Teaching isn’t always finger painting and snack time. We all know that kids are generally pretty weird, but others can be downright creepy. These unfortunate teachers had their hands full with some of the most disturbing and nightmarish cases around. One thing's for sure: Teaching is not for the faint of heart.
1. How Do You Not Notice?
My mom is a middle school teacher and she has some pretty wild tales, but this one is downright chilling. During a routine class seating change, an introverted girl unexpectedly lunged at a boy's back with scissors, without any apparent reason.
The impact was strong enough to cause lung damage, and incredibly, the boy didn't realize it. It was only about 10 to 15 minutes later when he asked to visit the restroom that another teacher noticed his blood-soaked shirt. Once they discovered what had happened and who was responsible, the authorities were called and the girl was sent to a juvenile center.
At the end of that day, my mom discussed this incident with the principal and they were both deeply disturbed by the girl's behavior. While interacting with the officers, the girl showed no guilt. She casually nodded throughout the conversation, with no excuses or justifications offered for her awful action.
When informed that she would be moved to a juvenile center, her reaction was unnerving—a total blank. She just kept staring ahead. There was no history of enmity between the two kids, they weren't even friends. The boy, as my mom recalled, was an innocent soul with a fondness for hanging out with his close-knit group of friends and playing Pokémon.
The girl's act was entirely out of the blue.
2. Essay Or Manifesto?
Once, I had a student submit a personal narrative essay—and it was really scary and uncomfortable to read. The assignment was about a learning experience. The essay began with the student sharing his feelings of loneliness and alienation in school, but it soon took a turn to him sharing his infatuations with his female teachers.
He confessed feeling overly protective of them and being envious when other boys spoke to them. But the most shocking part was when he said his greatest wish was to cut off his male peers' faces and wear them as disguises. Reading that gave me the creeps like never before.
I discussed this issue with my dean, and we involved the guidance and counseling department, reading out parts of the essay to them. They assured us they would manage the situation. The student was removed from my class, and a security officer was placed at my classroom entrance for the next two days, just in case the student returned. Here's where it gets weird.
The following academic year, a student revealed to me that her boyfriend was in my class the previous year and he liked the class. When I asked his name, it turned out to be the student who'd written that creepy essay. I wanted to share the details with her, but privacy laws stopped me from doing so.
3. Maybe That’s The Launch Sequence
I used to be a teaching assistant. We planned a day for launching homemade miniature rockets, a project designed for our 5th graders. The whole activity took place in the school cafeteria, where I would roam around to offer assistance to any student who might need it. Amid the chaos, a little girl from my class hailed me over.
By then, almost everyone was nearly finished with their rockets. I approached her and cheerfully asked, "What's going on?" Her response left me utterly baffled. She gazed at me intently, and then, rather bizarrely, she slowly ran her tongue along the side of the rocket, much like a suggestive lick.
I had never experienced a more awkward situation until that moment.
4. One Man’s Trash…
A few years back, I was teaching a 7th grade class with a student who was a touch... eccentric. Not "dangerous" eccentric, but "keeps a collection of his old hair clippings and a snap of my mom's attractive friend" type of eccentric. Let's call him Carmine.
One day, Carmine shows up to school sounding distinctly under the weather, with a blocked nose that was not clearing up anytime soon. Every five seconds, he's snorting, using his tissues like they're going out of style. Each one filled to the brim.
On this day, during independent reading time in my class, I look around to find Carmine—hunched over his book, sitting sideways in his chair, blasting his nose into a tissue with all his might. I thought to myself, poor child, he ought to be at home resting. Nothing could have prepared me for what I witnessed next.
Carmine stealthily opens the drenched tissue, glances around the room covertly, and proceeds to give the contents a hearty lick. And then another. Maintaining my composure, I walked up to him and said, "Carmine, please dispose of that".
The expression on his face was anything but shame. It was more of the possessive, defiant look my dog puts on when I approach him while he's chewing on a bone. A look saying THIS IS MINE, AND YOU'RE NOT TAKING IT FROM ME. Trust me Carmine, I had no intention of doing so.
5. An Argument For Buzz Cuts
Back when I was a preschool teacher, I used to hold group sessions that included singing and reading aloud while the children sat on the floor. Once, a little girl had to step away to blow her nose. On her way back to her spot, she walked through the crowded floor and latched onto another girl's hair, a quieter girl, and just kept on walking.
