Did a teacher give you motivating words that changed your life?

[lightbulb27]

A male teacher in H. S. once told me... "you have a good brain, you just don't use it". That really struck me and changed my life. I didn't think I had a good brain and I wasn't using it. I was like a lot of people, messed up, afraid, and living in fear. It took years to figure out I was capable of so much more.

What did your teacher say that encouraged you?

yes

no

worse, they damaged me

[MCheetah]

I once had a smarmy drunk 29 year old, Jimmy Kimmel type teacher who told me I was his worst student he ever had. He was a Communications teacher and had been there for less than six months. He said it because he thought I reminded him of someone he didn't like. He later slept with one of the students (I don't think she was 18 yet but might have been close to it), but I don't think he got fired for it because they swept everything under the rug even though we all knew it. His name was Mr. Tully. He was a piece of sh*t. This was in 2003, as long ago now as the age I was when I had him as teacher, and I still remember what an asshole he was. I'm a teacher now and I couldn't think of just being a prick to teenage students.

[lightbulb27]

some people definitely hold a grudge and take it out on others, glad he wasn't teaching ethics. glad you persevered.

[victoriaxoxo]

I remember in my science class the teacher grouped the students according to what he thought they would get in their finals. He put most students in group grade A or B and then a few in A and just 2 super smart Asian students ended up in group A*. Only person who was left standing without a group was me and I had good grades on my exams but I missed 60% of my exams, my attendance was <40%. Regardless, he put me in group A*. Now I don't know if he was just running a little social experiment or whether he genuinely thought this but this event inspires me to this day. I went on to graduate uni and got a great 6-figure job fresh out of uni and I’m just getting started. I attribute at least some of this success to this one little motivational event in my life.

[sheikalana]

I had teachers who thought I would never make it in life. And now look at me I've done better than all my other class mates who had better grades than me. Teachers need to be very careful with their words as this can sometimes be very damaging. Like me I've seen many people who at a younger age were not very interested in school but already knew their purpose in life and knew they were born to do great things in life and that's why they've accomplished so much later on. Good grades are not always what matters charisma, work ethic, dedication are not taught in school.

[jamesgoldman]

True teachers were all terrible but then I was too busy making money to do a scrap of homework

The 'teachers' who taught me anything worth listening to were those who were self-employed and taught me more about business

[WhatTheHeckkkk]

My construction teacher said that I could either be homeless or I could be what I was destined to be.
What he said really didn’t cross my mind until I graduated high school. I realized that I didn’t wanna work a below minimum wage job at some fast food pace or shitty retail store, so I decided to go to college and I found my passion lol.

[exitseven]

what is your passion?

[WhatTheHeckkkk]

@exitseven Working with children, elderly, and special needs :)

[exitseven]

did you get a degree in that?

[WhatTheHeckkkk]

@exitseven Not yet but I’m still in college working on a child development degree right now. I currently work as a caregiver for elderly, disabled, and special needs

[exitseven]

awesome. where you got to school dothey have live instruction?

[WhatTheHeckkkk]

They do :)

[exitseven]

thats good. Have a great semester. 😎😎😎

[Anonymous]

I was a straight A student, but did exceptionally well in my history class in middle school. We took a test and my teacher wrote "see me after class" underneath my score of a 90. I was so confused because he only ever called up people who failed. When I got to his desk, he told me that my 90 wasn't good enough, and went through all my previous scores which were above 100s because I also did extra credits. He asked me if I had bothered to study, and I shrugged and tried to lie, and he looked me dead in my eye and said, this A for you is like an F, and I expect on your next exam to have scores like all the previous ones. At first it really pissed me off because I'd made a friggin' A, but his talk really worked because I never made anything less than a 100 for the rest of the year and it's always been something that has stuck with me and motivated me to not just coast even if you're doing okay or well, but strive to be the best and top of your game.

[TwinkleLily5]

Yes, I went to job corps to get my life on track. My instructor there took me under her wings, she gave me the support I never had. She empowered me to be the best and made me feel like I could do anything. She made a big impact on my life—so grateful for that.

[Middleman]

Yes indeed. One of my art teachers used to teach this adage (or more like drill into us): 'If you fail to plan you are planning to fail'. It has always worked for me.

[ChiTown33]

I had a teacher tell me once I was the worst student he's ever had. Does that count? 🤣

[lightbulb27]

reverse psychology? I understand geniuses are hard to keep in a seat cause they get bored...

[ChiTown33]

No. It was art class. He meant it lol! He and the rest of the students laughed. He said he liked me. But I was the worst student he's ever had. To which I replied "Thanks"?
See art class ( commercial art to be specific) was an elective class. I had all the credits I needed to graduate when I was a Jr. In high school. But you have to take economics before graduating in my state. And they only allow Sr.'s to take the class. So my senior year. Really economics is all I had to take. You have to be there at least half the day. So I took pretty much all elective classes my senior year. If not I would have to take study hall. And how stupid is that? So I took art because it's better than study hall. The teacher was a easy going guy. In fact since one of the electives I took was automechanics. I'd ask him many times if I could go down and just work on my car in the auto shop and he'd let me.
In hindsight. I do regret that I treated his class as just a slide class though. He was a nice guy and I do see how disrespectful it was now though.

[exitseven]

I had a professor that discouraged me from going to college. He told me it wasn't for everyone when I went to get extra help. I teach at a local college now and I do just the opposite for my students.

[jshm2]

Rather to regret something you have done, and learn from it. Than regret something you haven't done, and learn nothing.

[CuriousMufuxka]

Yes. Mr. Gene Simmonds. Captivating. He would ask questions from textbooks and then show the teachers edition answer which was almost on point. I learned more from the way that he conducted himself than any other teacher.

[Paris13]

English Teachers. To continue to Write. I did. Became Published Playwright. xxoo

[Rambling010]

I had a teacher that I challenged with rebellion in 9th grade. We had a showdown and she won. It was a painful lesson learned that was appreciated later.

[Paris13]

@Rambling010 My goodness. xx

[Anonymous]

I had some good teachers. Not sure if any of them were motivated, but I did have one TERRIBLE teacher who basically enabled and encouraged my classmates to practically bully me. Now, she's "teacher-of-the-year" and has a published book, and I'm still kind of traumatized by what she did to me.

[FreyaRed]

I've never cared about their opinions. Those I have respected left me alone and those who used me as positive or negative example craved for authority they didn't have.

[Anonymous]

They just gave me valid grades so I could pass the class. that is all

[Sabrereyn]

They told me not to kill myself i guess

[lightbulb27]

can relate, early age is difficult as so much change and insecurities and such. sometimes, just have to stay alive and get through the phases before the next challenge.

[donnny2367764]

When in doubt: try again

[Anonymous]

no..

[Anonymous]

NOPE LOL