Has a teacher ever said or done something that stayed with you long after you left their class?

Question

It’s interesting how sometimes the things that stay with you the longest have nothing to do with what was actually being taught in class…

So…I had a dance teacher in high school who would single me out in front of everyone and push me to the point where I’d be so mad inside… but I never lost control.

Toward the end of the year, he pulled me to the side and I remember hesitating to even walk over. He said, “Come here, I’m not going to yell at you…” and then told me he saw a lot of potential in me and just felt like I wasn’t trying as hard as I could.

Looking back, I think that’s where I learned something bigger than dance… that even if your intentions are good, how you deliver something really matters.

And honestly, what’s funny is people in my class really thought I was struggling… I remember a group of them asking what grade I got, and being shocked when it was actually higher than theirs lol

It’s just funny how those moments stick with you in ways you don’t expect.

Has a teacher ever had that kind of impact on you?

Apulu_backagain · Accepted Answer

My piano teacher. In 9th grade I missed the final level of this big music competition because I was really sick. I was coming to school through my car that day but I vomitted in the car due to which my dad just got me back home and all I did was cry for the whole day on my bed because I really practiced very very much for this competition. I was supposed to play 'Believer' on piano while singing it and everyone who saw my rehearsal said I was surely getting the 1st prize, even the grumpy guitar teacher.

When I came to school after a few days when I came to school all well and attended the music class, my piano sir asked me why did I not attend the competition and that so many were awaiting it. I broke down crying, saying how I tried so much and God hated me enough to make me sick on the day I was supposed to shine.

He sat beside me and looked at my eyes and said these exact words

"Hey, I get that you're upset, because you didn't even get to try. You are probably thinking that it would have been okay if you didn't get the prize but at least performed because in your rehearsals, I saw you being deeply connected with the imaginary audience in the empty theatre. All that mattered to you was to perform and vibe with the audience, make it your own little concert. You know, God has this bad habit of stealing thing which are precious to us, he stole this moment from you not because he's upset with you, but because he wants to prepare you for bigger struggles. These small heart breaking moments makes you so strong that when a huge storms come by, you're already trained and are unfazed. Like someone said, what doesn't kills you makes you stronger. And I would rate your performance 9/10 because there's already room for improvement, honestly you sounded like a cranky granny in the rap part haha. Now go, wipe those tears and face God, tell him he doesn't scare you, and win your next milestone."

I remember this long ahh message because he said something and then he texted me the same thing later on so I could read it whenever I was feeling bad.

He taught me piano from grade 4 to 12. He's one of the few things I'm going to miss now that my schooling is done.

RandomGirl42 · Accepted Answer

Oh yes! I remember the heart warming and inspirational words many teachers said to me over the years, "Stop daydreaming out the window!"

aaron13547 · Accepted Answer

Yes long story short, I took masonry in highschool, there are state, national, and international competition for laying brick. My teacher was a legend for sending people to this competition and them winning it. Which gives a person a crazy headstart in a field that it takes hardworking and time to earn respect, and raise. Anyways I went with 4 other people from my school to the state competition and we won 2nd 3rd 4th and 5th place.

For me what my teacher did was nothing. He showed us how to lay brick once and said you want to get good at it put in the time this is your place, getting good its not fun or easy. Me and 4 other people worked as hard as could for an hour and a half everyday practicing the same thing, over and over and over, for 3 years, while the other people in our class screwed off and did nothing. Everyone got the same grade... 1st year we all built one wall a week finished by Wednesday tore it down by Friday.
3rd year us 4 good people built a wall everyday and the other 16 people in the class tore them down and cleaned it up for us. We all did what we wanted to do no one told anyone in that class what to do.

That teacher taught me life not masonry. Life is what we make it...

exitseven · Accepted Answer

There are a lot of examples of teachers saying something that i still remember today. I took a course called Discrete Mathematics. It was taught by the Chairman of the Math dept. It was a killer of a course. However the professor would stay after class and go over the stuff I did not understand, He would make sure that I got it.

The exams were of outrageous proportions. The class lasted the 3 hours and there was no way you could finish ethe test in that time frame. I used to bring 6 sharpened pencils to class and literally write for the whole time. Then the professor would go around the room and snatch the pencil out of your hand and tell you that you were out of time.

After the final I went to the bathroom before I went home. There was a grown man in there in tears because he did not do well on the exam,

I got a "C" for a grade and it was the only "C" that I got.