My assistant and I first figured it might've been an accident, but NOPE. That’s not all, she actually crouched a bit and gave a strong yank, causing the quiet girl with the long hair to scream. This tough girl showed absolutely no regret for her actions, which made her rather unpredictable.
She would look at you, but it was like she was looking through you. Needless to say, that year was quite a stressful one.
6. A Lack Of Social Skills
I used to work in a nursery where there was a little girl that I spent one-on-one time with due to her severe attachment disorder. It wasn't officially diagnosed at the time but the limited resources and training at the nursery left us ill-equipped to support her.
Despite being only three years old, she struggled with speech, didn't understand how to cry, and was the most aggressive child I had ever met. Her strength was exceptional, a result of her difficult early years (children who've experienced mistreatment are often stronger due to constant fight or flight reactions, causing consistent adrenaline surges).
She had already been taken away from an awful household and was living with her grandparents, who were heavy drinkers. I witnessed her physically hurting other children, shouting rude words, and more. What was extremely unsettling was her tendency to bite other children, particularly infants, on their faces.
During outdoor play, we had to keep a close eye on her, specifically when infants were around. One minute, she'd beautifully play on her own in a corner, then the moment you'd turn around—BOOM—she would race across the playground to lunge at an infant.
Before I joined, one of her victims ended up in hospital and several similar incidents happened while I was working there. However, after spending a few months with her, giving her care, patience, and love, we saw improvement. She began to cry, to express love and frustration, and ultimately, her biting habits lessened.
It was an intense and emotionally taxing job, but the progress made it worth every second. Leaving her was heart-wrenching.
7. Regret Was Felt That Day
Here's a wild story. We once had a pair of siblings who were adopted at birth from Russia. These two could be quite the handful. Needless to say, we often had challenging times, especially since one seemed to show alarming signs of antisocial behavior. For Christmas, they received a camera—supposed to be a fun gift—and they were really enthusiastic about it.
Considering their family wasn't exactly rolling in wealth, a cool gift like a camera was something exceptional for them. I was glad to see them genuinely enjoy their present. However, they ended up bringing it to school and showed their fellow classmates the pictures they took with it. That led to a significant issue because bringing cameras to school was against the rules.
Getting them cameras turned out to be a mistake. Stranger still were the pictures they took—they were some of the most regrettable images I ever had the misfortune to see. It mainly involved them snapping pictures of each other in inappropriate poses. They even discussed their unusual photoshoot and mentioned that they arranged it when their parents weren't around.
8. Honesty Saves Lives
At the first school where I taught, a girl approached me one day and told me, "Robert has a blade". So I quietly pulled Robert aside for a chat in the hallway. He denied having one but admitted to possessing a box cutter. When I asked why, he said, "Because I'm fed up with Chris".
Though Chris could be a bit of a teacher's pet and occasionally irritating, he wasn't genuinely unpleasant or hurtful to other children. I asked Robert about his plans for Chris. His response was, "I'm going to get him in the bathroom".
Usually, I'd guide the class to the restroom post-lunch, but that particular day, their noisy hallway behavior made me skip it. I escorted Robert to the office and, after recounting the incident, the principal gave him a stern reprimand. She then phoned Robert's mother, and he received another scolding, this time over the phone.
Here's the surprising part. Robert knew he was in significant trouble and understood his plans were wrong. He just seemed indifferent about it. Not in a fake, tough guy sort of way, he truly seemed unbothered. I'm hesitant to speculate about a child's future, but Robert indeed unnerves me. For the record, Robert was only eight years old at the time.
9. Begging Babies
Last year, I spent a year educating a group of 3rd graders, who were about nine years old. A few days before summer break, I asked each student about their upcoming summer plans. One girl announced excitedly that she was going to Germany with her family.
Curious, I asked about her plans in Germany. She said that she would be asking people if they had a euro. Bewildered, I asked for clarification—and her reply floored me. She then sat on the floor with a sad expression, extended her hand towards me, and said, "See, like this. Please miss, could you spare a euro? I'm hungry". She didn't seem to find anything wrong with this.
I didn't think she fully grasped what she was mimicking, and it strongly concerned me. So, I shared this with the other school staff. That's when I learned the unsettling truth. Even though her family wasn't poor, her parents were using their summer trips to Germany to make their daughters beg for money on the streets.
