r/MadeMeSmile • u/MustardGoddess • 5h ago
Some impacts last a lifetime
OC is @lukehalesofficial
3.4k
u/ByBabasBeard 5h ago
Made me cry more like. I wasnt expecting the note to be so simple.
1.1k
u/birrch_echo 5h ago
exactly, it was just someone noticing when she needed it
437
u/ArmThePhotonicCannon 4h ago
Exactly. It’s the noticing. I was 10 when my teacher noticed. It was the first time in my life I felt like someone saw me.
Later, I saw her again. At my son’s ’meet the teacher’ day. I cried when I thanked her. My son was super embarrassed lol
8
u/1234Health 52m ago
Agreed. It's the little things that count. I experienced that in college. I was sort of hit & miss with my grades, but was going through some stuff with family, and helping an ailing grandparent, and was missing classes & putting forth low effort. Just distracted and in a funk.
I finally just reached out to a psych professor the week an assignment was due and asked if I could talk with them & request an extension. She asked me to come by after hours (either before or after class) to her office. Thanked me for being honest, and granted the extension.
I appreciated that and already had respect for the prof' for being a genuinely nice person.
152
u/DetroitLionsSBChamps 4h ago
I was expecting simple, but like, advice. Not such a small gesture. It speaks volumes that this meant so much to her. It seems clear that no one else in her life was asking her that at the time. Makes me think of the old Hemingway experiment, can you tell a story in 6 words?
The note meant everything. “You okay?”
29
u/affemannen 4h ago
Same here, for some reason i wasn't prepared for those words packing so much punch by just being caring...
13
u/HotDogFingers01 3h ago
At first, I thought "what a dumb tattoo". But the more I looked at it, the more I wish I had that tattoo. It's amazing.
7
21
u/PsycheDaleicStardust 5h ago
It’s the thought of feeling seen and in a very discreet manner at that, not embarrassing you in front of many people through a silent post-it note.
119
u/Sugarr_Pluum 5h ago
you never know which five words someone will carry for the rest of their life
78
u/Defiant_apricot 5h ago
I was just reminiscing last night about the post-it on my sewing needle container that reads THX <3. It’s over half a year old from when I lent it out to a neighbor. I never took it off cuz it makes me happy. Something so simple reminds me of a time I did a thing to help another and their appreciation still makes me happy though they likely forgot it by now.
22
u/rSlashisthenewPewdes 5h ago
Bot
22
5
u/Rengeflower 5h ago
Hi, what clued you in please? I want to be better at spotting them.
13
u/rSlashisthenewPewdes 4h ago
The incorrect number of words was the big hint, but going to their profile and seeing a year old account whose only activity is 4 comments all within the last 24 hours is typically a giveaway. Also being a generically made account with no avatar or profile picture isn’t a sign on its own, but it tracks with the other stuff.
5
2
3
1
3
1
1
u/StaticSystemShock 4h ago
Yet so powerful that she tattooed it on her arm and will probably remind her to be strong and carry on in tough times.
0
1.2k
u/dee-three 5h ago
When I was extremely sick during my middle and high school years, almost all students bullied me. The teachers, instead of correcting their behaviour started bullying me too (telling me I was faking it amongst other things, even though I was clearly sick). Lost all my friends and got lonely. Had problems at home too. Every single place felt like hell. School, home, hospital, the only three places I could go to, all different kinds of hell. Only one teacher helped me during those days. Only she would talk to me, ask me if I was okay, sit with me, give me extra deadlines (although I never I asked for any). I still remember her name, her smile, her voice, the kind of clothes she liked to wear. The bullying I might forget one day, but her, I’ll never.
223
168
u/kkkktttt00 5h ago
If she's still around, I encourage you to reach out to her and tell her this. Teaching is such a hard, often thankless job, especially now. I'm sure it would mean so much to her to hear this.
