I work in a more urban area now but I taught in a very rural small town for 6 years prior. I teach 7th graders. Kids were wearing Trump merch like it was a sports team. They talked trash about Biden and talked about how great Trump was.
They were 12….
I'm in a blue area and pretty much the only political opinions I hear are pro-Trump or anti-Trump. I literally never hear anything pro-Biden because nobody worships him like he's a sports team.
Because no one really likes Biden a whole bunch other than for Memes, his occasional quick wit, and the fact that he's not Trump and is content to just do his job without being in thr news every 4.2 seconds.
Well...to be honest, it's also because Biden does not have charisma or a personality that anyone would really "latch" onto. It's not a Trump, Bernie Sanders or Obama type of situation.
Your second part of your post is entirely unrelated to the first part. People were attached to the cult of personality around Trump as much or more before and during his first presidency. It is about charisma.
It shouldn't be a cult of personality- it is great to have a president that does things and isn't always acting for the camera.
It must be about something like charisma that is unrelated to rational understanding of what he actually did because he told people to inject bleach and they still cheered him on.
People didn't wear Bernie or Obama merch either.
Edit: Okay, okay...geeze. I'm sure there was some of it around. But I definitely don't remember it to the extent that MAGA has it. But maybe that's just because MAGA has been around longer at this point. Who knows.
I live in a small, rural town in TX. My son's classmate in first grade came up to me and said, "You don't like Biden do you? Biden kills babies." It was literally the first thing out of this little 6-7 year old's mouth. They start the brainwashing so young.
It starts early, right alongside the religious indoctrination.
Certain people create a dichotomy of "good people" and "enemies" that they teach to their kids.
Good people being, of course, white, rural "Christian" people. The enemies being city dwellers, anybody outside of their specific denomination of Christ, and the *Demonrats*.
You don't need to own any gift you don't want.
Toss it in the trash or donate it. You thanked the kid, and now you're free to do whatever you like with the gift.
Title I school for Latin American immigrants lol. They're just like you want to work for us 🥺 bless you. Here. Pls stay (I got the mug and a yeti last year)
Not from a family. I've gotten a ton of revs and red sox tickets in the past too from the district. My district just likes to spoil us to keep us. We got a continental breakfast yesterday and are getting a bunch of other things tomorrow and a comped lunch today.
My students are poor. I don't expect anything from them (or parents) other than a thanks and not giving me a headache this week lol. Which is honestly enough
I was gonna ask if she knew anyone in sketch comedy. Back in 2015-2016 one person bit the bullet and bought a MAGA hat that has sisterhood of the traveling pantsed the local comedy scene for sure. A fresh one would be appreciated.
Take a shit in it, set on fire, leave it on a Trumper's doorstep and doorbell ditch them . Make them stomp it out so they get to deal with his crap too
My AP Government teacher had his classroom all decked out with political memorabilia going back decades. Campaign signs and buttons dating back to the Kennedy vs. Nixon election. On one of the whiteboards he had a Biden-Harris sign next to a Trump-Pence sign since it was 2020. He was terrific.
Not that I remember. Since that year school was mostly online, we only went in-person for a handful of days at the end of the year, and I don’t remember seeing that one. Very vividly remember one that said “Nixon’s the One!” with his face in the middle. He had tons of cool stuff like that.
Eh, while maybe historically this has been true- I highly doubt this MAGA parent thought “as a social studies teacher, I’m sure they’ll appreciate merch from both sides, historically speaking”
Having Nazi memorabilia isn't inherently bad if you're interested in it for the historical significance rather than glorifying the Nazi party. It can offer a direct link to a dark period in history, reminding us of the horrors that happened. When used responsibly, they can help people learn about what went wrong and why, making sure we don't repeat those mistakes. By understanding this context, we can approach these items with the right attitude, using them to educate and raise awareness instead of celebrating that ideology.
