can we have anything nice Also why go after one of the girls.... one who's been abused her whole life too like give her of all people a happy ending

eddie was such a wastef character :( he was so original and fresh and he could've helped robin break out of her shell more but the duffers had to keep up the boring old pattern and kill him and his death was Meaningless because he could've just climbed to safety but noooo we can't have nice things now can we. and the fact that no one addressed his death what the hell

#im livid #st4 spoilers

[sweetlywingedcreation]

Stranger things 4 volume 2 spoilers.

Like MAJOR spoilers

I’m fucking emotionally devastated rn. Like I’m not angry even though I should be, I’m just disappointed.

Eddie didn’t fucking deserve that. Sure it was a close to his zero to hero story arc, but Jesus CHRIST. He died for a town that never loved him, will never know the sacrifice he made that was in VAIN since Vecna still won in the end.

The only people who mourned him were Dustin and Wayne, none of his friends, none of the hellfire club. They just left his body to get eaten by the bats and time skipped when they could have atleast shown the upside down crew console Dustin.

And don’t get me fucking started on the queer baiting. The official accounts retweeting Steddie art and making joke posts about them being in love. The blatant disrespect for Will and his feelings for Mike. The only queer person who got atleast a glimpse of happiness (not before she was devastated by seeing Vickie with a guy though) was Robin and even that’s up for debate seeing as they were just being friendly.

As a Queer person this just felt genuinely mean spirited and homophobic. Using a gay boys unrequited feelings for his best friend to further a straight relationship just. It really fucking sucks. Eddies obvious joke flirting with Steve in episode 8 (0 hetero explanation for “dontcha? big boy! :3), him being the “freak” and being so obviously queercoded only to be killed off in the next episode. Making Will and Robin see their crushes be with other people while standing in the background. It just really sucks to see the characters you love go through shit like that, especially when I really wasn’t necessary.

I just, I’ve been hyperfixating in this show so fucking hard, I stayed up all night to watch the last episodes, just to feel like I’ve been hit with a truck.

Was I expecting Eddie to die? Yes, though I was praying he’d be fine

Was I expecting Byler or Steddie to actually be canon? Byler kinda? (they were hyping it up with the fucking painting and the sad glances), Steddie no absolutely not. It would have been nice but I knew that was not going to happen.

Did it still ruin me emotionally to see one of my favourite queer coded character die on screen? Yes. I don’t cry to media but the scene between Dustin and Wayne broke me. I went to bed feeling numb and when my mom woke me up I cried again.

There’s people theorizing that there could be time travel some how and that Eddie will come back because Joseph said something about wanting to be in season 5. I think he’s going to come back but probably for flash back sequences. There’s 0 chance they’ll pull a Hopper and have him secretly be okay since we literally saw him take his last breath and there’s 0 chance that going back in time to kill child Henry Creel will work. If they manage to do that it’ll ruin so many character arcs, Steve’s especially since he wouldn’t have any big brother moments with Dustin nor become besties with Robin. He might even still be a jackass since Johnathan only was with Nancy because of the demegorgon, he’d never get beaten senseless because he’d never see them together.

I just. I have too many thoughts and feeling about this stupid fucking tv show that I’ve only been a fan of for like a month. I hate that I’ve hyperfixated on it this hard cause now that it’s over, and it destroyed one of my favourite comfort characters for me idk what to do now. Like I still want to talk about it and enjoy it because it’s the only thing my brain has latched on to for a while. But all the fics i have are going to just make me fucking sad and I feel so emotionally numb and all social media’s are gonna be filled with sad edits of Eddie.

I’m probably going to still watch season 5 but that’s not for another couple years, I just hope all of this bullshit gets resolved.

#stranger things #stranger things spoilers #stranger things season four #st season 4 spoilers #st season 4 #st season 4 volume 2

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Into The Unknown, Part 1

... I have no self-control do not perceive me

Marinette stared at the pile of bright red, yellow, and green clothes on the ground. It was all she’d done in the five-ish minutes since she’d portaled onto the scene. Just… stared.

It wasn’t like there was much else to do, anyways. Red Robin was currently beating the absolute fuck out of the person that had the audacity to disintegrate his brother right in front of him. It wasn’t like she could even fix it because the witch had been out cold before she had been able to pull Red Robin off to get a hit in so she could use her lucky charm.

So, she stared.

It was weird. She could almost feel a person inside the clothes but… maybe that was the residue or the ashes or whatever gets left behind when you zap a person out of existence? She didn’t really want to check, to be honest. Gross.

Eventually, though, she hesitantly leaned down and brushed her hand over it, trying to find the energy and get rid of it because it was really uncomfortable --.

… oh hell no that pile of clothes did not just fucking giggle at her.

She narrowed her eyes and carefully lifted up the bottom of the shirt, only to yelp and fall back. She scrabbled on the gross Gotham alley ground until her back hit Red Robin’s arm and he was forced to pause or risk hitting a meta (which would not have been good for his health).

“What?” He hissed.

She swallowed thickly. “That’s a child.”

“... what?” Red asked, all the anger bleeding from his tone in his confusion.

“We let Batman’s kid turn into a baby,” she whispered… then, it sunk in more. “We let Batman’s kid turn into a baby.”

He straightened on top of the thing that was really more bloody pulp than person at this point. “What do you mean ‘we let Batman’s kid turn into a baby’?”

But she didn’t really get a chance to answer because the baby chose that exact moment to be sick of being suffocated under all the armor and pushed it off.

Red Robin gulped. Because, yep, that was Robin as a baby. Batman was going to kill them.

Except he wasn’t going to kill them. Because Batman doesn't kill. No, Batman would find something even worse and that would suck.

The baby -- Robin? Should she still call him that mentally? -- giggled at their pain. Like an asshole.

They were so fucked.

~

He’d let B’s favorite kid get turned into a baby. Was there a way to get unadopted? Because if there was it was totally going to happen. Or maybe his dad would just cut him off because he was 19 now and could just get kicked out.

No. Nope! Not going to happen. No. He could fix this.

“Okay. Okay okay okay. We need a plan,” he heard himself saying.

Ladybug scoffed. “We? I was barely even here, this is on you.”

“Leave me alone to deal with this and I swear to god I will tell B that you did it.”

She paled. “You wouldn’t. No way.”

“Yes way. So, help me think of something.”

The baby giggled and started crawling over and both of them averted their eyes because, unfortunately, the child did not get baby clothes to go with his random transformation. Baby Damian didn't seem to care as he reached them and started climbing on Ladybug since she was closest. At least it wasn’t him. He did not want to see his adoptive brother’s… ew.

Ladybug made a gagging sound and then quickly summoned a lucky charm. She kept her face turned away as much as her neck would physically allow as she fumbled her way through swaddling the child in a polka-dotted blanket.

And then her shoulders slumped a little. “Great. Great. This is… great,” she muttered, picking up the bundle o’ baby.

He let himself look down now that it was safe.

“Alright, we need to go to another dimension where time moves faster,” Ladybug said after a few seconds. “And then we wait for him to age… fifteen-ish years. Best way to not make Batman notice.”

“... what about us? We also age.”

“Huh…? Oh. Right. You’re human.” She pulled off the glasses she was wearing and blinked a few times before handing it over. “Congrats on your upgrade. The tiny horse god is named Kaalki. She likes cake.”

“The tiny --?” He let out the world’s manliest screech as his eyes landed on the floating bug horse hybrid thing holy shit no no no no no the sci fi movies didn’t prepare him for this shit.

Kaalki looked a little offended but then her eyes landed on the baby and she gasped. “Aw, baby humans are always so cute.”

“Great, Kaalki, you take it,” said Ladybug.

Kaalki did try, to her credit. It just so happened that the approximately one-year-old baby was a lot bigger than the… whatever she was. Tim was refusing to believe that this was a god. Too many implications. He already had something to have a breakdown over, he didn’t need another thing right now, thank you very much.

Tim rested his head in his hands but he had more things to worry about than the blood that he was accidentally streaking through his hair.

“Okay. Okay. We can go to another dimension and try and raise him. Maybe we can make it have a ratio of one month here for every year there so any differences could be blamed on that.”

“Ya!” Said baby Damian. He probably didn’t actually know what was going on but he sure seemed excited so that was cool.

Ladybug sighed and nodded. “Great. You get food and money and clothes and I’ll take this lady to the cops… and I guess I’ll watch the kid until you get back because your dad cannot know.”

They shook on it.

~

This may be the dumbest idea that she’d ever had, and that was saying something. She didn’t know if she could trust Red Robin on this one, they hardly ever worked together. What if he just left her alone with this kid and let her try and figure this out on her own?

No. He wouldn’t do that. He was the last person known to be with Robin. Robin going missing would be bad for him, too. And, besides, she was pretty sure that he was a duty-driven person based on what she’d heard, she just had to hope that he saw this as his duty, too.

She turned the baby in her arms to get more comfortable as she waited for him to (hopefully) come back.

Part of her wanted to try and find someone from this world to reverse this but she didn’t know any outside of her, Adrien, Alix, and (now) Red Robin. Not on a personal level. Not enough that she knew for sure that they wouldn’t blab to Batman about it.

So, no, this is what she was doing.

But she had things to do. So, she pulled out her yoyo-phone-hybrid-thingy and wedged it against her ear.

“Chaton,” she said the moment he picked up. “You’re alone, right?”

“Uh… yeah?”

“Great. I, Ladybug, relinquish the Miracle Box and name Chat Noir the new guardian.”

“WHAT --?!” He didn’t get to finish as a box dropped on his lap and knocked the wind out of him.

“Just for, like, a year and a half. Sorry. Bye!”

“DON’T JUST ‘BYE’ ME WHAT THE --?!”

She hung up and closed the yoyo, hooking it back to her belt and ignoring it when it started buzzing again.

She looked down at Robin, who was squinting up at her. She returned the squint. Why was this baby so quiet? She didn’t get it. Surely, he should have been crying at this point.

“Do you still… remember things?” She asked, hoping against all hope that maybe he had retained his memories at the very least.

Robin smiled at her, but it was the blank-eyed baby smile that meant he wasn’t really understanding her. She bit down a curse.

Great. So, she’d not only gotten a baby but she’d gotten a fucking weird one. Great.

~

Tim left a note for his family saying that he, Damian, and Ladybug were bored and were going dimension hopping. His family would probably be suspicious but, hey, at least it wouldn’t be his problem for a good fifteen years on his end.

And, yeah, he knew this was probably one of his dumber plans but… it wasn’t the dumbest. And he was always one to commit when it came down to it. One time he had faked being shot and dealt with crutches for an entire year just to convince Vicki Vale that he wasn’t Red Robin. He had no fears that he couldn’t see this through.

Ladybug, though? A total mystery. She did nearly everything on a whim as far as he knew. She hopped from city to city fighting crime for absolutely no reason outside of boredom and made up all of her plans on the fly. No, he was a bit concerned about her ability to keep doing it.

So, he went as quickly as he possibly could. There was no rhyme or reason to what he was grabbing. He was just… putting stuff in there. There was money and three watches to help them move between dimensions, yes, but there was also a fanta orange and a copy of Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy and exactly seven pairs of socks.

… yeah, he had the necessities. Probably.

He nearly got out the door before he realized he was still in his crime-fighting gear and he quickly shucked it all off and tossed it into the tub so the blood wouldn’t track any more than it already had. He did not need to avoid Batman’s wrath only to end up on the receiving end of Alfred’s.

He pulled on the first hoodie and jeans he could grab and looked around to make sure he hadn’t left anything of importance.

Okay. Now he was ready to go.

~

Marinette was awkwardly bouncing the baby when Red Robin finally showed up.

… not that she would have recognized him if she hadn’t felt Kaalki hovering in his pocket. In her eyes, he was just a random white guy wearing shades in the middle of the night.

She glanced up at him and gave him an awkward smile.

