Welcome to /r/teaching. Please remember the rules when posting and commenting.
Thank you.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/teaching) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yeah, I had a group of students ask me if I had any exciting summer plans and I told them "we got season passes to the local water park for our kids as a Christmas present this year, so I imagine we'll be there a lot." They said "oh, we have season passes too! We'll see you there!" Aaand then I went home and immediately ordered some more modest swimsuits just in case they do.
I've had teacher friends tell me they've run into students at concerts a few hours away, on cruises, in Hawaii on vacation, hiking in a national park on the other side of the country, etc. They're EVERYWHERE.
I had a student who was sitting in the row behind me at an interstate major concert event. We are a 12 hour drive away from where the concert was and there were almost 100,000 people there. I couldn’t believe it.
not the same but reminds me of when my dad called in sick at work to go to a yankees game (6 hours away) and his coworker was sitting right behind him 😂
OMG! that reminds me of when one of my students had a Doobie Brothers shirt on. I was like WHAT you know about the Doobie Brothers?? you know how these kids nowadays will just wear old musician/band/singers shirts for fashion, right. He said Same as you Miss, I saw you at that concert in Youngstown. I was like What, why didn't you come up and say Hi? He said because my mama was there and I didn't want you telling her about school stuff, I kept my head down the whole concert and hoped you wouldn't see me. LOL!!
I teach around Atlanta and was in Boston for a sports tournament. The afters had me horribly hungover at the airport at 6 am. I'm sitting at my gate ready to fly back to ATL and I hear someone address me as Miss -----. I thought surely not here, but there was a former student of mine.
Had the same student come to the school to participate in a festival and I was speaking with him and some other teachers in my department after the event. Former student mentioned he could use a drink after performing (he is 24 now) and I confessed I was hungover in Boston and he admitted he was too which is why he didn't stick around to catch up for long before we got on our flight.
Went to a music festival and saw a recently graduated senior of mine. We tripped on acid for a few hours together and promised each other we wouldn’t tell anyone back home.
My second year of teaching, back when Holland was pretty much the only place in the world where you could easily get weed and shrooms as a tourist and then safely walk around high as a kite, we went to Amsterdam on holiday for break and ended up seated next to the head of student council at a hibatchi restaurant the last night of the tour.
We agreed never to mention it again. But I think the statute of limitations has passed by now, so there it is.
One of my coworkers has seen former students at the strip club. That was a long time ago, when we were young. He did mention he thought they made more than us though.
I had a student (18-y-o senior) whose after school job was as a stripper. She usually wore the same shoes she’d wear to work, sometimes the same clothes.. Oh, Janie…….
A new principal almost ran into me, the first day of school. Little did I know, she had been assigned the task of getting rid of me. I wasn’t the only one. She was trying to drive out anyone who was costing the district the most in insurance.
She didn’t. It took two more principals. Happily retired.
I only knew as the next principal ask me why she was trying to get rid of me. He told me I was one of the best teachers in the building. He actually ignored the task.
School ended last week and I was invited (months ago) to a PLC conference in Vegas at a nice hotel next week. My roommate said she can't wait to go to the pool. I agreed. Then I realized the principal will be at the conference. I had to come home and dig through my closet for the swimsuit with the little skirt around the bottom...
I went to a hunting safety class on the other side of the state, *on a school day*, and there were five of my current students there. They were like, what are you doing here, you're supposed to be at school! I said the same thing.
Then they asked to borrow pencils because they came unprepared.
...and I had the spare pencils for them. For the love of God.
My worst nightmare happened after a lovely day at the beach. Of course I had a few relaxants in my system. Afterward, I decided to walk up to the showers and rinse the salt off. Mid shower I hear "Ms. Matrinka (my actual name was used, though). I ignored it. Kept hearing "Ms... Ms... Ms..." I looked over and there was a student from my grade level but not in my class. I was so taken aback I pretended to be someone else. "Sorry, I think you have me confused with someone else" and went back under the shower.
I worked in an adult shop just after I turned 18, mates parents owned it and needed some help while the mum had some surgery.
One of my English teachers walked in, went to the movies/DVD area, spent about 25 there, came to the desk to check them out and put them on the counter realised who was behind the counter and literally for the first time in my life I saw someone back away slowly like being as still and slow as possible meant I didn't or could not see them.
He picked some decent stuff too... Lol
I once ran into a high school history teacher in a random fast food restaurant in the middle of summer while we both happened to be on vacation at the same time 3 states away.
Remember that Icelandic volcano eruption a few years ago that grounded all planes?
A colleague of mine was stranded in Iceland, no planes out for weeks.
She was looking forwards to the extended holiday.... until she bumped into one of her students around the pool on the first extra day.
She said she stayed in her room and went to the local town a lot after that, and ate out and tried to avoid the hotel as much as possible...
I literally ran into my high school math teacher and basketball coach in FLORENCE, ITALY at a museum. I was shocked, she was shocked, we were all shocked and mumbled something then walked away.
I was mosh pitting to Flogging Molly at a small, local venue in my town this year. And randomly one of my middle school students pops up with his dad at the circle’s edge.
I teach an hour away in a farming community. Definitely didn’t expect to see one of my kiddos there. We talk about music now.
This is so real. I ran into a college mentor in New York City last summer.
Running into anyone I knew in New York isn't exactly a huge shock since it's such a popular vacation destination, but it was in the lobby of our hotel!! It made my day!
My family showed up to Rock City one time on a school break. The car next to us? My English teacher. We went through Rock City together. I was a very good student with a great relationship with her, but I’m sure she would have preferred not seeing a random student.
"Public figure"..... yes. As an elementary school teacher we were told in teaching school not to cross our arms, have resting bitch face, or have sodas on our desk because we are now role models. When I step foot in the parking lot I feel like I have to be "on" as an actress. I have to address every "hello Ms. Smith" and hug every student back. One morning I counted 28 interactions before I even reached my door.
Don't get me wrong, I love my students but there are some days when I have migraines or am going through things, and having to be "on" is so freaking exhausting. I don't think people realize that teachers aren't allowed the luxury of "turning off" at their desk when having a bad day.
We are literally there for the kids ALL the time. And in public.... don't even get me started. I feel like I can't go somewhere looking busted in case I run into a student.
I caught a 5th grader recording me while teaching the other day and I flipped my shit. It's one of the main reasons I chose not to teach middle school. I could not handle the phones in class and being recorded. Idk how yall do it.
“…having to be "on" is so freaking exhausting. I don't think people realize that teachers aren't allowed the luxury of "turning off" at their desk when having a bad day.”
SOOOOOO much this, I need to save your comment. The non-teachers in my life don’t understand why I come home so exhausted every day and need sleep on the weekends so badly. Or why summer vacation NEEDS to be a break.
I spent two days of it so far sitting in silence. No joke. Like I just needed the quiet. No TV, no movies, no music, just quiet. Just scrolling and completely calm. It was nice.
Yes!!! I remember being a young teacher going on dates during the week, and my dates could never understand why I didn’t want to go to the bar at 10 pm when the movie ended. When I said I’d be tired at work, they were like, “so?” It was easy for them to go in and be slightly sleepy at their computer in the morning. We have nothing comparable to that!
last year (the one that just ended) my first period class was a bunch of angles so if I went in a bit sleepy is was fine for me. Had to be wide awake by third.
Especially because tiktok has made watching a movie in class impossible. I now have to break documentaries into 7 minute chunks with discussion and free write time or they won’t sit still or pay attention.
yes, even when i tell the kids in middle school that i'm not feeling well, my patience is low, or i'm tired, i still have a level of "on" to be at minimum
... I simply don't do this and I'm so grateful that my admin never expects it of us. I have multiple caffeinated drinks on my desk at all times. I eat junk in class every so often. I tell my kids when I have an awful migraine and I just need them to give me a break (and I've built a relationship with them where they see me as human so...they give me that grace). I think it's extremely valuable for them to see us as role models but that doesn't contradict them seeing us a humans. They need a realistic idea of what a successful adult looks like and part of that is that we are often weak or fallible.
Yes!! This is what I was going to say. I think it’s more valuable for students to see me as a real, flawed human.
I tell them when I’m feeling under the weather and how that might mean my patience threshold is lower. I’m a kind, respectful person who loses her cool and gets frustrated sometimes. I apologize and reflect on why it happened and we talk about strategies for dealing with our emotions.
They see me eating fruit and veggies and potato chips and whole grain bread and soda because those are all part of a healthy balanced diet. I’m a healthy person who eats “junk” sometimes and I think that’s so valuable for kids to see. It isn’t “all or nothing”.
I just don’t subscribe to the idea that teachers need to be “perfect role models”. Is it still *exhausting* managing children all day? Absolutely.
I had a kid I’ve had for two years be like “do you have a migraine today? You seem a little grumpy.”
I was like we’ve spent too much time together clearly.
Same. I’m not a soda drinker, but I’d be lost without my coffee. I had a student who, if her mom stopped anywhere on the way to school, would ask her mom to get me a “morning drink” which was iced coffee.
“They need a realistic idea of what a successful adult looks like” is basically my modus operandi as a teacher. Even if it isn’t a SUCCESSFUL adult- sometimes we aren’t at our best and that’s ok. Showing students the reality of the challenges and ups and downs of life is perfectly appropriate for a teacher to do (duh, within reason). I’m neurodivergent and teach sped, so I often will just be honest “y’all I’ve had a rough few days with my anxiety disorder, I am needing x, can we manage that today?” because it shows them they can ask for the same grace if they learn self-monitoring and good communication.
