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35 Teachers In This Online Group Talk About Students They’ll Never Forget
As a former teacher myself, I can safely assure you that each and every teacher, regardless of discipline and institution, has stories of that one student they will never forget for whatever reason.
Some stories are sad, others are cheerful, yet others are weird and random at the very least, but they stick in our heads for decades.
Well, Reddit has been revisiting this topic with user u/Jade-Spade asking the teacher community to share students that they will never forget.
Image Credits: xMizLitx
Thousands of teachers responded and it wasn’t just single stories, but many came out with multiple stories of either the same or different students, making the thread go viral with over 33,000 upvotes.
Bored Panda has gathered some of the best stories which you can find below. And while you’re at it, why not vote and comment on the ones you enjoyed the most? Oh, and if you’re a teacher, feel free to share your own student stories in the comment section below!
More Info: Reddit
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#1
I had a kid, 16, total addict. Alcoholic, meth, pills, heroin. Really rough childhood. Started smoking crack with his dad at 13, stepdad committed suicide in front of him at 14, unimaginable s!@# in between. He’d come to school high or drunk and we would send him home. Nice kid, always respectful and just had “a good soul”. One day he was all sorts of messed up and I pull him out of class. I told him that I loved him and I was worried and if he kept this up he would more than likely be dead by 30. He freaked out and ran to the principals office and complained that I had just told him that I loved him and cared about him. Principal said “Well, maybe he loves you and cares about you.” We kicked him out of school after we had to. He got sober. He came back to track me down. He grabbed me and started sobbing. He said when I said I loved him it was the first time and adult had said that to him and he believed it. He has stayed sober for years, went to college, and is doing really well as a nurse now.
Jessica Nametz 4 years ago
It's heartbreaking that kid didn't feel loved by an adult until he was 16.
Watching 4 years ago
You sir, are a hero. Nothing but a hero. You deserve all the stars in your crown.
Heather Atwood 4 years ago
OOOOH Goosebumps. You just never know what is going on at home. Good job teach!!!!
Agnes Jekyll 4 years ago
He could not have known he was going to save a life, and he did. This gives me the happy cries.
RELATED:
#2
I’ve had many students that are still taking a large place in my heart. Some are sad, like the girl whose mother started beating her during a parent conference. I started crying and begged the mother to stop. The student who had no water or electricity at home but we allowed him to shower at school and we washed his clothes. The student who watched his grandparents get murdered by his mother and wrote about it in an essay for my class. The student who had never been in a lake that we took camping. He was so excited but didn’t know how to swim. So he just stood in the water up to his neck and grinned. Lovely. The girl with terrible anxiety that I sat with for hours after school to work on school work, not because she wasn’t smart, but because she was so anxious about not being perfect. The girl who was mauled by a dog, which messed up her face, but she always smiled. The girl whose father brought her to school every day late who finally broke down and told me her father was raping her every day when the mother left to go to work. The Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees who flooded my school after the war. One wrote an essay about running towards a boat and seeing his grandfather get shot but he had to keep running. The Brazilian boy who got up in class and got me to start dancing with him while we all laughed joyfully. The group of students I took outside during their first snowstorm. The wonder on their faces was priceless. The student who found me on Facebook after 20 years to tell me I made a difference in her life. She came to my state and took me to dinner and told me I was there for her when her home life was terrible. I had no idea. I’m just kind to everyone. I have a million more stories. I have loved every student and being able to teach has been an honor.
AzKhaleesi 4 years ago
I hope the mother that beat her child is in prison, I hope the father that raped his daughter is dead and died a slow painful death.
Ziva Kravdahl 4 years ago
Me too. I wish him painfull death. I am maybe crazy but very often before sleep I wish all the kids rapist are painfully dying. I wish to have that power to hear whispers for help and enough power to make those rapist suffer.
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banana mcnana 4 years ago
wached their grandparents get murdered by mom in front of them oh wow thats terrible
Mahesh Chandra Achuthanna 4 years ago
And then writing an essay about it. God help that kid.
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#3
Had a student who did very well, always pleasant, helped others, etc. One evening I had to run back to the school to pick up my car as I had went out with some fellow instructors. As I was preparing to leave I noticed activity near the dumpsters and saw him digging through them pulling out food scraps from the cafeteria. My heart sank about 1000 feet. I didn't know what to do -- if I were to go up to him, he'd know I knew and I just didn't know how he would react. I talked with a colleague of mine who knew a social worker. The family had suffered the loss of his dad about two years ago, and now his mom was battling cancer. To say they were hanging on by a thread would be an understatement. We knew we had to do something. So we all waited one evening and sure enough, he returned. He was scared, ashamed, crying, angry -- every emotion you can think of. I do not blame him. We took him to his home and his mom was emotional too. We ordered hot food and a colleague went and got it, and we all spent many hours that evening talking and reassuring them we were there to help. Working with local resources, we got them the help they needed. Food, medical assistance, even local volunteers to come help with some chores around their house. The mom got better thankfully, and the bright young man continued to do well in school and got a scholarship for college when he graduated a few years later. This was 20 years ago -- today, that bright young man works as a mechanical engineer and is still as generous and considerate as ever. His mother, sadly, passed on around 10 years ago. All 3 of his "former teachers" from that night went to the funeral. I am very proud of him. We still keep in touch, and visit often.
#4
I teach at a prison. The first inmate I had graduate under my teaching cried when he looked at his diploma. He was the first in his entire family to graduate. It was quite the accomplishment and I was very moved.
Sori 4 years ago
Okay so im loving the comments fro. Dug the Pug!!! My username is from my late rescue, perce (short for perseverance the puggle)
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Windbound 4 years ago
Oh okay. I'm sorry if my comment offended some people
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#5
A wonderful young man who was killed in a car accident back in early June 2020. He was in his Grade 11 year. Took him under my wing in Grade 9. Worked on his impulsive behaviour, colourful language, anger management and questionable life choices. By Grade 10, he was a mentor to incoming Grade 9s that had similar issues as himself. In Grade 11, he was a leader here in the school, volunteering, joined the Arts community and held down two after school jobs. We shook hands everyday, he'd bring me coffee, his last text to me said: "Life is beautiful, man" and he had recently told me that he wished that I was his dad. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt coming home from one of those jobs. He was killed instantly after being ejected from a car he was a passenger in. My commute to and from work everyday passes by the exact spot he was killed. Miss you, Edward.