“Ready?”

He smiled back and held out two watches. Neither fit baby Robin so she prepared herself to choke out a literal baby holy fuck what even was her life.

“Which dimension should we go to?”

“Preferably one without miraculi,” Marinette said. “I don’t want to know what happens if there’s two of the same god in a dimension.”

He nodded slowly. “Probably best if Batman doesn’t exist, either, he’d probably notice my existence.”

“... so… no heroes at all?”

“Looks like we’re going cold turkey,” Red Robin said in a tone that was probably supposed to be joking but just came out flat.

She pushed herself to her feet and waited as he scrolled through the millions of dimensions.

Finally, he came upon one and she added the coordinates to her and Robin’s watches.

She readied Robin’s watch against his neck and tried to ignore the kid’s sudden squirminess.

“3… 2… 1…”

They were gone in a whirl of blue light.

~~~~~

Next

@nathleigh @peachmuses

#yes i wrote timari parenting dami #for no reason #while in the middle of a completely different fic #but listen #... its cute?? #yeah no i have no excuse #i just wanted to write cute things ;-; #into the unkown #maribat #timari #timmari #timinette #shutterbug #tim drake #red robin #marinette dupain cheng #ladybug

[vampykitty-kun]

Should Learn To Just Stay Home

Rating: M

Characters/Pairing: Bruce/Jason (can be taken one-sided or as mutual), Bruce/Selina, Tim/Kon. Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, Harleen Quinzel, Lucius Fox, Vicki Vale.

Word Count: 2343

Notes: Pre-New 52, canon compliant. Nothing graphic relationship wise. Implied daddy kink. Jason's mostly being a little shit trying to get a rouse out of Bruce in public while he's trying to be "Brucey" for the gala fundraiser. Destruction of a loved vehicle. -x-x-x-x-x-x-

He should have stayed home.

Or better yet, he should have been out on patrol.

The past week had been a terror he never wished to repeat under any circumstances, and he was still wondering deep down whether the entire city had been plotting his demise together, or if he truly was just that unfortunate in his luck by all natural means.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Despite popular belief in Gotham, Bruce- Batman, was in fact only human. Though he was adamant about his refusal to admit so, sometimes after a particularly grueling week of leading a double life he found himself utmostly exhausted, and asking himself the timeless question of “what is my life?”. Alfred and he had strong disagreements over what qualified as overexertion and stretching oneself too thin, but really, who would understand his personal daily limits better than himself? Certainly not Alfred's judgmental eyebrows...

But at the present Bruce was truly willing to admit defeat.

The past week had been a terror he never wished to repeat under any circumstances, and he was still wondering deep down whether the entire city had been plotting his demise together, or if he truly was just that unfortunate in his luck by all natural means.

Not only had it managed to snow in September, causing a city wide panic in which everyone flocked to the stores to fight over groceries, and countless vehicular accidents- most notably Dick's. His eldest's flying Batmobile of choice had dramatically skidded off the rooftop Damian and he had landed on, sliding on the black ice neither boy had been able to see, and ultimately the car had been a total loss. Their cars were sturdy, but not fifteen story drop sturdy. Batman and Robin had ejected their seats and had landed on the slick safety of the roof, surviving to watch the metal crumple in on itself as it hit the pavement with a sickening screech. He had arrived to retrieve them only to find Dick in an utter state of shock still gaping down at his baby's remains in the street below and Damian awkwardly offering a consoling palm on his mentor's shoulder as he mourned the loss.

Never mind that they could fabricate a second one... Dick had always been especially sentimental...

Then of course Victor had to come out of the wood work to celebrate the abnormally early winter wonderland- oddly enough not caused by him, nor the other cold based rogues the League dealt with (he had so been hoping to place the blame on something other than nature), and that had been a catastrophe to contain. A word he used loosely when faced with over seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars in property damage downtown...

Of course such events only managed to get the other local rogues fired up and in a festive mood, and not two days after several buildings became ice sculptures, a riot broke out within Arkham, and several escapes somehow managed to occur. One of these days Bruce was going to revolt and uproot the entire staff, before hand-picking his own employees for payroll, while letting Lucius and Tim work out a security system that was true to the word overkill. He was getting awfully tired of various levels of workers taking bribes, being controlled via drugs, poison and/or pollen, and shapeshifters managing to fool other guards. He and Gordon had bonded over this very topic just a month prior over rooftop coffee, glares, and exasperated sighs. Jim truly needed a vacation.

The escapees this go around? The Riddler, Penguin, and Ivy were the only heavy hitters, accompanied by several less worrisome inmates. He was relieved that none of the more volatile rogues had managed to make a get away.

Was it wrong to be happy that he was unable to find any trace of the three? Perhaps. But quiet rogues enjoying their freedom in hiding was far better than three rogues having escaped to wreak premeditated havoc on the city. In time they would each come out of hiding on their own and he would inevitably pick them up then. Instead, he managed to recover ninety percent of the other various inmates that had escaped along side them within seventy-two hours, even with other things keeping him preoccupied.

Other things like Harleen leaving Damian strung up like a piñata with a pair of cat ears and a tail added to his ensemble while he pursued Selina four blocks over. Somehow he shouldn't have been surprised when they looped back around and the blonde was gone. Even more so when Selina snapped a few photos of his son with her phone, cooed, then licked her way into his mouth, arms draped around his neck. He certainly should have anticipated the small dagger that ended up lodged in the meat of his shoulder while she gracefully leapt away- with his dignity, and he wrenched the blade back through the torn kevlar. If he took photos of Damian discreetly before cutting him down he rationalized that his son was better off none the wiser.

Alfred promptly framed one.

Damian began the 'silent treatment' with both of them for the betrayal...

Then came the security hack at Wayne tower. Nothing of any value had been accessed, mostly due to Tim's alarms and quick maneuvering, but the fact that anyone had had the audacity to attempt a break through had Tim snarling as his agitated strokes abused his poor keyboards, and Bruce had left the young man's office shaking his head, not wanting to touch that with a ten foot pole. Barbara had informed him hours later that Tim had found the source of the intrusion, and several cups of coffee later he had not only fixed the systems so it could never be re-attempted, but that Tim had decimated the party's systems beyond recovery in a fit of tech. vengeance that had left him smiling contently- but with a tick to a brow. Bruce had not wanted to see the feed from Oracle's conversation with him, but of course Barbara was cruel, and he was certain the shudder that had gone through his body seeing the teen's face was going to repeat and haunt him for weeks.

No one ever touched Tim or Barbara's system's twice.

On the sixth night of the week he was subjected to the gala fundraiser from hell. Mandatory- or so Alfred and Lucius insisted, Bruce was certain at this point that they merely enjoyed to see him suffer humanity. He perhaps could have tolerated it, he had countless times before, if the boys had managed to maintain proper human civilian behavior throughout the night instead of bringing chaos- or if they had merely stayed at their respective homes.

He should have stayed home.

Or better yet, he should have been out on patrol.

Three hours in he had begun to pray for catastrophe to end the event.

Dick was tipsy, and had already demonstrated a back-flip for a small cluster of awed wealthy teens and was moving on to more elaborate acrobatics by the time he had managed to make his way over to the group and scruff his eldest, dragging him away from a chorus of boos. After planting him at a table where he would hopefully settle down Bruce had returned to reluctant mingling.

He was half way through his fourth tumbler of seltzer, playing the boozed playboy, when suddenly an arm far from feminine had skirted around his waist, joined by a chin resting on his shoulder. Before he could turn to face who he had wrongly assumed was a newly mobile clingy Dick, the arm around his waist shifted until a firm hand slid to his thigh and squeezed sensually. One of the ladies in from of him squeaked at the sight and he froze.

“That suit makes you look delicious... I should come to these more often, Daddy.” Jason- whom Bruce hadn't the slightest idea how he had managed to get in to the event, purred behind him.

Unfortunately not quiet enough for it to go undetected by the gaggle of ladies around him. Ladies who were now in various states of shock, amusement, arousal, and disgust.

With the week he had been having he should have known better than to be comforted by an utter lack of Red Hood and/or Scarlet. Really, why had he taken that as a good sign? Why had he been praying for catastrophe?

Pure idiocy, that's why.

“Broooose, I haven't seen you in weeks!” he had pouted, scraping stubble across his cheek as he nuzzled Bruce despite the look of mortification on his face. “I've missed our play-dates so much, don't you love me anymore, Sir?” Jason had huffed, corners of his mouth twitching.

He could smell the whiskey on the man's breath but he also knew well enough that Jason was far from plastered. This was intentional and thought out.

Of all the things that could have happened it was quite honestly the last way he had thought that this night would have gone. He could only imagine the thoughts going through the ladies' heads at such a display. Making matters worse he managed to look in the right direction at the right time just fast enough to catch Vicki Vale's very interested approach and he pried himself out of Jason's grasp none too gently.

“Now now Jay, I think you have had more than enough to drink...” He chuckled, hoping the grin not reaching his eyes was passable enough for their audience. “We'll discuss this thoroughly at a time in which you can be properly embarrassed by your behavior...” He snipped, and the Hood only rolled his eyes with a smirk.

“I look forward to it... gonna punish me, B?”

Bruce was sure he was going to have an aneurysm. The migraine was already forming.

Much to his relief Alfred appeared just as he was reaching a fetching shade of purple.

“If you would follow me, Sir, I will deposit you at your home. Ladies, I do home you forgive this young man. I assure you that he will be most embarrassed come morning about being so handsy. Sweet lad did an apprenticeship with Master Bruce a few years ago...” he trailed off, and Bruce watched as the majority seemed to accept the butler's explanation for the scene.

Jason however looked put out over the end of his fun, and reluctantly allowed Alfred to herd him towards the main entrance to the hall.

Bruce gave a nervous laugh once they were out of sight, and glanced over at Vale to see a look of fury on her face, before turning back to his ring of guests.

“Now ladies sorry for that awkward interruption- he really is a sweet boy, just in a rough patch... friends with my boys these days, seems he's harbored a crush...” He cleared his throat, straightening his suit jacket.

And that was that.

Only he should have most definitely called it a night after Alfred's departure.

As though Jason's surprise groping tipsy appearance had not been shocking enough, it certainly hadn't turned out to be the most awkward event of the night.

No, Vicki had managed to miss out on quite the story of groping, and had been out for blood.

His sons were far too careless outside their suits and clearly wanted him grey and wrinkled.

Because before he could even be aware of the situation, Vicki was on top of Tim- or to be more accurate, Conner Kent was on top of Tim, and the teen was very unaware of the audience they held while the half Kryptonian pressed his back into the hall's wall and kept his mouth distracted.

Bruce himself only stumbled upon it by chance- taking a breather from the crowd, and was too late to prevent Vale's hovering and most importantly of all, his son being macked on by Clark's.

When this had developed he wasn't sure, but he was quickly beginning to regret letting Tim spend so much time alone with the buff teen for so many years.

Alfred truly was the better parent. He deserved all the awards. Bruce himself was hopeless.

Although too late, he cleared his throat pointedly and Kent promptly put several feet of distance between the two of them, leaving Tim panting against the wall- where he managed to focus long enough to look up at the woman in horror.

He knew his fate was sealed. That was punishment enough. Bruce remembered fondly the Tamara Fox situation. The boy knew he was screwed.

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

“I'm heading home to bed... we'll discuss this development after I've gotten a good amount of rest. Be home before midnight.” And with that he had left Tim to handle the situation by himself.

He only managed half undressing before he was asleep face first in his sheets.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Bruce woke with a groan and flaming death in his retinas. He shifted, jamming his face beneath his pillow as Alfred tsked.

“I thought perhaps you would like a morning update of the boys...” The elder man chuckled fondly.

Bruce only whined and burrowed deeper into the Tempur-Pedic mattress.

“Before sundown they're your sons...” he muttered, muffled by the down pillow.

“While I must congratulate Master Dick and his Disney movies for that reference, I recommend taking a look at this morning's newspaper. That Vale woman is simply just ghastly...” he huffed, smacking Bruce's hip with the rolled newsprint.

The man stiffened and poked his head out reluctantly.

“She had hours, just hours to get things into print and managed it...” He groaned, turning over as he unfolded the mess that was sure to be his life.