Not long after, the girl and her sister disappeared from school, and I'm unsure what happened to them since I'm no longer working there.
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10. The Epitome of Determination
My wife and I used to teach at the same high school, and had several students in common. One student in particular showed drastically different behavior in our respective classes. He was comfortable with both the subject and me in my math class, even displaying a calm and respectful demeanor.
However, his disposition underwent a complete transformation in her English class, which he absolutely disliked. His loathing for her class compelled him to attempt escaping it numerous times. Indeed, during a single week before ultimately being expelled, he staged a few memorable stunts.
He once deliberately fell down a staircase, claiming paralysis to evade English class, only to be sent back after the nurse confirmed he was perfectly fine. Another time, he even soiled his own pants in the class, managing to secure an early end to his school day.
Despite the escalating antics, school resumed for him the next day. Yet, he made one final attempt at liberation during English class, performing an indecent act at his desk. This resulted in his immediate removal from the class and expulsion from the school shortly thereafter.
His later schooling continued at a juvenile detention center.
11. A Smelly Secret
When I used to teach at a middle school, the building was originally a high school. This meant there were a lot of unused spaces that really only served as storage. One such space was the old wrestling room, mostly filled with gym equipment.
At some point, a foul odor started to creep out of the room. Initially, it didn't catch much attention, but as it grew stronger, people couldn't ignore it. Thus, an investigation ensued... They discovered something truly disgusting beneath a pile of equipment: a half-filled box of human waste.
The school staff decided not to interfere right away but observe. Eventually, they spotted a student sneakily leaving the lunchroom and heading into the wrestling room daily. When they realized he was to blame for the unpleasant surprise, his parents were notified.
Evidently, he found the situation amusing, which is why he did it. Ironically, the school told his parents to take the box home with them.
12. Exercise Isn’t Always The Answer
I used to run a physical education class for five-year-olds. I'll never forget this one child who was brought along by his pal from kindergarten. His friend's mom would constantly apologize to me, admitting that she wouldn't have invited him had she known about his behavior.
I even had to clear the gym of other kids on more than one occasion because of him. This little three-year-old, he had a wild energy. He'd dart around the gym, shouting out harsh words and trying to either punch, kick, or headbutt the other kids. What could trigger him was unpredictable.
For instance, if you asked him to kick a ball, he was just as likely to kick a fellow student instead. There was an instance where he turned so violent—I couldn't separate him from the rest of the children. In such cases, I had to resort to a "firm cuddle technique," something they certainly don't teach teachers these days.
I would get on my knees behind him, gently restraining him by wrapping my arms around his arms and chest. This way, the only part he could move was his head, and he'd try relentlessly to smash the back of his head into my face. But the laughter was truly the most distressing part.
He usually had a vacant look on his face, but when he'd try to harm someone, that changed. He'd burst into high-pitched laughter, wearing the widest, eeriest grin I've ever seen. I only had him in my class for ten sessions on a weekly basis, but trust me, I will never forget that kid.
13. A Moment Of Clarity
I used to have a job at a school for children with special needs. I worked closely with a wonderful young child with autism, who frequently exhibited repetitive verbal and physical behaviors, like saying unrelated words or sentences, flapping her arms, and so on.
One day, while she was deep in one of her elaborate routines, speaking softly and seeming lost in her own world, she did something unexpected. She stopped, turned to look me in the eyes (which she rarely did), and said in the clearest voice I've ever heard from her, "Welcome to my world". I was taken aback.
Before I could react, she resumed her routine.
14. Jesus Preached Love
I often talk about this incident as it happened on my first-ever day of teaching: A boy in my class dramatically scratched a girl's name into his own leg, causing blood to spill everywhere. Just a month afterwards, the same student somehow managed to swipe my wallet.
Surprisingly, he caught up with me in the school hallway after lessons to return it. But the real shock came next. As he handed me back my wallet, he coolly pointed out how easily he could harm or take advantage of me, considering he'd taken something valuable without me even noticing.
I never reported him for this, but soon enough his parents decided to withdraw him from our school. They thought that we were too liberal and were corrupting their pious son's mind. However, I would definitely say that we were not the root of the problem.