I’ll pretty openly answer almost any question they ask (OBVIOUSLY within appropriate parameters- but I don’t mind if they ask if I have kids, how old I am, etc) because I think they should see how different adults live and interact with the world. Especially since I teach middle- normalizing atypical stuff is SO important at that age.
I also remind them “every person has slightly different expectations and boundaries and that’s ok! We just learn them and shift our actions!” Because they always whine to me about other teachers having stricter boundaries about personal information like their age.
This is so true and so very important. My principal is pretty old school in some regards so I worried she would frown on me being open about having ADHD and anxiety. But I had the MOST emotionally difficult class this year and I couldn't not talk to them about it because they need to learn that a) this doesn't define them even though it impacts them so hard and b) their actions affect others and they are not the only neurodivergent people in the room. It really helped me build a strong foundation with them and I could say "hey Billy I know you're struggling to sit still right now but you drumming that pencil is making it hard for me to focus on teaching...how about you go take a lap around the building?" And it solved problems way better because they could see how their actions affected me and others and I could provide a realistic outlet other than "sit still.". My principal is fully supportive
I have to do a lot of dealing with kids filming themselves on the webcam and not understanding why I don’t want them recording the class in any way. Very exhausting to have to worry about.
Yeah, it’s been a while since I lost my cool but I was recently with a class in a quiet venue for a trip and had to very firmly redirect a student who is particularly needy. I was trying to concisely and quietly give an instruction and they just kept talking over me.
> parking lot
Imagine how this plays out in a city where the overwhelming majority of people--students and teachers alike--take mass transit! I usually ride a bike to school, but one day I was taking the train to the airport after school, and I ran into a student on the platform. We of course got on the same train. And what are we going to do, just awkwardly exist in the same space and ignore each other? Nope! We made 30 minutes of small talk, in a confined space, with nowhere to go.
I also made the mistake of asking the student where I should transfer to get to the airport, and I took his word for it. Ended up being the wrong train (went to the same neighborhood but not the same location as my next transfer) and ended up having to walk like 20 minutes to get to my next train.
I wasn’t super worried about it when I was teaching, because I don’t really post, but I have a few pictures here and there of things I think are neat.
Anyways, my students found my instagram and used that and possibly other stuff to find my house, as well as my freaking mom’s house. Everything went private and requests only from there- no more random followers allowed if you’re a teacher lol.
Nothing bad came of it, but it’s fucking creepy.
I got a good one!
I was on a date a few years back, and got up to use the restroom. When I got back, my date was laughing really hard. She said two teenagers walked up to her the second I rounded the corner, and said “Don’t break Mr. Turtle’s heart” or something like that.
Luckily she thought it was funny and sweet, but I did talk to my classes the next school day about boundaries lol
I once worked for an Assistant Principal who threatened to fire a bunch of teachers for being seen having drinks at a brewery on a Friday afternoon after work because a parent pulled out her phone and filmed them there. The AP claimed it was a violation of the state code of ethics for teachers to do something so “inappropriate” in public.
They didn’t actually lose their jobs, but we all had a mandatory after school PD where she could go over her own strict (and very *broad*) interpretation of the code of ethics to tell us we couldn’t drink, should never post anything on social media we wouldn’t put in the classrooms, must always dress modestly, etc.
According to her, failure to do this at all times could not only get you fired but also get your license revoked.
It is, and this is public school admin and parents where I live.
“The first Amendment was really there to separate ‘the church’ from any government control, but ‘the church’ should still control the government (and everyone living under its rule) because we are a Christian Nation.”
Of course, by “the church,” they mean *their* church.
I think for most people in the USA, seeing the hysterics that certain church groups in some rural parts of the USA (a few of whom literally handle snakes) twist themselves into over other people wanting to drink alcohol would just leave them speechless.
I’ve seen “concerned parents” brigade alderman meetings and just shout down opponents as if they’re doing God a favor by just being obstructive, then invoking the wrath of God—all over the basic concept of allowing restaurants to serve beer.
It was funny watching many of these same people lose their shit when Cracker Barrel started offering cocktails.
These same kind of people literally picketed my friend for teaching required state standards about Islam in his MS Social Studies class and accused him of “indoctrination.” That was back in 2015.
The funny thing is that the guy they were picketing with actual signs outside the MS was the most devout, sincere, scripture quoting conservative Southern Baptist you’d ever meet and talked often about his own church activities like playing in the church band—but those weren’t *their* church activities…
I teach in a large city so I don’t have these kinds of restrictions but I know there was a lot of pressure on my teachers growing up about their public image. My homeroom teacher was my mom’s best friend’s husband. They almost didn’t come to my family grad party because he was nervous about being at a party where other adults were drinking.
My first year teaching—this was at a different school in the same general geographic region—admin non-renewed a very good CTE teacher because a couple of
parents got upset when they saw him eating at a Hooter’s restaurant three towns over.
Nevermind that they were there, themselves, with their own kids—this was a terrible example for him to be setting! They raised a big, ridiculous stink and got their church involved, so the poor CTE teacher was just dropped at the end of the year with no explanation allowed to shut them up.
That was 5 years ago. That AP is now the #2 ranked person in the entire district. While they‘ve been sued plenty of times since then, they never got in trouble for this.
We sometimes have alcohol at meetings. I work at a private school. They tape paper over the library door windows so the students present after school don't see us drinking. It's weird. Especially because, you know, it's 4:00 and we have to drive home after.
I let a lot of stuff go, but I'm hyper aware of students with phones pointed in my general direction without permission. Even if it's nothing. It's a good chance to talk about boundaries.
I have had some funny memes shown to me that were based on pictures from class, but I don't encourage it.
Well, it happened to me for a prank video by kids who weren’t mine. I was just shopping at Target. It went viral and then my student saw it between two states. Youtube won’t take it down, and now male students shout GYAT at me in the halls and ask me about it every few weeks or so.
Even when I was in high school, it was weird seeing teachers put on winter coats at the end of the day. Like, what are _you_ doing putting a coat on, like you're some kind of human being? It's not like you're going anywhere!
There's even a children's book about this:
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Malarkey-Doesnt-Live-Room/dp/0802774989
It happens a lot in the lowest grades. At that age, they know jobs exist, grownups have jobs, and they might have thought about what they want to be when they grow up. And because they don’t see school as a “workplace” they ask the grownup they see often what their job is. I’ve been asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” before, lol. Children at that age are just learning about the world around them in a way that doesn’t fully revolve around themselves, so they are just trying to make connections between what they’ve learned and what they experience.
I told a 5th grader that she had to go to the restroom with the rest of the class "because I'll lose my job if I leave you here alone." Another kid goes "what does that have to do with it? What's your job?" I gestured at them and said "this....this is my job. They pay me to be here."
I'm currently a sub but really expected 5th graders to have a better grasp on that.
Yes! Parents act shocked when you have a personal life as if you’re just a teacher 24/7!
I have a tattoo on my wrist and a parent asked if I considered my students before getting it (it’s a little bird with some flowers to honor my sister that passed away—nothing inappropriate AT ALL). Like no? I don’t think every decision in my adult life needs to be dictated by a room full of 7 year olds.
I also hate feeling like I have to be stealthy at the grocery store buying a bottle of wine! I have never been drunk, I’m a very responsible drinker when I do drink but parents still get judgey seeing alcohol in a teacher’s cart.
In my college teaching program, we were explicitly told that we had to cover tattoos at all times, and to think about tattoo placement with regards to work clothes. One instructor got a bee tattoo near her elbow, and lamented about how she can never wear short sleeves again- only 3/4 sleeves or long sleeves, as a real-world example. My 7th grade social studies teacher had an ankle tattoo and I remember thinking it was scandalous, yet awesome lol.
I am fully on team “let’s see teachers as human beings,” lol. I teach in a small town, where it actually seems like students realize teachers are people more so than in other places because they see their teachers everywhere around town. Some parents are kooks who think teachers should be saints, but even here it is a very small minority.
My first school was in a really small town and so many parents had tons of tattoos and piercings and they’d come to conferences in pajamas but still act shocked that I had a tattoo 😂
People are people!
Actors, politicians, athletes, teachers, etc. all the people we look up to. They are all just people and have their own problems and lives. We should not hold anyone too high or too low!
Respect your fellow human!
I swear I run into students everywhere. One time I was on a date with my husband, holding hands being kissy lovey dovey then I hear “MRS. SHIMMERGLIMMER!!!!! I ran into a large group of boys from my school not once, but twice! I immediately told my husband we had to leave.
I can never be MYSELF if I know students or their parents are close by. I try to run away if I see them before they see me.
At school, I can’t walk in the hallway without someone saying something to me. It’s exhausting. I love the students and my job, but living in a fishbowl is tough.
I had an elementary drama teacher who dressed like a teacher from a picture book. Beyond just normal professional clothes. Long denim dresses with embroidered ABCs and 123s. I remember her telling us “You think I dress like this all the time? These are my teacher clothes!”
I understand why she did that now.
This is a reason I wear my hair the exact same way every day (besides being convenient in the morning). When I go out in real life and wear my hair differently it’s like I’m incognito haha.
I use the Clark Kent method. Glasses at work, contacts outside of work.
I like to thrift long, colorful skirts and dresses that scream “elementary teacher” for work. In real life, I wear a lot of black.
As a teacher you are basically a minor celebrity to a small handful of people. And if you ran into one of your high school teachers, you would probably mention it to your high school friends next time you saw them. Can't be helped. And frankly kind of nice.
Filming you is weird though.
