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Good educators significantly impact a student's life. But so can the bad ones. 

Today's list continues Bored Panda's series of articles covering some teachers' irksome and unprofessional behavior. While a few submissions are laughable, others prove that not everyone is fit for the job. 

Some of you may have had similar experiences, so feel free to share them in the comments.

#1

Teachers Need To Understand Students Don't Always Sleep In Class Just Because Of Laziness

Teachers Need To Understand Students Don't Always Sleep In Class Just Because Of Laziness

Phantom_Wolf52 Report

#2

I Was A Teacher For 8 Years, And I Never Made A Student Feel Small After Asking For Help

I Was A Teacher For 8 Years, And I Never Made A Student Feel Small After Asking For Help

washedupteach Report

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Outgraygeous
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The magic of washii tape! I partially open difficult things and then seal them for my kid.

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#3

"They Both Tried To Laugh It Off Like It Was All A Silly Misunderstanding And Never Apologized To Me"

"They Both Tried To Laugh It Off Like It Was All A Silly Misunderstanding And Never Apologized To Me"

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“Bad teachers are extremely rare,” according to decorated film producer, screenwriter, and English teacher Ellie Herman. But having seen her fair share of subpar educators, she found five common tendencies. One of them is having a noticeable dislike towards children. 

“The number one quality I’ve observed in bad teachers is that they do not seem to like children very much. In high schools, this means they do not seem to find teenagers charming, funny, or interesting—ever.”

#5

It Took Him A While

It Took Him A While

Just for some perspective, I emailed him in my 2nd year of undergrad. I have graduated from my undergrad, have two master's degrees, and I'm in the 6th year of my PhD.

academijung Report

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David Paterson
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's why I wouldn't make a good teacher. Some time I'll get to answer those emails from 15 years ago.

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#6

A Former Teacher Of Mine Publicly Ridiculing And Passing Judgement On Someone For Being Proud Of Their Sobriety

A Former Teacher Of Mine Publicly Ridiculing And Passing Judgement On Someone For Being Proud Of Their Sobriety

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Disinterest in the subject they’re teaching is another tendency among bad teachers, according to Herman. 

“If asked ‘why are you teaching this?’ will you respond ‘because it will be on the test’? Every teacher has dud lessons from time to time (believe me), but what I sense in the classrooms of bad teachers is that they have no interest in their entire subject.”

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#9

I Had To Do A Survey For Math And Made It As Simple As Humanly Possible, But According To The English Professor, Hostel Isn't A Word

I Had To Do A Survey For Math And Made It As Simple As Humanly Possible, But According To The English Professor, Hostel Isn't A Word

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Beloved teachers have one trait in common: they care. They are genuinely invested in their students’ success. But some are already emotionally checked out, and Herman says it shows. 

“A central quality in truly bad teachers is that they seem to have stopped caring; this lack of engagement is reflected not only in their interactions with students (or lack thereof) but in their seemingly random choice of lesson topics.”

#10

My 3rd Grade Kids Were Given This Ridiculous Project

My 3rd Grade Kids Were Given This Ridiculous Project

ThatsMrSmeeToYou Report

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Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Must be able to fly. Must be able to turn lead into gold. Must be able to demonstrate we live on a Flat Earth.

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#11

We Are No Longer Allowed To Yawn In My College Course, With Points Off Our Grade As Punishment

We Are No Longer Allowed To Yawn In My College Course, With Points Off Our Grade As Punishment

sleepiesen Report

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Bernd Herbert
Community Member
1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And while you’re at it, please stop breathing! That also has a negative impact on me

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#12

I Had An English Final Exam Today, And I Had To Describe This Image. Teacher's Copy vs. Student's Copy

I Had An English Final Exam Today, And I Had To Describe This Image. Teacher's Copy vs. Student's Copy

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Teachers have their favorite students; however, it won’t be an issue if everyone receives fair treatment. It becomes a problem when these biases become evident. 

“The truly bad teachers I’ve observed tend to engage only with a small number of very compliant, eager students, ignoring the rest except to reprimand troublemakers,” Herman says.

