r slash AskReddit
High School teachers of Reddit, what is the
one thing that you want your students to know
that you’d never tell them in person?
Your parents are literally the worst part
of my job.
Wife teaches and it is so sad to see parents
not involved or involved in the worst ways.
Kid is failing consistently and mom takes
them out every Friday to help sell tortillas.
Kid can't keep up in school and perpetually
behind.
Parents lie, cheat, and steal to get their
kid off the hook for trouble.
Kids know their parents are wrong and are
embarrassed.
Kids know their parents are wrong but are
emboldened.
Yes, I put you in a group with the kid you
have a crush on intentionally.
I'm stuck here with you 180 days a year, I
want to see some drama.
EDIT: I think this is my most upvoted comment.
Glad my matchmaking could make some folks
smile.
Also, thanks for my first gold!
EDIT PART TWO: Silver too?
No paparazzi, please.
But seriously, thanks!
My Food and Nutrition teacher started off
the semester telling us not to question her
seating/grouping decisions because at that
time she had 5 known adult couples that got
married specifically because they met in her
class.
She showed us pictures of her at their wedding.
As far as I know she had a 0% divorce rate
with half of the couples being together at
least 20 years.
I wish I could have gone to your school and
had your teacher because I'm so lonely outside
of school.
I think what you learn in the other classes
is mostly useless rubbish, the things you're
supposed to do to learn it is boring and ineffective,
and the way our schools are organised is archaic
and not fit for humans, much less kids.
My teachers admitted the same thing.
At least many people in the "industry" know
that it's bullshit.It sucks because it saps
a genuine want to learn and the fascination
and fun in discovery and new knowledge away.
​
Schools need an overhaul.
I'm reminded of Boyinaband's "Don't stay in
school" music video in which he points out
that the things we learn aren't useful, and
those subjects and lessons shouldn't stay
in school, but kids should.
Yes, we have a new seating chart... and yes,
I sat you next to her because I can tell you
have a crush on her.
I noticed you try harder on your work when
she is around, and to be honest... you two
would make a cute couple :)
wow, now it makes sense.
both my English teachers (i have one for grammar
once a week and the other for literature the
rest) put me next to my crush and kept us
together for two seating plans, now i don't
sit by him anymore.
But my grammar teacher changed the seating
plan and i asked her who's next to me and
she smiled and said 'its a surprise.'
and what do you know it's him, but he moved
the next lesson.
what a shocker i never knew i made it so obvious...
I am no longer a teacher, but I remember several
days that I felt lazy and wanted to give the
class the day off.
I never did because I knew the teacher's pet
would rat me out.
Sometimes even the teachers don't like the
teacher's pet.
This can work.
I've told classes that I know bad days happen
and sometimes, they happen to me.
One day, we may have a nothing day because
we need it.
If I allow you to take a day off while in
my class because you are having issues, I'd
appreciate the same courtesy.
I had a teacher in 7th grade I believe that
did the same thing and everyone loved her.
She was a super sweet woman who you could
tell loved the students, and she gave us a
similar speech on the first day.
A couple days in the semester we would just
watch a movie or something in her class because
she was just not feeling able to teach.
She was such a great teacher in the other
times that nobody minded.
I’d let you get away with so much more if
you were actually a decent person who treated
others with kindness and respect.
Assholes rarely get the benefit of doubt or
indifference.
In my art class my friend and I are basically
the stereotypical quieter girls who are actually
taking the class because we like it, not just
because it’s a “free credit”.
The loud, obnoxious kids usually get yelled
at a LOT and generally get away with a lot
less.
We could basically cheat and the teacher would
be ok with it because we’ve proven we’re
ok at art (my friend is so amazing at art
, I’m average) and we also respect her and
are usually not too annoying.
That class has taught me a lot about if you
respect the teachers, you’ll definitely
have more freedom
This is also a good skill for later in life.