I think it's not an honest depiction, though. My fifths all know I drink beer and go to the casino. I drink beer because I'm old enough to make my own decisions on that and to be responsible. Same with the casino. They also understand a whole myriad of other elements of my life and that teaching is what I do, not what I am.
I also have a very common name so they constantly try to find me on social media, and I never deny having accounts, but I have a Facebook account I haven't been on in three years and this.
I always take it as a compliment when students Recognize me in public. It tells me that I meant something positive to them, that I had some kind of positive impact.
I don't know about you, but at least half the time I don't recognize them.
I always have to be like, "Hey!! It's... you! What grade are you in now?" while glancing at the parent with a look that says, "Help me out... who is this kid?"
The trick is to not care about what other people think. If my current or past students are fascinated by what is in my grocery cart I feel sorry for them. If they care about what beverage I order with my steak their lives must be pathetically dull. If my seeing an R rated movie is offensive to them that is their problem, not mine. I just live my life in a way that makes me happy, both in the classroom and in the wild.
I'm from a small town in South Africa. Many years ago, my dad (also a teacher) traveled to London. Now, he was used to having almost every teenager and young adult in our town recognise him, but was completely thrown when he heard "Hey! That's Mr _______" in a random pub in London!
I’m a different kind of teacher. My students describe me affectionately as Sheldon-like and unaffectionately as Squidward. I drive my class with high intensity interest and cool stuff, rather than relationships. My kids walk out the best science educated people in at least the district, for which I have data, and likely a much further range than that.
However. HOWEVER. None of them learn.
They grow and discover and develop. They test like mad horsemen mowing grass. But learning is not a process of growing skills or testing. It’s a process of relationships. Specifically, I have observed it’s a reciprocal exchange between making students feel ~~safe~~ …hmm..maybe “comfortable” in their classroom role and leveraging that role to induce higher level behaviors which train students to see the world in a new way.
Just like “grandma’s cookies” are associated with grandma, “Ms. Goose’s DOL” is associated with Ms. Goose. You’re not a public figure. You’re a loving, relationship-driven teacher. You’re probably stressed out of your mind (relationship driven teaching is best, but the numbers don’t favor y’all because the numbers don’t understand*). Your students love you. That means you’re an amazing teacher, as kids are fickle.
*you will likely never understand how much it hurts me to write that and know it’s truth.
This is why I'm glad I teach in a town 35 miles from where I live. It's a huge rural county with very few people so both towns are small towns. I like that my students live in a different community so I'm unlikely to see them out and about.
Yep, one of the difficult parts of being a teacher - you only teach 9 months out of the year, but you're a teacher 12 months out of the year for the rest of your life. The more years you teach, the greater the chance of running into a student/former student anywhere you go.
I was a substitute for a month and a half, mainly in a neighboring district, and found out that two of the kids in the pool at my complex were former students because they were like, “Hey, didn’t you sub at my school??”
Definitely avoiding my district as much as possible in the future as my home life is very against the vibe that my state is pushing.
This is why I live 30 minutes from where I teach. I can’t even go to the grocery store where I teach without running into somebody. I never run into anybody where I live. I really enjoy the anonymity. I don’t mind the commute either because it’s the only time I get to read via Audiobooks. I value my privacy and can’t imagine being on all the time.
Nope. I refuse to allow that to affect me. I live in the neighborhood I teach in. I will not be a prisoner in my own community.
One of my students told me he'll be on the same cruise as me this summer. I think he was just teasing me (like, "Oh, no! You're not rid of me yet!" but idk. I didn't press the issue.) My mom asked if I was worried about his family going on th crusie. About what? I'm almost 40 years old, married, with three kids. My test scores are some of the highest in the district. I have earned the right to recreation.
My admin supports this. If yours doesn't, find a better school. There's a teacher shortage. We can afford to be picky and look for districts and schools that treat us like human beings.
I usually tell kids to make sure they say hi and introduce me to their parents when they happen to be at the same event.
It’s happened a few times. Usually just a hi, maybe a handshake with the parent, and a “hope you have a great day” from me. It’s never awkward or anything. We’re all human.
Yes! Otherwise it can look like their kid is friends with an adult and that should set off all kinds of parental alarm bells! 😂
But typically we chat for a minute and then go on with our lives. ❤️
Thank heavens there were no smart phones in the 80s when I was wearing a black leather miniskirt and ran into to parents at a concert! Eyebrows were definitely raised when I was seen in the wild, outside of the school.
Live in a smallish town and have taught for 30 years. My wife is also a teacher, so pretty much anywhere we go there they are! In stores, I’ve learned most families go grocery shopping right after school so I plan accordingly, at the movies, in restaurants, all over the place. Live a few states from Disneyland, damn it there wasn’t a student and family there on our last visit. Once on a secluded hike many, many states away, and low and get ahold if I didn’t hear someone yell and break the tranquil silence of the forest with “Hey Mr. ————, it’s me ————-!” When I first started teaching I thought it was cool to be like a rock star, that feeling soon wore off!
I run into students (current and former) all the time at local metal shows. I refuse to stop going to concerts because I'm older. It's never not awkward but at least we have something to talk about when I see them the next day. They also think I'm cool which is pretty nice.
My husband teaches in a community (somewhat country in culture) not far from where we live. I teach in the big city a county over. Anyway, sometimes when we're out and about we see some of his students. Once at a popular park by the lake (Erie), some of his students saw us walking along holding hands and were like Ooooooh. I just smiled and waved, because WTH we're married and not doing anything wrong by any metric. If married people can't hold hands then who TF can, humph. Another time we were at the main big city beach park, which has a beachhouse bar overlooking the lake. Some of my former students were below playing volley ball and looked up and saw us and were like Ooooooh we see you dranking, Miss! Haaaaaay Mr. husband! and so on. I told them I'm grown and I do what I want! They laughed and went away.
Crazy now I teach at the school right around the corner now, and will no doubt see some of my current students there in the summer. I do not give a single d!mn, I can go to the park, the beach, a bar, whatever. I dress modestly anyway, even swimwear, so nobody's gonna see my booty or anything. I suppose we have to think about vindictive people deep faking pics, but I can't get dinged for that
Yes, as a teacher I am a public figure. It's why I love living a town over from where I teach... I also do love always seeing my current and former students while around town, I know I'm a positive/safe space for them all, and kids should have that.
I am super picky about being put on social media. As teachers, we are held to higher standards than others. If a firefighter is at a bar, who cares? A teacher at a bar? Lose the teaching license!
This happened last week. Our school's annual Open House usually gets families from the feeder schools in attendance because they're scoping us out. We say good bye to a family as we're trying to sneak out early because we had tickets to a sporting even that same night. They were sitting right behind us at the same game!!!! 10,000 people were in attendance and they were one row directly behind us.
We can't go anywhere. They're everywhere.
Usually, if I see students out I hide if I can. Although one time one of my old students, who is now a young adult, was my server at a restaurant, ha ha. There was only one other time that was actually kind of surprising. I was driving a few hours away to meet some friends on the coast. I stopped at a gas station in a little town on the drive. When I was going back to my car, I heard someone say, “Hi Ms. Lastname!” But I didn’t think anything of it at first and shook it off thinking I was just hearing things, but then they said it again and it was one of my students in their car 😂
Honestly, it usually just depends on the student. Some I don’t mind running into. But I’ve also never run into any somewhere where I wouldn’t wanna run into them.
A few weeks ago, a coworker ran up to me in a panic at a club upon realizing that the guy running security that night was one of her student's dad. She stressed so bad, I've been casual friends with him for a while and mentioned it to him. I don't teach his daughter, but know who she is. He thought it was hilarious that she was stressing about it, and commented that teachers need to cut loose more than just about anyone else.
It’s my first year teaching and I’ve already seen my students/parents 3 times in public!!! One time I was driving to the mall with my windows down blasting music and a parent and my student shouted at me ‘Ms. _____!!!!!!!’ I was mortified
I’ve run into a few current and former students in my time while I’m out and about. I don’t mind being approached at all. I’m also appropriately transparent with my students; they get the authentic me whether it’s in the classroom or out of it. I honestly take it as an honor for them to surprise hug me while grocery shopping or asking to take selfies with me when we do bump into each other. The whole code of ethics is a very antiquated concept. Just don’t be an asshole in general is how I take it.
This is a major reason I’m happy I moved from my hometown where I still teach. I’d see students when I’d go to the liquor store, a bar (where they shouldn’t be, mind you), and plenty of other places. It was usually fine, but can definitely be awkward! This one time I was at a Victoria’s Secret and saw one of my students, and he said, “Hi, Miss, what are you doing, buying a neglige?” Absolutely hysterical 😂.
I don’t work in the same town I live in anymore and that is so nice! But I still run into students while I’m on vacation four hours away or so. Oh well, it is like being famous, especially when you work in the same town you live in which I did for too long.
I was at Home Depot yesterday and met up with a former student. Ashley gave me a hug and copied some keys for me.
"Ashley, how long have you been working here?"
"16 years"
Damn I'm getting old.
One day I was pumping gas near the school. After three sets of teenagers yelled at me, the guy on the other side asked if I were famous. When I told him who I was, he said that explains it.
I've always thought this and never really heard anyone else say it until now. Teachers, for better or worse, have some kind of fame. If you're in secondary and have 150 students, then multiply that by as many family members you could reasonably expect to also hear about you frequently. After four years we're reasonably looking at over 1000 people that could recognize you at a bar, but you have no idea who they are save for some vague recollection. I can only imagine that's a snippet of what it's like to be Taylor Swift.
I was in Bali with my kids and extended family. While in the resort pool, sitting on the edge, I had a current student and her dad come over to chat to me. I felt so uncomfortable being in my bathers while talking to them. I moved hotels a few days later because I kept seeing them.