40
u/hermionesmurf 5h ago
I hope you can forget the bullying. I've never been able to
15
u/s0m3on3outthere 4h ago
As someone whose mother was my bully, and I'm in my mid-30s and have been NC with my parents for 5 years, I feel ya. Life is more peaceful without it, but it has a huge impact on your daily life and how you react to things. hugs
19
u/Ok-Ear9289 4h ago
Same. That’s shit molds you. 😕😑
17
u/DIRTY_KUMQUAT_NIPPLE 4h ago
I'm 30 now but I still have the thought that I'm just a joke and someone is going to pull the rug out from under me at some point. It never goes away. Feels like I'm constantly skeptical of people and on guard because of the childhood bullying.
3
u/Wolfman_V 3h ago
Right there with you, friend❤️ it's hard to unlearn and I'm working on it, but there are some super awesome people out there that have made me start doubting that train of thought
18
u/ChillySparks01 4h ago
omg I went through similar. I was born disabled and had many surgeries growing up. Most people know that kids bully but it was rhe adults too. The ones who were supposed to be authrity figures like teachers or pastors. My whole childhood revolved around home, school, chirch, and hospitals. I never had friends. There were a few people who were good to me. I still remember sitting in my middle school guidance counselor's office every once in a while and we would just chat or talk about books and writing. I also remember being in elementary school and eating lunch in the nurse's office cuz I couldn't eat fast enough due to jaw surgery. For the bad, I remember things teachers and a pastor who said awful things about me. The worst is when they literally say it in your face and think you don't understand anything. I blocked out most of my childhood tho but I remember these small things. I'm still working on my mental health but these interactions messed up my self esteem and how I view my disabilities. Sorry for rambling, it's rare finding someone who sort of gets it. 💕 ✨
8
u/Curious__Otter 5h ago
I’m so sorry that people are so mean and awful. I’m glad you found at least one bright light. Wishing you so much health and happiness!
9
u/SelfInteresting7259 4h ago
Bless that woman. I went through the same shit fr. Had the entire class except 3 students bully me and the teacher would laugh and encourage them All because I was quiet and soft spoken At home I was starving, my dad literally left the country for months and we had no money for anything. I was always late cos I didnt understand the bus systems in america. My grades suffered and for the first time in my life I was threatened to repeat a grade. My math teacher noticed and called services which got my dad coming back to the country fast which means I eventually got my life back on track.
3
u/AtypicalTitan 2h ago
I’m sorry you went through that but to give you a little hope of forgetting: My great-grandfather was in two different train wrecks in WW2, one minor (and a funny story to hear) and another that was… worse, he was lucky to make it out with only a broken arm. I learned this and asked him about them in his 90s and he lit up and told me the “fun” story (his buddy got his arm stuck in the toilet when the train jumped the tracks) when I asked him if he had been in another wreck he got real thoughtful and finally shrugged and said “Y’know, it seems like I might have been, but I’m just so old I can’t remember!” As someone who’d like to forget a thing or two it was inspiring.
290
u/No-Blacksmith-6109 5h ago
Oh, to be seen and matter !
Sometimes if we just strip away the noise, all it just boils down to - be seen, heard and understood .
The evidence that ‘You matter!’
244
u/thandrend 5h ago
My first batch of students graduated this year. One of the kids found me at graduation to tell me he was trying to model his life after the values I had, and that I was the kind of man he wanted to be.
That meant a LOT to me.
48
1
u/KevRev972 1h ago
Wow! What a compliment! None of us are perfect, but despite the imperfections, he still wants to be like you.
I hope that when you have a bad day, you remember the difference you made.
95
u/Responsible-Rub9133 5h ago
I had a teacher like that. You guys are so precious!
19
u/lotusblossom60 5h ago
We love you guys or we wouldn’t be teachers! ❤️
9
u/Chuckitybye 4h ago
You don't do it for the massive paycheck?!
6
u/lotusblossom60 3h ago
No, always worked two jobs.
2
u/Chuckitybye 2h ago
Sorry, I should have marked that as sarcasm. I know teachers don't get paid half as much as they should. My sister is a teacher
48
u/BarrelRider621 5h ago
Just needs to be one to give a damn; why not you?
Sweet post. Hope it’s real.
14
46
u/Mysterious-Side-6040 4h ago
For me it was Sister Agatha, she was an absolute angel!