Bosses (the not shitty ones, anyway) will
cut you a lot more slack if you just show
up and do *your* job without making *their*
job harder.
Trying hard is necessary but not sufficient
for most accomplishments.
Intelligence is necessary but not sufficient
for most accomplishments.
I can’t tell the sweet, hardworking but
unintelligent kid he won’t be a doctor.
I can’t tell the smart but lazy asshole
he won’t be a doctor.
Both end up in my remedial class and blame
being in remedial class on mean teachers labelling
them.
I appreciate childhood is the time for dreams
but it means people make terrible decisions
when they don’t understand that we just
put them at the highest level we think they
can pass.
We don’t know why they are years behind
their peers, just that they are.
I try to see potential and inspire kids to
try their best, I really do.
But there’s not a lot I can do if someone
is dedicated to hiding their low intelligence
by trying to appear as a lazy asshole instead
or trying to hide their higher intelligence
by pretending to be unintelligent to get easier
work.
Yes.
This!!!
I was in honors and advanced classes in high
school, thankfully I was blessed with intelligence,
but I also worked my ass off.
I had a friend who struggled in school so
badly, but she was always in tutoring before
and after school, and she still only managed
to get average grades.
I had a different class mate who was super
smart (like, off the chart smart), but SUPER
lazy, too, and thought bc he was so smart,
rules didnt apply to him....
You can be unsuccessful at school but successful
in life.
I pretend that it is important for you to
do well in my subject, but in reality you'll
most probably find your niche in life and
be reasonably content or hopefully extremely
happy.
You might hate Maths, English, Science, but
turn out to be the most amazing parent, artist,
carpenter or even a mathematician, playwright
or researcher.
You might get the lowest scores in class and
end up being the most successful of your peers.
I feign annoyance, anger, disappointment.
I reluctantly phone your parents, give you
detentions, or write up critical reports.
I have to, it's my job.
If you do well in my subject then that's great,
but if you don't then just relax.
We can't all be good at everything.
​
Oh, and do you think you hate exams, tests
and homework?
Your mild dislike of the work is a mere candle
flame compared to the hatred that burns like
a million suns, that I feel when I have to
fucking mark it.
Truth!
Failed chemistry, got a D in AP Bio, guidance
counselor encouraged "seeking other options."
Barely squeaked into a private no name college,
got a 4.0 in the first and second years and
was able to transfer into a top 20 university,
ended up getting a bachelors in chemistry
and a bachelors in bio, and then a masters,
then med school.
Now I'm almost a trauma surgeon.
Color my public school teachers and admin
surprised when I run into them when I'm back
home, haha.
I can see who you have a crush on in the classroom.
I always said this about my high school science
teacher!
I had a huge crush on a guy in my class.
One day the teacher announced we'd be having
a partner quiz the next day and before the
quiz gave us all numbers.
Noticeably paused when he got to me and then
gave the same number to my crush.
There was one kid without a number so the
teacher told him to just pick one and he picked
mine and the teacher said "nope, any other
number".
Then he assigned each pair somewhere to sit
and made my crush and I sit in this closet
type thing that was in between his room and
another room.
Couldn't find the light switch and later realized
there was a poster over it so the only light
was a desk lamp on the other side of the room.
The best part is I was so nervous about working
with my crush that I forgot what the quiz
was about til I saw the title "Sexual Reproduction".
There is literally no way my teacher did all
that by accident.
He probably thought it was hilarious.
And no, nothing happened in the closet.
I was painfully shy and could barely talk.
I'd studied my ass off so I wouldn't look
dumb in case we got paired up but was too
shy to tell him if he had a wrong answer.
I was a dumb teenager.
The weed smell doesn't magically disappear
between the parking lot and my classroom.
I posted this elsewhere on thread, but I think
it fits here:
I told a student he reeked of weed (he did)
as he was heading back inside from the soccer
fields at the end of lunch.