15. Sick To My Stomach
Back when I was a preschool teacher, there were these two three-year-old kids in my class, a boy and a girl. The boy had a bit of a reputation as a class clown because he always seemed to be making trouble. His parents didn't seem too worried, mostly because his misbehavior was generally directed at us teachers. But one day, things took a turn.
The girl was under the weather one day, and we were sending her home early. While we were waiting for her parents to arrive, she was sitting next to me, crying, because she was feeling lousy. The boy noticed her crying and came over to ask what was wrong.
I told him that her stomach was upset, he looked at her for a second, and then suddenly, he kicked her hard in the stomach. Her screams intensified and her tears flowed more freely. Naturally, I tried to comfort her while the boy started to laugh.
A proud grin was plastered on his face, and I honestly think that he thought he had done something clever. It almost escalated further—he looked like he was about to kick her again—but luckily, another teacher managed to hold him back. But, unfortunately, this was only the beginning.
He started turning his aggressive behavior toward other students. It always seemed to be his nature, and I'm worried that he might truly harm someone one day. It's quite jarring to see a lack of remorse in a kid so young. I've never witnessed it before, and it's very frightening.
16. The Creepiest Smile
A few years back, I began teaching second graders, around seven years old. One of my students had a particularly challenging personality. He was physically smaller and seemed to lack empathy. I rarely observed any joy in his social interactions unless there was direct personal gain. His mental development also seemed slightly behind.
One incident that’s etched in my mind happened during a quiet math session. All students were engrossed in their work. As I was assisting one student, I noticed the challenging student rise from his chair and approach another classmate, who was typically very kind. He took the other child's ruler, held his gaze for a moment, then snapped it in half with a smile.
As he returned to his seat, still smiling, the other student began crying silently. Although this may seem insignificant, it was at that moment I recognized the seriousness of the challenging student's situation. It took me quite some time to shake off the haunting memory of his peculiar smile.
17. A Slimy Obsession
We've got a little pond at school where kids can spot a variety of creatures. One youngster really loved a frog, always grabbing every chance to pick it up and pet it. Sadly, after a few weeks, the kid damaged one of the frog's legs, claiming it was "so the frog would need his help to live". It goes without saying, we ended up calling a couple of agencies.
18. He’s Seeing Things
Right after school, while I was training a sports team, a student from another team started yelling loudly in the gym. We hurried over to see what was going on, and we found him standing with his hands in the air and his eyes rolled back, shouting at the ceiling. The other coaches and I rushed to help him.
As soon as I reached him, I helped him sit down and noticed he was trembling. I put my arm around him, trying to bring him back to reality, while others called everyone, particularly the nurse. Suddenly, he stopped yelling, his eyes looked normal again, and he turned to me, visibly shaking and said something I'll never forget, "I just saw Satan".
He then immediately lapsed back into his disturbed state. That was the most intense, adrenaline-pumping, terrifying experience I've ever had. I've never seen anyone appear as if they were possessed, like the kind of thing you see in films. Eventually, he was taken to the emergency room in an ambulance.
Later, we found out that his parents had altered his medication without informing the school he was medicated. The poor kid had an extreme adverse reaction. That day still gives me the creeps when I recall it.
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19. I Prefer The Lights On
Back in college, I spent a few years working as a Preschool Teacher's Assistant. There's this one memory that, while not exactly creepy, still gives me goosebumps when I think about it. Picture this; I was on the floor with a bunch of kids, helping them construct a block castle, when this one child flashes me a cheeky smile and races off.
This child scurries onto the toy chest, reaches out, and plunges the room into darkness. All of a sudden, every kid around me goes silent, and they all look terrified. Then, from the play tent next to me, a child emerges, gazes straight into my eyes, and says in an eerily deep voice, "It's dark. The lions are coming".
The lights flick back on and the kid shoots me a smile before scampering off. I was left trembling, utterly bewildered by his strange remark. I've wondered if perhaps his parents used that phrase to keep him in bed after sundown or if maybe, just maybe, I'd experienced a real-life The Exorcist moment. But whatever it was, it rattles me to this day.
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20. Is This A Zoo Or A School?
A while ago, my mom decided to go back to teaching because a local school needed some extra support. Her choice was mostly influenced by feeling idle and already missing this profession, which she carried out when I was a child. She particularly enjoyed assisting the Pre-K/Kindergarten classrooms.