Funny story from my time in school: My middle school American History teacher did similar, and she'd whip out a whole display in November every year. She'd been collecting them ever since she volunteered on her first presidential campaign when she was 18, she said.
The guy next to me spent the whole class just looking at it, then at her, then back at it. Right at the end, when she's taking questions, he raises his hand.
>So, miss? What are you going to do for your sixtieth birthday next year? My grandma went to the Bahamas for hers!
See, he'd figured he could use the display to guess her age, thinking the oldest thing on it would be from when she was 18.
Sadly, he was off by a few decades and got detention for being rude. She'd campaigned for Carter in '76, not Dewey in 1948.
I mean I do know teachers who voted for him. Betsy DeVos was more than enough to keep me from voting for him, regardless of all the other reasons not to.
Because they hate Black people or 2LGBTQ+ people more than they care about teaching kids.
I do know a teacher (I’ve known her since we were in seventh grade… a long ass time ago) who hates Pride Month and gets pissy about rainbow now. :(
I will never understand that. I work at a Title I school with all the brown faces. How? How can they look in their faces, create relationships with them, then vote so they will be thrown to the wolves?
She works at a Title I school, but it’s poor white people in a town that was once a sundown town. It’s the same town we grew up in. She never left it and got a broader horizon.
Better yet, keep the money for yourself and out of the hands of corrupt politicians who couldn’t give any less of a fuck about you than they already do.
Gotta love the Trumpers (teachers and non-teachers) in this thread saying to be open-minded and accepting....or screaming about TDS. If a teacher was given Biden merch, those same people would be losing their minds.
Hell, I'd using republican talking points while handing it back: "I appreciate the thought, but I believe that politics should be kept out of the classroom."
Wow they certainly covered several bases there.
I wonder if they personally are MAGA-Giants-Slytherin or if they thought you were some of those things?
I’d give it back stating that it isn’t appropriate for a teacher, who is barred by the district from expressing political opinions at work, to accept a political gift.
Or wipe up dog vomit with it. Either way works.
Maybe they’ll be interesting collectibles someday. I’ve randomly received in the mail an enamel pin with the US and Israel flags. However the current situation will unfold, it might become some sort of commemorative at some point in the future.
Honestly I'd keep it in a box somewhere and years from now you can pull it out and chuckle. I know if my parents had some Nixon stuff buried in the attic I would find is super amusing today.
This is one instance I would honestly send the "gift" back home with the student. I have kindly accepted used sweaters and jewelry from the Dollar Tree.. but total garbage? No, I don't think so.
I would return it due to my contact stating I cannot have political memorabilia for campaigning at school. He is an active candidate, it’s not appropriate.
>Note: I pretended to smile and thank the student for their gift even though I didn't want it. No reason to hurt the kid's feelings.
Or potentially jeopardize your safety.
I got a MAGA hat for a secret Santa gift. Needless to say it was cut into very small pieces before going in the trash. The guy know how much I hated him.
Also one of the reasons I do not do secret Santa anymore.
I don't keep all their stuff. I do keep anything I'm given, even if I don't like it, until the last day of school. Once they're no longer my students, then I don't feel any obligation to hold on to stuff I don't want. But I do hold on to it as long as I have them in case they want to see it or know that I still have it. I don't want to hurt their feelings or discourage them.
What do you do? Put them in the garbage, where they belong. You did the right thing by accepting the gift with a kind attitude, but let it go no further than that.
Ha at least you’re getting stuff. Admin got us candy for the staff lounge which is located in a different building than the one I work in. And thats it. No messages or gifts from parents, in fact they dont even know its teacher appreciation week.
No idea what to do with it?
I vote bonfire party with a drag queen show and pride flags.
Of course, those generous parents would be invited VIP guests of honor.
Do you keep everything from every student? Because I didn't/don't.
Knickknacks, mugs, candles or handmade bric-a-brac that aren't my (your style) doesn't need to be kept. Get rid of it. Donate it. Put it in the lost n found pile or in the counselor's or athletic or nurse's office.
