High school or middle school are both really weird times for kids.
They're going through EVERYTHING and hormones are crazy and it's all just a lot for them to take in. So people end up in situations that are less than ideal.
And then of course, to make everything worse, people talk behind each others' backs. And then teachers hear it?
Yikes.
u/TripleAReddit asked:
Teachers of Reddit, what's the weirdest rumour you've heard about a student?
Here were some of those weirdo rumors.
Oh Yikes When It's TRUE Though
Giphy
There was this rumor that this senior girl in my high school was dating one of the science teachers. She hung around his office and after class a lot, but it seemingly was nothing. Just kids making up dumb sh*t for whatever reasons they do. He was a beloved teacher, and she was pretty low key, but a cool girl none the less. Figured some douche got a bad grade or had it out for the guy somehow, nothing ever came of it.
Curve ball, a few months after she graduated he divorced his wife, left his family, and went public on facebook that he was dating this 18 year old girl. He was probably in his mid forties. Did NOT see that coming.
Totally Understandable Cravings
Heard a rumor kids were doing drugs in the bathroom. I worked at an inner city school and coke really wasn't a big problem- pot was their choice. I walked out of my class during planning period to find a girl walking out of the bathroom with white powder on her nose. I asked her about it and she responded with "its powdered donuts, Mrs. K! I swear! I'm pregnant and it's all I want to eat. But everyone thinks I'm doing drugs." She then pulled out two empty bags of powdered donuts. We got her connected to some pregnancy help.
Why Are Kids This Astute
Former band director here.
We had a color guard girl who COULD. NOT. catch any time she tossed her flag. The kids made up a rumor that she had a glass eye and that was why she couldn't catch anything.
Two years later, the girl was about to graduate and came into our office to talk to the staff. She had never told a soul, but her left eye had been glass for years. She lost it in a car accident before moving into our district. You couldn't tell by just looking at her.
Turns out, the made-up rumor was 100% spot-on.
God Help The Mister Who Comes Between Me And My Sister
Two students (fraternal twins) arrive at the school age 15. One looked older than the other, but that happens. Then the rumour comes out that they are not twins, but sisters. I tell the Behaviour Support workers, who look into it: turns out, one of the sisters is 22 years old. Parents lied about her age to get her into the school and therefore stay in the country. Whoops.
I Am The Rumor
Back in October, me and a similar-looking teacher kept getting mixed up by our kids (7th grade). We started a rumor by giving little hints that we were half-brothers. Nothing super obvious, but just enough to get them thinking.
We've been pouring it on a lot more recently though. Hopefully we can get a photo with "our" (my) dad over spring break right before... April Fools Day
The Gays Don't Deserve This
Okay A girl who lied on social media about having an affair with a teacher, she recanted later when it was revealed he was gay. First she claimed to have been hacked. Then she said it never happened to her but to another girl she was protecting. Full police investigation later and she admitted to doing it because she felt she needed support from her peers.
One student was rumored to be a Satanist witch who was scared to God's holy light, since she wore modest clothing and used an umbrella in full sun. She had vitiligo and was undergoing a steroid therapy that made her extremely sensitively sun light.
Colleague married a "much younger woman" who was rumored to be his student. She was neither, the woman they saw him with was his daughter.
Life Paths Amirite
My mom's a teacher and I went to high school where she taught. She had a student who I was also friends with. I ended up hanging out with him again after a few years and after some drinks he told me he was in a couple pornos right after he graduated. My mom couldn't f*cking believe it when I told her because he was, and still is, a really polite, quirky, socially awkward kid. He refuses to tell me his porn name tho, which I'm bummed about.
He Played On White People Not Knowing African Geography
A new transfer student enlisted the help of all of his existing friends in the school to spread the rumor that his REAL name was "Mbaku" and he was born in "Wakanda, Africa" to all the teachers, while speaking in a really shoddy Nigerian accent (we're in the American Northeast). I was hired halfway through the year and by then it was just assumed that it was true and no one had corrected it. He was brought up in a teacher's meeting and I was just like "Wait.... Mbaku? From... from the fictional continent of Wakanda?". And no one says anything. Dead room. I press on. "... Black Panther? The Movie? Guys?". And suddenly the Social Studies teacher stands up and slams his fist on the table, point at the Vice Principal, and just yells "I G*DDAMN TOLD YOU!".