Katy McMouse 4 years ago
If it's any comfort, you gave him purpose in those few, short years. You also gave him dignity, and I'm sure, a very proud heart. You did well by him.
Jessica Shookhoff 4 years ago
Oh God! I don't know if I can continue reading. There's so much beauty and pain here. Good teachers really are amazing and have such a positive impact on lives and we don't appreciate it nearly enough!
Logic and Reason 4 years ago
This is tragic. Wear your seatbelt. If he had, he could have lived.
Elizabeth Molloy 4 years ago
His life may have been cut short, but LOOK at what he achieved, with YOUR help, OP.
#6
I was a watersports instructor teaching people kayaking and canoeing a couple years back. There was a group of refugees, all minors between 11-17 that came to us through a charity that was supporting them gaining asylum in my country (UK). All of them had crossed the channel on a raft or dinghy literally 2 days before, and for some goddamn reason the charity had decided it was a good time to take them canoeing! Can't make this s!@# up. There was this one kid from South Sudan, 15 years old and an absolute behemoth. We're talking 6 foot plus and pushing 14-15 stone in weight. Covered in scars, some of them ritualistic scarification, missing teeth and generally just looking like he'd been through hell many times. He was terrified of the water. I took him in my boat, nice and easy, then once he got comfortable I just stuck a stern rudder in and let him power us through the water. Him and the other kids loved it! We had some tears at the beginning, I imagine there was a lot of PTSD involved judging by the state of some of these poor kids. At the end of the session, this giant monster of a child walked up to me with a huge jagged grin, said in broken english "thank you leader" and gave me a bear hug I'll never forget. To this day, 4 years later, I still remember that grin.
DangaTank 4 years ago
I just finished reading a book about South Sudan and everything. That story broke my heart
Hermione Granger 4 years ago
Have you read A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park? It’s an amazing book, I cry every time I read it.
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M Kate McCulloch 4 years ago
I think it's a get back up on that horse moment. So many refugees suffer so much fear that they may never be able to face and conquer, but getting over the fear and PTSD (or mitigating it anyway) is one less thing... one less thing to carry.
#7
I teach English as a foreign language and had a class of middle school students who needed to use sequential words (First, Next, Then, etc.) to describe making something as part of their end-of-book test. Most students used the example presented in the book on how to make a sandwich. Some were creative and write about how to make a hamburger instead. One boy raised his hand and asked if he could write about a computer game. "As long as you follow the instructions, I don't mind." Ten minutes later he asked for a blank sheet of paper. Whereas everyone else answered the question with four or five short sentences this particular student wrote two and a half pages on how to make a house in MineCraft -- creating tools, assembling material, avoiding enemies, etc. One of the most impressive things I've seen from students at that level.
Katy McMouse 4 years ago
The creativity that is sparked by Minecraft amazes me. That, and the teamwork I see between my son's friends as they play. Minecraft was essential for them during lockdown.
#8
Dance instructor. Student had one hemisphere of her brain removed as an infant and she was paralyzed on one side. She said that she wanted to dance because she wanted people to see that she wasn't ashamed of her body. After months and months she finally managed one spin around. The other instructor cried, I cried, she cried. It was f!@#$%^ incredible.
AzKhaleesi 4 years ago
You cried, She cried, He/ She cried, they cried, we're all friggin crying.
Neurotic_Octopus 4 years ago
For those curious why an entire hemisphere was removed, it's the only effective treatment for Rasmussen's Encephalitis, and an option for some other rare conditions as well. Usually only performed on children, since their brains can adapt really quickly compared to adults.
Lauren Andrews 4 years ago
On a similar note I have Cerebral Palsy. We did trampolining for sport in high school. I was never allowed on one as a kid, as my parents deemed it “dangerous”. The routine we were given to pass the course consisted of a series of specific movements. Most students got the routine down in three weeks. It took me four to master the first move- a sit-to-stand. I was so happy when I finally mastered it!
#9
I had a 7th grader that was the biggest, happiest doofus. He actually was pretty intelligent, but he was such an open book (and didn't put much effort into school) that he came across as a bit of a fool. Other teachers treated him like a nuisance, because he definitely was a distraction to other kids. He didn't try to be disruptive; he just was. But he lit up the room with positive energy and was genuinely happy to enjoy every moment of being alive. I didn't understand how his prior teachers were annoyed by him because he genuinely was a ray of sunshine and he made everyone a little happier by being in his presence. He was always smiling, always entertained by life--and it was contagious. Kind of like a human golden retriever. I helped him learn how to set school-related goals for himself and take more of an interest in the things we studied, and he was so proud of earning his first A in my class. The reason I will never forget him is because I wasn't yet a mother when I taught him, and I decided then that "if I ever have kids, I hope they will be as happy as Oscar is." I would try to encourage their sense of wonder and fun, above all else.
That Screaming Hamster 4 years ago
Because I am not an angel, I can’t relate to the teacher.
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#10
Not a teacher anymore, but there are so, so many of them. I'll never forget the little boy who was abused from birth to age 3 before he was finally taken away from his mother (who was struggling with a serious drug addiction) and adopted by his maternal grandmother. He had some delays but he was such a smart little kid who absolutely loved dinosaurs. I'll never forget the student who didn't have anything to give me for Christmas, but he wanted to give me something so badly that he taped his fruit roll up from his lunch onto a piece of paper and handwrote a Christmas card. I'll never forget the kid who sobbed in my lap at recess when her mother was going through chemotherapy, because she was terrified. Months later, this same kid came running down the hallway and literally leapt into my arms while screaming "Miss N, my mom is going to be okay!" I'll never forget the kid who noticed that my pencil jar (for students who needed pencils) was empty, so he filled it with his own. I'll never forget the little girl who came to school every day with dirty clothes, sometimes the same clothes she had on the day before. She made her lunch herself at 6 years old, and she never had anything fresh or healthy, it was generally packaged because that's what they had. She would also hug anyone and everyone because she was so desperate for affection. I was a student teacher, but the principal was trying to get authorities involved by the time I left. I hope she got help. I'll never forget the kid who emailed me on the weekends and over holidays, just to tell me what's going on and to say hello. There are so many more, I could go on for ages.