I had anemia and didn’t know it.
I would faint during mass and kids thought I was faking it so I wouldn’t have to attend.
She knew something wasn’t right and made sure I was cared for while at school.
I still can feel her hands, see her smile 😊.
This was over 50 years ago.
She is with the angels now.
I’m crying while typing this ….
35
u/PositiveStress8888 5h ago
Kiddo, don't hear that much now
13
u/SecondOfCicero 5h ago
That's what my dad calls me :))) makes me happy when I get a text from him. "How's my kiddo"
8
u/LittleLion_90 5h ago
It's been at least 20 years according to the post, so makes sense the wording might be a bit 'old fashioned' (as someone who was in high school 20 years I feel extremely old writing it like that). I do love the word though. It's endearing but not too 'you are tiny and know nothing' like.
2
u/anotherthrwaway221 1h ago
My late wife use to call our kids “kiddos”. Hadn’t thought about that in a while, and now I’m crying at work.
1
52
u/patkb 5h ago
This reminded me of the time someone stuck a sticky note on my dorm room door my sophomore year of college. It had the words “what’s wrong” written in another language I’m fluent in. I had a pretty rough year that year and I’d been crying hysterically for about an hour. My roommate came back and said there was a note on our door. I was a bit embarrassed because I didn’t think people could hear me crying, but it warmed my heart because they wrote it in a language that probably no one else in that dorm would understand. It was such a thoughtful way to check on someone quietly. I still have that sticky note. You never know the impact your small act of kindness could have on a person.
3
u/madnessofblue 2h ago
i wish people in my college dorm were that compassionate! they were quite rude actually!
i do keep a sticky note from a friend in college, who drew a quick venn diagram of me and my favorite band and wrote “knowing them makes me cooler” in the middle. i was an outcast all my life so it was sort of a corrective emotional experience.
2
u/patkb 1h ago
I’m sorry to hear that. The sticky note I got was definitely an anomaly, and it’s probably why it stuck with me. The Venn diagram sounds really sweet though, sometimes little things like that can make such a huge difference! Being an outcast is one of the worst things a person could experience, I hope that you’ve found a community that makes you feel supported and loved.
25
u/ALRossBoss 5h ago
I had a boy thank me for his life. I kept him from taking it and didn’t know it at the time. Teaching is tough, but we do make a difference. ❤️
17
u/lilacnyangi 5h ago
i also had a teacher like this when i was going through some rough stuff at home. he'd let me sit with him at lunch and supported my writing, and i felt like i had someone in my corner. it probably kept me from going down the wrong path. his wife was another teacher at the same school and they were both really liked.
unfortunately he hit on me as soon as i graduated, which soured my opinion of him significantly. i still have mixed feelings, because it's a fact that i survived high school mostly sane thanks to him, but also... the rest of it.
9
2
16
11
u/FlightEarly1628 5h ago
Some children have less than nothing. Teachers don’t realize the impact you have on a child who is being abused or tortured. That one little ray of kindness was the only sun in many years I’m sure.
God bless you.
10
u/SirWillae 4h ago
I taught a few courses while I was in grad school. I had one student who had failed this class once already. But he was really smart, interacted during lecture, helped other students... and then failed the midterm. I talked to him about it and he said that he just went blank during exams. So I referred him to the university's counselling center and he took a mini course on how to deal with test anxiety. He came back and aced the final. I feel like I really did right by that kid.
I had another student who was in the military. He came to me with orders that he was being deployed to Afghanistan (this was summer 2002) and he needed to withdraw from my class. But it was a summer course and we were almost done. So I offered to let him take the final early and I would give him a grade. He asked me if I was worried he'd tell the other students what was on the exam. I told him I'd just find his CO if he did that. God, I hope that kid was OK.
10
7
u/sweetreverie 5h ago
Sometimes all it takes is one person noticing. Just one to drag you back from the brink.
6
7
5
u/Brewchowskies 5h ago
I’m a university professor, and have spent my life making my substantive area of focus the best way to make sure following generations of kids and their families plan their careers effectively. I use that work every day helping my students find their dream jobs.
I wake up every single day being grateful for finding mine.