However, a regrettable incident occurred on one fateful day that made her rethink her decision. A student used the restroom and unfortunately, handled his waste in an unsanitary way, similar to a chimpanzee. Afterwards, he smeared it on the restroom walls.
This messy situation required a professional cleaning team to sanitize the area. After that, she noped right outta there.
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21. There Has To Be An Easier Way
As a high school math teacher, I once had a student who consistently tried to skip class, a behavior her parents seemed to constantly excuse. One day while I was assisting another student at my desk, she asked me if she could go to the nurse—a frequent question of hers.
Momentarily preoccupied, I asked her to sit down and promised to attend to her shortly. When class commenced, which was less than five minutes later, I remembered her request. As I turned to hand her a hall pass, I was shocked to see her eye incredibly red and watery. She took the pass and left the room.
Another student came to me as soon as she left. She revealed that in the previous class she had seen this girl intentionally put an unused, straight staple into her eye. To confirm my disbelief, the nurse called and this event did give the girl what she apparently wanted—several days off school.
22. It’s Always The Quiet Ones
A long time ago, when I initially moved to my now-home, Spain, I worked as an English tutor at a summer camp. The children stayed with us for the entire month of August. Most were your average kids, but one stood out. First off, he was noticeably shorter than his peers.
He wore dirty clothes, and his only possessions were stuffed inside a plastic shopping bag. Remember, the camp lasted a month, and most kids brought large suitcases. It seemed like his parents had merely dropped him off at our doorstep, which was heartbreaking to see.
We divided the kids into groups, rotated the groups we taught each day, and focused on enhancing their English skills. However, this particular boy wasn't interested, no matter who was teaching—though some kids had a preferred instructor.
He'd wander away during class, usually held outside under trees, kicking at the dirt and mostly ignoring us. One day, during lunch break, loud voices echoed from outside. We rushed out to find our boy in a heated disagreement with the camp's biggest kid.
The large kid was screaming at him, but he just stared back, silently. Then, suddenly and without warning, he grabbed the bigger kid's finger. With a blank look on his face, he twisted it backward.
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23. A Warm Wind Blows
While filling in for a 5th-grade class, we played a game known as "A Warm Wind Blows," which is essentially a blend of Simon Says and musical chairs. A pupil would declare "a warm wind blows for anyone who (insert topic, such as owns a dog or enjoys playing football)," prompting those the statement applied to scramble for a chair.
In the final round, one of the kids announced, without even cracking a smile, "A warm wind blows for anyone who has menacing thoughts". This comment, pretty abruptly, put a dampener on the atmosphere, leaving the other kids looking simultaneously bewildered and distressed.
I stopped the game on the spot and guided him to the school counselor. Since then, I got transferred to a middle school, so I haven't seen him. Here's hoping he's doing alright.
24. Safety First
I had to shepherd my group of third graders to art class, where I was simply meant to watch from the sidelines while they dabbled with colors and brushes. Afterward, it was my responsibility to lead them back to their regular classroom.
Upon arriving at the art room, the art teacher excused herself for a bathroom break, leaving me to get the kids settled in. A simple task, I thought. Wrong.
As the children found their seats, one boy, Albert, called out "Look!" while bending down to retrieve something from the floor—a pair of safety scissors. My immediate reaction was, "Oh no! Scissors aren't for them!" But then, I reminded myself they were just harmless plastic safety scissors. Little did I know that my horror was just about to start.
Albert decided to use these dull, flimsy scissors to mimic jabbing himself in the neck. When the first attempt didn't puncture, he began making a sawing motion, all while letting out a loud scream. Caught off guard, I froze momentarily, then spotted the art teacher returning, and quickly alerted her to the situation.
She rushed in, gave Albert a quick tap on the head, snatched the scissors away and sternly reminded him they had discussed this issue before. To my surprise, Albert immediately calmed down and the incident passed unnoticed by the other students as if it wasn't anything remarkable.
25. A Bad Feeling
Around five years ago, I was teaching Freshman English, and one of my repeatedly disruptive students interrupted yet again while I was outlining an assignment. I warned him, saying, "Look, this is the umpteenth time you've talked out of turn today. If you can't control yourself, I'm going to have to give you detention". His response truly scared me.
He simply stared at me and said, "Miss, you know I could get you, don't you? I won't spell out what I'd do to you, as that could land me in hot water. But you're clear I could get you, right?" I brushed it off at the moment and sent him to the principal's office.