Mikayla Bowlin 4 years ago
I always wanted to be a teacher, and this is why, i want to meet so many amazing kids
LesAnimaux 4 years ago
Now I wonder if there is any teacher who remembers me for anything I did. It'll most likely something stupid, but still.
⭐Bean (they/them)⭐ 4 years ago
You sound like you were surrounded by lovely people! I'm so happy for you!
Vicky Zar 4 years ago
Are there no mandatory doctor visits for children wherever this is? We have them. From birth on you get invites to go to the doctor with your child. If you don't go, authorities come to you to see if the child is ok. If you go the doctor will examine your child to see if it is well treated and approximately the right hight, weight and mental development for its age.
#11
Goose. His nickname was Gus (pronounced Goose), and he was first in my English 1 class. Gus was receiving Special Education services, and he had generally not experienced success in English class or school. But he was so coachable. The next year he wanted to have my English 2 class, but I only had pre-AP options. Gus requested to be placed into pre-AP, which doesn't usually have students receiving Special Education services. Then, Gus met two young ladies who took him under their wing. By the end of the year, Gus EXITED the Special Education program. That's the one and only time in my teaching career (13 years in Texas so far) I have ever seen a student exit SpEd.
Agnes Jekyll 4 years ago
So many students do not belong in special ed...and it limits them for the rest of their lives
Janoel Murrey 4 years ago
i know a kid (i will not say his name) he is special ed and he is the smartest friking kid i know he knows all the elements on the periodic table i mean he got straight a's almost every year
Mary Lugo 4 years ago
But could he read and write with comprehension. This is not unusual.
Load More Replies... Mary Lugo 4 years ago
So many sorry comments. How about one from a 25 year vet of Special Education? Many children leave our programs. They test out. It may be as simple as maturity and the child only needs help for a short time or it may be brain maturity, or personal maturity. But I have many students who have exited Spec. Ed. two to three each year. So guys be careful what you comment. You may probably be proven wrong.
Toni Alabakovski 4 years ago
Our son has had an IEP forever. When we were at a school in an area that had better incomes, he had to test bad enough to get help and it was so hard to get him accepted, and they booted him as quickly as possible. When we moved to a lower income area school, it was never an issue and they even gave him a year before putting him on an IEP to understand and learn more about him, even though they missed out on government $. He really wants out, and it’s up to my hubby & I, but we aren’t ready yet, and his “Wilson”teacher doesn’t recommend it yet either.
Lsai Aeon 4 years ago
I wish this person could be my son's English Teacher. He's 13, Aspergers, ADHD, sensory perception disorder and absolutely hates English class. I'm at a loss on how to help him.
Mary Lugo 4 years ago
My suggestion. Let him choose what he wants to read. It can be comics, a book on a subject that he is fascinated by or a book on tape. There are programs (See Google Docs) that have speech to text. Write initially for him. Have him share, what he loves to eat, what games he likes to play, anything. If he loves to draw include it. My students like to do brief paragraphs and then find photos for them online. It won't fix it over night but don't be afraid. So many parents expect their child to read the books the rest of the class is reading. But books come in so many forms these days. Let me know how your son does.
Load More Replies... #12
Not a teacher but in my 5th grade math class when my teacher called my name on the first day of school, she paused, lowered her glasses and asked, "are you (my uncle's name)'s son?" I said "no". And she gave a huge sigh of relief and said "oh thank God." this was over 20 years after she had my uncle as a student. I told my dad about that later that day and he laughed and said my uncle was quite a terror in elementary school.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
We're on the third generation of "Are you related to ......" in my dad's family. *sigh*
Vanta Black 4 years ago
My first year of secondary school I had a tutor (no idea of the American equivalent)/I.T. teacher who also taught my mother 23 years before me. Apparently we were both "a pleasure" to teach. And he did not look like he'd aged a day in those 23 years (there were photos of him with his class, my mother included, in the computer room).
Melanie King 4 years ago
Oh yeah one time my sister had my dads old teacher as a sub for orchestra....
Leslie Burleson 4 years ago
my brother was a year ahead of me in school . I never knew wether to say yes or no when teachers asked. Teachers either loved him or hated him. He was/an obnoxious smart ass , but the funniest person I know .
Michelle Geiger 4 years ago
Me Too! 5 years apart, pretty good family resemblence.
Load More Replies... I Liquored On 4 years ago
Had a teacher who taught my brother a few years before. My brother was a bit of a tear away and she remembered him. Bitch made my life hell for 4 years. I suffered from what I now know are anxiety attacks, I would be easily stressed out and could be made to cry quite easily. She quickly figured this out and would delight in reducing me to tears infront of the class. I had never hated someone quite as much as I hated her.
Ryan Kargel 4 years ago
When my sister got into my physics teacher's class three years after I had him, he called her name, looked up, and said, "Oh God. There's two of you."
#13
This huge 8th grader named Earl who wanted everyone to think he was a badass and he did get into quite a bit of trouble, but in reality he loved math. He took a test in class one day and begged me after to let him retake it because he didn't think he did well. I graded it and he got 100%, so I called his mom to deliver the news and you could tell it was the first positive phone call she'd ever gotten about her son.