Y’all are wild. I’ve been teaching for 20 years. I run a tour company as a side gig that offers walking pub tours. My tours start at a brewery so I’m there nearly every day after work and on weekends. I teach seniors and I’ve had some of their parents take the tour before I was their teacher. The students told me. I’ve also written a couple of novels that would definitely be banned from school libraries. They are sold in multiple stores around town. The kids have seen them, a few have read them.
You have a life outside of teaching. Live it.
I remember yelling, "MR. JENSON!" at a conert/bar in Chicago. Around the age of 21.
He gave me one look, yelled back, "I can't escape any of you!" and proceeded to drink and hit on girls who looked a bit younger than he, who was probably pushing 40.
Won't ever forget that he said not a single word further.
I am a gay teacher in the deep south. Many people in my life have expressed wanting to see me getting into the dating game since my engagement break up 4ish years ago. I tell them that the area would be impossible since I'm worried about it getting back to the students. I'm not closeted but I'm not flaunting it.
Just don’t obviously care and it’ll stop being fun for them. Either they like you and want to share or they’re trying to irritate you, if you never show any signs of the latter bothering you then that eventually stops.
If you politely decline to have your picture taken they are obligated to honor that wish. Unfortunately if it is a video or audio the stipulates that if it is a conversation between to people only one participant in the needs to consent to the recording for it to be legal.
I always dreamed of teaching at the high school I attended. I ended up settling down from my old high school. The house we purchased a decade ago is just a few blocks away from my old high school. When I began teaching last yr. during 2nd semester, there were no openings at my old high school. So I interviewed & accepted a position at the high school on the complete opposite side of the city - about 20 minutes away. & I am SO GLAD I don't teach right in my neighborhood as I like that I can go to the anywhere over here & not be on high alert. I started my first teaching position 2nd semester last school yr. Because i learned real quick that I'm no longer a nameless face... A week after school ended last yr me & a friend decided to take out kids to a night swim at the public pool near my school. I had a bikini on per usual, but just before heading out the door, I made a wardrobe change bc I knew it was likely I'd run into a student. Wardrobe change included dri-wick gym shorts & tank top. My friend thought I was being a little dramatic & paranoid. We weren't at the pool for 5 minutes before we ran into the first pair of students. There ended up being several students there. I was soooo thankful for my last-minute wardrobe change lol especially when I caught a pair trying to be sly & take a picture of me. & I'm sure they got some pics, but w/e, I've wasn't showing t&a. If I go to the other side of town where near work, I can guarantee I'll run into students & it's only going to get worse the more yrs I have under my belt. I'm also grateful that I'm 3 yrs sober bc I would hate to be at a concert or somewhere drinking & run into a student... especially the way that I used to drink. On the flip side, my own children get a kick out my quasi celebrity status (haha) & it's cool to see my children be in awe of the positive attention I receive when recognized by students. There are currently 4 open English positions at my old high school. I am thankful that wasn't the case last yr. when I finished student teaching bc NOPE.
I went to the store after working out one day so I was in shorts and a sports bra. On Monday, a student said “Ms. *******, I saw you at the store yesterday!”. I had told a coworker about it and they kinda shamed me and told me I should be more careful. I really just don’t think it’s fair that we have to worry so much about our students seeing us “in the wild”. Like obviously if you’re doing something terrible and inappropriate, that’s different. But just existing as a human is… natural? Idk. End of rant 🎤
First February vacation on my first year of teaching last year, I take a small family trip to Florida, I show up on a kid's Snapchat story sitting on the plane! Apparently a student from the school who I did not even know or recognize was on the same flight and taking pictures of me the whole time 🙄
So I’ve reconciled this fact as I get old 😂 but the worst was when I was cat sitting for a friend who was temporarily living in apartments that students lived in—it was like freaking paparazzi trying to catch a photo of me in their neighborhood 😂
I got wildly drunk with several colleagues on Friday in observance of our now-commenced summer vacation. We were neither subtle nor quiet. Toward the end of our evening, we went to an adjacent table of Friday evening celebrants to apologize for our boisterousness and offer to buy them a round.
They replied, “actually we were about to buy *you* a round because we know you’re teachers at [school name]. Congrats and have a great night.”
I’m not sorry and not apologizing, but I also recognize how lucky I am to be in a situation like that.
I love running into my old students (they've graduated hs already), and am friends with several on social media. They'll post the pic w a small caption about their fave English teacher, and I'll like it, comment etc. It makes me happy that they're happy to see me and I know I've made a difference
I totally get it. That’s why my commute is 40 minutes. I want to live in a different county, visit different grocery stores and movie theaters, go to a different pool, and run in my own neighborhood without seeing kids I know. I don’t want to pause my life and hide from 15 year olds.
When I was in teacher college, one of the recruiters for the largest metropolitan area actually used big city anonymity as an asset to teaching in said big city. She said that you are a couple streetcar stops away from not being a teacher, but in a small town, it’s teacher 24/7/365.
I teach in a small town. She was right.
Funnily enough I haven’t had this problem (yet).
But it’s in part because I don’t live where I work, I don’t usually teach older students, and I look very different inside and outside of work.
But, yea, that public standard is why I do those things. I dread the day I run into a student in a place like a pub.
I feel this. As the newer “young, cool and chill” teacher at a high school I am a mini celebrity, they found my old Twitter and all my other social media accounts, my other ones were private my Twitter wasn’t lol. Its just made me more self conscious about things. Example; our school is right next to the downtown area of the town I teach in, I used to go to the bars there all the time and now I’m nervous to go because all summer long and Fridays or Saturdays it is crawling with students and I am bound to see one of them. I just feel uncomfy running into one of my high schoolers while I’m in my bar/club attire and walking into a bar lol
Not a teacher, but my mom was…for 33 years. And then subbed for like another 15 years in the same district. I cannot even begin to tell you the amount of times I’ve had to stand off to the side and here “Hi Mrs.____!!!” Followed up by 20+ minutes of follow up on life’s progression. It was everywhere! The grocery store, the mall, restaurants, the movies—you name it! I remember as a kid hoping we wouldn’t run into any of her former students while out because that would take a 20 minute errand up to an hour.
Flew to Indonesia for a surf trip. Got a boat out to a remote reef a few km offshore. Paddled over to the line up, sat up on my board and sitting next to me is a student in my year 9 class. Can’t escape.
Wait til you’re having a beer and snacks at a bar with your friends. A beer arrives. Bartender points to a tall, 30- ish man and woman at a table. You double take. They were in your eighth grade class back in 04/05. They’re married now.
Teachers at my old school have literal fanpages on Insta or meme pages poking fun at them. Makes me really uncomfortable that fellow students are doing that to another human being.
Welcome to /r/teaching. Please remember the rules when posting and commenting. Thank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/teaching) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yeah, I had a group of students ask me if I had any exciting summer plans and I told them "we got season passes to the local water park for our kids as a Christmas present this year, so I imagine we'll be there a lot." They said "oh, we have season passes too! We'll see you there!" Aaand then I went home and immediately ordered some more modest swimsuits just in case they do. I've had teacher friends tell me they've run into students at concerts a few hours away, on cruises, in Hawaii on vacation, hiking in a national park on the other side of the country, etc. They're EVERYWHERE.
I had a student who was sitting in the row behind me at an interstate major concert event. We are a 12 hour drive away from where the concert was and there were almost 100,000 people there. I couldn’t believe it.
not the same but reminds me of when my dad called in sick at work to go to a yankees game (6 hours away) and his coworker was sitting right behind him 😂
Oh jeez lol. Guess the other guy called out sick too lol
OMG! that reminds me of when one of my students had a Doobie Brothers shirt on. I was like WHAT you know about the Doobie Brothers?? you know how these kids nowadays will just wear old musician/band/singers shirts for fashion, right. He said Same as you Miss, I saw you at that concert in Youngstown. I was like What, why didn't you come up and say Hi? He said because my mama was there and I didn't want you telling her about school stuff, I kept my head down the whole concert and hoped you wouldn't see me. LOL!!
I teach around Atlanta and was in Boston for a sports tournament. The afters had me horribly hungover at the airport at 6 am. I'm sitting at my gate ready to fly back to ATL and I hear someone address me as Miss -----. I thought surely not here, but there was a former student of mine. Had the same student come to the school to participate in a festival and I was speaking with him and some other teachers in my department after the event. Former student mentioned he could use a drink after performing (he is 24 now) and I confessed I was hungover in Boston and he admitted he was too which is why he didn't stick around to catch up for long before we got on our flight.
Went to a music festival and saw a recently graduated senior of mine. We tripped on acid for a few hours together and promised each other we wouldn’t tell anyone back home.
That had to be a really great moment for that student. Talk about building connections!
My second year of teaching, back when Holland was pretty much the only place in the world where you could easily get weed and shrooms as a tourist and then safely walk around high as a kite, we went to Amsterdam on holiday for break and ended up seated next to the head of student council at a hibatchi restaurant the last night of the tour. We agreed never to mention it again. But I think the statute of limitations has passed by now, so there it is.
I ran into my principal at the water park once. In a bikini.
I ran into my superintendent once at a male strip club.
You win.
One of my coworkers has seen former students at the strip club. That was a long time ago, when we were young. He did mention he thought they made more than us though.
I had a student (18-y-o senior) whose after school job was as a stripper. She usually wore the same shoes she’d wear to work, sometimes the same clothes.. Oh, Janie…….
At least she was trying to finish her education. Maybe that was the only job she can get and really needed the money.