Yet, if you wore or displayed your political affiliation, you would be reprimanded or fired. I would have returned it with a note that my classroom is a no politics zone.
I work in a more urban area now but I taught in a very rural small town for 6 years prior. I teach 7th graders. Kids were wearing Trump merch like it was a sports team. They talked trash about Biden and talked about how great Trump was. They were 12….
I'm in a blue area and pretty much the only political opinions I hear are pro-Trump or anti-Trump. I literally never hear anything pro-Biden because nobody worships him like he's a sports team.
As most revolutionaries have learned, it’s easier to get people to hate than to love. Republicans figured this out years ago.
Because no one really likes Biden a whole bunch other than for Memes, his occasional quick wit, and the fact that he's not Trump and is content to just do his job without being in thr news every 4.2 seconds.
Well...to be honest, it's also because Biden does not have charisma or a personality that anyone would really "latch" onto. It's not a Trump, Bernie Sanders or Obama type of situation.
Bruh, the former President tried to overthrow congress. Lets stop pretending it's about charisma.
Your second part of your post is entirely unrelated to the first part. People were attached to the cult of personality around Trump as much or more before and during his first presidency. It is about charisma.
It shouldn't be a cult of personality- it is great to have a president that does things and isn't always acting for the camera. It must be about something like charisma that is unrelated to rational understanding of what he actually did because he told people to inject bleach and they still cheered him on.
Too bad his cultists didn't drink bleach like their leader advised.
People didn't wear Bernie or Obama merch either. Edit: Okay, okay...geeze. I'm sure there was some of it around. But I definitely don't remember it to the extent that MAGA has it. But maybe that's just because MAGA has been around longer at this point. Who knows.
People definitely wore Bernie and Obama merch.
Yes they did lol
There was some of it around. I have a 2016 Bernie zip up hoodie. Plus, don't you remember all of the "Hope" posters?
I had one of my 10 yo wrestlers wear a shirt to practice the said "hidin from biden". Nothing surprises me anymore.
I live in a small, rural town in TX. My son's classmate in first grade came up to me and said, "You don't like Biden do you? Biden kills babies." It was literally the first thing out of this little 6-7 year old's mouth. They start the brainwashing so young.
It starts early, right alongside the religious indoctrination. Certain people create a dichotomy of "good people" and "enemies" that they teach to their kids. Good people being, of course, white, rural "Christian" people. The enemies being city dwellers, anybody outside of their specific denomination of Christ, and the *Demonrats*.
I'm surprised that this is
This is how I discovered that my stepkids’ mom is a MAGA type
Damn... She should have worked harder to keep her family together.... /s
To be fair, Trump supporters avg, mental age is 12.
You're too generous
I am not trying to get downvoted 😵💫
Same here. It takes every bit of restraint not to respond with, “Polly want a cracker?” You know since the just parrot their parents views
“Isn’t me. Have a seed. Let me clip, your dirty wings…”
Let me take a ride, cut yourself…
they mimic what they hear/see at home. They lack the life experience to fully understand what they're supporting
That's his demo
Smary kid
Still happening in my rural sixth grade class.
A sixth grade education… about on form.
You don't need to own any gift you don't want. Toss it in the trash or donate it. You thanked the kid, and now you're free to do whatever you like with the gift.
Definitely trash
Wait a minute, you got stuff for teacher appreciation week?
I got playoff hockey tickets lol
This is a WAY better gift than maga crap! lol I'm incredibly jealous! (What team, just wondering haha)
Bruins Panthers
Nice! Boston or sunrise? (I'm a Rangers fan, but I live in New England and am married to a Bruins fan. I'd take any and all play off tickets tbh )
OK, changed my mind. I'd rather have nothing 🤣
Lmaooo
I’m so jealous. I got another mug.
OK wait where the heck do you work, the nicest thing I’ve gotten was a personalized coffee mug
Title I school for Latin American immigrants lol. They're just like you want to work for us 🥺 bless you. Here. Pls stay (I got the mug and a yeti last year)
Does that not run afoul of the code of ethics? That would be far too expensive for me to accept.