Misha Writer 4 years ago
Vaguely related, I worked with special ed kids in elementary school. We had this one child who was a handful, he had violent outbursts largely due to his speech delay and inability to effectively communicate. He was in 3rd grade when we discovered he absolutely LOVED numbers. We had a set of snowman cards with the numbers 1-100 printed on the snowman bellies. That kid would line those chards up in order every day. When it came time for a parent/teacher conference his mother cried because we were the first teachers to ever tell her that boy had potential. We found something he loved and we embraced it. His behavior improved, though it was hardly a cure-all. The lovely thing about sped, at least where we were living, we have the same kids year after year, so by the time this guy left us as a 5th grade graduate, he could do all sorts of things with numbers. The sad thing is once they move on to middle school, we rarely hear how they're doing but I hope every day that that boy's love for u
Nicholas McShane 4 years ago
I teach MDT (think Woodwork) and often get to send positive notes home for kids that get very few positives from other subjects. Often these kids just want to make something. Oh, and I also throw in plenty of English, Maths, Science, and History into my lessons - I'm sneaky like that.
#14
Big Mike. I’m a HS science teacher in an affluent suburb. We get this transfer kid in who is about 6’8”, 350, long thin Hulk Hogan mullet (not bald tho) and big glasses. Mike hailed from the hollars of Kentucky, thick southern accent, and was the most quotable kid I ever met. “I hate books Mr. xxxxx they PISS me off.” “My grandma made me sleep on the porch because she cooked some veggies and I told her dang it woman where’s the meat?!” “I ain’t never seen a pencil like this. Can I keep this and show my dad?” (Talking about a regular mechanical pencil) “They threw me out of Golden Corrall because I ate 8 of them steaks they had. I was pissed, next time I’m trying for nine.” And we were supposed to have a fire drill at like 1:55 or some odd time, at 1:57 he went ahead and pulled it honest to god thinking he would help out whoever forgot.
#15
I’m a professor and I had a student who was a big dude, much older than the typical college student like maybe 40, ex-military, and very stoic. We did a simulation exercise during class where students had to make a decision about whether to race a car or withdraw from the race. Most students go forward with the race for a variety of reasons, but what they don’t know is that this situation mirrors the decision that NASA made with the challenger launch (which obviously exploded). After the exercise, the student came up to me and started crying and said it was the most impactful exercise he’s ever done and that when I have hard days I should remember that I made a difference for him. I almost started crying myself. It was a great moment in my career.
#16
The one who told me, “you really make me think.” We are friends to this day and have the best conversations. It’s the highest compliment for a teacher.
#17
This kid J-, 10 years old with a learning disability, was struggling at home (divorce/living with grandma) and at school. It was my first year teaching and he would often lash out to get attention and be purposely annoying to see if he could get a rise out of me. Pretty soon it became clear that he was just lonely and isolated so he needed a friend. After getting to know him for a couple of weeks, I was happy to become his friend that year and he and I became so close that he would bend over backwards trying to catch up on work just so he could hang out with me. I saw him struggle pretty heavily, even with one-on-one support but apart from a couple of moments of crisis, he kept his nose to the grindstone and worked hard every day. This isn't a movie so he still wasn't the best student in the class but he made so much progress compared to the beginning of the year that every time I even thought about calling out or taking it easy I though "J needs me" and he did.
Jayne Kyra 4 years ago
This is important. Comparing kids according to the progress they have made and not to their peers.
⭐Bean (they/them)⭐ 4 years ago
This is so sweet! You sound like an amazing person and J is very lucky to have you
#18
I was still in high school myself when I joined a program to be a teacher's assistant at a nearby kindergarten. The kids were all so lovely and loving, and I enjoyed getting to know each of them as individuals. One day, midway through the year, we got a new little girl in the class. Serena was a quiet kid, but bright, attentive. She always ran up to hug me around the waist when I came into the classroom. At some point, the classroom teacher mentioned to me that the reason she was new to class was that she and her mom were living in the women's shelter in town, but that was all the information I had. A little over a month later, I came in one day and Serena didn't hug me. She was withdrawn, by herself in a corner, and the teacher advised me that it was a "bad day" so we weren't pressuring Serena to do any school work. At one point I did go to check on her, and Serena started crying and clinging to me, telling me that she wanted to go home to her mommy. I gave her a hug and let her cry, but I felt totally helpless. I didn't really know what was going on, and I was only 17 myself. There wasn't anything I could do. The next time I came in to teach, Serena was gone, and I never saw her again. She'd be about 21 or 22 years old now.
over it already 4 years ago
As a previous social worker, I'd like to think that the missing her mother and then the sudden move meant she was taken into custody and placed in foster care. I know "the system" isn't perfect, but it does get many children and parents the help they need to be safe and stable. So, we'll go with that, right? Serena was safe until her mom could get to a safe place, and then they were safe together.
Robin Childers 4 years ago
I know you wish you could have done more, but you did what she needed, you let her cry and listened. I'm sure she felt your love.
Mer☕️🧭☕️ 4 years ago
I'm going to think that Serena's mom and Serena were reunited that afternoon after she got in from school and that she and her mom were moved as part of a witness protection program and that the now-former Serena and her mom are both doing fantastically well in a lovely new location. That's my dream for them and I'm stickin' to it.
#19
I taught GED classes in a local prison to the mens SAP program. These weren't violent offenders, they were just addicts that got caught up. Totally the most rewarding position I have EVER had in education. Seeing those men get their GED was incredible. One old man, he was a carny that traveled the US his entire adult life, never made it past 8th grade, got his GED right before the virus shut everything down. He came and found me in my classroom and hugged me like a brother and thanked me. I still remember his full name, he made that much of an impression on me. He was due to get released a few weeks later, I really hope he's doing well....
Katy McMouse 4 years ago
I think it stands for "General Education Diploma". In the U.S. it is a way for people who didn't finish high school (our final four years of education before university) to finish their schooling and receive their high school diploma.
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#20
I taught 6th grade English. Had this student who was way too smart and funny for his age. He lived right by the school and he'd stay after school some days and just chill out while I was grading papers. I liked him a lot. I kept things pretty light in the classroom. Tried to make the kids laugh when I could. One day, I start in on this joke rant about the word "chillax." "Can I just say something about the word, 'chillax' guys? It's a ridiculous word. I like slang. I'm all for language changing over time. But chillax doesn't solve a problem! It's the word 'chill" which means relax, combined with 'relax' which means relax, to make 'chillax' which ALSO MEANS RELAX! It's pointless!" And this kid stands up and interrupts me with, "Whoa whoa whoa, just chillax, Mr. X!" I laughed pretty hard. It might not be that funny to you. But his timing, his tone...it was perfect. Especially for a kid his age. Hope he's doing well.