And it was.

Front and center on page one was Tim pinned to the tacky wallpapered wall with a tongue down his throat, giant bold print offering explanations for Tim and Tam's called off engagement, affairs, Tim's supposed shame over his sexuality, and much to Bruce's horror, mentions that the apple might not have fallen too far from the tree given the much younger man seen in Bruce's company last night that had been awfully bold in his affections.

He could just die.

Bruce moaned as he returned to smothering himself with the pillow.

Alfred only laughed as he pulled the curtains closed once more and exited the room.

What was his life?

#brujay #timkon #Vampy's Fics

[gabriellakirtonblog]

Money Management for Personal Trainers

I was ecstatic when I got my first job as a personal trainer. It was a successful big-box gym in Boston, and I would be joining an experienced, supportive team.

The contract I signed promised me a good income. For someone who’d been living on a few dollars a day just two years before, it seemed like a mountain of money.

Until I got my first paycheck.

Within 12 months, I’d put $20,000 on my credit cards—a debt it took me two years to pay off. In the process, I learned the money-management skills they don’t teach in our certifications.

Take it from me: How you handle money, especially when you’re starting out, can make or break your career as a personal trainer. Without a solid grasp of your personal finances, you may not last long enough in the fitness industry to make a contribution.

I hope the following eight lessons help you profit from my mistakes.

READ ALSO: What I Learned from 15,000 Training Sessions in a Commercial Gym

1. Prepare for tiny paychecks

A bit about my background:

I came to the U.S. from Belarus in 2010. By 2014, when I started full-time at the gym, my English was still limited. Friends from back then joke about how they thought I was shy; once my language skills caught up with my personality, they discovered my not-so-shy self. (And we remained friends, I’m happy to report.)

That helps explain why I didn’t fully understand the contract I signed. But you can bet I figured it out when I got my first check and realized my pay was barely above minimum wage—before taxes.

The fortune I expected was based on a full roster of clients paying me for at least 27 hours of personal training a week.

You can draw two lessons from the reality of my first check:

Unless you start out on a fixed salary, you have to understand that the big bucks in your contract won’t come right away, and may not come at all.

No matter what you agreed to or expect, you should know how much your take-home pay will be so you can plan accordingly. A simple calculator like this one will give you a pretty good estimate.

Once you know what you’re going to bring home, you have to figure out how to live on it. Which leads to my next point.

READ ALSO: Personal Trainer Salary Survey: Who Earns the Most?

2. You’ll make more by spending less

I now think of myself as a financial minimalist. But it wasn’t always that way. My first few months as a trainer, when I opened the gym at 5 a.m., I started every morning with a Starbucks coffee, and usually bought another pick-me-up in the afternoon so I could power through my schoolwork. (I was studying for a degree in exercise science.)

Soon enough, I realized I was spending a whopping $400 a month on coffee. Coffee I could’ve made at home for 20 cents a cup, instead of dropping $4 at Starbucks.

That, combined with takeout lunches and dinners when I was too tired to cook, are a big reason I piled up so much debt my first year as a trainer.

My mistake—and it’s a common one—is that I didn’t understand the difference between needs and wants.

Here’s what you need:

Shelter

This includes heat, electricity, water, and Wi-Fi.

Food

Most of us train hard. And if you train hard, you need a lot of food, along with water and, of course, caffeine. What you don’t need is food in or from restaurants. Not if you can’t afford it on your take-home pay.

Transportation

You probably think your car is essential. And if you live in a medium city or small town, it probably is.

But if you live in a big city, a car can be more trouble than it’s worth. Insurance is expensive, and parking is not only a headache, it can cost a fortune (especially if the police budget depends on revenue from parking tickets).

In a city with good public transportation, you may not need a car at all, especially if you can walk or ride a bike to work.

Clean clothes for work

No one needs to go into debt to fill a closet with clothes to impress people. You only need to look professional at work. If your gym provides shirts, the only clothes your clients will see are your pants and shoes.

For everything else, what you already have is probably good enough for now. Get brutally honest with yourself about what you truly need, and what you can put off until it fits into your budget.

READ ALSO: Are You Making Yourself Rich, or Poor? Here’s Why Every Choice You Make Today Matters

3. Poor money management makes you a bad trainer

Like many new trainers, I had a quota to hit. My income depended on it, and my manager reminded me of it every week. The pressure to hit that quota and make more money stressed me out. The stress, in turn, made me a bad trainer.

Making another sale was the only thing on my mind, and you’d better believe my clients and prospects noticed. They could sense my desperation, which got worse every time I heard “I need to think about it.”

The more I thought about money, the lower my conversion rate. The lower my conversion rate, the more it carried over into my performance with the clients who were already paying me.

Unfortunately, it took me a long time to figure all this out.

But a light bulb came on about a year into my personal training career. This PTDC article on how to sell training was part of it, along with other articles on how to establish rapport with prospects and turn them into clients.

The moment I put my prospects’ and clients’ goals first, and made sessions more fun, I nearly doubled my training hours in just a month.

Happy clients who reach their goals are the key to a successful personal training career, one that gives you a comfortable income, and perhaps even more.

READ ALSO: How to Make $100,000-Plus Per Year as a Personal Trainer

4. The money isn’t yours until you’ve paid your taxes

A few years ago, when I decided to leave the gym, I asked every successful self-employed fitness pro I knew the same question: “What do you wish you’d done differently, based on what you know now?”

Everyone had the same answer: “Be sure to set aside money for taxes.”

This isn’t an issue when you work for a gym that collects your clients’ fees and deducts taxes from your paychecks. But when you’re an independent trainer, you’ll need to handle all that yourself by making quarterly payments to federal, state, and local tax collectors, and then squaring up when you file your annual returns.

As a rule, I set aside 30 percent of every fee. Yes, it’s a lot, but I’d rather save too much now than try to come up with thousands in April.

READ ALSO: Master Your Taxes in 10 Easy Steps

5. Continuing education is your second-best investment

I also set aside 2 percent of every client’s fee for continuing education. If that’s too much to keep track of, you can try Alwyn Cosgrove’s approach: Set aside the income from one client each week. At $50 a week, that’s $2,500 a year—enough to pay for several books and a seminar or two.

I think seminars are essential, especially the ones that combine theory-based information with hands-on practice. The more you know and use, the more ways you have to help your clients reach their goals.

And you know how I feel about happy clients who reach their goals.

READ ALSO: These Are the Best Advanced Certifications, According to Personal Trainers

6. Saving for retirement is your best investment

The parent company of the gym I worked for offered a 401(k) savings plan, with matching contributions.

So for every dollar an employee put into their retirement account, the employer added a dollar. You won’t find another investment that instantly doubles in value.

Unfortunately, I never took advantage of it. With my limited English, it just seemed bewildering to me, and I didn’t know where to turn for more information. Which means, for four years, I saved nothing. My employer matched nothing. I had no money invested in the booming stock market, which would’ve multiplied my savings.

I’m trying to make up for it now that I’m self-employed, but there’s no getting around the fact I left a lot of money on the table at the beginning of my career.

Setting aside money for retirement isn’t sexy, especially when you’re still living from paycheck to paycheck. But you know what else isn’t sexy? Being a 60-year-old personal trainer who’ll never be able to retire because he didn’t start saving soon enough.

7. You need a basic guide to personal finance

If what I just described seems as foreign to you as English was to me, you’re not alone. Few of us learn the basics of personal finance in school.

But nobody instinctively understands kinesiology, either. We learn it from textbooks. That’s also the best way to start your financial education—with a guide to the nuts and bolts of money management.

Which one? My editor asked for recommendations on Facebook, and ended up with a lot of suggestions. These were the ones most often mentioned.

For basic financial literacy

I Will Teach You to Be Rich, by Ramit Sethi. This is the first one I read, and also recommended by Tony Gentilcore and Mark Fisher.

The Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey, got the most mentions, especially for those who need to pay down debts. But like Rich Dad, Poor Dad, another popular title with personal trainers, it has some detractors.

Your Money or Your Life, by Vicki Robin, gets a thumbs up from Dan John.

The Wealthy Barber, by David Chilton, is popular with Canadian fitness pros.

For gym owners

Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz. Gentilcore says it helped him “make sense of everything and utilize a system that’s easy and works.”

For entry-level investors

The Truth About Money, by Ric Edelman.

The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas J. Stanley.

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing, by John Bogle

READ ALSO: The Best Books for Personal Trainers

8. You’d better be ready for the next recession

Nobody knows when the next recession will hit, or how severe it will be. All we know is that there will be one.

And when it comes, as Pete Dupuis points out in this post, it’s going to hit personal trainers hard. Clients who fear for their jobs aren’t going to keep paying you.

Dupuis offers three ways to prepare:

Cut the fat from your personal and professional budgets. Don’t wait for a recession to realize how many things you don’t need but pay for anyway.

Make your services indispensable to your clients.

Most important of all, differentiate yourself. Clients who see you as the only person who can help them solve their specific problems will be reluctant to let you go.

READ ALSO: How to Find the Right Fitness Niche for You

Final thoughts

At the beginning of my career, I just wanted to learn as much as I could about exercise science and the psychology of training. I regret absolutely nothing I did in my eagerness to become the best trainer I could be.

What I didn’t know is that my lack of financial knowledge would prevent me from taking full advantage of my fitness knowledge.

Believe me when I say you need both. The better you manage your money, the less pressure you’ll feel to make the next sale, and the more you can focus on your clients’ success.

Make them happy, and they’ll make you rich.

        Ready to Take Your Personal Training Career to the Next Level?

Starting your career isn’t complicated. All you need is for someone to pay you to train them.

But how do you get that first client? What do you need to know? Where do you want to work, and how do you get hired?

If your answer to any of those questions is “I don’t know,” you need The Wealthy Fit Pro’s Guide to Starting Your Career, the ultimate launching pad for ambitious personal trainers.

Jonathan Goodman will show you how to …

Land the perfect job for you (pg. 17)

Attract more clients (pg. 95)

Keep more clients (pg. 55)

Get even more clients through a foolproof referral system (pg. 115)

Learn the no-fail secret to motivating clients (pg. 61)

Set yourself apart with programs your clients will brag about (pg. 71)

Master marketing skills that open up new income opportunities (pg. 152)

Become the best trainer you can be (pg. 46)

If you’re just beginning your journey in the fitness industry (or know someone who is), you won’t find a more authoritative or comprehensive resource.

Order this book in paperback today and get the audiobook and ebook 100% free (a $40 value).

It all starts by clicking here: The Wealthy Fit Pro’s Guide to Starting Your Career

  The post Money Management for Personal Trainers appeared first on The PTDC.

Money Management for Personal Trainers published first on https://onezeroonesarms.tumblr.com/

[gearsfics]

Songsword - Broken blades and little kisses

Summary: Fencing competition and a cop case hitting a little too close to home.  Someone finally meets Dick.

Note: OMG I actually had this mostly written last week. I just couldn't figure out a song. Thank you oldies station on the way home from work this morning!

Anyway, I'm still feeling iffy on ickle Jason, but I promise only one more chapter of that.

Also posted: Here

“Dad?  You’re home early.”  She glanced back, seeing the light wasn’t on.  Her dad would have flicked it on as soon as he came in.  Something about wanting his home to always be lit up, to push back the darkness that he saw on a daily basis.

The shadow that moved was quick, startling her a brief moment as it moved towards her.  The coffee cup went flying, and was batted away with a small cry. Though the movement slowed the figure long enough for her to turn running for her bedroom door.  Mira didn’t risk the moment to give a smug grin knowing that she had hurt him.

Year later

“Point, Greason.”  

Mira breathed heavily as she bounced back her fencing foil going back into position.  She was looking at the girl from Gotham Academy, who was nursing her shoulder where Mira’s foil tip had hit her.  The girl was good. The match so far had been a good ten minutes, the two of them dancing across the mats. Her hit had been pure luck, the girl had let her guard down just enough.

The referee checked on them both, to see if they wanted to end the match.