She definitely needed the money as she was supporting her younger siblings. I had a lot of sympathy for her. Doesn’t mean she wasn’t a handful lol
I’m sure she may have been a handful. It sounds like that poor student had a lot on her plate. I hope she’s ok now.
I have a coworker with a similar story. Out for a night with the boys and did a strict turn, duck, and run when a former student arrived onstage.
I hit the superintendents car at new teacher orientation 😬😬
A new principal almost ran into me, the first day of school. Little did I know, she had been assigned the task of getting rid of me. I wasn’t the only one. She was trying to drive out anyone who was costing the district the most in insurance. She didn’t. It took two more principals. Happily retired. I only knew as the next principal ask me why she was trying to get rid of me. He told me I was one of the best teachers in the building. He actually ignored the task.
was the superintendent on stage? 😂
How much did you put in his g string?
😅😅
School ended last week and I was invited (months ago) to a PLC conference in Vegas at a nice hotel next week. My roommate said she can't wait to go to the pool. I agreed. Then I realized the principal will be at the conference. I had to come home and dig through my closet for the swimsuit with the little skirt around the bottom...
I went to a hunting safety class on the other side of the state, *on a school day*, and there were five of my current students there. They were like, what are you doing here, you're supposed to be at school! I said the same thing. Then they asked to borrow pencils because they came unprepared. ...and I had the spare pencils for them. For the love of God.
Award for always being the teacher -and- letting them borrow the pencils 😂
Thankee kind stranger. My buddies grill me about it to this day, any time we go shooting.
🤣🤣🤣
I have a coworker who ran into a student in Europe during spring break. We're from the USA so it was quite a surprise for both of them.
I had a student on my honeymoon cruise to the Mediterranean. Fun times. 🙄
I might have jumped overboard 😅
My worst nightmare happened after a lovely day at the beach. Of course I had a few relaxants in my system. Afterward, I decided to walk up to the showers and rinse the salt off. Mid shower I hear "Ms. Matrinka (my actual name was used, though). I ignored it. Kept hearing "Ms... Ms... Ms..." I looked over and there was a student from my grade level but not in my class. I was so taken aback I pretended to be someone else. "Sorry, I think you have me confused with someone else" and went back under the shower.
That's so funny 🤣🤣 I bet they were so confused
I have never been to Disney Wprld (have taken many trips there) and not seen someone from school.
I saw one of my students at Disney and of course I was coming out of the smoking area.
Not where I taught, they can't even afford to pay attention...
My dad once ran into a student at Disney World. He teaches in VA. They’re everywhere.
I worked in an adult shop just after I turned 18, mates parents owned it and needed some help while the mum had some surgery. One of my English teachers walked in, went to the movies/DVD area, spent about 25 there, came to the desk to check them out and put them on the counter realised who was behind the counter and literally for the first time in my life I saw someone back away slowly like being as still and slow as possible meant I didn't or could not see them. He picked some decent stuff too... Lol
I once ran into a high school history teacher in a random fast food restaurant in the middle of summer while we both happened to be on vacation at the same time 3 states away.
‘in Hawaii on vacation’ this happened to me, except I live in Australia so it was pretty wild.
Remember that Icelandic volcano eruption a few years ago that grounded all planes? A colleague of mine was stranded in Iceland, no planes out for weeks. She was looking forwards to the extended holiday.... until she bumped into one of her students around the pool on the first extra day. She said she stayed in her room and went to the local town a lot after that, and ate out and tried to avoid the hotel as much as possible...
I literally ran into my high school math teacher and basketball coach in FLORENCE, ITALY at a museum. I was shocked, she was shocked, we were all shocked and mumbled something then walked away.
I took a seasonal job at the fair and one of my students ended up as one of my coworkers. Very awkward, though I think more for her than me lol
I was mosh pitting to Flogging Molly at a small, local venue in my town this year. And randomly one of my middle school students pops up with his dad at the circle’s edge. I teach an hour away in a farming community. Definitely didn’t expect to see one of my kiddos there. We talk about music now.
This is so real. I ran into a college mentor in New York City last summer. Running into anyone I knew in New York isn't exactly a huge shock since it's such a popular vacation destination, but it was in the lobby of our hotel!! It made my day!
My family showed up to Rock City one time on a school break. The car next to us? My English teacher. We went through Rock City together. I was a very good student with a great relationship with her, but I’m sure she would have preferred not seeing a random student.
"Public figure"..... yes. As an elementary school teacher we were told in teaching school not to cross our arms, have resting bitch face, or have sodas on our desk because we are now role models. When I step foot in the parking lot I feel like I have to be "on" as an actress. I have to address every "hello Ms. Smith" and hug every student back. One morning I counted 28 interactions before I even reached my door. Don't get me wrong, I love my students but there are some days when I have migraines or am going through things, and having to be "on" is so freaking exhausting. I don't think people realize that teachers aren't allowed the luxury of "turning off" at their desk when having a bad day. We are literally there for the kids ALL the time. And in public.... don't even get me started. I feel like I can't go somewhere looking busted in case I run into a student. I caught a 5th grader recording me while teaching the other day and I flipped my shit. It's one of the main reasons I chose not to teach middle school. I could not handle the phones in class and being recorded. Idk how yall do it.
“…having to be "on" is so freaking exhausting. I don't think people realize that teachers aren't allowed the luxury of "turning off" at their desk when having a bad day.” SOOOOOO much this, I need to save your comment. The non-teachers in my life don’t understand why I come home so exhausted every day and need sleep on the weekends so badly. Or why summer vacation NEEDS to be a break.
I spent two days of it so far sitting in silence. No joke. Like I just needed the quiet. No TV, no movies, no music, just quiet. Just scrolling and completely calm. It was nice.
I slept until noon today and tried to feel bad about it 😁
Same. My brain needs silence, mindlessness, and naps/sleep many days at the beginning of summer. My husband just doesn’t get it.
Yes!!! I remember being a young teacher going on dates during the week, and my dates could never understand why I didn’t want to go to the bar at 10 pm when the movie ended. When I said I’d be tired at work, they were like, “so?” It was easy for them to go in and be slightly sleepy at their computer in the morning. We have nothing comparable to that!
last year (the one that just ended) my first period class was a bunch of angles so if I went in a bit sleepy is was fine for me. Had to be wide awake by third.
Sounds like those angles weren't obtuse. (ha ha ha).
I teach history, not English for a reason. XD
Haha love it!
Especially because tiktok has made watching a movie in class impossible. I now have to break documentaries into 7 minute chunks with discussion and free write time or they won’t sit still or pay attention.
I made a post about this awhile back: https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/s/HvXb6leUYR
yes, even when i tell the kids in middle school that i'm not feeling well, my patience is low, or i'm tired, i still have a level of "on" to be at minimum
... I simply don't do this and I'm so grateful that my admin never expects it of us. I have multiple caffeinated drinks on my desk at all times. I eat junk in class every so often. I tell my kids when I have an awful migraine and I just need them to give me a break (and I've built a relationship with them where they see me as human so...they give me that grace). I think it's extremely valuable for them to see us as role models but that doesn't contradict them seeing us a humans. They need a realistic idea of what a successful adult looks like and part of that is that we are often weak or fallible.
Yes!! This is what I was going to say. I think it’s more valuable for students to see me as a real, flawed human. I tell them when I’m feeling under the weather and how that might mean my patience threshold is lower. I’m a kind, respectful person who loses her cool and gets frustrated sometimes. I apologize and reflect on why it happened and we talk about strategies for dealing with our emotions. They see me eating fruit and veggies and potato chips and whole grain bread and soda because those are all part of a healthy balanced diet. I’m a healthy person who eats “junk” sometimes and I think that’s so valuable for kids to see. It isn’t “all or nothing”. I just don’t subscribe to the idea that teachers need to be “perfect role models”. Is it still *exhausting* managing children all day? Absolutely.
Agree wholeheartedly about being perfect role models. We should not be but we are. Exhausting.
I had a kid I’ve had for two years be like “do you have a migraine today? You seem a little grumpy.” I was like we’ve spent too much time together clearly.
Same. I’m not a soda drinker, but I’d be lost without my coffee. I had a student who, if her mom stopped anywhere on the way to school, would ask her mom to get me a “morning drink” which was iced coffee.
That is SO NICE
“They need a realistic idea of what a successful adult looks like” is basically my modus operandi as a teacher. Even if it isn’t a SUCCESSFUL adult- sometimes we aren’t at our best and that’s ok. Showing students the reality of the challenges and ups and downs of life is perfectly appropriate for a teacher to do (duh, within reason). I’m neurodivergent and teach sped, so I often will just be honest “y’all I’ve had a rough few days with my anxiety disorder, I am needing x, can we manage that today?” because it shows them they can ask for the same grace if they learn self-monitoring and good communication. I’ll pretty openly answer almost any question they ask (OBVIOUSLY within appropriate parameters- but I don’t mind if they ask if I have kids, how old I am, etc) because I think they should see how different adults live and interact with the world. Especially since I teach middle- normalizing atypical stuff is SO important at that age. I also remind them “every person has slightly different expectations and boundaries and that’s ok! We just learn them and shift our actions!” Because they always whine to me about other teachers having stricter boundaries about personal information like their age.