I think he was holding because I smelled fresh
bud, but I didn’t care enough to check.
Just gave him a heads up to be careful.
He looked so paranoid when I saw him at the
end of the day.
Made me chuckle.
That we have much better hearing than you
assume.
We just choose our battles as it pertains
to inappropriate comments.
And sometimes I pretend not to see that thing
you did just because I too found it humorous,
and speaking to you about it would only result
in me cracking up.
Edit: well this really blew up!
I am barely seeing people’s reactions to
it.
I appreciate all the responses.
A lot of great comments.
And I can definitely share stories for those
interested.
Haha
It's so funny when they think they're getting
away with something but no, it's just near
the end of the day and you're too tired to
deal with it
I freaked a student out a few months ago.
As he passed me out the door I leaned down
and whispered "dont make paper airplanes in
my class anymore"
He had no clue I'd seen, went white as a sheet
and left.
He hasnt done it since (yet)
Not a teacher but an evening janitor.
Part of my area is where the robotics club
gathers and works.
You guys are so amazing.
I wish you could see what I see.
A group of kids who are well mixed in ethnicity
and gender working hard together.
I never see signs of drama when I walk by.
When I look through the windows I can see
that you guys are *listening* to each other
and treating each other seriously, while also
having fun.
When you guys leave at night, your room is
my favorite room to clean.
It's always so clean already and I get to
look at your projects and see what all that
elbow grease is doing.
It's so encouraging to know that these kids
are part of our future.
They stay an average of 2 hours after school
*every day* and you can tell it's not forced.
They are so enthusiastic that their energy
practically shines into the hallway.
I celebrate every time a new award is added
to the trophy cabinet in the hall
Best post on this thread
You don’t need anything I teach you to be
successful in life.
Math is about learning to think, not graphing
functions and solving equations.
Below: people assuming I don’t know where
the math I teach is used.
I promise I do.
The point I’m making is that we don’t
care if the general population can solve polynomial
equations, we care that they learn to think.
I wish someone had told me this.
I cannot do math in the classroom.
Formulas get cloudy, numbers mix together,
and things just go really south.
But at work, if i've got a spreadsheet saying
i'm missing $10 in potentially hundreds of
thousands of dollars, i can likely figure
out where that $10 is.
I'll probably never use soh cah toa in my
life, mostly because I don't know how, but
I can do the formulas and functions required
of me if I just think it out.
I teach middle school, not high school, but
for me, it's that I know shit sucks at home.
I see it every day when you come into my class.
I see the tears you're hiding, the pain behind
that class clown smile, the emotional fragility
behind your tough-guy persona.
I know exactly what it's like to come from
a broken home.
I wish I could do something, but until you
come to me, all I can do is try and let you
know, with a look, a smile, a subtle turn
of phrase, that I'm always there for you when
you need an ear, or a shoulder.
Shit this hit me hard my home life is very
rough and I'm a huge class clown, helping
people smile and sometimes being stupid helps
me hide from all that stuff.
I don't know who said it(I think Dr suess
but idk)but the quote " those who smile the
brightest are the saddest" has always been
true for me
To my freshmen, yes I always know when you
didn’t do my math because you stayed up
late playing Fortnite, you added me as a friend
on Epic so I see that.
Also the amount of homework not done in lower
grades when new battlepasses come out is so
coincidental.
To a specific freshman, I support your desire
to become a streamer, but editing videos should
not keep you away from your homework for a
whole week and your friends always rat you
out when you stay home/skip to make/edit those
videos.
To all highschoolers I teach, you’re dumb,
but I do love you guys.
I’m not stupid and while I know you cheat
on your homework, I don’t care since it’s
only worth 10% of your grade and you’re
forgoing the practice you can get before the
test.
To the 6th graders I teach math to.
Dear Lord you make me cringe so hard I have
to take ibuprofen some days.
I have so much more, but my lunch break is
almost over.
Thanks for watching!
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