As bad as it was, to this day I can still compute lottery odds and do matrix Addition and multiplication.

Maybe_Maybe_not · Answer

Oh yes.

My sociology & economics teacher at high school, I remember her randomly stating, one day, that she was afraid to become cut off from younger generations. I didn't understand implications of this quote back then, yet it stayed with me. It's now a 30yo tagline sleeping in my mind. Sometimes her fail-safe thought pops up again whenever I'm tempted to look down on whatever youngsters are doing.

No wonder why she chose teaching then lol, I realize it now, teaching is ofc one way to maintain contact, assuming you want to understand how the younger-than-you are experiencing the world though.

Joshydavid25 · Answer

My Freshman (and Sophomore) English teacher was calling people over to give them an evaluation of their grades and how they were doing.. I had guess that I had a "D" and she basically chewed me out saying that I was failing.. Lmao.. She asked me if I thought that my looks would get me through life.. Inching at the fact that she thought I was a good looking young boy.. That surprised me and stuck with me.. Made me feel kinda good even though she was yelling at me, telling me that I got an "F"..

Master_Debator · Answer

The teacher cleared out the class because she thought I was high (I was high and tripping on shrooms), and she asked me how she could help me.

I asked, "Are you hitting on me" and quickly followed up with "we should totally fuck." She went silent and sent in the black teacher (another woman), she smelled my fingers and said it was weed... they sent me to the office.

Anyways... I didn't get to fuck my teacher and I'm really jelly about all these kids that get to fuck their teachers now days.

Has a teacher ever said or done something that stayed with you long after you left their class?

AviatorTom · Answer

Many many years ago, I went to a Catholic high school. In English class, we were studying a movie from the 1960s called "Love Story", which is known for its famous line "Love means never having to say your sorry."

The teacher, a Jesuit priest, added his own line.

"Love means never having to say you're sorry... BULLSHIT!"

and went on the explain how we will sometimes do things that hurt the people we love, usually unintentionally, but hurt them nonetheless. And when we do, it's important, no it's vital, to say "I'm sorry" for oneself and for the person you hurt.

The fact that I'm explaining this here means it has stuck with me these many years.

ohsheeT · Answer

Just think what might have happened the first time he called you out.

If he would had done it a different way.

Like sat you down and said something like how much do you like dance and then said I see so much potential in you it's unbelievable

Are you doing this just for the credit or would you like to take it someplace

And then said I will help you do anything everything possible you're good right now and I'm pushing you because I want to see you become great

msc545 · Answer

Yes, when I was 8 years old, I had a teacher psychologically and physically abuse me in his classroom in front of the entire class for no particular reason that I've never been able to figure out. I told my father about it, and he almost killed that motherfucker.

Bklynbadboy12 · Answer

Yesss! I have dyslexia up until 4th grade i thought I was stupid and everybody else thought that to. But she believed in me and had me tested that when I found out I wasn't stupid I just perceived things differently and with the proper training I could be successful. I'm literally crying while writing this she was my angel sent to me by god. Her name was Ms. Emma Risher and I'll never ever forget her she saved my life!!!🥹🥹😌😌🥹🥹

Hiker_011 · Answer

My home ec teacher told me there's more to me than meets the eye because I got a really high mark on the babysitting test without studying, or even being there for the course.

Shiprex · Answer

My Physics teacher explained how much Physics graduates earned when I was 15 and I compared it with my father and thought this was the way I would go. I did just that

loveslongnails · Answer

Absolutely. I still remember things my 1st grade, 5th grade, high school teachers and college professors told me and taught me. I was blessed with many great instructors, thankfully.

MicahRaine · Answer

"And some of you right now are probably like 'oh yeah?' You'll get that joke later." 😂

LiamJHayden · Answer

Yes. My 8th grade English teacher said, "I don't want the class to learn  what  to think but  how  to think." Best teacher I ever had.

Anonymous · Answer

Mostly when they were yelling at someone in the class... and it was not our fault. Every class has some jerk who does bad things, and then teachers blame the whole class.

Nikki1989 · Answer

Only my piano teacher. She was a true inspiration.

Bricealan · Answer

@7phoenix7 Moreso from College professors than high school teachers.

Grilo · Answer

Not really tbh I can only think a couple times I got told off

AgentG111 · Answer

Yup, there been a few.

FunkyMonkee · Answer

Yeah, loads of them.

Has a teacher ever said or done something that stayed with you long after you left their class?

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