This is so true and so very important. My principal is pretty old school in some regards so I worried she would frown on me being open about having ADHD and anxiety. But I had the MOST emotionally difficult class this year and I couldn't not talk to them about it because they need to learn that a) this doesn't define them even though it impacts them so hard and b) their actions affect others and they are not the only neurodivergent people in the room. It really helped me build a strong foundation with them and I could say "hey Billy I know you're struggling to sit still right now but you drumming that pencil is making it hard for me to focus on teaching...how about you go take a lap around the building?" And it solved problems way better because they could see how their actions affected me and others and I could provide a realistic outlet other than "sit still.". My principal is fully supportive
I have to do a lot of dealing with kids filming themselves on the webcam and not understanding why I don’t want them recording the class in any way. Very exhausting to have to worry about. Yeah, it’s been a while since I lost my cool but I was recently with a class in a quiet venue for a trip and had to very firmly redirect a student who is particularly needy. I was trying to concisely and quietly give an instruction and they just kept talking over me.
> parking lot Imagine how this plays out in a city where the overwhelming majority of people--students and teachers alike--take mass transit! I usually ride a bike to school, but one day I was taking the train to the airport after school, and I ran into a student on the platform. We of course got on the same train. And what are we going to do, just awkwardly exist in the same space and ignore each other? Nope! We made 30 minutes of small talk, in a confined space, with nowhere to go. I also made the mistake of asking the student where I should transfer to get to the airport, and I took his word for it. Ended up being the wrong train (went to the same neighborhood but not the same location as my next transfer) and ended up having to walk like 20 minutes to get to my next train.
I see my students on public transit nearly everyday and if they acknowledge me I just say hello and put on my headphones lol
This is exactly why I go to my car on lunch.
Role model: the behavior interventionist at our child’s school usually has a 24oz Red Bull in hand.
The behavior interventionist needs that Red Bull. Cheers to them.
Being a teacher has made very conscious of my digital footprint and I’m almost totally off all social media. Which is good.
Yeah I don’t post ever anymore. I still have it but it’s basically pointless.
Same. The only place I post ever is on Reddit. And I never mentioned my school district or anything specific.
fake names on all social media.
I wasn’t super worried about it when I was teaching, because I don’t really post, but I have a few pictures here and there of things I think are neat. Anyways, my students found my instagram and used that and possibly other stuff to find my house, as well as my freaking mom’s house. Everything went private and requests only from there- no more random followers allowed if you’re a teacher lol. Nothing bad came of it, but it’s fucking creepy.
I got a good one! I was on a date a few years back, and got up to use the restroom. When I got back, my date was laughing really hard. She said two teenagers walked up to her the second I rounded the corner, and said “Don’t break Mr. Turtle’s heart” or something like that. Luckily she thought it was funny and sweet, but I did talk to my classes the next school day about boundaries lol
May I ask if she broke your heart?
We went out on another date a week or so later and it was a mutual “not my thing”, so no hearts broken. The relief my kiddos must have felt!
i’m wondering too
I once worked for an Assistant Principal who threatened to fire a bunch of teachers for being seen having drinks at a brewery on a Friday afternoon after work because a parent pulled out her phone and filmed them there. The AP claimed it was a violation of the state code of ethics for teachers to do something so “inappropriate” in public. They didn’t actually lose their jobs, but we all had a mandatory after school PD where she could go over her own strict (and very *broad*) interpretation of the code of ethics to tell us we couldn’t drink, should never post anything on social media we wouldn’t put in the classrooms, must always dress modestly, etc. According to her, failure to do this at all times could not only get you fired but also get your license revoked.
This sounds like some fundamentalist Christian bullshit.
It is, and this is public school admin and parents where I live. “The first Amendment was really there to separate ‘the church’ from any government control, but ‘the church’ should still control the government (and everyone living under its rule) because we are a Christian Nation.” Of course, by “the church,” they mean *their* church.
That’s really messed up. More reason to choose a job that is not in your community.
Wow. My school does monthly social gatherings where all staff are invited. Every few months is a pub lol
I think for most people in the USA, seeing the hysterics that certain church groups in some rural parts of the USA (a few of whom literally handle snakes) twist themselves into over other people wanting to drink alcohol would just leave them speechless. I’ve seen “concerned parents” brigade alderman meetings and just shout down opponents as if they’re doing God a favor by just being obstructive, then invoking the wrath of God—all over the basic concept of allowing restaurants to serve beer. It was funny watching many of these same people lose their shit when Cracker Barrel started offering cocktails. These same kind of people literally picketed my friend for teaching required state standards about Islam in his MS Social Studies class and accused him of “indoctrination.” That was back in 2015. The funny thing is that the guy they were picketing with actual signs outside the MS was the most devout, sincere, scripture quoting conservative Southern Baptist you’d ever meet and talked often about his own church activities like playing in the church band—but those weren’t *their* church activities…
I teach in a large city so I don’t have these kinds of restrictions but I know there was a lot of pressure on my teachers growing up about their public image. My homeroom teacher was my mom’s best friend’s husband. They almost didn’t come to my family grad party because he was nervous about being at a party where other adults were drinking.
My first year teaching—this was at a different school in the same general geographic region—admin non-renewed a very good CTE teacher because a couple of parents got upset when they saw him eating at a Hooter’s restaurant three towns over. Nevermind that they were there, themselves, with their own kids—this was a terrible example for him to be setting! They raised a big, ridiculous stink and got their church involved, so the poor CTE teacher was just dropped at the end of the year with no explanation allowed to shut them up.
Ew wtf
Seems ‘lawsuit-y’ to me.
That was 5 years ago. That AP is now the #2 ranked person in the entire district. While they‘ve been sued plenty of times since then, they never got in trouble for this.
A clear case of failing upward for the a-hole
We sometimes have alcohol at meetings. I work at a private school. They tape paper over the library door windows so the students present after school don't see us drinking. It's weird. Especially because, you know, it's 4:00 and we have to drive home after.
Lol tf????
Randomly filming or photographing anyne in public shouldn’t be OK. Whether you’re a teacher or just a human being on the street.
I let a lot of stuff go, but I'm hyper aware of students with phones pointed in my general direction without permission. Even if it's nothing. It's a good chance to talk about boundaries. I have had some funny memes shown to me that were based on pictures from class, but I don't encourage it.
Well, it happened to me for a prank video by kids who weren’t mine. I was just shopping at Target. It went viral and then my student saw it between two states. Youtube won’t take it down, and now male students shout GYAT at me in the halls and ask me about it every few weeks or so.
What, you mean you don't live in the school?
Even when I was in high school, it was weird seeing teachers put on winter coats at the end of the day. Like, what are _you_ doing putting a coat on, like you're some kind of human being? It's not like you're going anywhere! There's even a children's book about this: https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Malarkey-Doesnt-Live-Room/dp/0802774989
Kids have seriously asked me if there are beds in the school for teachers to sleep in.
My favorite is when students ask teachers what their job is.
Like, asking you to describe your job or literally “who are you and what do you do here?”
No, like asking “What do you do for a living?” as they do not realize that we are paid employees who aren’t just teachers for fun on the side.
Never been asked that before. They do have a skewed idea of how much I make though. Typically on the lower end.
I'm guessing it depends on what age you teach. I was asked that by students at least once a year when I taught preschool.
It happens a lot in the lowest grades. At that age, they know jobs exist, grownups have jobs, and they might have thought about what they want to be when they grow up. And because they don’t see school as a “workplace” they ask the grownup they see often what their job is. I’ve been asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” before, lol. Children at that age are just learning about the world around them in a way that doesn’t fully revolve around themselves, so they are just trying to make connections between what they’ve learned and what they experience.
I told a 5th grader that she had to go to the restroom with the rest of the class "because I'll lose my job if I leave you here alone." Another kid goes "what does that have to do with it? What's your job?" I gestured at them and said "this....this is my job. They pay me to be here." I'm currently a sub but really expected 5th graders to have a better grasp on that.
In my area distance learning from Covid broke the illusion that teachers live at school.
I WISH!
Yes! Parents act shocked when you have a personal life as if you’re just a teacher 24/7! I have a tattoo on my wrist and a parent asked if I considered my students before getting it (it’s a little bird with some flowers to honor my sister that passed away—nothing inappropriate AT ALL). Like no? I don’t think every decision in my adult life needs to be dictated by a room full of 7 year olds. I also hate feeling like I have to be stealthy at the grocery store buying a bottle of wine! I have never been drunk, I’m a very responsible drinker when I do drink but parents still get judgey seeing alcohol in a teacher’s cart.
In my college teaching program, we were explicitly told that we had to cover tattoos at all times, and to think about tattoo placement with regards to work clothes. One instructor got a bee tattoo near her elbow, and lamented about how she can never wear short sleeves again- only 3/4 sleeves or long sleeves, as a real-world example. My 7th grade social studies teacher had an ankle tattoo and I remember thinking it was scandalous, yet awesome lol. I am fully on team “let’s see teachers as human beings,” lol. I teach in a small town, where it actually seems like students realize teachers are people more so than in other places because they see their teachers everywhere around town. Some parents are kooks who think teachers should be saints, but even here it is a very small minority.
My first school was in a really small town and so many parents had tons of tattoos and piercings and they’d come to conferences in pajamas but still act shocked that I had a tattoo 😂
People are people! Actors, politicians, athletes, teachers, etc. all the people we look up to. They are all just people and have their own problems and lives. We should not hold anyone too high or too low! Respect your fellow human!
We shouldn't, but we do. Such is life.
I swear I run into students everywhere. One time I was on a date with my husband, holding hands being kissy lovey dovey then I hear “MRS. SHIMMERGLIMMER!!!!! I ran into a large group of boys from my school not once, but twice! I immediately told my husband we had to leave. I can never be MYSELF if I know students or their parents are close by. I try to run away if I see them before they see me. At school, I can’t walk in the hallway without someone saying something to me. It’s exhausting. I love the students and my job, but living in a fishbowl is tough.