Later that day, however, I confided in my principal, expressing I was uneasy with this student remaining in my class. There was something deeply unnerving about him that I struggled to put into words. This wasn't the first disturbing comment he'd made, and I genuinely felt in danger.
26. Sharing Is Not Always Caring
I spent a year teaching first grade. There was a difficult little girl in my class, let's refer to her as A. A became friends with a sweet girl named C. C was severely allergic to peanuts, and A was aware of this. One day, A sneakily tried to give C a peanut-filled candy bar. Luckily, I intercepted it.
I took A aside for a discussion. I explained to her that C was allergic to peanuts, and she confirmed she was aware. I pointed out that her candy bar contained peanuts. She knew that too. I told her just how sick C could get if she ate that candy—it could even be fatal. When A responded with a mere "So?", I was left speechless.
At that point, I decided to involve the principal. Eventually, A was expelled from school.
27. Ah, Young Love
I had to duck out of class for a quick phone call about one of my students. I opted to talk outside to keep the conversation private. This all happened when I was teaching at a middle school. Today, I'm a high school teacher. I thought switching schools would be a big transition, but things have remained pretty similar, apart from certain unique incidents in my middle school days.
Right, so I'm out of the classroom and the students start chatting. I don't mind—they are kids, after all. But surprisingly, halfway through my call, everything goes completely quiet. Finally, when I get back to the room, I encounter a baffling situation: One kid is sitting on my desk, stapler pressed against his head.
He's insisting that if his girlfriend, who’s also in the room, doesn't reunite with him, he'll hurt himself right then and there. Maybe it was the naivety of being seventh graders, but she's wholly convinced he's serious. So she starts pleading for him to put the stapler down, apologizing.
Meanwhile, I'm watching the scene unfold. I didn't think he'd actually do it and noticed she was trying her best to calm him down. I held back thinking my intervention could escalate the situation. Eventually, it resolved, but I sent him off to the principal's office.
It only seemed right. I felt his parents should be looped in, plus, concentrating on lessons after this drama wouldn't be easy. As I'm escorting him out, he yells, “Jennifer, I love you!!” and she bursts into tears. Boy, the things hormones make kids do.
28. Hidden Doesn’t Mean Invisible
I saw a boy in class attempting to sneak photos of his female classmates. He was aiming his camera at the girls quite obviously, and it seemed suspicious. When I asked him to hand over his phone, he was noticeably uneasy, but he did as I asked. I decided to pass the phone to his female teacher to respect the dignity of the victims.
I wasn't comfortable viewing any potential images, so I suggested she check not just the obvious folders but also the "hidden" one on his phone. Apparently, this was the right tip because she found the inappropriate photos there. The school then took necessary disciplinary action.
29. She Got What She Asked For
In high school, I had a teacher who was quite young and full of enthusiasm. She loved to push us to think creatively with assignments that were definitely non-traditional. However, some of her prompts were rather unsettling...
I particularly remember one that asked: "If you were to wipe out a whole population group, who would you choose, how would you go about it, and how would you keep it a secret?" To put it mildly, it was pretty crazy. But to be fair, it certainly grabbed the teenagers' attention.
A student, either in my class or another, suggested targeting foster children or wards of the state. His rationale was that people already largely ignored them—otherwise they'd be adopted. He even laid out his plan in detail, which, lamentably, I can't remember. The teacher was genuinely taken aback.
I can't help but think she must have suspected her question might provoke such responses. The situation ended up being so extreme that she had to involve the school counselors and have a meeting about it.
30. The First Cut Is The Deepest
One of the kids in my preschool, who was four, was continuously causing chaos. He somehow always managed to make the day tougher than it should be. Once, a child tripped in the playground. After treating their knee with a cleaning wipe and applying a bandage, the boy who had a knack for causing problems also wanted a bandage.
I gently explained that we only use bandages when there's an injury or something similar. Surprisingly, he walked away and engaged with another teacher. But, after about five minutes, I saw the other teacher escorting him for a bandage. On enquiring, she mentioned she found him rubbing a colored pencil against his arm until it caused a cut...
Certainly, this behavior alarmed us and we flagged it.
31. His Name Is Silence
A while back, I used to teach English as a second language. My classroom was filled with a variety of students: the confident ones, the avid readers, and the quiet types. Among them was this unique fellow named Juan. He was quite the character. He had this slim, unusual build, topped with a head of fluffy ginger hair.