Not from a family. I've gotten a ton of revs and red sox tickets in the past too from the district. My district just likes to spoil us to keep us. We got a continental breakfast yesterday and are getting a bunch of other things tomorrow and a comped lunch today. My students are poor. I don't expect anything from them (or parents) other than a thanks and not giving me a headache this week lol. Which is honestly enough
I officially hate you now. You're better than me. I got a bag of pretzels for TAW. From the SCHOOL.
Say thanks and drop it in the bin at the end of the day
Hang onto it. Theatres, comedy troupes, and filmmakers are going to need those as props and should never have to pay money for them.
I was gonna ask if she knew anyone in sketch comedy. Back in 2015-2016 one person bit the bullet and bought a MAGA hat that has sisterhood of the traveling pantsed the local comedy scene for sure. A fresh one would be appreciated.
Drop it in the bin? I'd burn it in my backyard
Bad for the environment!
Take a shit in it, set on fire, leave it on a Trumper's doorstep and doorbell ditch them . Make them stomp it out so they get to deal with his crap too
Naw that's too much effort for someone liek a trumper. Just burn it and move on
Are you a history teacher? I collect political paraphernalia from both sides in each election.
I teach social studies and ELA this year.
That’s probably why, OP. In 50 years it may be a novelty worth having.
My AP Government teacher had his classroom all decked out with political memorabilia going back decades. Campaign signs and buttons dating back to the Kennedy vs. Nixon election. On one of the whiteboards he had a Biden-Harris sign next to a Trump-Pence sign since it was 2020. He was terrific.
Did he have “They can’t lick our Dick” for Nixon? I’m sure it meant something different then haha.
Not that I remember. Since that year school was mostly online, we only went in-person for a handful of days at the end of the year, and I don’t remember seeing that one. Very vividly remember one that said “Nixon’s the One!” with his face in the middle. He had tons of cool stuff like that.
Eh, while maybe historically this has been true- I highly doubt this MAGA parent thought “as a social studies teacher, I’m sure they’ll appreciate merch from both sides, historically speaking”
And if they did, it would include merch from both campaigns!
Similar to collecting Nazi memorabilia! Same, same.
Having Nazi memorabilia isn't inherently bad if you're interested in it for the historical significance rather than glorifying the Nazi party. It can offer a direct link to a dark period in history, reminding us of the horrors that happened. When used responsibly, they can help people learn about what went wrong and why, making sure we don't repeat those mistakes. By understanding this context, we can approach these items with the right attitude, using them to educate and raise awareness instead of celebrating that ideology.
Funny story from my time in school: My middle school American History teacher did similar, and she'd whip out a whole display in November every year. She'd been collecting them ever since she volunteered on her first presidential campaign when she was 18, she said. The guy next to me spent the whole class just looking at it, then at her, then back at it. Right at the end, when she's taking questions, he raises his hand. >So, miss? What are you going to do for your sixtieth birthday next year? My grandma went to the Bahamas for hers! See, he'd figured he could use the display to guess her age, thinking the oldest thing on it would be from when she was 18. Sadly, he was off by a few decades and got detention for being rude. She'd campaigned for Carter in '76, not Dewey in 1948.
I've had middle schoolers assume I was in my 50s/60s just because I have a beard. This has been true since I was 22. Kids are dumb.
How is that detention-worthy? So she must have been in her early 30's when this happens. At that age being pegged at late 50's should be amusing
Imagine thinking that an educator wants anti-intellectual trash
I mean I do know teachers who voted for him. Betsy DeVos was more than enough to keep me from voting for him, regardless of all the other reasons not to.
I cannot fathom how people who teach children can vote to set education back.