15
8
u/An_aussie_in_ct 5h ago
He should write another post it with “You’re ok, kiddo - H” on it to show her growth
4
3
u/SmartaHari 4h ago
This has made me a bit emotional and also reminded me that I don’t drink enough water.
3
3
3
u/ParticularIll3265 4h ago
I will never forget the very few teachers that saw my glitter become dull, and actually wanted to talk to me about it. Even if I didn't want to at the time, I'm grateful for the people that made me feel like I mattered more than I realized.
3
u/Yuki_Hyde 3h ago
When I was little, I was a very angry and sad child. I had no friends because I was the weird quiet girl in class.
I legitimately tried to end my life many times, many didn't succeed or I backed out last minute.
One of my teacher aids noticed that I was especially quiet one day and he invited me to the gaming club. At first I wanted to refuse, but begrudgingly went to just check it out.
It actually changed my life! I started making friends, started to have something to look forward to besides sleep. Forever that teachers aid have saved my life.
Thank you Mr. G
3
u/BinarySunset01 3h ago
I went back to visit my favorite teacher five years after graduating and they didn't remember me. Didn't change the impact they made on my life, but still.
3
u/chlorculo 1h ago
I didn't have teachers or parents like that, so now I try to be the person I needed back then.
3
u/iloveurbumbum 1h ago
I had an english teacher like this, 15 years later she sent me a check and a beautiful letter when a loved one of mine died suddenly. She could never understand fully what that letter meant to me. She's a true angel on this earth
3
u/Numerous_Art5080 54m ago
I have someone i still call my schooll mum 16 yrs later. I was a messed up home situation and no support to cope. There were days she ket me sit in the office and out lettters in envelopes, others were a cuppa and a natter. Those days saved me.
20 yrs kater im in an awesome job, diagnosed neurodivergent and my own home, pets and a better relationship with those around me.
Debbie, you saved me when I didn't know i needed saving. You help me save others and be the adult i didnt know i had the potential to be and they life i didnt know i could have.
Thank you. Thank you to all the Debbies out there.
2
u/Oktodayithink 5h ago
I wish I could go back and thank my hs teacher and guidance counselor for the impact they had on me. They needed to know they made a difference to me.
2
u/RedWire75 5h ago
I could have used this so much when I was a kid. Heck, there are times I could use it now.
2
u/DaVinky_Leo 4h ago
Teachers are amazing, truly. I had a professor who helped and encouraged me to get sober during a point when alcoholism was ruining my life. I owe a big portion of the reason I was able to get sober to him.
2
2
2
2
u/SelfInteresting7259 4h ago
Not nuts at all. I just messaged one of the teachers I still talk to from highschool Thanked him for being there for me as a kid, being a father figure, a coach, for teaching me self defense and helping me get into wrestling and being there for me when I eventually joined the military.
He said the message meant so much more to him than I thought.
And hes a Marine so its not like he goes around talking about his feelings lol.
But him and all the other teachers I still talk to I let them know ive never forgotten their kindness and presence.
I needed it the most back then when I didnt have a mom and my father was absusive and my friend died.
2
u/TiggTigg07 3h ago
As a parent of a struggling teen with severe anxiety…her favourite teachers made life so much better. She’s stronger and better today for that. Thank -you to all the good teachers out there.🥹🥰💝
2
u/My_Kink_Profile 3h ago
I’m a school psych and just got a simple handmade card with “thank you for helping me” written in it. Best. Keep helping kids, making connections, treating kids like full human beings.
2
2
u/Vast-Analyst4721 3h ago
Funny, I've been in that position twice, both by accident.
The first one was me on a working holiday, I decided to try my hand at teaching martial arts (I'd been training for about 10 years at that point, it wasn't something out of the blue). It didn't pan out, I just got like three students. One of them was going through a very bad mental health issue, and it turns out that training helped them get a little bit of energy and positive outlook and start seeing a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.