Good times, good times.
Not Today, Satan
I had a really weird student who was asking all kinds of odd, personal questions, and texted me at odd hours (I never responded). Talked to another teacher who had the same student previously, and she told me that student had a really unnatural sleep cycle because, and I quote, the student was an "avid worshipper of satan". The student was on standby for spontaneous worship at all hours of the day.
The student actually told me about it later on. Nothing threatening, just very matter-of-factly. Confirmed the whole thing and hinted about being part of a large group, and hinted at there being "many ways" one must be ready to serve. Didn't get any clarification, so it might just have been to mess with me.
Not my worst student, but... odd.
So They Say It's Your "One Year Closer To Death" Day
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Heard a rumor that a kid was crying because it was his birthday. Went to check it out, and guess what, the rumor was true. Asked him why he was crying it was his birthday and, I am now quoting, "I hate the attention. Like, who cares, you're another year older. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WHILE THEY ARE SINGING?!" I sat there just nodding my head and said "You know what, I can't fault you for that one, dude. I feel ya."
I once had a guy ask me if I was willing to follow him into the woods, depending on the price of the meal.
Yeah. No steak is worth that.
Plans After...
Wait What Wtf GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphy"Thanks for the ride but I have a date with someone else, I figured you wouldn't drive me if you knew I was going on a date with someone else and I really needed a ride."
"Online dating, talked to her for a while, finally got the courage to ask her out and then she said that as we got there."
iareyours
Mirror Image
“'You look just like my wife!'”
catalinachild
"I did have a guy tell me I reminded him of his son. I don’t believe English has a word to adequately describe my feelings at that time."
UnicornMagicRainbow
"That would definitely do it."
chaotica78
Third Wheel
"'Hope you don't mind if my mother joins us.'"
ofsquire
"Actually had a girl do this on a first date because she had anxiety issues. Honestly wasn’t bad except that 90% of the time she was silent and her mom talked over her."
"I didn’t mind that much and wouldn’t have minded trying again when she was more comfortable except that she was let go at the company we worked at and she deleted her social media profiles and she never responded on her number. Ah well."
Seightx
Liar
Lying Simon Rex GIF by Simon Rex / Dirt NastyGiphy"'Hey bro aren't you gay? I made out with you last night.'"
"Random dude I've never seen before in front of my (f) date."
JHXC16
Was he lying though?
Filter Issues
"'You looked better on Tinder.'"
waqasnaseem07
"Isn’t it basic knowledge that everybody looks slightly worse than the worst picture you can find?"
no_user_ID_found
The Past
"'My ex used to do that too.'"
xxIvyOF
"Yep. I’ve definitely had two otherwise-decent-guy date-situations sour because the ex-comparisons just would not stop flowing. No woman wants to be seen as interchangeable—I’m not here to perfectly fill that ex-sized hole in your life. Focusing on the present moment and a future we could build together is a courtesy we need to grant each other in earliest dates of dating."
LarkScarlett
Powerless
"'I'm an alpha, you cant handle my top energy.'"
Midnightgay28
"I actually left a dude in the middle of dinner, in part, for saying this. I ordered an Uber under the table while pretending to listen to him. Went to the bathroom, and never came back. That was when I was young. Now I’d just say, 'How about we enjoy this meal in silence, before we head our separate ways.'”
UnicornMagicRainbow
Mommy...
"'Mother says I should be back by 9.'"
"Saying 'mother says' just feels weird."
bunnyrut
"That gives me Norman Bates vibes."
Werewolf_lover20
"'Mother says alligators are aggressive because they have an overabundance of teeth, but lack a toothbrush.'"
sodaextraiceplease
Obvs...
just kidding jk GIFGiphy"'If you were going to be murdered, what method would you prefer. Purely hypothetical. Obvs.'"
Specific_Tap7296
If it looks anything like a Dateline NBC episode... RUN!
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Or so you would think.
Do people still knit to pass the time? Are people actively collecting stamps?
