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People Reveal The Worst Advice A Teacher Has Given Them

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Being a teacher doesn't mean you're a genius or a magician. Teachers are human beings and make errors in judgement all of the time, just like the rest of us. However some teachers just shouldn't be teachers. And need to watch what falls out of their mouths without thought. It is a job meant to be heavy in facts and lighter in opinion.

Redditor u/doitypemyname wanted to hear what some educators thought was a good idea to say to a student.... What's the worst advice a teacher has given you?

Read between the lines Butthead!

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I'll never forget the day that my teacher told me, to quit writing and trying to make my stories more believable. I remember in high school I once wrote a paper and I was super proud of this paper. I couldn't wait to turn it in and I felt like I did a great job but when it was time to get our papers back I didn't get mine. I asked my teacher about it and I'll never forget this. He called me to his desk and told me you obviously stole this paper because there's no way you could have written this. I suggest you work on your editing skills and from that day on every time I wrote I thought about that teacher and how big of butt head he was. TannenBoom

Mom for the Win! 

My aunt died and i was off for a week to attend her funeral. I came back and tells me I missed a really important test. I tell her my Aunt died and she said, "What's more important to you? You're future or a funeral?" I was very shy at the time and i just shrugged. I went home and told my Mother. Woooooooooooooo did that teacher get a verbal smackdown. Wackydetective

Be a man then get cancer.... 

When asked if he smoked cigarettes (he always stunk of smoke), my 8th grade history teacher literally said. "Yep, two packs of camels a day. Makes a man out of you. Puts hair on your chest." elleyesee

I need a challenge....

My high school counselor told me i didn't need to take honors classes, but they're the only ones that challenged me and also they got me college credit. racheltheharvey

You're History Buddy!

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My high school history teacher once said "If someone asks a question, and you don't know the answer, just make it up. It's better to tell someone something now, and correct yourself later." I transferred out of his class ASAP. petey_b_311

Strike 1.... You're Out! 

She told me I should just come out to my parents already because she was "sure they would understand," never mind the fact that they're mormon and have straight up told me that they would never accept me if I ever came out. And she knew this too. If I had followed her advice my whole life would have been so screwed. I almost got outed by her too. YallNeedJesus420

Now they tell me.... 

Today my maths teacher said, and I quote, "don't bother reading the question just do some work and hope it's the right stuff." WaLrUsClAn

Stay outside the lines.... 

My kindergarten teacher had a conference with my mother about how my coloring was so bad I would have big problems in my academic career. Not only did I get a doctorate, but I also have an art degree. It turns out coloring is not such an important skill. I still suck at it. I am a sculptor. I don't have great fine motor coordination, but I've got more than enough tenacity to make up for it. No one tells me what I can or cannot do. My gift in life is the drive to practice the hell out of things, until I master it. Sultanaspoon

Try Again Dear.... 

My 8th grade teacher told us that our grades would ABSOLUTELY fall one full letter grade in 9th grade. It made many of the people in our class slack because "it was bound to happen anyways." I'm sure his intent was to motivate us but it failed miserably. tsnow914

Some people shouldn't teach.... Ugh!

Not given to me, but at an IEP meeting for a kid with some behavioral challenges, the parent expressed concern that maybe the kid was acting up because he was placed (in my mind, incorrectly) in remedial classes and he was bored.

Another teacher replied the kid wasn't bored and the world will always needs janitors. arlingtonheightsMA

Blu Collar Success....

'If you go to trade school, you'll be living hand-to-mouth your whole life.' Not even close to accurate. trocar88

Ha, my electrician dad, had his house paid off in his forties, has all kinds of toys, including two Harley's and a motorized boat you drive with your feet, remodeled the house, built a large garage detached from the house with plumbing and electrical, plus other stuff. He's retiring early to do more fun things. Yeah, I'm in trade school right now. GraytScott

SMH...

That my ADD was all in my head and that I need to just get over it. WillFlash4DoggoPics

A Group Effort....

My english teacher (optative in an non speaking english country) punished the whole class to stay after school hours, just because some people were talking and not paying attention.

I went really mad because i was working hard trying to learn something and i never gave any problem, like most people in the subject, so I left the class after confronting my teacher about the matter, and her refusing to acknowledge that it was unfair for almost everyone.

Later I was called into the principal office, were the teacher told me that "I never should undermine my teacher or superior power even if they were wrong."