Neither did.  Mira risked a glance to the audience, seeing Jason was there with her father, Bruce and Alfred.  With her mask on she knew he couldn’t see her grin. Past them, she could see a familiar redhead watching as well.  Pamela didn’t seem to want to cause trouble at least.

“Okay go.”  He stepped off the mat and the two girls continued their match.  Mira was getting tired, but she was determined not to lose to the pampered princess.

Two more points were rewarded, one each, Mira had dropped her guard getting tapped right as her blade found the girl’s shoulder.  By the time the match was over, both were glad they were just using the electric sensors with the foils instead of actually drawing blood.

“Okay, for a cop’s kid, you have guts.”  Her opponent removed her helmet once the match was over.  Mira smiled at the dark haired girl.

“I just don’t know when to give up.  Blame my boyfriend for that.” She smirked removing her own helmet.  “Was a great match though thank you.”

“I’m just glad that the public school actually has a decent captain this year.  Hope to face you again Greason.”

“Mir!  That was awesome.”  Mira’s comment was distracted by Jason hugging her from behind.  Her opponent waved slightly before turning to head off to meet with her team.  Jason had been followed by the school’s team, most of which had lost their matches.  Mira had been the only victor.

“June’s going to be upset she missed this kiddo.”  Her dad smiled as she was pretty much tackled into a group hug by her team.  The eight other fencers didn’t seem to care that they had lost the tournament, they were still impressed by their captain’s work.

“Air… please air…”  She gasped.

Her father’s phone went off, pulling her attention to him.

“Sir, yes I understand, let me make sure my daughter has a ride home then I’ll be in.”

“Dad?”  She pulled free from the others.

“Sorry hon, I have to go, I promise, we’ll talk as soon as I get home tonight alright?  I’ll call June to come pick you up.”

“Detective Greason, we wouldn’t have a problem taking Mira home.”  Bruce suggested as he caught up finally with Jason. Alfred had stayed back.

“Mr Wayne.  I couldn’t ask you to.”

“I insist.  She’s one of Jason’s friends it’s only fair.”  He gave a grin. “We can drop her off at her aunt’s if it makes you feel more comfortable.”

He looked at Mira a moment.  “You okay with that?”

Mira nodded.  “It will be okay Dad.”  She hugged him tightly. “And I’ll wait up until you come in the door.”

“You better not.”  He pet her hair a moment.  As much as he knew Bruce Wayne’s reputation, he also knew that the man had taken in Jason, and was helping the kid’s mother having had set her up in a state of the art rehab center.  “Just don’t keep her out too late I know she still has homework.”

“Party pooper, it’s friday night.”  Mira sighed as her teammates laughed.  She missed the look Jason gave her from nearby, having pulled back to let her team enjoy the win.  

Sometimes I wonder How I'd ever make it through Through this world without having you I just wouldn't have a clue

-- When I see you smile - Bad English

Bruce waited with Alfred as Jason walked Mira up to her apartment.  The street wasn’t one of the best in town, despite her aunt, she and her father insisted on living within his means.  Though, Bruce knew that June had her on weekends and spoiled her. He and Jason had been to more of the gatherings June insisted on throwing, mostly only when Mira was there.  Bruce knew he was spoiling Jason, but the boy wasn’t as angry around her.

Jason had insisted, if only so they could get a few moments before patrol.  He wanted to make sure she’d be safe for the night. As if nothing else mattered.

“He’s in way over his head.”  Bruce actually grinned a little at his statement.  She was still in the dark about his nightly activities, but what they had, was cute, something that Vicky would eat them alive for juicy gossip, if she paid more attention to Gotham’s youngest prince.  

“Master Jason?”  Alfred had lost track of what Bruce was focused on at the moment.  He glanced up to the window he knew was the Greason’s apartment. He had been there a few times to gather Jason, and while it was not the manor, there was a quaint homeyness about the tiny apartment.  He made a mental note to send Mira more of the chocolate mint tea that she enjoyed as well.

“Him too, but I was talking Detective Greason.”  Bruce knew exactly why he had been called away. The man was part of a task force that was dealing with a new player trying to move in to Gotham.

“The other homes that were broken into?”  Alfred glanced back at Bruce.

“The targets have all been specific.  There’s only about four more children that fit.”  Bruce was looking at the building.

“They were all girls around Master Jason and Miss Mira’s age.  Maybe we should have brought her home with us Master Bruce.” Alfred was fond of the girl, if only because she made Bruce and Jason both laugh when she insisted on helping.  Though half the time when she suggested it, Jason helped take over the kitchen as well.

'Cause sometimes it seems Like this world's closing in on me And there's no way of breaking free And then I see you reach for me

Jason stood in the elevator as it moved back toward the ground level.  His hand went up to his cheek where she had kissed him. It had been a small gesture, but unexpected.  Not in a bad way, Jason had enjoyed it, and hoped someday it would be more than an innocent peck on the cheek.  

The first kiss though, had been at the church she went to, thanking him for joining her for service since her father hadn’t been able to.  It had been right before she had disappeared, only to show up during the service sitting on a stool behind the preacher, her guitar on one knee.  

That alone, had kept him there, to watch and listen to her play.  Shaking his head, he let his thoughts drift back to the conversation he and Bruce had before she had caught up with them, back in street clothes of a short pleated blue skirt and a baggy white sweater.

Bruce had told him to make sure that when she was in her apartment to lock the doors.  The kiss had been right before she had stepped through the door and he had heard it lock, as well as the chain sliding into place.  The apartment was six stories up, with the fire escape on the same wall as her bedroom, in fact she had some flowers sitting on pots on the grated walkway, Ivy’s gift closest to the window, and the only one that she brought inside in the winter.

Looking at the ceiling of the elevator, he smirked a little before stepping out into the lobby.  He’d have to make sure that on patrol, they at least swung by once, just so he could make sure she was okay.  The man they would be hunting down tonight had already hurt at least seven other cop’s families, three in Gotham alone.  Which was why Greason had insisted being in the task force to bring the man down. He was protecting his daughter.

“You won’t do it alone.”  Jason mumbled to himself as he stepped out of the building.  He knew that Mira had her fencing gear with her. And she had said that she was going to try to study.  So the chances of her leaving were slim. Hell, the paper that the two of them had due on Monday would keep her up most the night.  He knew it had been keeping him up half the week, trying to write it, go on patrol, and get enough sleep so he wouldn’t fall asleep in class was a juggle.  One she hadn’t picked up on yet.

“We’ll check on her. She’s got most of the police force watching her tonight too.”  Bruce said calmly as Jason slipped into the backseat of the car with him.

“They’re using her as bait aren’t they?”  He had gone from lovesick puppy to Robin in a blink of an eye.

He nodded.  “Though I doubt they’ve told her.”  He watched anger flash over the boy’s face.  “Which is why we’re going to be there.” Bruce reached out touching his shoulder.  “You should tell her Jason.”

“Bad feeling?”  He shook his head.  “She’s innocent. I, you made me promise not to drag someone innocent into it.  Besides, I like her not knowing. I can keep things simple with her and not worry if she gets dragged into something because she’s with me.”  He smiled softly. “I want to keep her innocent as long as I can.”

Bruce said nothing.

Sometimes I wanna give up I wanna give in I wanna quit the fight And then I see you, baby And everything's alright Everything's alright

Mira sipped at some coffee as she padded barefooted down the darkened hall, the light from her computer splashing from her room’s open door.  The report she had due on Monday was almost finished, and she was taking break to clear her head a bit. Her free hand went to the necklace she wore, toying with her adopted mother’s wedding ring.  The action had become a bit of a stim for her, something she did idly, usually when it was close for her to take her medications, it calmed her mind allowing her to concentrate on the process she needed to do to keep the lights and sounds from getting too loud.  

The adderall she took helped with that, and the other medications helped keep her alive, insulin shots were the one thing she wished she could get rid of in her life.  Though every time she attempted to self medicate to get rid of the needle, she almost ended up in the hospital. “Well, hello unwanted friends, it’s almost time.” She mumbled to herself, before taking a sip of the coffee, which was a little more like coffee flavored milk than coffee.  The medicines would counter the effects of the warm milk, which she hoped would allow her to finish the paper.

Pausing to look out the window she could see the bat signal bouncing off clouds in the night sky.  It was a common thing now, at least every night she had seen it. A foot step came from the direction of the kitchen behind her.  She had locked the doors, like Jason had asked her to. And this was after his checking to make sure the place was safe. Something she knew he insisted only because she was still ‘new’ to Gotham.  At least that was his reasoning, which she thought was cute.

“Dad?  You’re home early.”  She glanced back, seeing the light wasn’t on.  Her dad would have flicked it on as soon as he came in.  Something about wanting his home to always be lit up, to push back the darkness that he saw on a daily basis.

The shadow that moved was quick, startling her a brief moment as it moved towards her.  The coffee cup went flying, and was batted away with a small cry. Though the movement slowed the figure long enough for her to turn running for her bedroom door.  Mira didn’t risk the moment to give a smug grin knowing that she had hurt him.

“Get back here.”  She was tackled to the floor, struggling with the man to get free.  Her fencing foil was just out of reach, lying on the floor by her bed, where she had dropped her gear after entering the apartment.  She had let Jason wander around while she slid out of her shoes, tossing them next to the bag.

"Let go of me!”  She knew that the neighbors downstairs could hear her.  She just hoped that they would call the cops. She kicked out, feeling a satisfying crack as her foot connected with her attacker’s nose.  He reeled back giving her time to scrambled the last foot needed to reach the fencing foil. The saber she favored was hanging on it’s pegs across the room with her ribbons and trophies, which could have been another world for all that mattered.  Gripping the blade she managed to get into a low crouch before he lunged at her again.

Her lunge was weak, she knew even a child could have batted it away, but it caused him to scramble back before he lost an eye.  Which gave her time to scramble back, the small of her back hitting the chair by her desk. Mira’s free hand flailed behind her, for something she could throw.

“Bitch you’re going to pay for that.”  He growled as the vase Jason had bought her for Valentines, filled with the now dried roses, managed to shatter across the man’s face.

Mira lunged into his attack not giving up, the tip of the blade aiming for his arm, she didn’t want to kill him, not when wounding him would allow her father, or his partner to question him.  

The foil bent as the body rammed into it, and Mira yelped as the thin blade, which wasn’t made for stabbing, at least not in modern blades, just using to touch her opponent, broke halfway down the blade.  She and her attacker fell to the floor, with him on top of her. She felt him grab her sword arm, blood dripping from his face, making her turn her head to avoid it getting into her eyes.

The heavy weight rolled off her.  

Mira took a few moments to recover, her mind still in flight or fight mode as she scrambled to her feet, away from her attacker and his.

“Robin, that’s enough.”  The voice was from the window, which she had left open to get some fresh air as she studied.  Blinking she turned from where she heard the fight in the hall, to the figure that was standing next to her desk.  He was tall, dressed in black and watching her carefully. Though, he wasn’t trying to be threatening to her.

Looking at her hand she realized she was still holding the broken foil.  The smaller figure that had pulled her attacker off her was returning. “You would think that they’d be here by now.”  The boy mumbled.

“You alright Miss?”  The gravelly voice came from the shadow and she nodded.

“I, I will be thank you.”  She stayed leaning against her bed on the floor.  “I’d say can I get a photo, because my friend Jay’ll never believe that you two were here, but… pretty sure you have other things to do.”  The half hearted attempt to make a joke, actually sounded better in her head than out loud. She shook her head, feeling her body start trembling.  Clenching her hands into fists she tried to will it to go away, closing her eyes.

“Maybe next time.”  Robin smirked a little.  “We’ll stick around though until the cops get up here.”

Gunshots from the hall had Batman look at Robin.  “Stay with her.” He passed through the room, checking on her attacker.  The man was just out cold, and zip tied, Jason had actually restrained himself at least.  

Robin nodded holding out his hand to help her up.  “You have anyone you can call? Might not be safe for you to stay here.”

“Dad’s a cop.  The gunshots… If he’s out there.”  She let him help her up, and started to go for the door, only to have him stop her.  

“He’d want you safe.  Trust me, you’ll be safe in here.  Can you lock the door behind me?”

“Yes, you’re leaving me?”

He nodded.  “Have to help Batman make sure the local cops are safe.  I’ll make sure that your dad is the next person who comes through that door alright?”

She nodded.  “I’ll call my friends then, to make sure someone is on the line until then.”

“Good, if someone breaks through Batman and I, you’ll have someone to call the cops.”