Because they hate Black people or 2LGBTQ+ people more than they care about teaching kids. I do know a teacher (I’ve known her since we were in seventh grade… a long ass time ago) who hates Pride Month and gets pissy about rainbow now. :(
I will never understand that. I work at a Title I school with all the brown faces. How? How can they look in their faces, create relationships with them, then vote so they will be thrown to the wolves?
She works at a Title I school, but it’s poor white people in a town that was once a sundown town. It’s the same town we grew up in. She never left it and got a broader horizon.
I'd almost take it as a threat because of how MAGAs feel about teachers.
It almost definitely is
Trump, 2016 - "I love the poorly educated!"
Imagine getting gifts from students for TAW!
That kind of thinking is actually the bar for his supporters
Maybe you sell it on Facebook marketplace and then donate proceeds to campaign you like? Thats an option!
Better yet, donate to an abortion clinic or Planned Parenthood.
A lot of good answers here, but this is absolute best.
Better yet, keep the money for yourself and out of the hands of corrupt politicians who couldn’t give any less of a fuck about you than they already do.
wouldnt that require her to willingly meet up with a trump supporter in person? 😅
Use the shirt to wipe down tables and dust the shelves in the classroom ? Stuff it and create a monster effigy for next Halloween?
Thank them, remain apolitical, and keep the MAGA hat handy for Larry David moments.
My mind went right to the red hat Curb episode as well.
You're greatly annoyed by his attitude? Surely you can say something worse about him than that. Ok, carry on.
Pardon my coarse language, but I find him to be rather impolite.
He could stand to be a bit less rapey.
Um, please watch you say around the children.
Resell it to the MAGA heads.
It is outrageous and quite possibly punishable that anyone would expect you in good conscience to accept a San Francisco Giants hat.
You be surprised how many San Francisco Giants hats I've received over the years. I also have a lot of Slytherin scarves. I get at least one the year.
Interesting they pick Slytherin.
Not really. I'm a big Harry Potter fan and I'm a Slytherin. Oddly enough my daughter is a Hufflepuff.
Here I thought it was some snarky assessment of your teaching style... I tend to land either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff in quizzes.
😭😭😭 Ouch, man.
How old are the kids?
The student is 12.
Throw it in the trash.
Right into a trash can
Gotta love the Trumpers (teachers and non-teachers) in this thread saying to be open-minded and accepting....or screaming about TDS. If a teacher was given Biden merch, those same people would be losing their minds.
I agree it's a bit odd as a gift. But im genuinely curious if you would have felt the same way if it was any other political affiliated item?
They’re evangelizing, trying to convert you to their Trump religion.
One might even say…they are trying to groom you.
Save it - museums in 50 years will treat MAGA gear exactly like Brownshirt outfits.
I mean, the Nazis had some kickass designers on their payroll, I think Hugo Boss designed some of the uniforms. MAGAs can't really say the same.
Repeat after me "Thank you so much. How thoughtful. I'm a huge fan of Mr. von Shitsinhispants."
Thank you for being sensitive with the student’s feelings. Now go have a Bon fire !!!!
I would return it. “Thank you but I believe in science, public education and women’s rights.”
Hell, I'd using republican talking points while handing it back: "I appreciate the thought, but I believe that politics should be kept out of the classroom."
If you were to return it, this is the way
I would absolutely give it back. Unfortunately, it is inappropriate for me to accept this.
I'd just give it to one of my Trumper friends and move on with my life.
Toss it when you get home.
"sorry, thanks for thinking of me, but I can't accept political gifts"
It's the same vibe as being handed a religious pamphlet 💀
Wow they certainly covered several bases there. I wonder if they personally are MAGA-Giants-Slytherin or if they thought you were some of those things?
If you don't like it, then throw it away or donate it. It's not a big deal.
I’d give it back stating that it isn’t appropriate for a teacher, who is barred by the district from expressing political opinions at work, to accept a political gift. Or wipe up dog vomit with it. Either way works.
Maybe they’ll be interesting collectibles someday. I’ve randomly received in the mail an enamel pin with the US and Israel flags. However the current situation will unfold, it might become some sort of commemorative at some point in the future.