He made a late entrance to class once, whispering a soft hello, before silently gliding to his seat, almost like a specter. Something about his movements was almost otherworldly. As the teacher, I did my best to prevent the other students from mocking his unusual demeanor. Then something happened that startled more than scared me.
One day, while I was deeply engaged in writing on the whiteboard, I felt a presence just as I was turning to write something else. In the blink of an eye, Juan was standing incredibly close to me. I let out a surprised yelp, my hand instinctively going to my chest as though I was an old lady in church, while he softly inquired about going to the restroom.
I spent the entire time he was out trying to recover my composure.
32. Tom’s Not Here
About eight years back, I was overseeing lunchtime at the library when a young lad named Tom, who's about 14, struck up a conversation with me. Out of the blue, in the middle of our chat, his eyelids began twitching and he fell silent. This went on for a bit before he snapped out of it. Then he began speaking with an American accent even though he’s English!
He asked who I was and if I was acquainted with his pal, Tom. Not long after, his eyelids began to flutter again. A few moments later, he resumed our original conversation as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
33. Not So Private Moment
I popped into the restroom near the special education classes hallway. When I stepped in, I noticed a couple of girls from those classes, but no aides in sight. I took a stall and while I was just minding my own business, I glanced up and couldn't help but gasp.
What I saw was one of the special education students, her body pressed tightly against the door, peering through the gap. I was startled and somewhat uneasy but honestly wasn't sure how to react. I wrapped up and as I went to open the door, the girl darted towards the sink.
As I started washing my hands, she came over and stood next to me; towering over me considerably, just gazing at me and breathing rather heavily. It wasn't anything especially unsettling at the time, but the memory of it sure gives me the heebie-jeebies.
34. A Little Too Creative
My sister used to teach English along with history. She had this one student who was deeply into war, but not the fighting and strategic part. He was fascinated by the stories of everyday people who suffered, losing their families and dealing with injury; something along the lines of All Quiet on the Western Front.
He was often found researching the outcomes of various injuries and pondering their survivability. Just a casual hobby for him. But then came his creative writing assignment, which showed a different light on this interest. He wrote a narrative somewhat like an opera.
It centered around a large family living in a war-torn country and their individual experiences. It depicted personal tragedies, like soldiers leaving for the battleground while their loved ones suffered back home. One story was a woman miscarrying and never getting to tell her husband, only to lose him later.
There was another chilling account of someone intentionally injuring himself to avoid conscription, only to end up jobless. Despite all hardships, the family members strive for positivity, often in vain. Adults would often go to bed starving and argue when someone would secretly feed their children.
My sister didn't get to finish the piece, but she was struck by the depth and thoughtfulness the boy had put into the work.
35. Kids Do The Darndest Things
When I was a teenager, I used to teach piano to young children. Although most of the kids were okay and generally well-behaved, there was one girl who definitely did not want to learn piano. No matter what I said, she wasn't interested in practicing and seemed unresponsive.
I casually mentioned that I'd be performing at a local concert over the weekend. During one of her lessons, as I was showing her a piece, she unexpectedly slammed the piano lid onto my fingers. It was wild—one moment she was calm, and the next she was forcefully closing the piano lid.
The piano was an old, heavy upright model so it really hurt. Fortunately, I didn't break any fingers, but it did prevent me from playing at the concert. They had to scramble to find a replacement at the last minute. It seemed like she didn't want me to perform at the concert, though I still don't fully understand why.
I was totally taken aback. Up until then, she'd only been slightly rude and sullen, so I didn't see it coming at all. Needless to say, I didn't go back after that.
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36. That Can’t Have Felt Good
Once upon a time, I used to look after kids in my church's nursery, even though I wasn't a teacher. One story that sticks to me involves a little kid I'll call Dan. Dan was super little, probably just two or three years old. He was an adopted child whose mother used to bring him to church.
I suspect he'd been through a tough time before she got him, which was evident in the way he walked on the sides of his feet, at least until he had surgery to correct it. Dan was different from the other kids; he cried a lot, threw tantrums, often because he had to share something or was asked to stop clambering on chairs. But one day, things took an alarming turn.