In the end more people complained about the group punishment (and more problems within the class) so I didn't get in any trouble about the issue. Oinotna9

Blame it on Mom...

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Not advice just a shitty thing said by a teacher... she told my mom that my brothers may have gotten through her class but I wouldn't be as lucky.

I failed the class three times with her until they let me take it with another teacher and I passed first try. All of that stress because this teacher didn't like my mom. squishjackson

You First....

Try to change yourself a bit so you fit with these people even if you don't like them. VentusLeonidas

Stop Listening....

Think it was 1990-ish, told my teacher i want to work with computers/programing. Got the answer : there is no money when working with those, you need a real job. Like builder or something... Worst part is, i followed the advice... Fml shuur

Maybe I should teach?

My high school math teacher told my mum to un-enroll me from maths and physics, and to give up on me ever getting into any scientific field at Uni because I was too stupid. Jokes on him, just got my BBsc with a distinction and am currently enrolled with in my second degree. feelinwhitney98

More to Life than MLA....

You are going to use MLA citations in every paper you ever do in every class from now until ever. (My librarian in middle school.) This was true until I got out of high school. As soon as I got out of high school all I ever used in college was APA and it was like learning an entire new language for the longest time and it may be petty, but I'm still mad at them for being so sure that MLA was all there was in the world. OfficerMAGA

Don't Lose the Dream...

"You will never get a job in programming or game development as it's so competitive, it's not a sensible career choice." 14 year old me was impressionable enough to believe him and so when it came to picking my A Levels I went for humanity based subjects and subsequently did a degree at University along the same lines. 30 year old me will never quite forget that piece of 'advice' and how it pushed a little kid away from his dream down an entirely different path. Akkyoy

Mr. Bechtel needs an assist....

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Oh boy, I love this story. In 8th grade science we were taking about the properties of matter and one of the discussions was about how the volume of matter shrinks when it transitions from liquid to solid. I immediately put up my hand and said "But [Teacher], whenever I make ice at home the cubes seem to be bigger than the water that I put in the tray."

His response, which I'll never forget: "Well I guess the laws of physics don't apply inside your freezer." and he left it at that. No further discussion or explanation.

Well guess what, Mr. Bechtel, according to Wikipedia "When water freezes, it increases in volume (about 9% for fresh water)" so I guess the laws of Physics just don't apply to your STEM degree you ass hat.

Teachers of Reddit: please encourage your curious students. homemadestoner

teacher advice

People Describe The Most Traumatizing Thing They Ever Experienced As A Child

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Life is hard. It's a miracle to make it through with some semblance of sanity. We are all plagued by grief and trauma. More and more people of all backgrounds are opening up about personal trauma and its origins. Finally! For far too long we've been too silent on this topic. And with so many people unable to afford mental health care, the outcomes can be damaging.

All of our childhoods have ups and downs and memories that can play out like nightmares. We carry that, or it follows us and the first step in recovery is talking about it. So who feels strong enough to speak?

Redditor u/nthn_thms wanted to see who was willing to share about things they'd probably rather forget, by asking:

What's the most traumatizing thing you experienced as a child?
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childhood

People Divulge The Real Reason Why They're Still Single

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Being single can be fun. In fact, in this time of COVID, being single can save lives. But the heart is a fickle creature.

And being alone can really suck in times of turmoil. None of us are perfect and it feels like that's all anyone is looking for... perfect.

Now that doesn't mean that all of us are making it difficult to partner up. Sure, some people are too picky and mean-spirited, but some of the rest of us are crazy and too much to handle. So one has to be sure.

The truth is, being single is confusing, no matter how much we try to match. So let's try to understand...

Redditor u/Mcxyn wanted to discuss some truths about love and our own issues, by asking:

Why are you single?
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being single

Chefs Divulge The Most Important Tips That Amateur Cooks Need To Know

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Whether you're an at home parent, a college student just leaving the nest, or a Food Network junkie, there are a few basic tips that everyone should know.

Chef's gave us some of their top tips for amateurs and beginner at home cooks that will really make a difference. They are trained professionals with years of experience in the kitchen, so they definitely know what we're all missing.

If you're looking to improve some of your cooking skills and techniques, but you're still learning how to boil water correctly, this list is for you.

Redditor BigBadWolf44 wanted in on the secrets and asked:

"Chefs of Reddit, what's one rule of cooking amateurs need to know?"