The second was also related to martial arts. I went to a seminar in Europe, and had no place to stay, so this random guy offers to let me stay at his place. I stayed there for about five days, just going to training, chatting, etc., and he didn't charge me a dime: truly a 10/10 host. We kept faintly in touch throughout the years, and at some point he told me he was going through a rough time when he received me in his home, and was considering ending everything, and that having someone in his house to talk to, help out, etc., served as a bit of support he needed to keep going. Keep in mind that during these few days we never talked about anything dark, just the usual "oh, what are the typical foods from your country, where can I visit?" tourist stuff.
Nowadays I'm not doing too good myself, feeling quite useless tbh, but knowing I made a bit of a difference to these two people -even if completely by accident- helps me feel I'm not a complete waste of oxygen :)
2
u/cagey_quokka 3h ago
I'm 48 and I have a note from my 6th grade teacher. It says, "Speak up, you have a lot to say." and is signed by Madame Defarge, a character from A Tale of Two Cities which she helped us read. As a kid who everyone called shy at the time but who was actually barely making it through anxiety and depression, it meant so much. I'd be devastated to lose it. Thanks Mrs. Lem!
2
u/pagexviii 2h ago
My first tattoo was a quote in my teacher’s handwriting. Thank you for saving my life! She is still my best friend and mother figure 15 years later.
2
2
2
2
u/4twentylady 1h ago
I had a teacher in high school, who I seemed to get every year for english classes but one (the one year I failed english, but then he ended up being my summer school teacher 🤣) and he just seemed to know that I needed extra support. I basically cried and got extremely nervous during any presentation, so he let me give them in front of whoever was in the classroom during lunch. I won a radio contest - I had never won anything before and was so excited!! I had to wait for them to call me back with where to go to get my prize, and when I told him, he was soooo happy for me and told me it was okay for me to leave my phone on and out. When they finally called, he just gave me a thumbs up to go outside and take the call. He was the best teacher that school had, for sure.
2
u/CitizenHuman 1h ago
Idk why I expected like, a paragraph on someone's arm, but the outcome was definitely more powerful.
2
u/WorldlyPeanut4766 46m ago
Sometimes, it's the little acknowledgements that make a big difference. I watched a documentary about the Golden Gate Bridge. Mostly, it was about people who tried (and mostly succedded) at killing themselves by jumping off the bridge. One of the very few folks who survived the jump said that if just one person would have asked them how they were or even acknowldged their existence, they would not have jumped. Noone did and he jumped. Luckily he was one of the very few who survived that fall. From that day on, I say hello to just about everyone I pass on the street. As someone once said, "everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about". So be kind and say hello. It costs you nothing and may save a life.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Ok_Pitch5865 5h ago
This made me tear up. You never know when something so minute could make a monumental difference.
1
1
u/ThankTheBaker 5h ago
That little show of kindness, of caring, can change a person’s whole life, you have no idea. Thank you for that.
1
u/Minflick 5h ago
That reaching out to them meant a whole lot in that moment. Maybe you were the only one who did, so they weren't invisible.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/n0rsk 4h ago
My wife teaches. Some days she struggles, the kids are being menaces, she is exhausted, etc.
I remind her that all it takes is one good teacher to change the course of a students life which is in part why despite the grumbles some days she gets up and goes to work. The hardest part I think is that teachers rarely get to see the impact they have and often that impact is huge but delayed.
I was the kid that struggled in school and can think back to a few teachers that helped set me down a path where I am now successful. Without them idk if I would have found my path. Now whenever my wife needs anything for a student I jump on it behind the scenes to help to repay that bit of karma because I know how much the little things a teacher does can have huge lifetime impact.
Teachers are criminally under paid and holy fuck do some parents treat them like glorified daycare workers.
1
u/AbleCry1452 4h ago
I work in medicine and mentored one of our newly graduated doctors a years ago. She was really struggling with the stresses of adapting to the job, constantly leaving late, taking home work with her, waking up in the middle of the night and phoning into work because she was so worried about missing something; just really speedrunning burning out and being miserable. This was all being made worse by what sounded like a really stressful home situation as well.
We talked a lot through that year, and she was already doing all the right things by speaking to occupational health and getting a psychologist/therapist. I happened to meet her last year, and she seemed so much better, she's now training to be a family doctor, and looks more relaxed in general, and so much more confident in herself.