#13

My Son Then Told Him That Was Offensive, Explaining That Autism Means Seeing The World Differently And That Jesus’ Perfection Was About Being Sinless, Not Neurotypical

My Son Then Told Him That Was Offensive, Explaining That Autism Means Seeing The World Differently And That Jesus’ Perfection Was About Being Sinless, Not Neurotypical

AndrewTDraper Report

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Tobias Reaper
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my nephew is autistic and when he was 5 or 6 he was upset and started cry and said his brain was broken someone had said something to me it absolutely broke my heart. Being neurodivergent myself i know its not something that needs to be healed at all so this dude can bugger right off

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However, there are people who see some benefit in having their kids learn under bad teachers. Author Linda Flanagan is a mother of three teenagers, and here’s what she’s observed. 

“An indifferent teacher can compel the self-motivated student to pursue his own interests,” she wrote in an article for HuffPost. “The teacher who spends class time devouring People while students fill out worksheets might not inspire, but she might prompt a little self-directed learning just the same."

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#17

Apparently, My Answer Was Wrong Because The Teacher Forgot To Add An End Parentheses

Apparently, My Answer Was Wrong Because The Teacher Forgot To Add An End Parentheses

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Flanagan's example of a bad teacher is someone she describes as a "tyrant" and "petty dictator" who is more about control. She says having these people as mentors is a valuable experience when entering the real world. 

"These skills will come in handy when it's time to renew a driver's license, contest an insurance payment, or dispute a cable bill. Having a tyrant for a teacher helps young people appreciate why abuses of power must be resisted throughout life."

#21

I'm A Blind Guy, And My Teachers Tell Me They Don't Know Why I'm Not Looking Forward To The School Trip To The Museum. Can Anyone Guess Why?

I'm A Blind Guy, And My Teachers Tell Me They Don't Know Why I'm Not Looking Forward To The School Trip To The Museum. Can Anyone Guess Why?

Frikandelneuker Report

Flanagan also experienced what she describes as “the idealogue” when her son’s seventh-grade biology teacher pushed his belief in creationism onto his students. 

“It introduces kids to mankind’s endless capacity for self-deception. Warning: this lesson only applies when there’s a rational adult in the mix to provide a reality check.”

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#22

I Did My Biology Assignment. It Counted Me Wrong Because I Put Their First And Last Names

I Did My Biology Assignment. It Counted Me Wrong Because I Put Their First And Last Names

ChikinNuggetsRmine Report

#23

My Teacher: "Go To This Link And Fill Out The Form"

My Teacher: "Go To This Link And Fill Out The Form"

BramKalkman Report

#24

My Son Misspelled A Word, So The Teacher "Corrected" Him

My Son Misspelled A Word, So The Teacher "Corrected" Him

Edawg661 Report

#25

Woke Up At 7 AM, Headed To Class In The Freezing Rain, Just To See "Class Is Cancelled" Written On The Whiteboard And The Door Locked. No Email Or Anything First

Woke Up At 7 AM, Headed To Class In The Freezing Rain, Just To See "Class Is Cancelled" Written On The Whiteboard And The Door Locked. No Email Or Anything First

Firecracker7413 Report

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elmortero
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My age/generation is about to be revealed, but there were times when that was normal

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#27

Our Driving Class Teacher Is Never On Time. She Should've Been Here 20 Minutes Ago

Our Driving Class Teacher Is Never On Time. She Should've Been Here 20 Minutes Ago

Things like this repeat all the time. Previously, we had to wait for her for 30+ minutes.

Olya_roo Report

#29

My Teacher Printed The Video File On Paper

My Teacher Printed The Video File On Paper

Huge-Technician2889 Report

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#31

The Article For An Assignment In Class Is Paid

The Article For An Assignment In Class Is Paid

Accomplished_Bike149 Report

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Sanne
Community Member
1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So you can't complete the assignment until the teacher prints the article or gives you an account. Easy. (yes, megasmacky, I meant "or". cool down)

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#32

This Program Our Professor Wants Us To Use For Our Tests

This Program Our Professor Wants Us To Use For Our Tests

The reviews all say it's spyware and that it ruins computers. In the past, we’ve used Honorlock, but this professor just had to be different.