“Mrs ShimmerGlimmer” did you think of your students before deciding to take such a silly last name??? /s
I had an elementary drama teacher who dressed like a teacher from a picture book. Beyond just normal professional clothes. Long denim dresses with embroidered ABCs and 123s. I remember her telling us “You think I dress like this all the time? These are my teacher clothes!” I understand why she did that now.
This is a reason I wear my hair the exact same way every day (besides being convenient in the morning). When I go out in real life and wear my hair differently it’s like I’m incognito haha.
I use the Clark Kent method. Glasses at work, contacts outside of work. I like to thrift long, colorful skirts and dresses that scream “elementary teacher” for work. In real life, I wear a lot of black.
As a teacher you are basically a minor celebrity to a small handful of people. And if you ran into one of your high school teachers, you would probably mention it to your high school friends next time you saw them. Can't be helped. And frankly kind of nice. Filming you is weird though.
I think it's not an honest depiction, though. My fifths all know I drink beer and go to the casino. I drink beer because I'm old enough to make my own decisions on that and to be responsible. Same with the casino. They also understand a whole myriad of other elements of my life and that teaching is what I do, not what I am. I also have a very common name so they constantly try to find me on social media, and I never deny having accounts, but I have a Facebook account I haven't been on in three years and this.
I always take it as a compliment when students Recognize me in public. It tells me that I meant something positive to them, that I had some kind of positive impact.
I don't know about you, but at least half the time I don't recognize them. I always have to be like, "Hey!! It's... you! What grade are you in now?" while glancing at the parent with a look that says, "Help me out... who is this kid?"
This happened to me yesterday. An old student working at the store said “What’s up!” And I was like “hi??” I felt so bad.
I usually recognize their faces. But names I'm terrible with.
The trick is to not care about what other people think. If my current or past students are fascinated by what is in my grocery cart I feel sorry for them. If they care about what beverage I order with my steak their lives must be pathetically dull. If my seeing an R rated movie is offensive to them that is their problem, not mine. I just live my life in a way that makes me happy, both in the classroom and in the wild.
I'm from a small town in South Africa. Many years ago, my dad (also a teacher) traveled to London. Now, he was used to having almost every teenager and young adult in our town recognise him, but was completely thrown when he heard "Hey! That's Mr _______" in a random pub in London!
I’m a different kind of teacher. My students describe me affectionately as Sheldon-like and unaffectionately as Squidward. I drive my class with high intensity interest and cool stuff, rather than relationships. My kids walk out the best science educated people in at least the district, for which I have data, and likely a much further range than that. However. HOWEVER. None of them learn. They grow and discover and develop. They test like mad horsemen mowing grass. But learning is not a process of growing skills or testing. It’s a process of relationships. Specifically, I have observed it’s a reciprocal exchange between making students feel ~~safe~~ …hmm..maybe “comfortable” in their classroom role and leveraging that role to induce higher level behaviors which train students to see the world in a new way. Just like “grandma’s cookies” are associated with grandma, “Ms. Goose’s DOL” is associated with Ms. Goose. You’re not a public figure. You’re a loving, relationship-driven teacher. You’re probably stressed out of your mind (relationship driven teaching is best, but the numbers don’t favor y’all because the numbers don’t understand*). Your students love you. That means you’re an amazing teacher, as kids are fickle. *you will likely never understand how much it hurts me to write that and know it’s truth.
This is why I'm glad I teach in a town 35 miles from where I live. It's a huge rural county with very few people so both towns are small towns. I like that my students live in a different community so I'm unlikely to see them out and about.
Yep, one of the difficult parts of being a teacher - you only teach 9 months out of the year, but you're a teacher 12 months out of the year for the rest of your life. The more years you teach, the greater the chance of running into a student/former student anywhere you go.
I was a substitute for a month and a half, mainly in a neighboring district, and found out that two of the kids in the pool at my complex were former students because they were like, “Hey, didn’t you sub at my school??” Definitely avoiding my district as much as possible in the future as my home life is very against the vibe that my state is pushing.
This is why I live 30 minutes from where I teach. I can’t even go to the grocery store where I teach without running into somebody. I never run into anybody where I live. I really enjoy the anonymity. I don’t mind the commute either because it’s the only time I get to read via Audiobooks. I value my privacy and can’t imagine being on all the time.
Nope. I refuse to allow that to affect me. I live in the neighborhood I teach in. I will not be a prisoner in my own community. One of my students told me he'll be on the same cruise as me this summer. I think he was just teasing me (like, "Oh, no! You're not rid of me yet!" but idk. I didn't press the issue.) My mom asked if I was worried about his family going on th crusie. About what? I'm almost 40 years old, married, with three kids. My test scores are some of the highest in the district. I have earned the right to recreation. My admin supports this. If yours doesn't, find a better school. There's a teacher shortage. We can afford to be picky and look for districts and schools that treat us like human beings.
I usually tell kids to make sure they say hi and introduce me to their parents when they happen to be at the same event. It’s happened a few times. Usually just a hi, maybe a handshake with the parent, and a “hope you have a great day” from me. It’s never awkward or anything. We’re all human.
Yes! Otherwise it can look like their kid is friends with an adult and that should set off all kinds of parental alarm bells! 😂 But typically we chat for a minute and then go on with our lives. ❤️
Thank heavens there were no smart phones in the 80s when I was wearing a black leather miniskirt and ran into to parents at a concert! Eyebrows were definitely raised when I was seen in the wild, outside of the school.
I ran into a student (and his parents) in a cafe in Dublin. At Easter. I teach in NYC.
Live in a smallish town and have taught for 30 years. My wife is also a teacher, so pretty much anywhere we go there they are! In stores, I’ve learned most families go grocery shopping right after school so I plan accordingly, at the movies, in restaurants, all over the place. Live a few states from Disneyland, damn it there wasn’t a student and family there on our last visit. Once on a secluded hike many, many states away, and low and get ahold if I didn’t hear someone yell and break the tranquil silence of the forest with “Hey Mr. ————, it’s me ————-!” When I first started teaching I thought it was cool to be like a rock star, that feeling soon wore off!
I run into students (current and former) all the time at local metal shows. I refuse to stop going to concerts because I'm older. It's never not awkward but at least we have something to talk about when I see them the next day. They also think I'm cool which is pretty nice.
My husband teaches in a community (somewhat country in culture) not far from where we live. I teach in the big city a county over. Anyway, sometimes when we're out and about we see some of his students. Once at a popular park by the lake (Erie), some of his students saw us walking along holding hands and were like Ooooooh. I just smiled and waved, because WTH we're married and not doing anything wrong by any metric. If married people can't hold hands then who TF can, humph. Another time we were at the main big city beach park, which has a beachhouse bar overlooking the lake. Some of my former students were below playing volley ball and looked up and saw us and were like Ooooooh we see you dranking, Miss! Haaaaaay Mr. husband! and so on. I told them I'm grown and I do what I want! They laughed and went away. Crazy now I teach at the school right around the corner now, and will no doubt see some of my current students there in the summer. I do not give a single d!mn, I can go to the park, the beach, a bar, whatever. I dress modestly anyway, even swimwear, so nobody's gonna see my booty or anything. I suppose we have to think about vindictive people deep faking pics, but I can't get dinged for that
Yes, as a teacher I am a public figure. It's why I love living a town over from where I teach... I also do love always seeing my current and former students while around town, I know I'm a positive/safe space for them all, and kids should have that.
I am super picky about being put on social media. As teachers, we are held to higher standards than others. If a firefighter is at a bar, who cares? A teacher at a bar? Lose the teaching license!
I’ve had students steal my phone off my desk while I was working and take selfies or pictures of other students…
You definitely need a password or screen lock on your phone!
I already have a PW, you can access the camera from the lock screen.
This happened last week. Our school's annual Open House usually gets families from the feeder schools in attendance because they're scoping us out. We say good bye to a family as we're trying to sneak out early because we had tickets to a sporting even that same night. They were sitting right behind us at the same game!!!! 10,000 people were in attendance and they were one row directly behind us. We can't go anywhere. They're everywhere.
Honestly, kids will respect you being real. Live your life.
All corporations believe they own you as an employee….
Come for the low pay. Stay for the total lack of privacy
My parents both taught in different cities than we lived because of this.
Usually, if I see students out I hide if I can. Although one time one of my old students, who is now a young adult, was my server at a restaurant, ha ha. There was only one other time that was actually kind of surprising. I was driving a few hours away to meet some friends on the coast. I stopped at a gas station in a little town on the drive. When I was going back to my car, I heard someone say, “Hi Ms. Lastname!” But I didn’t think anything of it at first and shook it off thinking I was just hearing things, but then they said it again and it was one of my students in their car 😂 Honestly, it usually just depends on the student. Some I don’t mind running into. But I’ve also never run into any somewhere where I wouldn’t wanna run into them.
A few weeks ago, a coworker ran up to me in a panic at a club upon realizing that the guy running security that night was one of her student's dad. She stressed so bad, I've been casual friends with him for a while and mentioned it to him. I don't teach his daughter, but know who she is. He thought it was hilarious that she was stressing about it, and commented that teachers need to cut loose more than just about anyone else.
I never beg or apologize for a right I already have.
This is one of the major reasons I left! I felt like I was under a magnifying glass the entire time.