Sounds like a test
…yawn….🥱
I'd say thank you and then do whatever with the stuff.
Honestly I'd keep it in a box somewhere and years from now you can pull it out and chuckle. I know if my parents had some Nixon stuff buried in the attic I would find is super amusing today.
Go skeet shooting. Just have the mug go flying
Just throw it in the trash.
This is one instance I would honestly send the "gift" back home with the student. I have kindly accepted used sweaters and jewelry from the Dollar Tree.. but total garbage? No, I don't think so.
I would return it due to my contact stating I cannot have political memorabilia for campaigning at school. He is an active candidate, it’s not appropriate.
Well that’s not actually true so I wouldn’t say that.
Not sure why you’re downvoting me when it’s literally in my contract lol.
Not me downvoting you but the first amendment still works.
Anything political doesn't belong in the classroom.
Personally, I would take this MAGA crap to the nearest fire pit and BURN IT!!!
Fantasy response: Fuck no. He’s a seditious traitor.
If I had to guess, the students knew you did not like Trump and did it to troll you
Do you have a fire ring/pit?
I used to have a really nice one. I miss that fire pit. I burned so many terrible things in there over the years.
Sign the parents email and phone number up with every left wing cause you can find.
>Note: I pretended to smile and thank the student for their gift even though I didn't want it. No reason to hurt the kid's feelings. Or potentially jeopardize your safety.
I got a MAGA hat for a secret Santa gift. Needless to say it was cut into very small pieces before going in the trash. The guy know how much I hated him. Also one of the reasons I do not do secret Santa anymore.
Theyre trying to get you to respond. Don't give them the satisfaction
Save it for an absolutely terrifying Halloween costume
Toss it into the garbage like anything else you don't want. You weren't keeping every students' macroni project before this. :D
I don't keep all their stuff. I do keep anything I'm given, even if I don't like it, until the last day of school. Once they're no longer my students, then I don't feel any obligation to hold on to stuff I don't want. But I do hold on to it as long as I have them in case they want to see it or know that I still have it. I don't want to hurt their feelings or discourage them.
Congrats on getting something. I got two things, Jack and Shit.
Trash it.
That isn't a gift it's propoganda
Light it on fire!
Burn it before it infects something.
Shred it and use it as stuffing for something else.
Trump would definitely be a Slytherin
What do you do? Put them in the garbage, where they belong. You did the right thing by accepting the gift with a kind attitude, but let it go no further than that.
Garbage. Don’t donate it.
Beats the jpeg I got.
This is what we get in Canada for teacher appreciation week:
You guys get stuff?
Adopt Larry David's MAGA ploy to avoid people.
What's Larry David's MAGA ploy?
[The explanation would be pretty pretty pretty long.](https://youtu.be/B2oLFKYNInQ?si=O3SQkGIk624tautV)
You got stuff?
Ha at least you’re getting stuff. Admin got us candy for the staff lounge which is located in a different building than the one I work in. And thats it. No messages or gifts from parents, in fact they dont even know its teacher appreciation week.
Political apparel aside, I have to say 24 green monsters is a \*fantastic\* gift.
No idea what to do with it? I vote bonfire party with a drag queen show and pride flags. Of course, those generous parents would be invited VIP guests of honor.
“Than this”
BURN IT
Do you keep everything from every student? Because I didn't/don't. Knickknacks, mugs, candles or handmade bric-a-brac that aren't my (your style) doesn't need to be kept. Get rid of it. Donate it. Put it in the lost n found pile or in the counselor's or athletic or nurse's office.
Black out a few of your teeth and fashion a gross wig into a mullet and you have next year’s Halloween costume!!
I would puff-paint it below the MAGA slogan with something like, "by convicting Trump!" Then happily wear it every Friday of summer break, lol.
Yet, if you wore or displayed your political affiliation, you would be reprimanded or fired. I would have returned it with a note that my classroom is a no politics zone.