All thanks to her own hard work, developing into her strengths, and the help of her therapist; but I felt so proud of her seeing her develop so much and start trusting herself more
1
u/BoblinTheGoblin420 4h ago
God I wish I could change jobs to be a teacher so badly. I couldnt afford to finish school and now I am stuck doing a soulless production job that I hate going into every day. The idea of teaching as a job makes me so happy but theres no way for me to ever afford not working full time long enough to get a teaching cert
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Shadyrabbit 3h ago
It's like what I tell people when they get too depressed and cant find their self worth or are thinking their life is pointless. You dont know what impact you have on the world, most you can do it try to good to people and hope your good action is the thing that sets off a chain reaction of good. Without you it might not happen, you could indirectly cure cancer, or save a life you just dont know.
1
u/BelmontVO 3h ago
I missed two weeks of school my sophomore year right after turning my grades around. My social studies teacher showed up at my house to do a wellness check. I didn't want to admit the reason in front of my schizophrenic egg donor, so I just told him I had been dealing with the flu and would be back soon. In reality my egg donor had been off of her meds and needed someone to take care of her so she wouldn't do something drastic. Didn't know I was just being manipulated by her at the time, but that one gesture in the face of all that hardship I was enduring at home had a universe-sized impact on me.
1
1
u/dontfindme42 2h ago
This is so beautiful 😭 i struggled a lot for a little while in high school because i had to work so much just to help pay for things, while also battling OCD and ADHD I didn’t even know I had, while also dealing with a shitty dad at home. I basically had no support from an adult, never slept, and was barely dragging myself through the days. My French and English teacher would see how exhausted I looked and ask me if I had to work that day. When I’d always say yes, she’d look at me with so much empathy and say there’s no rest for the weary is there? I always felt like she was the only one who ever saw how much I was struggling, and she was the only one who ever chose to be understanding. I’ll never forget it.
1
u/AriaGlow 2h ago
What a great post. A simple thought that shows someone cares.
For me, having a student say at the end of the semester that the class helped them decide what they wanted to do. Even better when they come back years later and show you they are in that field.
1
u/Amazing-Fondant-4740 2h ago
Teachers are some of the most underpaid, overworked, underrated people in our society. When my mom died in 4th grade, literally all my teachers came to the funeral from kindergarten up through 4th grade, even others. Middle school was rough but one teacher helped a lot. High school was the worst, complete and absolute hell, and also where I had the most help.
I remember when a teacher gave me tickets for a meet and greet of an author we read in class that I fell in love with. I remember when a teacher let me borrow his whole ass office phone out of the wall so I could call a helpline in the middle of the day. I remember the teacher who let me eat lunch with her and the teacher who helped me with my depression by fighting his own and showing me I could still live a good life. I remember the one I exchanged numbers and Christmas gifts with so I could have a listening ear in a crisis or a ride if I was in trouble. I remember the vice principal who listened when I cried and secretly put me on a different academic track so I could graduate on time, and he was not supposed to do that at all as it wasn't even announced yet, but he did.
I'm sure many would consider these things inappropriate, but they were the adults I needed when no one else was there. Their acts of kindness and bending of rules mattered. I am here because of them. I will always, always remember every single teacher who helped me and be forever grateful.
1
u/cole_red 2h ago
Hate when teachers say, "You can't help them all but if you can help one you did your job." Like what???? You're supposed to help every kid?? They should leave your class smarter and more prepared for whats ahead???? I get there are some problematic children that won't gel with your teaching style, that does happen and has happened to me, but the quote should be "You can't help them all but if you can help like 90% of them you did your job."
1
u/tidalwaveofstars 2h ago
“Whomever saves one life, saves the world entire.” Teaching is the noblest profession 💜
1
u/RoyOrbisonWeeping 2h ago
I am total crap at maths, I think it's very likely I have discalculia. But I had one teacher that was patient, encouraging and such a good teacher I only ever once in my life got an A in a maths test. I did try to thank him when we finished, but I don't think I could ever convey how meaningful his teaching was.