Jayne Kyra 4 years ago
PIN number, ATM machine, DC Comics, HIV virus, LCD display. RAS syndrome (what these things are). Not the same, but close.
#21
I will never forget Michael. He came from a different country at the age of 2. It took him months to open up to me, but I was patient with him and it paid off. We had an unbreakable bond. We would do art projects together, we would play, I learned his native language so I could better communicate with him. He opened a new level of love and joy into my life
BlackLabOwner 4 years ago
That is dedication trust me learning a new language and being able to speak and understand it is hard
#22
I taught sculpture and maskmaking at an arts summer camp years back. One of the projects was drawing a creature and then carving a 3D version of it out of a block of foam to paint and decorate. All the students nailed it. Except one, a boy around 9, didn't get it. I sat with him and went over it, many times. He didn't understand the concept of 3 dimensions, like "what would this side view look like as a top view?" -type thinking. After a long while, my assistant, a woman in her late 30's, took me aside and pointed out all the indicators that the kid had Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I had no idea. I'll never forget his confused, blank face. And my frustration at how someone couldn't think in 3D. I try to be more understanding, sympathetic and patient now.
Todd Hunter 4 years ago
I also teach sculpture, it's surprising how many people struggle with 3 dimensional thinking. Every brain is different and they all process differently.
MauKini 4 years ago
I used to be blind on one eye, i had a cyst outting pressure on my optic nerve. For about 6 years i couldnt see three dimansional. After i had the cyst removed i could finally see normal again. I was 20 when i had the procedure. Until then I never realized what i was missing. Noone could tell that there was something wrong, my eyes would still move simultanious. Only when I started to comlpain about headaches the found the cyst.
#23
I taught undergraduate classes while I was in grad school. There are a few people who stand out but one guy in particular. He was real smart but a good natured dude, laid back. I relied more on papers than tests as a way to formulate grades, so students wrote a lot of papers. And this guy wrote the best stuff. He'd take something complex that we'd go through and tie in pop culture and even jokes but in such a clever way it showed he really understood the subject matter. It was FUN to read his papers. He took two of my classes. A couple years later after I had moved on and was working elsewhere, he asked me for a recommendation for a position. He ended up going into archeology, professional digs, graduate school, the works. I don't think that my teaching directly impacted his success - he was a smart guy, he was going to do well no matter what. But it sure was cool to see this real smart dude at his start and then watch him become an scholar and professional in his own right. I still think about that guy. Hoping he is well. I've dropped enough hints in this post that if you're out there my dude, you know who you are and I hope everything is going amazing, as I'm sure it is.
#24
One of my students told me as a child she wanted to grow up to be a strawberry and then cried when she realised she couldn't because she was a human being. Very sweet girl.
MauKini 4 years ago
When I was a kid, i always wanted to be a boy. Not because I felt like a boy but I wanted to play with boy toys, climb trees and work in boy professions when I grow up. Its rather sad, that I grew up thinking that women couldnt archieve the same as men. My mom would always tell me I dont have to be a boy to accomplish and do all these things. But teachers and other family would always tell me that I couldnt do this or that because I was a girl. I am beyond happy that this is has changed. At least in my country.
#25
I had a junior (~16 years old) in my high school science course last year peel the strip of metal off the side of a ruler and proceed to stick each end of it into an outlet and shock himself. I saw the sparks out of the corner of my eye and he jumped up and his arm was in some significant pain. He said he did it because he wanted to see what would happen. Scientific method in action I guess. I will never forget that dumbass.
KiwiBubbles 4 years ago
In my biology class, we had tables with outlets and a boy sitting across from me stuck a paper clip into one. "I wanted to see if it was actually true that it would hurt." Teacher had exactly 0% sympathy for him and the same was true for everyone else in the class. 😂
Robin Childers 4 years ago
I had a junior coat his hand in hand sanitizer, discreetly pull out a cigarette lighter and set the hand sanitizer on fire. No damage done, thankfully since I was a student-teacher. We just kind of looked at each other and he went on down to the principal's office: a place he knew well.
Tobias the Tiger 4 years ago
Reminds me of the kid in my 9th grade algebra class who stapled his arm.
M Kate McCulloch 4 years ago
Some people learn much better through experience than by being told. You could tell him all day long and he might "know" it intellectually, but through direct experience he now understands on a level most people do not. He may not be a dumbass after all, or maybe you are simply a shortsighted prick.
#26
My mother has 3 or 4 favorite students from when she taught nursery school. All four went on to be published authors or otherwise great work- including a boy who got into Duke, put that on hold, served two tours in Iraq as a marine and is currently in graduate school- we’re wondering when he’ll run for office... What always hit me is that my mother could identify these kids at age 4 and she was always right (She also diagnosed autism, adhd, learning disabilities, who was gay, etc) always right as far as we know
Lucy Skinner 4 years ago
Who was gay! I love the teachers that just know, and support us, but understand that our parents might not be cool with it. They make my life SO much happier.
Owen Salmon2028 4 years ago
my docters thought i had autism when i had adhd and i like games i am a pretty normal guy and i like games by the story line not the grapics
Logic and Reason 4 years ago
Yeah, this is either fake or painfully ignorant. First off, you shouldn’t be diagnosing anything unless you’re a trained medical professional in the applicable field. Second off, being gay is not an illness, it is not something you ‘disgnose’. I’m hoping this is fake, there’s no way you can guess who will do what at age 4. Thanks for listening to my Ted talk.
Claire McDiarmed 4 years ago
you absolute idiot. recognising a sexual orientation is not homophobia, you virtue signalling freak.