Let's learn from the masters!


What a common mistake!

"A lot of the time when people add salt to a dish because they think it tastes flat, what it really needs is an acid like lemon juice or vinegar."

- Vexvertigo

"Instructions unclear I drugged my dinner party guests and now they're high on acid."

- itsyoboi_human

"Yes! Or tomatoes. They're pretty acidic too and go with so many things. Our dinners are so much better once the garden tomatoes are ripe. Or if a dish is too acidic, oil/butter or a little sugar can help add balance to it."

- darkhorse85

"Like tomato and eggs. Every Chinese mom makes those slightly differently and I haven't had a tomato egg dish I didn't like yet."

- random314

"There's a book called 'Salt Fat Acid Heat' that comes highly recommended to amateur cooks."

- Osolemia

"Reading even just the first chapter about salt made a lot of food I cooked immediately better, because I finally understood salt wasn't just that thing that sat on the dinner table that you applied after the meal was cooked."

- VaultBoy42

"Salt is important for sweets. A batch of cookies without that little hint of salt doesn't taste quite right."

- Osolemia

Unfortunately, this tip might not be accessible to everyone. Many people who contracted COVID can no longer use their sense of smell the way they used to.

"Have a friend that lost his smell from COVID, and now he only recognizes if food is salty, sweet, sour or bitter."

- AlphaLaufert99

"Just wait until he gets his sense of smell back and a ton of foods smell like ammonia or literal garbage now. Yeah, that's fun... It's been 7 months for f*cks sake just let me enjoy peanut butter again!!!!!!!!!"

- MirzaAbdullahKhan

You can't take back what you've already put in.

"You can always add, but you cannot take away."

- El_Duende666

"I find people's problems usually are they're too scared to add rather than they add too much."

- FreeReflection25

"I see you also grew up white in the mid-west."

- Snatch_Pastry

Safety first!

"Not really a cooking tip, but a law of the kitchen: A falling knife has no handle."

- wooddog

"I'm always so proud of my reflexes for not kicking in when I fumble a knife."

"If I drop anything else, my stupid hands are all over themselves trying to catch it (and often failing). But with a knife the hardwired automatic reaction is jump back immediately. Fingers out of the way, feet out of the way, everything out of the way. Good lookin out, cerebellum!"

- sonyka

"Speaking of KICKING in. On first full time cooking job I had a knife spin and fall off the counter. My (stupid) reflex was to put my foot under it like a damn hacky sack to keep it from hitting the ground. Went through the shoe, somehow between my toes, into the sole somehow without cutting me. Lessons learned: (1) let it fall; (2) never set a knife down close to the edge or with the handle sticking out; (3) hacky sack is not nearly as cool as it could be."

- AdjNounNumbers

"Similarly, NEVER put out a grease or oil fire with water. Smother with a lid or dump baking soda in there (do not use flour, as it can combust in the air making things worse)."

- Metallic_Substance

How else will you know it tastes good?

"Taste the food."

- OAKRAIDER64

"Also don't be afraid to poke and prod at it. I feel like people think the process is sacred and you can't shape/flip/feel/touch things while you cook them. The more you are hands on, the more control you have."

"No, this does not include situations where you are trying to sear something. Ever try flipping a chicken thigh early? That's how you rip a chunk out of it and leave it glued to the pan until it's burnt."

- Kryzm

Here's one just for laughs.

"When you grab a pair of tongs, click them a few times to make sure they are tongs."

- Kolshdaddy

"People really overlook this one. You've gotta tong the tongs a minimum of 3 times to make sure they tong, or else it can ruin the whole dish."

- BigTimeBobbyB

If you're looking to get into cooking or to improve you technique, pay attention to these few tips.

Salt generously, add an acid to brighten things up, and don't forget to taste your food!

If all else fails, you can always order take out.

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cooking

People Describe The Most Inappropriate Thing They Ever Did As A Kid

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As part of the learning process, children often do embarrassing things before they learn a little more about the world and all the different implications therein. While the inappropriate moment is usually minor and ends in laugher some instances are truly mortifying.

One such instance involved a little sister who was around 6 at the time. It was the 90s and at the height of the youth-focused PSAs (think the frying egg representing your brain). One type was a safety PSA about stranger danger. The speaker would remind the children that if a stranger tried to take you anywhere to yell “Stop, you're not my mommy/daddy" to raise the alarm.

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