Linda Ohlrich

@Matt_Pinner 15

It's not 9, how many birds are there then?

@travisakers I am a teacher and I am feeling this so much right now. I want to quit. This isn’t the job I had 20+ years ago and I feel it’s getting worse not better.

A message from a Kindergarten teacher: After forty years in the classroom, my career ended with one small sentence from a six-year-old: “My dad says people like you don’t matter anymore.” No sneer. No malice. Just quiet honesty — the kind that cuts deeper because it’s innocent. He blinked, then added, “You don’t even have a TikTok.” My name is Mrs. Clara Holt, and for four decades, I taught kindergarten in a small Denver suburb. Today, I stacked the last box on my desk and locked the door behind me. When I started teaching in the early 1980s, it felt like a promise — a shared belief that what we did mattered. We weren’t rich, but we were valued. Parents brought warm cookies to parent nights. Kids gave you handmade cards with hearts that didn’t quite line up. Watching a child sound out their first sentence felt like magic. But that world slowly slipped away. The job I once knew has been replaced by exhaustion, red tape, and a kind of loneliness I can’t quite describe. My evenings used to be filled with construction paper, glitter, and glue sticks. Now they’re spent filling out digital reports to protect myself from angry emails or lawsuits. I’ve been yelled at by parents in front of twenty-five children — one filming me with his phone while I tried to calm another child mid-meltdown. And the kids… they’ve changed too. Not by choice. They arrive tired, anxious, overstimulated. Their tiny fingers know how to swipe a screen before they can hold a crayon. Some can’t make eye contact or wait in line. We’re expected to fix all of it — to patch the gaps, heal the trauma, teach the curriculum, and document every move — in six hours a day, with resources that barely fill a drawer. The little reading corner I once built, full of soft beanbags and paper stars, was replaced by data charts and “learning metrics.” A young principal once told me, “Clara, maybe you’re too nurturing. The district wants measurable results.” As if kindness were a weakness. Still, I stayed. Because of the small, holy moments that no spreadsheet could measure — a whisper of, “You remind me of my grandma.” a shaky note that read, “I feel safe here.” a quiet boy finally meeting my eyes and saying, “I read the whole page.” Those tiny sparks were my reason to keep showing up. But this last year broke something in me. The aggression grew sharper. The laughter in the staff room turned to silence. The light went out of so many eyes. I watched brilliant teachers — my friends — vanish under the weight of burnout, their joy replaced by survival. I felt myself fading too, like chalk on a board that’s been wiped one too many times. So today, I began my goodbye. I pulled faded art off the walls and tucked thirty years of handmade cards into a single box. In the back of a drawer, I found a letter from a student from 1998: “Thank you for loving me when I was hard to love.” I sat on the floor and cried. No party. No applause. Just a handshake from a young principal who called me “Ma’am” while checking his notifications. I left my rocking chair behind, and my sticker box too. What I carried with me were the memories — the faces of hundreds of children who once trusted me enough to reach out their hands and learn. That can’t be uploaded. It can’t be measured. It can’t be replaced. I miss when teachers were partners, not targets. When parents and educators worked side by side, not in opposition. When schools cared more about wonder than numbers. So if you know a teacher — any teacher — thank them. Not with a mug or a gift card, but with your words. With your respect. With your understanding that behind every test score is a heart that cared enough to try. Because in a world that often overlooks them, teachers are the ones who never forget our children.

I wanted to share one of my new favorite activities thanks to @EliseHarrell27! Kids were talking and connecting in fun ways and there was some recipes being shared for favorite food!!

First day of school vibes and they found an ASB student to make unique and cool pictures for each teacher. This was mine. How cool is this!! @AsbRmhs @rmhs_spartans

@MrCookACHS You still did great! Thanks for the insight

That moment when Jay catches you on your phone mid co-presentation solving a problem with the master schedule. Always juggling. Thanks for doing the heavy lifting @CoachGonzalez19 and I wish @DalePerizzolo would have stood up to crest cover for me…

@williamsroom14 @RioMesaFootball My heart breaks for all who loved Eli. He was so full of life and love. 💔

RIP my son. My heart will forever be broken💔I know you fought a hard battle for us. I don’t know how to do this life without you . It hurt so much and I miss you. I love you forever and ever baby boy. Mommy loves you so much❤️@RioMesaFootball #75forever

@terristerrleon @OxnardUnion @drtommccoy This year will be amazing for you! Can’t wait to see the little Jaguars in a month 🐆

What a difference a year makes! #42days #originalJags

Had the privilege and honor to be asked to attend the mural ceremony at Amgen today. I was 1 of 4 HS teachers there through the @ABEProgOffice. Two of the gentlemen on the mural were speakers. What a beautiful inclusive event.

@Laurie_Hagberg @rmhs_spartans @HCSwarriors @HillcrestSaints @VCSCrusaders @FremontAcademy @mclanehigh I love you. I love this. I will miss you on campus but I know you will come visit ❤️😃

How Do You Say Goodbye? 5-minute read / 42 years of teaching. #teacherlife #passion #EDUcators #teachers #administrators #teaching lessonsofpassion.wordpress.com/2023/05/29/and…

@ericcoreas He’s a keeper ❤️😭 so adorable!!

My son had been waiting for me to come home to help him build his legos, and once I finished he says, “Gracias por ayudarme Papá te quiero mucho” 🥺😭😭❤️

@MPalazuelos2023 @UCRSoftball @UCR_CoachPalmer @cindybristow @CA_Howard @vcspreps @TheAcornSports @Los_Stuff Congrats on your decision! UCR is lucky to have you!

Excited & Blessed to be making this announcement today! A Huge THANK YOU to @UCRSoftball @UCR_CoachPalmer @cindybristow @CA_Howard ! GO HIGHLANDERS💙💙💙💛💛💛 @vcspreps @TheAcornSports @Los_Stuff

@ericcoreas Good for you! You work so hard and deserve some fun!

Last night I got to live a childhood dream of mine at #WrestleMania

@lvteachinbio @AFThunderbirds @achs_scorpions That is amazing! Way to go Mrs Maverick

Thanks to The Air Force Thunderbirds for the incredible F16 ride today!

When you spend the morning with amazing students sharing their experience with the superintendent and then get SB and one of your favorite former students is the barista=teaching heart full ❤️@rmhs_spartans⁩ ⁦@S_HoustonScott⁩

Things teachers want to say to parents… -Take the phone away at night. Your kid isn’t getting enough sleep. -Don’t believe everything your kid says. They lie…A LOT! -Teach your kid to have some grit. Also teach them to be nice! -Stop blaming everyone for your kid’s issues.

Just a few of my amazing IB Biology HL1 students showing off their awards at RMHS Science Fair. On to county…@rmhs_spartans @SidhuRano @S_HoustonScott

@ericcoreas I love this picture ❤️

Hey Siri play Las Mañanitas by Banda Machos 😅 gracias Dios por otro año al lado de mis padres 🫶🏽 soy quien soy por ellos #26 ♾️

Sustainable City Project for Environmental Science. Part 2…Love the creativity and effort from students. @rmhs_spartans

Sustainable City Project for Environmental Science. Love the creativity and effort from students. @rmhs_spartans