It depends on who's asking.
Curious to hear about hobby trends, Redditor gizehgizeh asked:
"What are once popular hobbies that are slowly dying these days?"
Before we've become conditioned to living on our phones, these activities used to keep people occupied.
Before Texting, There Was This
"Letter writing."
– littlekingMT
Literal And Tangible Joy
"Well the internet killed pen pals for sure. I do remember I had a Japanese girl for a penpal maybe back in 2007 or so. I honestly don't remember how it started, pretty sure some website, but that was a fun experience. But now I can just straight up talk to foreign people real time, lol. But yea getting a physical letter that someone took the time to write and mail still is hard to beat feelings wise."
– skyburnsred
Model Trains
"When I was growing up, every town had a model train store in it. Now I have one in region and everything else has to be bought online."
– Hairy_Effective1172
Pretty Rocks
"Don’t see anyone playing marbles anymore, I had an awesome collection in school."
– sheeple85
"I had some marbles as a kid in the 90s. My grandma got them for me and I had no idea what I was supposed to do with them. I always imagined them as a thing kids in the 40s played with."
– Ryoukugan
People Were Moving Canvases
"Paintball has been dying a slow death since 2006. Sad, really."
– hobo_recycler
Before the general population began hating clutter, collecting was once a "thing."
Precious Coins
"Coin collecting... I'm a silver/gold nut and I'm always hunting for precious metal coins. whenever I go into a shop they get all excited because 'no one under 70 collects coins anymore.'"
– ThatFishySmell99
Post It
"Stamp collecting."
– spooky_scully_mulder
"Collecting in general, really. Of course there are still prominent collectors but it's slipped more into enthusiast and niche territory than being a popular hobby that you might expect anyone to have."
– iuytrefdgh436yujhe2
What A Gem
"Rockhounding was immensely popular back in the 1950's and 1960's. Personally, I think it's a fascinating and fulfilling hobby, but when I go to a meeting at a rock and gem club, I'm usually the youngest one in the room by several decades."
– filthy_lucre
People once enjoyed making things.
Admiring The View
"Stained glass. I learned how to make it from my old man, and my junior high art class teacher also taught it. Very few artisans are still around."
– brobeanzhitler
Metal Vocation
"Black smithing."
– kenworth117
"I bought a forge to try. It’s insanely hard work, and crazy expensive. I still haven’t finished a piece."
– DSentvalue
Scrapbooking
"Yeah. I'm watching the arts and crafts stores around me completely uninstalling their racks for specialty paper. Now the only thing they have is mega packs of repeating colors/images. To boot all the inclusions like papercraft/die-cut things, washi tape, scissors, stickers, etc have gotten so expensive I would rather go buy $5 bags at value village to get an assortment of things versus buying anything new. I really, really miss yard sales for the same reasons."
– Phantasmai
I envy people who have jobs that are basically their hobbies.
Not everyone gets paid doing what they actually enjoy and have a profound level of passion for.
If they do, kudos to them.
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While the process could take time, some people make our jobs much easier after spotting instant red flags.
Curious to hear about our general radar of people, Redditor xxFluffie asked:
"What is something that makes you immediately dislike someone?"
Some people just think they are absolutely hilarious and never realize they're the only ones laughing.
Next In Line
"They laugh about having screwed someone else over. If you think you're not next, well, you'll learn."
– whiznat
Unfunny
"when you mention you don't like a thing and they immediately do that thing 'as a joke.'"
– wayfinder
Playing Devil's Advocate
"Kneejerk contrarians. People who, no matter what you say you like or believe, just have to dismiss it and say they like or think the opposite."
– BubbhaJebus
People who put others down get slammed here.
Bad Parents
"When they treat their kids sh**ty in public. I don't mean handling tantrums, setting a rule, having to hurry to the train etc. I mean perfectly normal-behaved kids getting in trouble for trailing along peacefully, looking at things, asking questions etc."
"If you don't like tiny humans who learn the world, why have them??"
– raxeira-etterath
Public Humiliation
"Treating people sh**ty in public for laughs. Like being rude to service workers because they think it’s funny. Big red flag."