“Barbara then.  Her dad’s Papa’s boss.”  She watched him. “Thank you.”  She wasn’t sure what made her do it, but she leaned over, kissing his cheek lightly.  “Be careful Robin.”

That caused him to pause a brief moment, then nod.  “Lock the door behind me and hide there.” He pointed to the closet.  “Just in case.”

She nodded biting her lip.  “And wait for Dad to knock on the door.  Got it.” She snatched up her cell as he passed her.  Mira watched as he checked the door, making sure the hall was safe before he slipped out.  She locked the door, moving her nightstand over to it as well, just in case, before she moved for the closet.

Sinking to the floor she looked at her phone for a moment before making a call.  

"Barbara’s phone who’s this?”  The voice on the other end was someone that Mira had only heard, never really met.  It was Jason’s older brother, someone that she didn’t even know was in Gotham at the moment.

“Huh, Mr Grayson, this is Mira.  Detective Greason’s daughter. Is, is Barbara around?”

“She’s a little busy at the moment.”  He replied. “You okay?” He wasn’t going to correct her, not with how her voice trembled.

She had a feeling that she sounded stressed on the phone.  “I, yeah I’m okay. Robin dealt with the guy that attacked me.  He and Batman are helping Daddy and the other cops, but he told me to hide, and…”

“You got scared?”  He kept his voice calm.  “I’m sure if Batman’s there things will be fine soon enough.  You just have to hang on for a bit alright? If you want Barb and I can go to your place, unless there’s someone else you want?”

“Jason’s got a thing with Mr Wayne tonight.  I don’t think he has his phone on.”

Dick was silent a moment.  “I can call Bruce. Might take him and Jay a bit to get back to Gotham though.  Think they were headed to Metropolis for the evening.”

“Thank you.  I, I just have the house number, and it’s late.  I don’t want to wake Mr Pennyworth.” She was silent a moment.  “Hope Daddy gets here soon… I need to take my medications.” She was finding she was trembling too much to move to close the door properly.  

“I’ll call on the other line, tell the cops okay?  But I need you to stay on the line with me.”

“I’ll try, I should have grabbed juice instead of coffee.”

Dick was already making the call.  “Diabetic?”

“Yes.  I, didn’t have a chance to grab something to eat, was stressed from the tournament.  My meds are in the bathroom, across the hall.”

#Fanfiction #fanfic #generic alien scifi #gearsinice fics #Songsword #songfic (kind of) #Bruce Wayne #Batman #Jason todd #Robin #Dick Grayson #Nightwing #Alfred Pennyworth

[growthvue]

5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them: The Truth About Teaching in America

Aaron Pribble on episode 260 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Teachers are not all saints, nor are they all slackers. — These are just two of the myths that social studies teacher Aaron Pribble tackles in this motivating, uplifting talk about what it is really like to be a teacher in America today. Aaron Pribble is the author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator.

Check out Jennifer Gonzalez’ 2018 Teacher’s Guide to Technology for more than 200 tools with special tips, videos, and screenshots to get you started.

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

***

Enhanced Transcript

5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel them

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e260

Date: February 23, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Aaron Pribble @aaronpribble, author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator. He is a high school social studies teacher in California.

So Aaron, as we talk about Five Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them, what is the first teacher myth?

Aaron: Well, I’m going to say that the first teacher myth is all teachers are saints.

Myth #1 – All teachers are saints.

By saints, I mean that every single teacher’s going to win Teacher of the Year. People have seen movies like Stand and Deliver with Jaime Escalante, or Dead Poets Society with Robin WIlliams — that THAT’S what it means to be a teacher in America today.

Vicki: And that’s a myth. How do we dispel it, because… you know, that is a myth in my classroom. I’m certainly not a saint.

Aaron: Right? And you know, I hope that I think that we all aspire to sainthood, or at least to be Teacher of the Year if not a saint.

I think that one way we dispel it is by painting a realistic picture of what it’s actually like in the classroom — the embarrassing moments when we try to improvise and be human, some of the hardening moments. I think if more and more teachers tell their story, and we get to see a more realistic picture of what it’s like, then maybe some of those myths will start to slip away.

And if I could kind of foresee the second myth, if I could transition into the second one, I’m going to say that the other side of that coin is that if teachers aren’t all saints, then they must be slouches.

Myth #2 – All teachers are slouches

People probably remember that famous New Yorker article or essay about the rumors that the best parts of teaching are June/July/August, that teachers are hard to fire, and that teachers take advantage of their time. I think that that’s equally a myth as well.

A great way to dispel that myth, that teachers are really either saints or slouches, is by highlighting the good work that we do. One of the things that I love about your podcasts so much is that it’s practical, it’s quick, and it showcases a variety of teachers across the country doing really interesting things dayin and day out.

Vicki: Well, and you know, teachers aren’t slouches. We work 99% of the hours of every other profession — except we do it in ten months!

Aaron: (laughs)

Vicki: (laughs)

Aaron: That’s so true! That’s so true!

Vicki: You know, I always say in the summer, “No, I’m not resting. I’m healing.” Because that’s what it takes!

Aaron: You know, a related point, if I can just add on, is like what it means to grade. The notion that teachers can get all their grading done, you know, within the day. It’s just unrealistic. It’s not true.

So if you think about grading an essay, and an essay takes five minutes to grade because you want to give some feedback. You don’t want to just slap a grade on it. That’s five minutes per paper. One class you’ve got 25-30 papers. You’ve got five classes of that. That’s a whole day’s work right there!

So when are you going to do it? You’re going to do it in and around and in between and on weekends and at night and stuff like that. That’s just the way it goes.

Vicki: It is! It takes forever!

OK, what’s our third myth?

Aaron: Alright. Well, related to grading papers, I suppose, the third myth is going to be that teachers only teach their curriculum.

Myth #3 – Teachers only teach their curriculum

When we talk about teaching, we talk about perhaps standardized tests, or proficiency scales, or standards, at least. And that’s true. I’m a social studies teacher, so if I teach a law elective and U.S. History, the units and the curriculum really matters. But I think it’s also really important to teach the whole child.

You know, this notion in education of in loco parentis, which is Latin literally for “in place of the parent.” We are kids’ parents — guardians at least — when they come to school.

It’s really important to know that when they walk through the doors, it’s not just about the content. It’s not just about their minds. But it’s about their hearts. The whole child. It’s really important for us to keep that in mind, I think.

Vicki: Little things like, “How do you get along with the person sitting next to you?” and “How do you respect others?” and “Do you pick up after yourself?” I mean, these are all things that help you be more successful in life.

Aaron: Just to tell you one quick story on that… I had a kid who I really liked. Really promising, star of the football team, but you know, really quiet and really shy. His nickname was Smiley. All the kids called him Smiley. So I started to form a relationship with him through sports, and he’d stick around after class, after this law elective.

And then he kind of peeks his head in one day and asks me to help him write a letter to the judge because his dad was about to be sent to San Quentin State Penitentiary.

My heart was at once both full and broken for this kid. Here is is, trying to learn the curriculum, the stuff that’s going on in the classroom, and he has to worry about his dad being sent away to prison. It just reminded me that we are about helping young people succeed in life. There’s a lot that goes into that.

Vicki: Wow.

OK, what’s our fourth?

Aaron: Our fourth one is that teachers don’t always just teach in the classroom. It’s not just about the curriculum. It’s also that things happen outside of the classroom that I don’t think a lot of people understand as well.

Teachers need supervision points. We chaperone on dances. (What the heck is it like to chaperone a dance?) Or a spring concert, or a choir concert or something like that.

Myth #4 – Teachers only just teach in the classroom

There are a lot of facets of our job, especially when it comes to teaching, that happen outside of the four walls. Perhaps it’s an exchange trip, like taking kids to France or Dubai, for example, or maybe just down the road. But that sort of experiential learning is part and parcel of what we do every day.

Vicki: Some of the greatest teaching moments have been hosting Special Olympics Bocce Ball at my school, where the kids are the officials. Or you know, taking kids on trips overseas. Or you know, sometimes on a field trip. I mean, there’s so many opportunities to teach.

OK, what’s our fifth?

Aaron: I alluded to it earlier. Our fifth and final myth is that the best parts of teaching are not, in fact, June/July/August. Those are not the three best parts of teaching. It’s wonderful to have summers off, but it’s a truly meaningful and remarkable profession. We work hard, but I think we get back much more than we put in.

Myth #5 – The best part of teaching is not the time off, but we do need it

I had a wise mentor teacher a while ago say that, “If you don’t take a Saturday, and you don’t take a Sunday, you’re going to be no good on Monday.”

And I think the same thing is true for summers. It’s a time to rejuvenate, and also to reflect on our practice. You know, the school year’s like a season. And at the end of that season, win-lose-or-draw, you celebrate. Then you reflect on your performance over that past season.

Then you’re refreshed and ready to hit the ground running. But I tell you, for all of the breaks that we have, the breaks are nice, but they would not nearly be enough if you didn’t love what you’re doing.

It’s a real honor to be a teacher in the classroom, and I hope that people will understand what it’s really like in the classroom — to paint a fuller picture so that we can appreciate the jobs that we do.

Vicki: Dude… Aaron, I’m going to tell you what I told my pastor this Sunday. “You are a toe stepper!”

“If you don’t have a Saturday, and you don’t take a Sunday, you’re going to be no good on Monday.”

Oh. My. Goodness.

And all of these myths, I think, are important to talk about and have conversations so that we understand the reality of what our profession is.

You know, our profession is beautiful. Our profession is wonderful.

But our profession is tough. Wouldn’t you agree?

Aaron: Yep. It absolutely is. It’s tough but rewarding. The turnover rate in education is actually quite high.

It’s something approximating a third to a fourth of the teachers drop out within their first five years.

It’s not, believe it or not, because of the long hours. Teachers are willing to do that. It’s not because of the kids that they don’t get along with.

It’s because of loneliness and isolation.

You know, a lot of times, it’s one adult and 20-30 kids in the classroom.

I think that one of the things that we can do to really improve our profession is to increase the collegiality and the collaboration to get teachers working together, so that more people will stay in the profession, and more people will continue in this great profession throughout their career.

Vicki: Such great words because I know beginning teachers who feel very alone.

And I know more experienced teachers who feel alone.

I’m not sure why sometimes it seems difficult to build bridges with other teachers — whether it’s just the profession, or whether we are all kind of like king and queen of our little domain, or what.

Aaron: Right?

Vicki: But you know, Aaron, we have to do better.

Aaron: I agree.

Vicki: We have to be better friends, better colleagues. We have to be more encouraging.

I think you have really shared some powerful things about the profession of teaching.

All of you listening, teachers, I’m proud of you.

Thank you for teaching. Thank you for giving your life to this incredible profession. Thank you for doing all of the things that people notice — and all of the things that people don’t notice — for these kids.

It is worth it. They are worth it. This is an incredible, fantastic, remarkable profession.

  Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford [email protected]

Bio as submitted

Aaron Pribble is the author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator. An award-winning instructor whose work also includes Pitching in the Promised Land: A Story of the First and Only Season in the Israel Baseball League, Aaron teaches high school social studies in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Twitter: @aaronpribble

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post 5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them: The Truth About Teaching in America appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them: The Truth About Teaching in America published first on https://getnewdlbusiness.tumblr.com/

[aira26soonas]

5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them: The Truth About Teaching in America

Aaron Pribble on episode 260 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Teachers are not all saints, nor are they all slackers. — These are just two of the myths that social studies teacher Aaron Pribble tackles in this motivating, uplifting talk about what it is really like to be a teacher in America today. Aaron Pribble is the author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator.

Check out Jennifer Gonzalez’ 2018 Teacher’s Guide to Technology for more than 200 tools with special tips, videos, and screenshots to get you started.

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

***

Enhanced Transcript

5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel them