TexasMeatMan Report

#33

The Lines A Fellow Teacher Gave A 7-Year-Old Student To Write 20 Times As A Consequence

The Lines A Fellow Teacher Gave A 7-Year-Old Student To Write 20 Times As A Consequence

Illustrious-Laugh795 Report

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Zephyr
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Explanation: I must remember to forget the correct shoes to wear which means ( consequence lines = no meaning)

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#35

My Four-Year-Old Daughter's Preschool Homework. "Match The Pictures" With No Other Context

My Four-Year-Old Daughter's Preschool Homework. "Match The Pictures" With No Other Context

chuck1830 Report

#37

My French Teacher Gave Us New "French Names" About Two Weeks Ago And Takes Off Points From Your Exams And Daily Participation If You Don't Refer To Yourself By Your French Name

My French Teacher Gave Us New "French Names" About Two Weeks Ago And Takes Off Points From Your Exams And Daily Participation If You Don't Refer To Yourself By Your French Name

dykejoon Report

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Zephyr
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think some cultures would find this offensive,............ wait, I find this offensive

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#39

My Blind Child Came Home From School Today With This Homework

My Blind Child Came Home From School Today With This Homework

zixxty Report

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Olivia Lisbon
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While it’s possible that their child is the only blind one, and this was a standard assignment for everyone, it’s amazing how blind this teacher was.

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#40

Kindergarten Homework Is Kicking My Butt. "In Front" Or "Behind"? I Got -2 Points For This

Kindergarten Homework Is Kicking My Butt. "In Front" Or "Behind"? I Got -2 Points For This

Fresh_Counter Report

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Olivia Lisbon
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How is this math? Besides that, they’re all ambiguous. If the mistake is that the clouds are behind the rainbow, I could also say the fence is behind the horse. Stupid assignment.

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#41

This Stressed My Son Out. Literally Impossible

This Stressed My Son Out. Literally Impossible

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#42

My Kid's Science Teacher Assigned An 82-Question Packet To Be Done Over Spring Break

My Kid's Science Teacher Assigned An 82-Question Packet To Be Done Over Spring Break

gardenbikie821 Report

#43

No Point In Studying For The Final

No Point In Studying For The Final

pizzadough_ Report

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Andi
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This means that you have done so badly in other exams that to get a passing grade you will need a higher score than is possible - its not difficult if somewhat a funny way to put it -

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#44

Teacher Not Happy With Marching Band Score And Award

Teacher Not Happy With Marching Band Score And Award

DesertRat13 Report

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Nawny
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Band teachers can be wild. Had one in elementary school that used to throw recorders, ukuleles and chairs at students. Like 6 year olds. Or maybe it was just the 80’s that was wild lol.

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#48

My University Cancelled Class Today Due To The Weather (A Freezing Rainstorm Caused Thick Layers Of Ice All Over The Campus), But My Professor Still Wants Us To Go To Our Lab

My University Cancelled Class Today Due To The Weather (A Freezing Rainstorm Caused Thick Layers Of Ice All Over The Campus), But My Professor Still Wants Us To Go To Our Lab

Lada730 Report

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UncleJohn3000
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Forward it to the office that closed the school. Massive liability could occur.

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#49

All Of My School's Printers Are Auto-Configured To Print Double-Sided. However, My Programming Teacher Requires Code To Be Printed Single-Sided

All Of My School's Printers Are Auto-Configured To Print Double-Sided. However, My Programming Teacher Requires Code To Be Printed Single-Sided

Smile_Space Report

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Morphuny
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Requires code to be PRINTED? We would get kicked of computer class for that at university 😂 we have to give them the code as a python script or something but never ever print code

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#50

This Keyboard At My College. Teachers, Don't Let Us Clean It

This Keyboard At My College. Teachers, Don't Let Us Clean It

Benji0514 Report

Note: this post originally had 60 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.

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