Students Found Their Teachers’ Handwritten Notes So Meaningful, They Got Them Tattooed

Sadly, not everyone has a flawless relationship with their high school teachers. The second they graduate, they wish to just forget about it and move on. But for some, it’s not the case. These people cherish their school years and/or their relationships with teachers. In fact, some even literally leave a mark on their bodies to honor these teachers, saying they had a deep impact on their lives.

More info: TikTok Part 1 | TikTok Part 2 | TikTok Part 3

TikTokers tattoo their teachers’ handwritten notes and show them the results and the internet sparks a discussion about whether that’s a proper way to honor a beloved educator

Tattoo artist creating meaningful teacher notes design on student's forearm.

Image credits: Omotayo Samuel (not the actual photo)

“He wrote me a letter when I graduated high school and in that letter, one of the things he said was ‘your presence matters'”

“And that really stuck out to me blah, blah, blah.”

Student showing tattoo of teacher's handwritten note in a classroom, with teacher reacting in surprise.

Image credits: @oliviacarrea

“So, I got it tattooed in his handwriting”

“And then the Roman numerals above it is the Roman numerals for 29, which is his classroom number. So, yeah, that’s the tattoo.”

Student reveals meaningful tattoo of teacher's handwritten note in emotional classroom moment.

Image credits: @oliviacarrea

“I love it. It’s so meaningful, so special. It was such a special little moment”

“He’s like family, so, it was just a really nice moment.”

“And so you know, this is the girl who does my tattoos. She’s great. She’s on for them. She obviously did this one.”

Student hugging teacher after getting meaningful handwritten tattoo.

Image credits: @oliviacarrea

Tattoo of teacher's meaningful handwritten note, "Your presence matters," on a student's arm.

Image credits: @oliviacarrea

Teacher and student share an emotional moment at graduation, celebrating meaningful handwritten notes.

Image credits: @zlyahhhhhrowe

Graduating student in a purple gown receives a heartfelt hug, emphasizing meaningful teacher connections.

Image credits: @zlyahhhhhrowe

Handwritten teacher's note on a sticky note and matching tattoo on student's arm.

Image credits: @zlyahhhhhrowe

Watch the full videos here

@oliviacarreadon’t ask how many times ive watched this video lol. This was so special♬ Brother – Kodaline

The first two videos were posted by the TikTok creator @oliviacarrea or simply Liv, who has over 43K followers. A third video was posted by another TikToker, @zlyahhhhhrowe, who has nearly 8K followers. Both creators post various videos about their lives, including about their tattoos for their beloved teachers.

The first and third video showcased the teachers’ reactions when the graduates showed off their tattoos. The second one is @oliviacarrea showing her tattoo to TikTok users. All of these gathered a lot of views and attention. 

And said attention was both positive and negative. Some people were amazed by how wholesome such a deed seemed to be, saying that these tattoos show the teachers that all their hard work is worth it. Teachers in the comments wished that one day they could have such a profound impact on their students.

On the other hand, there were some people who weren’t as positive. Well, to be frank, most of these kinds of comments seemed to be more about whether the commenters would do it themselves than about the videos. For example, a person saying that their parents would “unalive” them if they pulled something like this or their teachers would think they’re weird. This, in a way, prompts a debate – is getting a tattoo to honor your teacher the best way to do that?

Teacher in front of chalkboard, illustrating why students find handwritten notes meaningful.

Image credits: Max Fischer (not the actual photo)

While we cannot answer this question and leave it for you to debate (please, share your opinions with us in the comments!), we can discuss aspects of tattoos from a slightly different angle. To be more specific, the question of teachers getting tattoos.

Tattoos themselves are quite a controversial topic, but when it comes to teachers being tatted, it becomes even more controversial. For instance, quite a lot of schools tend to deem tattoos inappropriate for teachers, even though there is no law, at least in countries such as the US and the UK, prohibiting that.

So, if you’re a teacher who is considering getting a tattoo, but has doubts, you can consider these pros and cons:

Pros: 

• Helps students relate to you; 
• Ignites interesting discussions with students;
• Self-expression. 

Cons: 

• Might cause some problems with school policy (especially if the tattoo is clearly visible);
• If the tattoo is very specific it can be deemed inappropriate for a school setting; 
• Parents of the students can look at you as unprofessional.

As with most things in life, this one is also to each their own. Perhaps for you personally, the cons outweigh the pros or the other way around. For example, maybe building meaningful, relatable relationships (what if one day they get a tattoo in honor of you, like the graduates we talked about today) with your students is more important than some parents viewing you in a bad light.

No matter what you decide – it’s your body and your choice. Just like it was the TikTokers’ choice to get tattoos for their teachers.

While some people online thought such a gesture was wholesome, others weren’t as amazed

Comment about meaningful handwritten teacher notes with 109.2K likes on social media.

Comment about meaningful notes from teachers with a high impact, shown with likes and engagement.

Comment on post about students tattooing teachers' notes; includes laughing emojis and high likes.

Social media comment on students tattooing meaningful handwritten notes from teachers.

Comment expressing emotional response to meaningful handwritten notes.

Comment from a teacher wishing to impact students as deeply as teachers' notes.

Comment about teachers' meaningful notes and their impact, highlighting a special relationship between students and teachers.

Comment appreciating teachers' meaningful notes, shown with heart emojis and high engagement.

Social media comment about meaningful teacher's impact, with 6298 likes and a heart emoji.

Comment about strangers impacting life, liked 1758 times, relevant to meaningful handwritten notes.

Comment praising a teacher's meaningful handwritten notes, suggesting they were life-changing.

Comment praising favorite teachers for their lasting impact, with emojis and congratulatory message for a graduate.

"Comment from a teacher expressing joy about students tattooing meaningful handwritten notes with 1151 likes.

Comment expressing gratitude for a meaningful teacher's handwritten notes, with high engagement reactions.

Comment from student about meaningful notes from teachers, mentioning a math teacher's supportive handwritten message.

Comment expressing how meaningful teachers' handwritten notes are, seen as the greatest compliment.

Comment discussing meaningful notes from teachers, highlighting their impact on students.

Comment on teachers' handwritten notes becoming meaningful tattoos.

Comment expressing a wish to tattoo meaningful handwritten notes from a late teacher.

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