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e260

Date: February 23, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Aaron Pribble @aaronpribble, author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator. He is a high school social studies teacher in California.

So Aaron, as we talk about Five Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them, what is the first teacher myth?

Aaron: Well, I’m going to say that the first teacher myth is all teachers are saints.

Myth #1 – All teachers are saints.

By saints, I mean that every single teacher’s going to win Teacher of the Year. People have seen movies like Stand and Deliver with Jaime Escalante, or Dead Poets Society with Robin WIlliams — that THAT’S what it means to be a teacher in America today.

Vicki: And that’s a myth. How do we dispel it, because… you know, that is a myth in my classroom. I’m certainly not a saint.

Aaron: Right? And you know, I hope that I think that we all aspire to sainthood, or at least to be Teacher of the Year if not a saint.

I think that one way we dispel it is by painting a realistic picture of what it’s actually like in the classroom — the embarrassing moments when we try to improvise and be human, some of the hardening moments. I think if more and more teachers tell their story, and we get to see a more realistic picture of what it’s like, then maybe some of those myths will start to slip away.

And if I could kind of foresee the second myth, if I could transition into the second one, I’m going to say that the other side of that coin is that if teachers aren’t all saints, then they must be slouches.

Myth #2 – All teachers are slouches

People probably remember that famous New Yorker article or essay about the rumors that the best parts of teaching are June/July/August, that teachers are hard to fire, and that teachers take advantage of their time. I think that that’s equally a myth as well.

A great way to dispel that myth, that teachers are really either saints or slouches, is by highlighting the good work that we do. One of the things that I love about your podcasts so much is that it’s practical, it’s quick, and it showcases a variety of teachers across the country doing really interesting things dayin and day out.

Vicki: Well, and you know, teachers aren’t slouches. We work 99% of the hours of every other profession — except we do it in ten months!

Aaron: (laughs)

Vicki: (laughs)

Aaron: That’s so true! That’s so true!

Vicki: You know, I always say in the summer, “No, I’m not resting. I’m healing.” Because that’s what it takes!

Aaron: You know, a related point, if I can just add on, is like what it means to grade. The notion that teachers can get all their grading done, you know, within the day. It’s just unrealistic. It’s not true.

So if you think about grading an essay, and an essay takes five minutes to grade because you want to give some feedback. You don’t want to just slap a grade on it. That’s five minutes per paper. One class you’ve got 25-30 papers. You’ve got five classes of that. That’s a whole day’s work right there!

So when are you going to do it? You’re going to do it in and around and in between and on weekends and at night and stuff like that. That’s just the way it goes.

Vicki: It is! It takes forever!

OK, what’s our third myth?

Aaron: Alright. Well, related to grading papers, I suppose, the third myth is going to be that teachers only teach their curriculum.

Myth #3 – Teachers only teach their curriculum

When we talk about teaching, we talk about perhaps standardized tests, or proficiency scales, or standards, at least. And that’s true. I’m a social studies teacher, so if I teach a law elective and U.S. History, the units and the curriculum really matters. But I think it’s also really important to teach the whole child.

You know, this notion in education of in loco parentis, which is Latin literally for “in place of the parent.” We are kids’ parents — guardians at least — when they come to school.

It’s really important to know that when they walk through the doors, it’s not just about the content. It’s not just about their minds. But it’s about their hearts. The whole child. It’s really important for us to keep that in mind, I think.

Vicki: Little things like, “How do you get along with the person sitting next to you?” and “How do you respect others?” and “Do you pick up after yourself?” I mean, these are all things that help you be more successful in life.

Aaron: Just to tell you one quick story on that… I had a kid who I really liked. Really promising, star of the football team, but you know, really quiet and really shy. His nickname was Smiley. All the kids called him Smiley. So I started to form a relationship with him through sports, and he’d stick around after class, after this law elective.

And then he kind of peeks his head in one day and asks me to help him write a letter to the judge because his dad was about to be sent to San Quentin State Penitentiary.

My heart was at once both full and broken for this kid. Here is is, trying to learn the curriculum, the stuff that’s going on in the classroom, and he has to worry about his dad being sent away to prison. It just reminded me that we are about helping young people succeed in life. There’s a lot that goes into that.

Vicki: Wow.

OK, what’s our fourth?

Aaron: Our fourth one is that teachers don’t always just teach in the classroom. It’s not just about the curriculum. It’s also that things happen outside of the classroom that I don’t think a lot of people understand as well.

Teachers need supervision points. We chaperone on dances. (What the heck is it like to chaperone a dance?) Or a spring concert, or a choir concert or something like that.

Myth #4 – Teachers only just teach in the classroom

There are a lot of facets of our job, especially when it comes to teaching, that happen outside of the four walls. Perhaps it’s an exchange trip, like taking kids to France or Dubai, for example, or maybe just down the road. But that sort of experiential learning is part and parcel of what we do every day.

Vicki: Some of the greatest teaching moments have been hosting Special Olympics Bocce Ball at my school, where the kids are the officials. Or you know, taking kids on trips overseas. Or you know, sometimes on a field trip. I mean, there’s so many opportunities to teach.

OK, what’s our fifth?

Aaron: I alluded to it earlier. Our fifth and final myth is that the best parts of teaching are not, in fact, June/July/August. Those are not the three best parts of teaching. It’s wonderful to have summers off, but it’s a truly meaningful and remarkable profession. We work hard, but I think we get back much more than we put in.

Myth #5 – The best part of teaching is not the time off, but we do need it

I had a wise mentor teacher a while ago say that, “If you don’t take a Saturday, and you don’t take a Sunday, you’re going to be no good on Monday.”

And I think the same thing is true for summers. It’s a time to rejuvenate, and also to reflect on our practice. You know, the school year’s like a season. And at the end of that season, win-lose-or-draw, you celebrate. Then you reflect on your performance over that past season.

Then you’re refreshed and ready to hit the ground running. But I tell you, for all of the breaks that we have, the breaks are nice, but they would not nearly be enough if you didn’t love what you’re doing.

It’s a real honor to be a teacher in the classroom, and I hope that people will understand what it’s really like in the classroom — to paint a fuller picture so that we can appreciate the jobs that we do.

Vicki: Dude… Aaron, I’m going to tell you what I told my pastor this Sunday. “You are a toe stepper!”

“If you don’t have a Saturday, and you don’t take a Sunday, you’re going to be no good on Monday.”

Oh. My. Goodness.

And all of these myths, I think, are important to talk about and have conversations so that we understand the reality of what our profession is.

You know, our profession is beautiful. Our profession is wonderful.

But our profession is tough. Wouldn’t you agree?

Aaron: Yep. It absolutely is. It’s tough but rewarding. The turnover rate in education is actually quite high.

It’s something approximating a third to a fourth of the teachers drop out within their first five years.

It’s not, believe it or not, because of the long hours. Teachers are willing to do that. It’s not because of the kids that they don’t get along with.

It’s because of loneliness and isolation.

You know, a lot of times, it’s one adult and 20-30 kids in the classroom.

I think that one of the things that we can do to really improve our profession is to increase the collegiality and the collaboration to get teachers working together, so that more people will stay in the profession, and more people will continue in this great profession throughout their career.

Vicki: Such great words because I know beginning teachers who feel very alone.

And I know more experienced teachers who feel alone.

I’m not sure why sometimes it seems difficult to build bridges with other teachers — whether it’s just the profession, or whether we are all kind of like king and queen of our little domain, or what.

Aaron: Right?

Vicki: But you know, Aaron, we have to do better.

Aaron: I agree.

Vicki: We have to be better friends, better colleagues. We have to be more encouraging.

I think you have really shared some powerful things about the profession of teaching.

All of you listening, teachers, I’m proud of you.

Thank you for teaching. Thank you for giving your life to this incredible profession. Thank you for doing all of the things that people notice — and all of the things that people don’t notice — for these kids.

It is worth it. They are worth it. This is an incredible, fantastic, remarkable profession.

  Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford [email protected]

Bio as submitted

Aaron Pribble is the author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator. An award-winning instructor whose work also includes Pitching in the Promised Land: A Story of the First and Only Season in the Israel Baseball League, Aaron teaches high school social studies in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Twitter: @aaronpribble

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post 5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them: The Truth About Teaching in America appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/e260/

[ralph31ortiz]

5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them: The Truth About Teaching in America

Aaron Pribble on episode 260 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Teachers are not all saints, nor are they all slackers. — These are just two of the myths that social studies teacher Aaron Pribble tackles in this motivating, uplifting talk about what it is really like to be a teacher in America today. Aaron Pribble is the author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator.

Check out Jennifer Gonzalez’ 2018 Teacher’s Guide to Technology for more than 200 tools with special tips, videos, and screenshots to get you started.

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

***

Enhanced Transcript

5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel them

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e260

Date: February 23, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Aaron Pribble @aaronpribble, author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator. He is a high school social studies teacher in California.

So Aaron, as we talk about Five Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them, what is the first teacher myth?

Aaron: Well, I’m going to say that the first teacher myth is all teachers are saints.

Myth #1 – All teachers are saints.

By saints, I mean that every single teacher’s going to win Teacher of the Year. People have seen movies like Stand and Deliver with Jaime Escalante, or Dead Poets Society with Robin WIlliams — that THAT’S what it means to be a teacher in America today.

Vicki: And that’s a myth. How do we dispel it, because… you know, that is a myth in my classroom. I’m certainly not a saint.

Aaron: Right? And you know, I hope that I think that we all aspire to sainthood, or at least to be Teacher of the Year if not a saint.

I think that one way we dispel it is by painting a realistic picture of what it’s actually like in the classroom — the embarrassing moments when we try to improvise and be human, some of the hardening moments. I think if more and more teachers tell their story, and we get to see a more realistic picture of what it’s like, then maybe some of those myths will start to slip away.

And if I could kind of foresee the second myth, if I could transition into the second one, I’m going to say that the other side of that coin is that if teachers aren’t all saints, then they must be slouches.

Myth #2 – All teachers are slouches

People probably remember that famous New Yorker article or essay about the rumors that the best parts of teaching are June/July/August, that teachers are hard to fire, and that teachers take advantage of their time. I think that that’s equally a myth as well.

A great way to dispel that myth, that teachers are really either saints or slouches, is by highlighting the good work that we do. One of the things that I love about your podcasts so much is that it’s practical, it’s quick, and it showcases a variety of teachers across the country doing really interesting things dayin and day out.

Vicki: Well, and you know, teachers aren’t slouches. We work 99% of the hours of every other profession — except we do it in ten months!

Aaron: (laughs)

Vicki: (laughs)

Aaron: That’s so true! That’s so true!

Vicki: You know, I always say in the summer, “No, I’m not resting. I’m healing.” Because that’s what it takes!

Aaron: You know, a related point, if I can just add on, is like what it means to grade. The notion that teachers can get all their grading done, you know, within the day. It’s just unrealistic. It’s not true.

So if you think about grading an essay, and an essay takes five minutes to grade because you want to give some feedback. You don’t want to just slap a grade on it. That’s five minutes per paper. One class you’ve got 25-30 papers. You’ve got five classes of that. That’s a whole day’s work right there!

So when are you going to do it? You’re going to do it in and around and in between and on weekends and at night and stuff like that. That’s just the way it goes.

Vicki: It is! It takes forever!

OK, what’s our third myth?

Aaron: Alright. Well, related to grading papers, I suppose, the third myth is going to be that teachers only teach their curriculum.