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#27
Student teacher here. Yesterday I had such a bad day with a couple of students who made it their personal mission to make my life hell. Today, my 7th graders really made my day. The lesson had barely started and they were gathering around me, being curious with lots of positive energy and they basically just wanted to be close and talk. We had a great lesson and the vibe was just so awesome. Now I'm sitting at home in my chair with a smile on my face. I want to remember this feeling forever.
#28
I had a student say “If cows have utters, then why don’t they have hands?” Matthew, I will never forget that comment for the rest of my life.
Matthew White 4 years ago
oh s**t i remember this Mrs wilson is that you. man this is to crazy i've been scrolling down this post reading these and i see one about me when i was in 8th grade damn it;s just crazy what a small world
Matthew White 4 years ago (edited)
This song has been stuck in my head Hey there, Delilah What's it like in New York city? I'm a thousand miles away But, girl, tonight you look so pretty Yes, you do Time square can't shine as bright as you I swear, it's true Hey there, Delilah Don't you worry about the distance I'm right there if you get lonely Give this song another listen Close your eyes Listen to my voice, it's my disguise I'm by your side Oh, it's what you do to me Oh, it's what you do to me Oh, it's what you do to me Oh, it's what you do to me What you do to me Hey there, Delilah I know times are gettin' hard But just believe me, girl Someday I'll pay the bills with this guitar We'll have it good We'll have the life we knew we would My word is good Hey there, Delilah I've got so much left to say If every simple song I wrote to you Would take your breath away I'd write it all Even more in love with me you'd fall We'd have it all Oh, it's what you do to me Oh, it's what you do to me Oh, it's what you do to me Oh, it's what you do to me A thousand miles
Load More Replies... Nikki Owens 4 years ago (edited)
I don't understand anything in this anecdote. Cows do have udders - UDDERS! - but how does that lead to the idea of cows having hands?
#29
I was getting my middle-school certification in my state, this was maybe 3-4 years ago, and my college would place us in local schools in the area to partner with an accomplished teacher and get our observation hours in. The college had a reputation of putting male teacher-candidates in the roughest schools in the area. (Me and my fellow male students had a theory about this, but of course we coudnt prove it) Anyway, my first morning there, in a very rough all-boys middle school in the worst part of the city, 1st period a little boy maybe 10-11 walks into class, looks at me and says "What are you looking at, you Ryan Gosling-lookin' motherf!@#$%?" I was utterly speechless, lol. I can only assume that was his catch-all term for white men, lol. I'll definitely never forget him!
#30
Joseph. I taught (read: tried to teach) Joseph science for two years so I wasn’t exactly blind to his, uh, limitations; but he really did surprise me when we began our unit on the Universe. We watched a short video about the life of a star and then I lead a class discussion and we talked about our sun and how small our solar system is and all of that fun stuff. At some point it dawned on Joseph that the Sun is a star and would go through a life cycle like any other star does, and he starts to lose. His. F!@#$^%. Mind. (It’s not much going on up there though, so I am not too worried about long term effects). He suddenly has SO many questions. “Wait so we’re gonna get burned alive????” “How much time do we have?!?!” “How come nobody has said anything about this before?!” And this isn’t like when middle schoolers ask dumb questions for attention, this kid is f!@#$%^ grabbing his hair and squirming in his seat totally scared. So I go “no, Joseph this isn’t going to happen for a looooong time, we won’t be here by then”which does not help the situation. All that poor kid was doing was minding his business, and doing the least academically up until now. I threw his entire existence in his face (accidentally, I’m not a monster) and he had to take a minute outside in the hall to figure s!@# out after that. Joseph did not pass the 8th grade that year:/
Meko 4 years ago
oh no, I once had a book that said, the sun is a star... it will explode and the earth will not be able to support humans, but don't worry, you'll miss it! just like that, I was wondering what if the book was given until someone thought they would miss it but it was out of date. I had an existential crisis for about 20 mins
That Screaming Hamster 4 years ago
This happened to me in a lower grade when I saw a YouTube video was made in like 2000
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• Lemønchu • 4 years ago
I remember in second grade one of my friends told me that the sun would explode one day- i was shook.
Rachel Henry 4 years ago
“Not much going on up there”. Have some respect, some kids get it later and a lot of them are held back by the teachers idea of their potential. This is the worst story on this post
Joseph Kuhlman 4 years ago
For a second, I thought this was about me, then I read the “didn’t pass 8th grade” and breathed a sigh of relief. I’m currently in 8th grade.
M Kate McCulloch 4 years ago
Sounds like his mind works fine. Those questions show genuine curiosity.
#31
Teaching ESL in Taiwan I joked with a young student and told him I was hungry. Not knowing I speak Chinese he responded with “chi da-bien!” Which translates to eat sh*t.
#32
A boy who couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself. He would occasionally punch other boys in the arm, flick girls in the head, and eventually I had to deal with one of the other boys in class raising his hand to inform me that this particular student was grabbing his 'chili pepper'. (Chili pepper/고추 is a Korean euphemism for penis.) The troublemaker was eventually kicked out but not before his mother came to complain that her son was an angel and I was obviously making everything up.
Daria B 4 years ago (edited)
There's even a proverb in Korea that translates as "small chili peppers are spicy". It's meant to mean that a small person can make great things, but I'm sorry, I have a dirty mind. ♡
Load More Replies... I want cake 4 years ago
Boundary issues in children are often indicative of issues at home. I hope this kid was okay.
Susan Egan 4 years ago
I worked in a public elementary school. Parents and grandparents that were positive the teachers and staff "made up stuff" about their little angels is amazing. I can't understand what they thought would be the goal. Most of the teachers will not say anything unless it's a big problem. I had a student tear a page in a Library book in class. I saw her do this. It wasn't a big tear but I wanted her parent to be aware her daughter was damaging school property. WOW. The mother freaked out. Her daughter would never do such a thing. She couldn't believe I was calling her about it blah blah. She didn't stop there, she called the Superintendent of schools and our Principal. I went down to the office to talk to our Principal about it. "Don't worry about it, we've all talked to her before." It's so sad to me that parents believe school employees would take the time to lie about their kids they are all too busy. We were grateful to the teacher that thought our son had ADHD. He did.