– Ok_Personality_1080
Simply Uncalled For
"Someone who is a d*ck to other people or animals for no reason."
– xebt1000
Those with ulterior motives rubs people the wrong way.
The Scheme
"If they try to get me to join their MLM scheme."
– spazmcgee1
Hard Sell
"A guy I used to be friends with in high school reached out a couple of years after graduating about a business opportunity he wanted my opinion on because 'you've always been smart', then he set up a Skype call and brought some other dude into the call and they started trying to sell me on what was clearly an MLM scheme. The guy went from friend to 'I'm never talking to you again' in a matter of 10 minutes."
– Mental-Afternoon-164
A Timeline
"Good gawd, this! I've had more than one exposure to this abject bullsh**tery..."
- Back in the late 80's/early 90's I was invited to a meeting of literally the OG "Pyramid" where you're recruited to pay in, and then you go out and recruit others to pay in, and the last in line got f'kall.
- In 1995 I had a coworker try to reel me into Amway, which was a hard no.
- In 2000 it was Pampered Chef, though to be fair they did have useful products.
- In 2009 a coworker tried to get me into some stupid video calling service that was obviously stupid from the description. He even got offended when I called bullsh*t.
– Mystical_Cat
Too much ego is a no-go.
I Can Do Better
"Being a b*tch just to stroke their own ego."
"We get it, you can lift 5lbs more than the 12 year old, you don't have to rub it in their face just because you're slightly better"
– Livia_Pivia
Can't Top This
"Oh, you did <story that's been told>? That's nothing! I did <implausible story>.
"I get the whole empathy through relating common experience, and I'm someone who does that (which drives some people crazy on its own), but there's a big different by empathising through common experience, and one-upmanship."
– Tisarwat
Lacking Conversational Etiquette
"Starting to talk over me when I was already talking."
"Stop it you rude, arrogant jerk."
– R33Gtst
If one or more of these traits sound familiar to you, you're not alone.
We don't have time for braggadocios, pyramid-schemers, and conversation interrupters.
And that's just for starters.
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Pleading to deaf ears...
"My dad told me he had hearing loss and couldn't hear me if I whined because my pitch would get too high."
"Would completely ignore me until I asked him questions in a normal voice."
"Trusted him implicitly until I was 12 and he yelled at my younger brother for whining."- Tyrion_Stark.
Get it while you can.
"That they took everything off the shelves when the supermarket closed."- fgyfddg.
venezuela empty shelves GIF by euronewsGiphySilly superstitions.
"My grandfather used to tell me that if I played with the fire, I'd pee the bed."
"I believed him for a while, until I got older."
"I think he was just trying to protect me from the fire."- teddypa1981.
"Rain, rain go away..."
"That if it was raining where I was, it was raining everywhere in the world."- morningshartz.
Age is just a number.
"My parents used to seem really old to me, so much so I believed they grew up like cave people as children, wearing giant leaves for clothes and what not."- Laleena_.
Hammer Floor GIF by VPROGiphySo that's how they're made!
"That smokestacks from the power plant created clouds."- Scaniarix.
An instant cure.
"The sun gives you sunburns, therefore, moonlight should heal them."- velocipeter.
Better safe than sorry.
"Don't drink and drive meant all drinks."
"My dad was super confused when I told him he wasn't allowed to have any soda until we got home."- hulagirlslovetoparty.
Don't believe everything you see on TV.
"There was an episode of Mickey Mouse where Mickey couldn’t reach something at first, so he tried again and somehow his arm was long enough to reach it."
"As a small kid I believed that if I couldn’t reach something, I should just try reaching for it again and my arm would then somehow be long enough to reach it."- That-Dutch-Person.
love him one piece GIFGiphyThe miracle of childbirth.
"That babies are pooped out."
"When I was like 7 I was listening to my aunt as she explained that childbirth was pretty intense and painful for her, and I was all solemnly like, 'yeah, sometimes just my poops are painful, I don’t think I could get a baby out' and she went 'um, WHAT?' and her reaction made me realize real quick that I had f*cked up somewhere and I tried to change the subject while my mind was just reeling lol."- thesoundingfurrows.
Oh to be a child again.
And to believe literally everything you're told.
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