Myth #3 – Teachers only teach their curriculum

When we talk about teaching, we talk about perhaps standardized tests, or proficiency scales, or standards, at least. And that’s true. I’m a social studies teacher, so if I teach a law elective and U.S. History, the units and the curriculum really matters. But I think it’s also really important to teach the whole child.

You know, this notion in education of in loco parentis, which is Latin literally for “in place of the parent.” We are kids’ parents — guardians at least — when they come to school.

It’s really important to know that when they walk through the doors, it’s not just about the content. It’s not just about their minds. But it’s about their hearts. The whole child. It’s really important for us to keep that in mind, I think.

Vicki: Little things like, “How do you get along with the person sitting next to you?” and “How do you respect others?” and “Do you pick up after yourself?” I mean, these are all things that help you be more successful in life.

Aaron: Just to tell you one quick story on that… I had a kid who I really liked. Really promising, star of the football team, but you know, really quiet and really shy. His nickname was Smiley. All the kids called him Smiley. So I started to form a relationship with him through sports, and he’d stick around after class, after this law elective.

And then he kind of peeks his head in one day and asks me to help him write a letter to the judge because his dad was about to be sent to San Quentin State Penitentiary.

My heart was at once both full and broken for this kid. Here is is, trying to learn the curriculum, the stuff that’s going on in the classroom, and he has to worry about his dad being sent away to prison. It just reminded me that we are about helping young people succeed in life. There’s a lot that goes into that.

Vicki: Wow.

OK, what’s our fourth?

Aaron: Our fourth one is that teachers don’t always just teach in the classroom. It’s not just about the curriculum. It’s also that things happen outside of the classroom that I don’t think a lot of people understand as well.

Teachers need supervision points. We chaperone on dances. (What the heck is it like to chaperone a dance?) Or a spring concert, or a choir concert or something like that.

Myth #4 – Teachers only just teach in the classroom

There are a lot of facets of our job, especially when it comes to teaching, that happen outside of the four walls. Perhaps it’s an exchange trip, like taking kids to France or Dubai, for example, or maybe just down the road. But that sort of experiential learning is part and parcel of what we do every day.

Vicki: Some of the greatest teaching moments have been hosting Special Olympics Bocce Ball at my school, where the kids are the officials. Or you know, taking kids on trips overseas. Or you know, sometimes on a field trip. I mean, there’s so many opportunities to teach.

OK, what’s our fifth?

Aaron: I alluded to it earlier. Our fifth and final myth is that the best parts of teaching are not, in fact, June/July/August. Those are not the three best parts of teaching. It’s wonderful to have summers off, but it’s a truly meaningful and remarkable profession. We work hard, but I think we get back much more than we put in.

Myth #5 – The best part of teaching is not the time off, but we do need it

I had a wise mentor teacher a while ago say that, “If you don’t take a Saturday, and you don’t take a Sunday, you’re going to be no good on Monday.”

And I think the same thing is true for summers. It’s a time to rejuvenate, and also to reflect on our practice. You know, the school year’s like a season. And at the end of that season, win-lose-or-draw, you celebrate. Then you reflect on your performance over that past season.

Then you’re refreshed and ready to hit the ground running. But I tell you, for all of the breaks that we have, the breaks are nice, but they would not nearly be enough if you didn’t love what you’re doing.

It’s a real honor to be a teacher in the classroom, and I hope that people will understand what it’s really like in the classroom — to paint a fuller picture so that we can appreciate the jobs that we do.

Vicki: Dude… Aaron, I’m going to tell you what I told my pastor this Sunday. “You are a toe stepper!”

“If you don’t have a Saturday, and you don’t take a Sunday, you’re going to be no good on Monday.”

Oh. My. Goodness.

And all of these myths, I think, are important to talk about and have conversations so that we understand the reality of what our profession is.

You know, our profession is beautiful. Our profession is wonderful.

But our profession is tough. Wouldn’t you agree?

Aaron: Yep. It absolutely is. It’s tough but rewarding. The turnover rate in education is actually quite high.

It’s something approximating a third to a fourth of the teachers drop out within their first five years.

It’s not, believe it or not, because of the long hours. Teachers are willing to do that. It’s not because of the kids that they don’t get along with.

It’s because of loneliness and isolation.

You know, a lot of times, it’s one adult and 20-30 kids in the classroom.

I think that one of the things that we can do to really improve our profession is to increase the collegiality and the collaboration to get teachers working together, so that more people will stay in the profession, and more people will continue in this great profession throughout their career.

Vicki: Such great words because I know beginning teachers who feel very alone.

And I know more experienced teachers who feel alone.

I’m not sure why sometimes it seems difficult to build bridges with other teachers — whether it’s just the profession, or whether we are all kind of like king and queen of our little domain, or what.

Aaron: Right?

Vicki: But you know, Aaron, we have to do better.

Aaron: I agree.

Vicki: We have to be better friends, better colleagues. We have to be more encouraging.

I think you have really shared some powerful things about the profession of teaching.

All of you listening, teachers, I’m proud of you.

Thank you for teaching. Thank you for giving your life to this incredible profession. Thank you for doing all of the things that people notice — and all of the things that people don’t notice — for these kids.

It is worth it. They are worth it. This is an incredible, fantastic, remarkable profession.

  Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford [email protected]

Bio as submitted

Aaron Pribble is the author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator. An award-winning instructor whose work also includes Pitching in the Promised Land: A Story of the First and Only Season in the Israel Baseball League, Aaron teaches high school social studies in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Twitter: @aaronpribble

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post 5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them: The Truth About Teaching in America appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/e260/

[athena29stone]

5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them: The Truth About Teaching in America

Aaron Pribble on episode 260 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Teachers are not all saints, nor are they all slackers. — These are just two of the myths that social studies teacher Aaron Pribble tackles in this motivating, uplifting talk about what it is really like to be a teacher in America today. Aaron Pribble is the author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator.

Check out Jennifer Gonzalez’ 2018 Teacher’s Guide to Technology for more than 200 tools with special tips, videos, and screenshots to get you started.

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

***

Enhanced Transcript

5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel them

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e260

Date: February 23, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Aaron Pribble @aaronpribble, author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator. He is a high school social studies teacher in California.

So Aaron, as we talk about Five Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them, what is the first teacher myth?

Aaron: Well, I’m going to say that the first teacher myth is all teachers are saints.

Myth #1 – All teachers are saints.

By saints, I mean that every single teacher’s going to win Teacher of the Year. People have seen movies like Stand and Deliver with Jaime Escalante, or Dead Poets Society with Robin WIlliams — that THAT’S what it means to be a teacher in America today.

Vicki: And that’s a myth. How do we dispel it, because… you know, that is a myth in my classroom. I’m certainly not a saint.

Aaron: Right? And you know, I hope that I think that we all aspire to sainthood, or at least to be Teacher of the Year if not a saint.

I think that one way we dispel it is by painting a realistic picture of what it’s actually like in the classroom — the embarrassing moments when we try to improvise and be human, some of the hardening moments. I think if more and more teachers tell their story, and we get to see a more realistic picture of what it’s like, then maybe some of those myths will start to slip away.

And if I could kind of foresee the second myth, if I could transition into the second one, I’m going to say that the other side of that coin is that if teachers aren’t all saints, then they must be slouches.

Myth #2 – All teachers are slouches

People probably remember that famous New Yorker article or essay about the rumors that the best parts of teaching are June/July/August, that teachers are hard to fire, and that teachers take advantage of their time. I think that that’s equally a myth as well.

A great way to dispel that myth, that teachers are really either saints or slouches, is by highlighting the good work that we do. One of the things that I love about your podcasts so much is that it’s practical, it’s quick, and it showcases a variety of teachers across the country doing really interesting things dayin and day out.

Vicki: Well, and you know, teachers aren’t slouches. We work 99% of the hours of every other profession — except we do it in ten months!

Aaron: (laughs)

Vicki: (laughs)

Aaron: That’s so true! That’s so true!

Vicki: You know, I always say in the summer, “No, I’m not resting. I’m healing.” Because that’s what it takes!

Aaron: You know, a related point, if I can just add on, is like what it means to grade. The notion that teachers can get all their grading done, you know, within the day. It’s just unrealistic. It’s not true.

So if you think about grading an essay, and an essay takes five minutes to grade because you want to give some feedback. You don’t want to just slap a grade on it. That’s five minutes per paper. One class you’ve got 25-30 papers. You’ve got five classes of that. That’s a whole day’s work right there!

So when are you going to do it? You’re going to do it in and around and in between and on weekends and at night and stuff like that. That’s just the way it goes.

Vicki: It is! It takes forever!

OK, what’s our third myth?

Aaron: Alright. Well, related to grading papers, I suppose, the third myth is going to be that teachers only teach their curriculum.

Myth #3 – Teachers only teach their curriculum

When we talk about teaching, we talk about perhaps standardized tests, or proficiency scales, or standards, at least. And that’s true. I’m a social studies teacher, so if I teach a law elective and U.S. History, the units and the curriculum really matters. But I think it’s also really important to teach the whole child.

You know, this notion in education of in loco parentis, which is Latin literally for “in place of the parent.” We are kids’ parents — guardians at least — when they come to school.

It’s really important to know that when they walk through the doors, it’s not just about the content. It’s not just about their minds. But it’s about their hearts. The whole child. It’s really important for us to keep that in mind, I think.

Vicki: Little things like, “How do you get along with the person sitting next to you?” and “How do you respect others?” and “Do you pick up after yourself?” I mean, these are all things that help you be more successful in life.

Aaron: Just to tell you one quick story on that… I had a kid who I really liked. Really promising, star of the football team, but you know, really quiet and really shy. His nickname was Smiley. All the kids called him Smiley. So I started to form a relationship with him through sports, and he’d stick around after class, after this law elective.

And then he kind of peeks his head in one day and asks me to help him write a letter to the judge because his dad was about to be sent to San Quentin State Penitentiary.

My heart was at once both full and broken for this kid. Here is is, trying to learn the curriculum, the stuff that’s going on in the classroom, and he has to worry about his dad being sent away to prison. It just reminded me that we are about helping young people succeed in life. There’s a lot that goes into that.

Vicki: Wow.

OK, what’s our fourth?

Aaron: Our fourth one is that teachers don’t always just teach in the classroom. It’s not just about the curriculum. It’s also that things happen outside of the classroom that I don’t think a lot of people understand as well.

Teachers need supervision points. We chaperone on dances. (What the heck is it like to chaperone a dance?) Or a spring concert, or a choir concert or something like that.

Myth #4 – Teachers only just teach in the classroom

There are a lot of facets of our job, especially when it comes to teaching, that happen outside of the four walls. Perhaps it’s an exchange trip, like taking kids to France or Dubai, for example, or maybe just down the road. But that sort of experiential learning is part and parcel of what we do every day.

Vicki: Some of the greatest teaching moments have been hosting Special Olympics Bocce Ball at my school, where the kids are the officials. Or you know, taking kids on trips overseas. Or you know, sometimes on a field trip. I mean, there’s so many opportunities to teach.

OK, what’s our fifth?

Aaron: I alluded to it earlier. Our fifth and final myth is that the best parts of teaching are not, in fact, June/July/August. Those are not the three best parts of teaching. It’s wonderful to have summers off, but it’s a truly meaningful and remarkable profession. We work hard, but I think we get back much more than we put in.

Myth #5 – The best part of teaching is not the time off, but we do need it

I had a wise mentor teacher a while ago say that, “If you don’t take a Saturday, and you don’t take a Sunday, you’re going to be no good on Monday.”