#33
I once had a student come into class with supposed "tonsillitis" and I told him that if that's the case, he should be home because it's hella contagious. Kid told me that it was the "non-contagious" version of tonsillitis and that he was fine to be in school because he would be getting surgery for it. Next Parent Teacher meeting I asked his mum while kid was sitting next to her and she just shook her head and sighed heavily. Also the same kid who would put on a fake british accent when asked to read aloud because he wanted to "Use his normal voice" because he lived in the UK for a year. This was 7th grade.
Patti Vance 4 years ago
had a professor in college tell me that my inclination to be a loner wasn't something that should bother me. this is because from the beginning of preschool we are put in situations that have us do group activities, clap blocks in time together, in other words, to conform to the group. after having been called a snob, an elitist, weird, and so many others i finally accepted the fact that i like my solitude and am social by choice and not habit.
Pille P 4 years ago
As long as you are not lonely due to being ostracized? it is totally fine to be a loner. I do not like crowds, I like to talk to people one on one, I like to read books cuddled up on a cozy sofa at home with a nice cup of hot cocoa instead of doing group activities or going to parties. If you still have a few good friends, meet at work and due to hobbies enough people to be able to find a life partner if you want one, then it is all fine. The group activities as a learning style does not fit every kid. Unfortunately it is pushed on so strongly everywhere.
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Joseph OReilly 4 years ago
Met a kid named miles in 6th grade, he went to Europe for four months in seventh, had a British accent for the entirety of eighth. Except that one time he tripped over a chair stool and complained about it in a perfect American accent. I'm onto your s**t, miles
Nikki Owens 4 years ago
Funnily enough, my "reading-aloud" voice is also very British even though I'm a Kiwi. It's always been that way, & I suspect it's because I listened to so many books on tape read by great British actors when I was a kid. :)
M Kate McCulloch 4 years ago
Yep - the strep type is contagious and is the most common. Other types are not contagious.
Tamika Love 4 years ago
The majority of my teacher were bullies or perverts so It’s hard imagine they had time to remember students making any type of impact on them. Hard to imagine we were important enough to do so.
#34
The one that plagiarized a paper so badly it matched 100% to a plagiarism catching software, didn’t respond to an email where I told them they got a zero on the assignment and how serious this was, and then had the audacity to send me a separate email asking for extra credit that had already been awarded to those that earned it. My head was spinning after that one
Jayne Kyra 4 years ago
Reminds me of a girl who was not great at English, and plagiarized the entire first page of Wikipedia´s Burj Khalifa. She could not even read the first sentence.
Egw Eimai 4 years ago
Had a girl who plagiarised the entire first page of Wikipedia's Beyonce.She even copied the red sections in red ink...It was like I open Wikipedia in a notebook...
Load More Replies... Lucy Skinner 4 years ago
Once, one of my teachers used the Khan Academy section I studied for the ENTIRE test. I may have told a couple other students that they should study with Khan Academy :)
#35
A fifth grade girl joined my class and on her very first day - after everyone else had left - walked up to me and slid a folded-up piece of paper across my desk. "Teacher, this is my phone number. Call me any time."
YoChicken 4 years ago
I don't know, she's in fifth grade, maybe she thought she was being kind?
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⭐Bean (they/them)⭐ 4 years ago
I really don't know what to think of this. Was she being kind or flirty?
E Menendez 4 years ago
I hope this was brought to the principle of the school. This kind of behavior can be indicative of problems at home.
Yelena Yardeen 4 years ago
I taught in a large pre-kindergarten and I told my students that I wouldn't be in class the next day because I was taking a trip. One kid, four years old, ripped a strip of paper and very carefully wrote down his mom's number and told me to call him. Then he asked for my number too, and I was looking at him bewildered and the teacher's aid assigned to the classroom said "well, give him your number!"
What do you think ?
another one 4 years ago
This is why teachers deserve more respect. It's so much more than standing in front of a class talking at them. There is so much emotional energy involved in trying to help people through crises that often falls on teachers.
Will Cable 4 years ago
I used to love art but once, after handing in homework, I was told it was too good for me to have done. From that day on I just can't do anything as the words go through my mind as soon as I even try to do anything art based. Another teacher showed utter contempt because of my poorer background. Teachers can destroy as well as create a person.
Ellen Ranks 4 years ago
Yeah. Brings back another art class memory. I really loved art when in highschool and put a lot of time and effort into it. Then got a teacher who would assign the entire class Bs for all their work. Could not be bothered to actually look at what you made. Nearly killed my love of making art. I wanted to get into art school but did not make it at the time because I was so ill-prepared.
Load More Replies... Melanie King 4 years ago
This is kind of the reverse but i remember a teacher that really helped me was my 1st grade teacher. We would always have a read-aloud at the end of the school day, and I'm kind of an advanced student so one day near the end of the year when we were starting a new book (which was a higher level than most of my classmates could read) She would let me read to the class every day and it made me really really Happy because i was doing something that was engaging for me. At the end of the year she had to move to a different state and gave me an envelope with her adress on it and I never got around to writing to her but i really wish i had. THANK YOU MRS. VANDERWELL!! Also my other one is my 6th/8th grade social studies teacher, she teaches differently and its more fun, like instead of writing things we'd sometimes write songs about what we were learning, etc. It's a really fun and engaging class :)
Aj Grimes (he/him) 4 years ago (edited)
One of my teachers knows I am trans and she is really supportive. She is also the only teacher that knows. She is one of my favorites, and I really love her class.
Kristal 4 years ago
No the a teacher but a camp counselor back when I was 19. This girl was different compared to the rest of the girls (not in a bad way) and felt totally alone & miserable, she ended up "running away" and it was a full search by staff for her. Myself and 2 other counselors found her. She cried and shared that she felt like such a loner/odd etc. because she liked anime. It was so sad. Thankfully, a year before, I was introduced to my first anime convention and so that summer I was going again and I shared this with her. Her eyes got big and was like "really?!". It was like a light clicked that you can like anime while still older. After that, she had a good rest of the week and at the end of it, she gave me this necklace with a generic Asian coin style (round with square hole in the middle) pendant. I was so touched and still have it to this day. I think about her every time I see it and hope she found acceptance.
