The most embarrassing stories of teachers are revealed

When you’re sharing a room with other people for nine months of the year, you’re bound to feel awkward.

If other people are children, you will never experience these moments.

Whether you’ve been teaching for a semester or half a century, every teacher has moments that live in their mind without rent. Check out what our WeAreTeachers community has revealed about their most embarrassing teacher stories (names changed to initials to protect the mutilated).

Unfortunate terms indeed

“When I told my 16-year-old class that the pilot in the Lord of the Flies ejaculated from the plane (instead of ejecting). I still can’t use either word without suffering from PTSD.’

— ST

“I tried to say ‘hustle’ and ‘hustle’ but it came out FUC*US.”

— DS

“The first year I was teaching first grade (1986) and I asked, ‘Does anyone know the F words?’ when we studied the beginning sounds. …”

– I

“Teaching choir, I was ready to work with a soprano on a particularly high part of a song.

Before I even knew what I was saying, I said, “Okay, soprano, are you ready to get high?” I … was … depressed. My 7th and 8th graders had fun!!!!”

—EN

“I had a lottery where some kids were chosen as a VIP (very important person/student).

One day a kid asked if the kid was a VIP, and I said, “Don’t question his VIP status.” (Say it out loud.)

– SG

“When I signed the intervention and read the word organism only that’s not what came out of my mouth.

My friend’s daughter was one of the sixth graders I practiced with and she says, “You’re so red!!!”

– Sh

“During the online course on COVID, I made a video for my class to watch in an asynchronous lesson.

I made a mistake and started cursing because it took me many tries to get the video right and I was frustrated with the technology. I edited the expletive line and accidentally put the wrong video link in my tutorial, the unedited expletive link. I also shared the link with my training partner. His students saw it first and he called me when he heard about it from his students … the principal and vice principal saw it too … so embarrassing.”

– SG

“We had a cool guinea pig named Nibbles. I was talking to my principal at the door when a student came up and said, “When do we get to stroke the NIPPLE again?”

You should have seen the surprised (and worried) face on my principal’s face!”

— RC

“Said ‘sexual evidence’ instead of textual evidence. I taught 8th grade, so it was done for that period. He sat down and told them to start. Nobody did anything.”

– BN

Bodily (improper) functions

“At the time, early in my career, I didn’t have any sick days left and I was just trying to get through the day. Just before the kids arrived, I had to find someone on the submarine, but I passed what wasn’t just a little gas.’

– TA

“The time I let one go, and I mean blow wild and free like a force 10 in Scotland, only to see a student sitting behind me in my computer reflection! I thought they were all gone for a break!”

—CL

“I threw up right outside the school conference room before going to a job interview. Of course it was the conference room with everyone in it interviewing me that day.”

— TS

“I had a microphone around my neck and I forgot to turn it off when I went to the bathroom. When I came out, my first graders were laughing and saying, “We heard you!”

– TR

Treacherous clothes

“Sudden deployment of my wrap skirt!”

— EF

“That time I brought freshly washed blankets from home because it was cold in my classroom and one of my high school students spread the blanket and wrapped himself in it.

There, on his back, lay my underwear statically stuck to the blanket. I jumped across the table in Olympic record time to grab it and put it in my pocket before anyone but the girl behind it saw. Her eyes were HUGE and just stared straight ahead for a minute or two. We never talked about it… ever.’

– deputy

“When a very nice student (in fourth period) informed me that my pants were HUGE ripped and they could see my purple granny panties.”

– MG

“I was walking down the hallway of my high school (thousands of students around) feeling cute.

The cohort beckoned to me and quickly approached me. My skirt was tucked into my underwear. Who knows how long I’ve been oblivious to the fact that I’m complaining about everyone.”

—LV

Various horrors

“I launched the drone into my hair, demonstrating how to use it.”

– MRS

“It was raining outside and my car was in an area where it was almost washed away by the floodwaters.

I put on my raincoat and ran down the mountain right in front of my building. I ended up slipping and rolling down the mountain, on my back, with the hood of my polka dot cloak over my head, and the students staring at me. They laughed so hard; I laughed so hard! My jeans were completely wet in the back by the end of the day. It was the fastest I’ve ever been down a mountain, that’s for sure.”

— AM

“Five months after giving birth, I introduced myself to my parents at school in the evening with my second child.

I mentioned that I have a three-year-old and a five-month-old, and the student’s mom blurted out, “And you’re waiting again!” No. No, I wasn’t.”

— CO

“Kinder coughed gum into my hair. I had to get the principal to try and get it out, but we only made it worse. I had to get a haircut.”

— TS

“During a DARE lesson, a second-grade girl innocently blurted out, ‘My mom has the same handcuffs as you, but she has pink fur.’ When the DARE officer and I locked eyes, it was hard not to laugh.”

– DM

And as this teacher said when asked about embarrassing teacher stories, I think they speak for all of us who have done those years:

Where do I start???

—J.M

What are your most embarrassing teaching stories? Please, please, tell us in the comments or share on ours WeAreTeachers Facebook Help Group!

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