Entertainment
Six Teachers on What Their Jobs Are Really Like
“I would love to see more coverage of teaching,” commented a Virginia-based reader named Meghan. “I’m a high school social studies teacher with more than 130 students, and I often feel like I’m performing a standup comedy show for an audience that isn’t there by choice. The profession has a lot of nuance that most people don’t know about.”
Curious to learn more, we asked six teachers to share some of the highs, lows and funny moments of their careers…
On teaching the different ages:
“Kindergartners go bananas over anything if you say it in a really enthusiastic way. You could tell the class, ‘You’re going to get a piece of paper!’ and they’ll start screaming like the audience members on Oprah.” — Jen, elementary school reading intervention
“I love middle schoolers, but they smell terrible, so I keep an air purifier running all the time. The other day I put a note in the homework section of the board to make sure to wash their hoodies. It’s a lovable funk, though! They also love when I listen to songs or read books that they suggest.” — Lexie, middle school language arts
“High school kids feel so deeply. I love the teenage drama about everything from lipgloss and the Edgar haircut to their relationships and the chisme. They remind me of what it was like to be young and think that every moment is life-changing.” — Christina, high school English
“Most of my students are early 20-somethings experiencing the first tastes of adulthood while shedding their childhood selves. The mismatch of goofy lightheartedness with their desire to be earnest and professional is refreshing. Also, the exhaustion on the faces of students who have to show up for an 8:30 a.m. class is so painful it’s funny.” — Kait, college literature
On meaningful moments:
“I once taught a lesson on depression and anxiety, and the 12- to 14-year-old girls taught me what a ‘crying session’ was, and how it helped them get out of a funk. To this day, I can’t get over how in tune they were with their emotions, and how open and honest they were.” — Julian, seventh and ninth grade health and P.E.
“When teaching second grade, I end each day with story time. We read a lot of The Magic Treehouse and The American Girl series, and the kids get excited to see what happens. I loved those books as a kid, and seeing the students’ curiosity reminds me that when teachers authentically love something, students often grow to love it, too.” — Jen, elementary school reading intervention
On hard parts of the job:
“Maintaining work-life balance with a young child at home. Also, the threat of gun violence. I have monthly nightmares about gun violence in my school.” — Lexie, middle school language arts
On career surprises:
“Back in high school, whenever I took a career quiz, the answer was always ‘a performer.’ I’d use this as proof to my parents that I should be rockstar. But my dad, who is a teacher, would always say, ‘Well, as a teacher, you’re always performing.’ Now I know that sentiment is 100% true. Standing in the front of the classroom feels like you’re on a stage, and I’m micro-dosing performer skills every day.” — Pablo, eighth grade U.S. history and ninth grade world geography
“I work with a lot of multilingual learners, and one of my main goals is to help them pass the ELPAC, a language assessment exam that affects the track of their education. Kids don’t always understand why this test is a big deal, so one of my goals is to help them understand what happens if they pass. In general, as adults, it’s easy to not take the time to really explain to kids, ‘This is what X is, this is why we are doing it; this is what happens if you don’t learn it, this is what happens if you do learn it.’ In this class, I’m always blown away by how motivated and engaged students become when they understand how it relates to them personally. This past year we printed so many certificates, and I was so proud.” — Jen, elementary school reading intervention
On advice for newer teachers:
“Don’t take things personally. A lot of teachers, including myself, have empathy as one of their core values. So, when a kid acts up in class, it’s hard not to see their behavior as a personal attack. But the book The Four Agreements completely shifted my outlook on this. Other people’s actions usually have nothing to do with us and also don’t reflect who they are as a person.” — Pablo, eighth grade U.S. history and ninth grade world geography
“Children don’t get to choose the adults in their lives, so you should strive to be someone they would choose. Also, it’s important to be nice to yourself. Teaching is not for the faint of heart.” — Kait, college literature
On what we wish parents knew:
“Parents often think that their influence wanes during the teenage years, but that’s not true. Make space for your teen to talk to you, even if they reject most opportunities. I’ve read so many essays about how much my students love their parents. They’re just testing boundaries.” — Lexie, middle school language arts
“Thank you for entrusting us with your child, it is the greatest honor. Know that when they are in my classroom, they will be cared for and seen.” — Christina, high school English
Thank you so much to everyone who shared, and a HUGE thank you to all the teachers out there. Please share your thoughts below, if you’d like…
P.S. A teacher’s week of outfits, and the way to actually ease kids’ separation anxiety.
(Photo from Abbott Elementary.)
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 19, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a sweet tooth.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
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Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
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Yellow: Lippy
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Green: Gowns
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Blue: Played in Vegas
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Purple: Sweet treats
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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Yellow: Cheeky
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Green: Dress measurements
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Blue: Cards in Texas Hold ‘Em
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Purple: Last words of candy brands in the singular
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections #1043 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Cheeky: ARCH, FRESH, SASSY, WISE
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Dress measurements: BUST, HIPS, LENGTH, WAIST
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Cards in Texas Hold ‘Em: FLOP, HOLE, RIVER, TURN
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Last words of candy brands in the singular: CAP, DUD, KID, MINT
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for April 19, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re constantly changing.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Small change
The words are related to changes.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe fine-tuning.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is There I Fixed It.
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NYT Strands word list for April 19
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There I Fixed It
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Adjust
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Modify
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Alter
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Improve
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Tweak
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Refine
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 19, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you can never sit down.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
To rise.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
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Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
STAND
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
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