Debbie Chapman 4 years ago
My four grade teacher who was close to retirement , Mrs Mauk told me that she would never forget me which came as quite a shock to me. I was a very average-below average student. She told me this many years later after I was in her class. She gave her class a big assignment that required 4 students to complete. It was to report on 4 descriptive elements of a state. When she called on me, I told her that I wanted to do one state by myself. I completed all four elements on the state of Mississippi. I got up in front of the class and did my report by myself. I was given an A for my effort. I really didn't think much about it. She told me that she had given that assignment every year to her classes. I was the only one in hundreds of her students that did that assignment by myself. I had no idea! At the end of the year, she gave out our report cards to the students who had made the most progress to those who made the least. She called me first! I was totally shocked!!
Jayne Kyra 4 years ago
ESL teacher here. I asked A1 students to describe their family, write basic sentences (My mum´s name is X. She is Y years old.) And one kid literally went "But my family is falling apart and my parents are getting divorced!) with this confused expression. Kid is a great students who will hopefully be more confident in his work, but that moment made me choke as I tried to hold back awkward laughter. I wonder if parents know what things their kids sometimes just blurt out. (Not talking about serious issues).
Samantha Lomb 4 years ago
OH those sorts of family lessons are minefield of problems. I've had students tell me they didn't have parents, or that their parents beat them with a belt etc. Now I mostly ask about pets.
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Jill Bussey 4 years ago
I was accused of plagiarism in senior school. Apparently the poem I wrote and submitted for the school magazine was too good. More than forty years later I have still not forgiven her.
Tobias the Tiger 4 years ago
My art teacher in 8th grade once told us about a student he had who always rode a skateboard down the hallway, and apparently once cast his own face in drywall.
another one 4 years ago
This is why teachers deserve more respect. It's so much more than standing in front of a class talking at them. There is so much emotional energy involved in trying to help people through crises that often falls on teachers.
Will Cable 4 years ago
I used to love art but once, after handing in homework, I was told it was too good for me to have done. From that day on I just can't do anything as the words go through my mind as soon as I even try to do anything art based. Another teacher showed utter contempt because of my poorer background. Teachers can destroy as well as create a person.
Ellen Ranks 4 years ago
Yeah. Brings back another art class memory. I really loved art when in highschool and put a lot of time and effort into it. Then got a teacher who would assign the entire class Bs for all their work. Could not be bothered to actually look at what you made. Nearly killed my love of making art. I wanted to get into art school but did not make it at the time because I was so ill-prepared.
Load More Replies... Melanie King 4 years ago
This is kind of the reverse but i remember a teacher that really helped me was my 1st grade teacher. We would always have a read-aloud at the end of the school day, and I'm kind of an advanced student so one day near the end of the year when we were starting a new book (which was a higher level than most of my classmates could read) She would let me read to the class every day and it made me really really Happy because i was doing something that was engaging for me. At the end of the year she had to move to a different state and gave me an envelope with her adress on it and I never got around to writing to her but i really wish i had. THANK YOU MRS. VANDERWELL!! Also my other one is my 6th/8th grade social studies teacher, she teaches differently and its more fun, like instead of writing things we'd sometimes write songs about what we were learning, etc. It's a really fun and engaging class :)
Aj Grimes (he/him) 4 years ago (edited)
One of my teachers knows I am trans and she is really supportive. She is also the only teacher that knows. She is one of my favorites, and I really love her class.
Kristal 4 years ago
No the a teacher but a camp counselor back when I was 19. This girl was different compared to the rest of the girls (not in a bad way) and felt totally alone & miserable, she ended up "running away" and it was a full search by staff for her. Myself and 2 other counselors found her. She cried and shared that she felt like such a loner/odd etc. because she liked anime. It was so sad. Thankfully, a year before, I was introduced to my first anime convention and so that summer I was going again and I shared this with her. Her eyes got big and was like "really?!". It was like a light clicked that you can like anime while still older. After that, she had a good rest of the week and at the end of it, she gave me this necklace with a generic Asian coin style (round with square hole in the middle) pendant. I was so touched and still have it to this day. I think about her every time I see it and hope she found acceptance.
Debbie Chapman 4 years ago
My four grade teacher who was close to retirement , Mrs Mauk told me that she would never forget me which came as quite a shock to me. I was a very average-below average student. She told me this many years later after I was in her class. She gave her class a big assignment that required 4 students to complete. It was to report on 4 descriptive elements of a state. When she called on me, I told her that I wanted to do one state by myself. I completed all four elements on the state of Mississippi. I got up in front of the class and did my report by myself. I was given an A for my effort. I really didn't think much about it. She told me that she had given that assignment every year to her classes. I was the only one in hundreds of her students that did that assignment by myself. I had no idea! At the end of the year, she gave out our report cards to the students who had made the most progress to those who made the least. She called me first! I was totally shocked!!
Jayne Kyra 4 years ago
ESL teacher here. I asked A1 students to describe their family, write basic sentences (My mum´s name is X. She is Y years old.) And one kid literally went "But my family is falling apart and my parents are getting divorced!) with this confused expression. Kid is a great students who will hopefully be more confident in his work, but that moment made me choke as I tried to hold back awkward laughter. I wonder if parents know what things their kids sometimes just blurt out. (Not talking about serious issues).
Samantha Lomb 4 years ago
OH those sorts of family lessons are minefield of problems. I've had students tell me they didn't have parents, or that their parents beat them with a belt etc. Now I mostly ask about pets.
Load More Replies... Jill Bussey 4 years ago
I was accused of plagiarism in senior school. Apparently the poem I wrote and submitted for the school magazine was too good. More than forty years later I have still not forgiven her.
Tobias the Tiger 4 years ago
My art teacher in 8th grade once told us about a student he had who always rode a skateboard down the hallway, and apparently once cast his own face in drywall.
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