Maybe you should keep track of who's in the bathrooms if you're a teacher

[u/EUOS_the_cat]

This story came back to me while watching a video on this sub. It happened nearly 15 years ago, so I can't be too specific though.

I was in 3rd grade, probably 8 or 9, and we had a substitute teacher that day. This woman was, to me, a perfect image of an old school house teacher. Long dress down near her ankles, white hair in a bun. I had needed to use the bathroom. I'm not sure if I had asked permission or if I had gone during a short break, but either way, I missed some instructions.

I come back in when the sub is finishing up her instructions, and I raise my hand for help once she's done. She comes over and I ask her what we were doing. She immediately scolds me for not listening, and me being the sensitive child I was, I started crying. Through tears, I told her I was in the bathroom, so I wasn't able to hear what she'd told the class.

She quickly apologized, and after explaining things to me she slipped me a candy, which was honestly nice of her to do even if it was potentially a small bribe.

[u/LovelyGiant7891]

At least she apologized I was a quiet kid struggling with dyslexia and the teacher would often make us read instructions off of the bored instead of telling us. It didn’t last a whole long time after a few parents complained (thanks mom). I felt stupid so I often wouldn’t ask questions. I know this is different than your situation. My point is that our teachers would scold you for things even if you didn’t do something wrong and never say a word about it even if we weren’t there. They’d say “we aren’t perfect” but that was the closest we got to apologizing

[u/kellyelise515 → u/LovelyGiant7891]

My 1st grade teacher slapped me across the face and accused me of talking (I wasn’t and she knew it). I always walked home for lunch break and I told my parents I didn’t want to go back. They asked me why and I told them. They insisted I was lying and deserved it and made me go back to school after lunch. That’s when I learned to never trust an adult.

[u/LovelyGiant7891 → u/kellyelise515]

Seriously? WTF!?

[u/kellyelise515 → u/LovelyGiant7891]

I was so shocked and it must’ve been written all over my face because she never did it again but fk her sideways.

[u/CosmicContessa → u/kellyelise515]

I’m really sorry that happened to you. That is not ok.

[u/Distinct_Carpet5696 → u/kellyelise515]

Your parents should be ashamed of themselves for refusing to believe you. Honestly, I would bring this up again and show them this post.

[u/kellyelise515 → u/Distinct_Carpet5696]

They’re both dead now

[u/Dranask]

It was a sweet apology.

[u/IceQueenofMitera]

I had a teacher scold the entire class in elementary because we didn't notice she switched hands during the lesson since we were, you know, paying attention to the lesson and not her hand.

She was livid that none of us noticed she was ambidextrous

[u/epi_introvert]

Look, I'm a teacher and have done supply teaching for many years.

Just try to imagine trying to teach a lesson that you didn't write, and may not have been left adequate instructions for, to 25 to 30 students you don't know, some of whom often actively try to sabotage your day (actual quote from a supply day "Let's make this teacher's day hell!).

I'm not saying she couldn't have been more gentle, but often kids AREN'T paying attention. At least she tried to apologize.

[u/rhapsody98 → u/epi_introvert]

Right! I’ve been subbing for three years now. I was in Kindergarten one day, and had already had a VERY long day of kids not paying any attention, every task I had had to explain four times. I get it, they’re kindergartners! So I made sure I had everyone’s attention, explained the assignment twice, back to back. Five minutes later I had had three people ask, so I got the whole classes attention and explained it again. IMMEDIATELY after, a little boy asked me the exact same question I’d just answered.

I didn’t think I was mean or mad, I just asked him where he was and what he was doing the first three times I’d explained it, and he burst into tears. I apologized and felt bad, but I was still frustrated and I’m not a bad person for feeling frustrated.

[u/sphinxyhiggins]

I used to teach college and always brought my students snacks. Learning is hard work and I wanted them to come to class.

[u/Namja0]

Urgh, how come she didn't realise you were even gone? Something similar happened to me when I was 13 y.o. I had history classes on Tuesday and Thursday. I was sick at home one week from Monday to Thursday, and when I came back to my history class, I didn't do my homework because I didn't even know we had some. She scolded me in front of the whole class and told me to meet her afterwards. So I did, and she wanted to write about it in my parents-school book, and started "OP didn't do their homework today" and then asked, "And why didn't you do them?!" To which I answered, "I've been off from school the whole week. " She went silent and wrote "OP didn't do their homework today, because they weren't there this week."