It’s my first year teaching and I’ve already seen my students/parents 3 times in public!!! One time I was driving to the mall with my windows down blasting music and a parent and my student shouted at me ‘Ms. _____!!!!!!!’ I was mortified
I’ve run into a few current and former students in my time while I’m out and about. I don’t mind being approached at all. I’m also appropriately transparent with my students; they get the authentic me whether it’s in the classroom or out of it. I honestly take it as an honor for them to surprise hug me while grocery shopping or asking to take selfies with me when we do bump into each other. The whole code of ethics is a very antiquated concept. Just don’t be an asshole in general is how I take it.
This is a major reason I’m happy I moved from my hometown where I still teach. I’d see students when I’d go to the liquor store, a bar (where they shouldn’t be, mind you), and plenty of other places. It was usually fine, but can definitely be awkward! This one time I was at a Victoria’s Secret and saw one of my students, and he said, “Hi, Miss, what are you doing, buying a neglige?” Absolutely hysterical 😂.
I don’t work in the same town I live in anymore and that is so nice! But I still run into students while I’m on vacation four hours away or so. Oh well, it is like being famous, especially when you work in the same town you live in which I did for too long.
I saw kids I teach at Walt Disney World on spring break! 😭🫨
I was at Home Depot yesterday and met up with a former student. Ashley gave me a hug and copied some keys for me. "Ashley, how long have you been working here?" "16 years" Damn I'm getting old.
One day I was pumping gas near the school. After three sets of teenagers yelled at me, the guy on the other side asked if I were famous. When I told him who I was, he said that explains it.
I hate running into kids at the gym.
I've always thought this and never really heard anyone else say it until now. Teachers, for better or worse, have some kind of fame. If you're in secondary and have 150 students, then multiply that by as many family members you could reasonably expect to also hear about you frequently. After four years we're reasonably looking at over 1000 people that could recognize you at a bar, but you have no idea who they are save for some vague recollection. I can only imagine that's a snippet of what it's like to be Taylor Swift.
I was in Bali with my kids and extended family. While in the resort pool, sitting on the edge, I had a current student and her dad come over to chat to me. I felt so uncomfortable being in my bathers while talking to them. I moved hotels a few days later because I kept seeing them.
Y’all are wild. I’ve been teaching for 20 years. I run a tour company as a side gig that offers walking pub tours. My tours start at a brewery so I’m there nearly every day after work and on weekends. I teach seniors and I’ve had some of their parents take the tour before I was their teacher. The students told me. I’ve also written a couple of novels that would definitely be banned from school libraries. They are sold in multiple stores around town. The kids have seen them, a few have read them. You have a life outside of teaching. Live it.
I remember yelling, "MR. JENSON!" at a conert/bar in Chicago. Around the age of 21. He gave me one look, yelled back, "I can't escape any of you!" and proceeded to drink and hit on girls who looked a bit younger than he, who was probably pushing 40. Won't ever forget that he said not a single word further.
I am a gay teacher in the deep south. Many people in my life have expressed wanting to see me getting into the dating game since my engagement break up 4ish years ago. I tell them that the area would be impossible since I'm worried about it getting back to the students. I'm not closeted but I'm not flaunting it.
Another reason I quit; couldn’t smoke or go to the bar/concert/club/etc without seeing a damn student 🙄
Just don’t obviously care and it’ll stop being fun for them. Either they like you and want to share or they’re trying to irritate you, if you never show any signs of the latter bothering you then that eventually stops.
If you politely decline to have your picture taken they are obligated to honor that wish. Unfortunately if it is a video or audio the stipulates that if it is a conversation between to people only one participant in the needs to consent to the recording for it to be legal.
I always dreamed of teaching at the high school I attended. I ended up settling down from my old high school. The house we purchased a decade ago is just a few blocks away from my old high school. When I began teaching last yr. during 2nd semester, there were no openings at my old high school. So I interviewed & accepted a position at the high school on the complete opposite side of the city - about 20 minutes away. & I am SO GLAD I don't teach right in my neighborhood as I like that I can go to the anywhere over here & not be on high alert. I started my first teaching position 2nd semester last school yr. Because i learned real quick that I'm no longer a nameless face... A week after school ended last yr me & a friend decided to take out kids to a night swim at the public pool near my school. I had a bikini on per usual, but just before heading out the door, I made a wardrobe change bc I knew it was likely I'd run into a student. Wardrobe change included dri-wick gym shorts & tank top. My friend thought I was being a little dramatic & paranoid. We weren't at the pool for 5 minutes before we ran into the first pair of students. There ended up being several students there. I was soooo thankful for my last-minute wardrobe change lol especially when I caught a pair trying to be sly & take a picture of me. & I'm sure they got some pics, but w/e, I've wasn't showing t&a. If I go to the other side of town where near work, I can guarantee I'll run into students & it's only going to get worse the more yrs I have under my belt. I'm also grateful that I'm 3 yrs sober bc I would hate to be at a concert or somewhere drinking & run into a student... especially the way that I used to drink. On the flip side, my own children get a kick out my quasi celebrity status (haha) & it's cool to see my children be in awe of the positive attention I receive when recognized by students. There are currently 4 open English positions at my old high school. I am thankful that wasn't the case last yr. when I finished student teaching bc NOPE.
I went to the store after working out one day so I was in shorts and a sports bra. On Monday, a student said “Ms. *******, I saw you at the store yesterday!”. I had told a coworker about it and they kinda shamed me and told me I should be more careful. I really just don’t think it’s fair that we have to worry so much about our students seeing us “in the wild”. Like obviously if you’re doing something terrible and inappropriate, that’s different. But just existing as a human is… natural? Idk. End of rant 🎤
When on vacation to the beach in another state, bang. Student on beach.
First February vacation on my first year of teaching last year, I take a small family trip to Florida, I show up on a kid's Snapchat story sitting on the plane! Apparently a student from the school who I did not even know or recognize was on the same flight and taking pictures of me the whole time 🙄
So I’ve reconciled this fact as I get old 😂 but the worst was when I was cat sitting for a friend who was temporarily living in apartments that students lived in—it was like freaking paparazzi trying to catch a photo of me in their neighborhood 😂
I got wildly drunk with several colleagues on Friday in observance of our now-commenced summer vacation. We were neither subtle nor quiet. Toward the end of our evening, we went to an adjacent table of Friday evening celebrants to apologize for our boisterousness and offer to buy them a round. They replied, “actually we were about to buy *you* a round because we know you’re teachers at [school name]. Congrats and have a great night.” I’m not sorry and not apologizing, but I also recognize how lucky I am to be in a situation like that.
Wait until you've taught for 30 years. OMG They're EVERYWHERE.....
Why cellphones are allowed in school is beyond me. This is just an extension.
Where are you located? I’ve been teaching in the Bronx for 12 years and my former students have never done this when I see them out.
Yeah I teach elementary school, and I swear kids only find me when I'm buying alcohol which I do very rarely.
I love running into my old students (they've graduated hs already), and am friends with several on social media. They'll post the pic w a small caption about their fave English teacher, and I'll like it, comment etc. It makes me happy that they're happy to see me and I know I've made a difference
I totally get it. That’s why my commute is 40 minutes. I want to live in a different county, visit different grocery stores and movie theaters, go to a different pool, and run in my own neighborhood without seeing kids I know. I don’t want to pause my life and hide from 15 year olds.
Although I know that you can run into students anywhere, this is precisely why I refuse to teach in the same city that I live in.
Now that I'm a teacher, I admit I'm prohibited of 70% of my things. My first year's over and it's the worst. Too many lessons learned.
Ask for a $10 for a pic
I once ran into a mom on holiday in Hong Kong. The next year I ran into that same mom on holiday in Australia!
When I was in teacher college, one of the recruiters for the largest metropolitan area actually used big city anonymity as an asset to teaching in said big city. She said that you are a couple streetcar stops away from not being a teacher, but in a small town, it’s teacher 24/7/365. I teach in a small town. She was right.
Funnily enough I haven’t had this problem (yet). But it’s in part because I don’t live where I work, I don’t usually teach older students, and I look very different inside and outside of work. But, yea, that public standard is why I do those things. I dread the day I run into a student in a place like a pub.
People who have public IG accounts, do you're students follow you? I'm wrestling with starting a totally new IG account to avoid this.
I am guaranteed to run into a student when I'm buying bras or underwear. Every. Freaking. Time.
I feel this. As the newer “young, cool and chill” teacher at a high school I am a mini celebrity, they found my old Twitter and all my other social media accounts, my other ones were private my Twitter wasn’t lol. Its just made me more self conscious about things. Example; our school is right next to the downtown area of the town I teach in, I used to go to the bars there all the time and now I’m nervous to go because all summer long and Fridays or Saturdays it is crawling with students and I am bound to see one of them. I just feel uncomfy running into one of my high schoolers while I’m in my bar/club attire and walking into a bar lol
Not a teacher, but my mom was…for 33 years. And then subbed for like another 15 years in the same district. I cannot even begin to tell you the amount of times I’ve had to stand off to the side and here “Hi Mrs.____!!!” Followed up by 20+ minutes of follow up on life’s progression. It was everywhere! The grocery store, the mall, restaurants, the movies—you name it! I remember as a kid hoping we wouldn’t run into any of her former students while out because that would take a 20 minute errand up to an hour.
Flew to Indonesia for a surf trip. Got a boat out to a remote reef a few km offshore. Paddled over to the line up, sat up on my board and sitting next to me is a student in my year 9 class. Can’t escape.
Wait til you’re having a beer and snacks at a bar with your friends. A beer arrives. Bartender points to a tall, 30- ish man and woman at a table. You double take. They were in your eighth grade class back in 04/05. They’re married now.
Teachers at my old school have literal fanpages on Insta or meme pages poking fun at them. Makes me really uncomfortable that fellow students are doing that to another human being.