And I think the same thing is true for summers. It’s a time to rejuvenate, and also to reflect on our practice. You know, the school year’s like a season. And at the end of that season, win-lose-or-draw, you celebrate. Then you reflect on your performance over that past season.

Then you’re refreshed and ready to hit the ground running. But I tell you, for all of the breaks that we have, the breaks are nice, but they would not nearly be enough if you didn’t love what you’re doing.

It’s a real honor to be a teacher in the classroom, and I hope that people will understand what it’s really like in the classroom — to paint a fuller picture so that we can appreciate the jobs that we do.

Vicki: Dude… Aaron, I’m going to tell you what I told my pastor this Sunday. “You are a toe stepper!”

“If you don’t have a Saturday, and you don’t take a Sunday, you’re going to be no good on Monday.”

Oh. My. Goodness.

And all of these myths, I think, are important to talk about and have conversations so that we understand the reality of what our profession is.

You know, our profession is beautiful. Our profession is wonderful.

But our profession is tough. Wouldn’t you agree?

Aaron: Yep. It absolutely is. It’s tough but rewarding. The turnover rate in education is actually quite high.

It’s something approximating a third to a fourth of the teachers drop out within their first five years.

It’s not, believe it or not, because of the long hours. Teachers are willing to do that. It’s not because of the kids that they don’t get along with.

It’s because of loneliness and isolation.

You know, a lot of times, it’s one adult and 20-30 kids in the classroom.

I think that one of the things that we can do to really improve our profession is to increase the collegiality and the collaboration to get teachers working together, so that more people will stay in the profession, and more people will continue in this great profession throughout their career.

Vicki: Such great words because I know beginning teachers who feel very alone.

And I know more experienced teachers who feel alone.

I’m not sure why sometimes it seems difficult to build bridges with other teachers — whether it’s just the profession, or whether we are all kind of like king and queen of our little domain, or what.

Aaron: Right?

Vicki: But you know, Aaron, we have to do better.

Aaron: I agree.

Vicki: We have to be better friends, better colleagues. We have to be more encouraging.

I think you have really shared some powerful things about the profession of teaching.

All of you listening, teachers, I’m proud of you.

Thank you for teaching. Thank you for giving your life to this incredible profession. Thank you for doing all of the things that people notice — and all of the things that people don’t notice — for these kids.

It is worth it. They are worth it. This is an incredible, fantastic, remarkable profession.

  Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford [email protected]

Bio as submitted

Aaron Pribble is the author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator. An award-winning instructor whose work also includes Pitching in the Promised Land: A Story of the First and Only Season in the Israel Baseball League, Aaron teaches high school social studies in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Twitter: @aaronpribble

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post 5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them: The Truth About Teaching in America appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/e260/

[patriciaanderson357-blog]

5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them: The Truth About Teaching in America

Aaron Pribble on episode 260 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Teachers are not all saints, nor are they all slackers. — These are just two of the myths that social studies teacher Aaron Pribble tackles in this motivating, uplifting talk about what it is really like to be a teacher in America today. Aaron Pribble is the author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator.

Check out Jennifer Gonzalez’ 2018 Teacher’s Guide to Technology for more than 200 tools with special tips, videos, and screenshots to get you started.

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

***

Enhanced Transcript

5 Teacher Myths and How to Dispel them

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e260

Date: February 23, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking with Aaron Pribble @aaronpribble, author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator. He is a high school social studies teacher in California.

So Aaron, as we talk about Five Teacher Myths and How to Dispel Them, what is the first teacher myth?

Aaron: Well, I’m going to say that the first teacher myth is all teachers are saints.

Myth #1 – All teachers are saints.

By saints, I mean that every single teacher’s going to win Teacher of the Year. People have seen movies like Stand and Deliver with Jaime Escalante, or Dead Poets Society with Robin WIlliams — that THAT’S what it means to be a teacher in America today.

Vicki: And that’s a myth. How do we dispel it, because… you know, that is a myth in my classroom. I’m certainly not a saint.

Aaron: Right? And you know, I hope that I think that we all aspire to sainthood, or at least to be Teacher of the Year if not a saint.

I think that one way we dispel it is by painting a realistic picture of what it’s actually like in the classroom — the embarrassing moments when we try to improvise and be human, some of the hardening moments. I think if more and more teachers tell their story, and we get to see a more realistic picture of what it’s like, then maybe some of those myths will start to slip away.

And if I could kind of foresee the second myth, if I could transition into the second one, I’m going to say that the other side of that coin is that if teachers aren’t all saints, then they must be slouches.

Myth #2 – All teachers are slouches

People probably remember that famous New Yorker article or essay about the rumors that the best parts of teaching are June/July/August, that teachers are hard to fire, and that teachers take advantage of their time. I think that that’s equally a myth as well.

A great way to dispel that myth, that teachers are really either saints or slouches, is by highlighting the good work that we do. One of the things that I love about your podcasts so much is that it’s practical, it’s quick, and it showcases a variety of teachers across the country doing really interesting things dayin and day out.

Vicki: Well, and you know, teachers aren’t slouches. We work 99% of the hours of every other profession — except we do it in ten months!

Aaron: (laughs)

Vicki: (laughs)

Aaron: That’s so true! That’s so true!

Vicki: You know, I always say in the summer, “No, I’m not resting. I’m healing.” Because that’s what it takes!

Aaron: You know, a related point, if I can just add on, is like what it means to grade. The notion that teachers can get all their grading done, you know, within the day. It’s just unrealistic. It’s not true.

So if you think about grading an essay, and an essay takes five minutes to grade because you want to give some feedback. You don’t want to just slap a grade on it. That’s five minutes per paper. One class you’ve got 25-30 papers. You’ve got five classes of that. That’s a whole day’s work right there!

So when are you going to do it? You’re going to do it in and around and in between and on weekends and at night and stuff like that. That’s just the way it goes.

Vicki: It is! It takes forever!

OK, what’s our third myth?

Aaron: Alright. Well, related to grading papers, I suppose, the third myth is going to be that teachers only teach their curriculum.

Myth #3 – Teachers only teach their curriculum

When we talk about teaching, we talk about perhaps standardized tests, or proficiency scales, or standards, at least. And that’s true. I’m a social studies teacher, so if I teach a law elective and U.S. History, the units and the curriculum really matters. But I think it’s also really important to teach the whole child.

You know, this notion in education of in loco parentis, which is Latin literally for “in place of the parent.” We are kids’ parents — guardians at least — when they come to school.

It’s really important to know that when they walk through the doors, it’s not just about the content. It’s not just about their minds. But it’s about their hearts. The whole child. It’s really important for us to keep that in mind, I think.

Vicki: Little things like, “How do you get along with the person sitting next to you?” and “How do you respect others?” and “Do you pick up after yourself?” I mean, these are all things that help you be more successful in life.

Aaron: Just to tell you one quick story on that… I had a kid who I really liked. Really promising, star of the football team, but you know, really quiet and really shy. His nickname was Smiley. All the kids called him Smiley. So I started to form a relationship with him through sports, and he’d stick around after class, after this law elective.

And then he kind of peeks his head in one day and asks me to help him write a letter to the judge because his dad was about to be sent to San Quentin State Penitentiary.

My heart was at once both full and broken for this kid. Here is is, trying to learn the curriculum, the stuff that’s going on in the classroom, and he has to worry about his dad being sent away to prison. It just reminded me that we are about helping young people succeed in life. There’s a lot that goes into that.

Vicki: Wow.

OK, what’s our fourth?

Aaron: Our fourth one is that teachers don’t always just teach in the classroom. It’s not just about the curriculum. It’s also that things happen outside of the classroom that I don’t think a lot of people understand as well.

Teachers need supervision points. We chaperone on dances. (What the heck is it like to chaperone a dance?) Or a spring concert, or a choir concert or something like that.

Myth #4 – Teachers only just teach in the classroom

There are a lot of facets of our job, especially when it comes to teaching, that happen outside of the four walls. Perhaps it’s an exchange trip, like taking kids to France or Dubai, for example, or maybe just down the road. But that sort of experiential learning is part and parcel of what we do every day.

Vicki: Some of the greatest teaching moments have been hosting Special Olympics Bocce Ball at my school, where the kids are the officials. Or you know, taking kids on trips overseas. Or you know, sometimes on a field trip. I mean, there’s so many opportunities to teach.

OK, what’s our fifth?

Aaron: I alluded to it earlier. Our fifth and final myth is that the best parts of teaching are not, in fact, June/July/August. Those are not the three best parts of teaching. It’s wonderful to have summers off, but it’s a truly meaningful and remarkable profession. We work hard, but I think we get back much more than we put in.

Myth #5 – The best part of teaching is not the time off, but we do need it

I had a wise mentor teacher a while ago say that, “If you don’t take a Saturday, and you don’t take a Sunday, you’re going to be no good on Monday.”

And I think the same thing is true for summers. It’s a time to rejuvenate, and also to reflect on our practice. You know, the school year’s like a season. And at the end of that season, win-lose-or-draw, you celebrate. Then you reflect on your performance over that past season.

Then you’re refreshed and ready to hit the ground running. But I tell you, for all of the breaks that we have, the breaks are nice, but they would not nearly be enough if you didn’t love what you’re doing.

It’s a real honor to be a teacher in the classroom, and I hope that people will understand what it’s really like in the classroom — to paint a fuller picture so that we can appreciate the jobs that we do.

Vicki: Dude… Aaron, I’m going to tell you what I told my pastor this Sunday. “You are a toe stepper!”

“If you don’t have a Saturday, and you don’t take a Sunday, you’re going to be no good on Monday.”

Oh. My. Goodness.

And all of these myths, I think, are important to talk about and have conversations so that we understand the reality of what our profession is.

You know, our profession is beautiful. Our profession is wonderful.

But our profession is tough. Wouldn’t you agree?

Aaron: Yep. It absolutely is. It’s tough but rewarding. The turnover rate in education is actually quite high.

It’s something approximating a third to a fourth of the teachers drop out within their first five years.

It’s not, believe it or not, because of the long hours. Teachers are willing to do that. It’s not because of the kids that they don’t get along with.

It’s because of loneliness and isolation.

You know, a lot of times, it’s one adult and 20-30 kids in the classroom.

I think that one of the things that we can do to really improve our profession is to increase the collegiality and the collaboration to get teachers working together, so that more people will stay in the profession, and more people will continue in this great profession throughout their career.

Vicki: Such great words because I know beginning teachers who feel very alone.

And I know more experienced teachers who feel alone.

I’m not sure why sometimes it seems difficult to build bridges with other teachers — whether it’s just the profession, or whether we are all kind of like king and queen of our little domain, or what.

Aaron: Right?

Vicki: But you know, Aaron, we have to do better.

Aaron: I agree.

Vicki: We have to be better friends, better colleagues. We have to be more encouraging.

I think you have really shared some powerful things about the profession of teaching.

All of you listening, teachers, I’m proud of you.

Thank you for teaching. Thank you for giving your life to this incredible profession. Thank you for doing all of the things that people notice — and all of the things that people don’t notice — for these kids.

It is worth it. They are worth it. This is an incredible, fantastic, remarkable profession.

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Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford [email protected]

Bio as submitted

Aaron Pribble is the author of Teacherland: Inside the Myth of the American Educator. An award-winning instructor whose work also includes Pitching in the Promised Land: A Story of the First and Only Season in the Israel Baseball League, Aaron teaches high school social studies in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Twitter: @aaronpribble

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

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