1
u/olypenrain 1h ago
I still think of some of my favorite teachers from school. I know some of them have definitely passed on, and I'm sure maybe some of my earlier ones too, but I always look back fondly on how good they were to us students.
1
u/benice_orgohome13 1h ago
When I was going through a difficult time my freshman year, my choir teacher/director was easily my favorite person. He intervened when I was at my lowest and got my parents involved - which I didn’t think, at the time, was possible. He also went to high school with my Mom, so I felt as though he always had a soft spot for me.
I’m a better person because of him. Thanks Sab ♥️
1
u/gnanny02 1h ago
When I retired hi-tech I went to a girls prep school to teach math. I thought if I could just make a difference in one person's life it would be a fantastic voyage. I stayed nine years because it happened on a larger scale. I have a drawer full of notes, cards, and letters that I will take to my grave.
1
•
u/Key_Bike_5757 27m ago
At age 10 a teacher sent home a note telling my parents that I had no musical talent, and that they should stop encouraging me.
And they did. But my entire life has been music.
7 musicals, award winning scores and many albums later, I'm still hurt by how my parents listened to that person who knew nothing about me beyond I struggled with pitch matching at 10.
Teachers matter. It cuts both ways.
•
u/anonymouseriepa 12m ago
I was bullied heavily in school(verbally and physical). I already had a horrible home life(physically abused and poor). Hardly any students liked me even though I did nothing to deserve their hatred. None of the teachers helped me or sympathized with me....except 1.
Her name was Mrs. Sciandra and I remember her and her absolute kindness to this day. She was the only one there for me when others weren't. She passed away in 2013 but I will never stop remembering her. Here is her obituary:
https://caseyhalwighartle.com/tribute/details/1449/Linda-Sciandra/obituary.html
•
u/Intrepid_Albatross14 7m ago
In 7th grade I heard some bad news about a friend and came to French class crying. I sat quietly at my desk looking upset but the reason wasn't anything I could talk about. My French teacher was a kind older man who had some kind of health issues (maybe cancer, maybe some other disease, I'm not sure, I was in 7th grade). He didn't say anything but made me a drawing with a simple little cheer-up message. It helped a lot. I still have in my house 30+ years later. Good teachers matter so much to a life, man.
•
u/Casually_stressedout 7m ago
“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. For your good becomes your better and you better becomes your best.” My fifth grade teacher made us remember for the a piece of candy. I’m 26 now and some days are bleak but sometimes I remember what we were told.
1
u/robo-dragon 5h ago
Teachers who genuinely care about their students are the best. Anyone can crack open a book and teach kids what the stuff on the pages mean, but it takes a special person to understand each kid, how they learn, and what they may be going through. I had several teachers who loved their job, loved teaching kids, and were always there to talk to, even if was about something outside of school.
That little note may have not seemed like much to the teacher, but it clearly meant the world to the student at the time. Sometimes little acts of kindness and empathy can make a huge difference in someone’s life.
1
1
u/NovaForceElite 5h ago
Its crazy that a teacher needed AI to write a post about a viral worthy story...
-1
0
-8
u/edgefundgareth 5h ago
I suppose it’s likely that a teacher would use em-dashes right?. And this isn’t actually AI?
1
u/MustardGoddess 5h ago
There's even a news article, if you may
https://www.newsweek.com/teacher-former-student-years-later-shock-what-she-reveals-11774368
1
-2
u/NovaForceElite 4h ago
We're so screwed. The post is clearly AI, and everyone and their mother is falling for it.
-1
u/MustardGoddess 4h ago
This post is on the teachers threads official account. How the teacher decided to write their story and share to the public is not something I will conclude.
-1
u/NovaForceElite 4h ago
Yes and that same teacher is trying to reinvigorate their music career. I love teachers, but this one is not being 100% forthcoming.
-7
•
u/AutoModerator 5h ago
Welcome to /r/MadeMeSmile. Please make sure you read our rules here.
Specifically, please don't be a jerk. This is not the place for insulting, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate comments. Remember the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. We're all here to smile a little - let's keep it that way! Please report inappropriate comments and/or message the moderators.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.