I can't recall what triggered it, but Dan got upset and a lady at the nursery told me to give him space, assuring me he'd calm down in a bit. But what happened next shocked me: Dan started banging his head on the ground, crying his eyes out. One of the women reacted immediately, picked him up, and we rushed to get his mom.
That was a terrifying experience, and I felt so heartbroken for him. Thankfully, he's doing so much better these days.
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37. On Another Planet
There was a 4th grade girl who displayed some of the most intense psychological quirks I've ever seen. She was lost in her own imaginative world. The first thing she ever told me was that she stumbled upon a new extraterrestrial species which was a fusion between a cat, an astronaut, and an octopus.
She would worry that her friends had passed if they didn't show up for a day, and would even sketch pictures of their funerals. In another instance, she pretended to call a polar bear using an earmuff and held an extensive pretend chat.
She also believed that she was pregnant with a cat's baby, viewed herself as a century old in 'egg years' but merely 10 in human years after 'hatching,' and the list goes on. Her mother's history of addiction may have contributed to her behavior.
As much as I knew, her mother was clear-headed during our acquaintance, but the truth remains uncertain. She admitted she would confine the girl in her room because she used to turn the stove on while her mother slept. Spending a year with this child made me realize just how grounded I was.
38. No Such Thing As A Harmless Lie
Our school was in a minor lockdown, meaning we could carry on as usual within our classrooms, but no one could come in or go out. I wasn't entirely sure of the specifics, but word was that a kid was creating havoc on the other side of our large school building, throwing chairs and wreaking rooms.
Naturally, some of the kids were frightened, especially since many were in the 2nd grade and younger. And I wasn't permitted to fill them in completely on what was going on (I didn't have all the facts, anyway). But when I encountered a 1st grader who was completely upset, I took the time to soothe and comfort her.
Turns out, an older student had been going around scaring the younger ones, telling them that there was an intruder in the school out to get them. I've never felt such anger towards a child, but I was steaming mad. I found out from other students that this same instigator was the source of these horror stories.
I made this boy sit in a secure place until the lockdown ended. Then, without uttering a word to him (I was mindful of not losing my job), I marched him straight to the school office. He stayed there quite a while. And thankfully, I managed to pacify many of the scared younger kids.
39. Teaching Through Trauma
As a student, I had quite an unsettling experience when my teacher decided to focus on lab safety. The teacher decided to use mannequins as part of his demonstration which freaked me out a bit. He was pretending they were his playthings, squirting them with water and laughing all the while.
Next, he brings out a substance that looks just like water. As he's chuckling, he applies it to the mannequin, which starts to burn and come apart as a result of the mystery chemical in the bottle. Grinning, my teacher says, "Oops, there goes 25% of Bobby's face".
He continues his demonstration, again showering the mannequin until it disintegrates, resembling melted chocolate. Then came the worst part. With a bit of fanfare, he positions this ruined mannequin atop a shelf labeled, "Here lies the students who were not safe".
By the next day, there were 20 model heads on that grim display shelf.
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40. Art Is Up For Interpretation
I once had this peculiar classmate who would always take a seat next to me. I really never paid them much mind because they were always sketching. But one day, I curiously peeked at their drawings, and they depicted shockingly realistic images of a few of us in various injuries or unsettling scenarios.
I must have been absorbed in viewing their artwork longer than I intended because, before I knew it, they were glancing my way. They signaled for silence by holding a finger to their lips and then promptly resumed their sketching. I was sufficiently disturbed but decided to keep quiet.
Oddly enough, they disappeared the following week. No one had any clue why and the teachers only mentioned that something serious had transpired leading to their expulsion.
41. Friends In The Right Places
My mom worked as a teacher for 25 years in Southern California, some of these schools were challenging. She taught in a high school with a significant problem related to Latino Gangs, as a lot of the students were part of them. Despite the rough environment, my mom had a certain charm and was popular amongst the students.
Even the most intimidating guys would be in high spirits when they encountered her, though they returned to their tough demeanors afterward. An interesting episode occurred during a school lockdown prompted by gang activities.
Some students told my mom, "Don't worry Mrs X, we've got ways to keep you safe, we won't let anything happen to you". She found their assurance less reassuring than intended.
42. Self-Reflection Is A Good Skill
I reckon I provided at least one teacher's peculiar anecdote about a student. My folks let me watch anything I liked on TV. I was quite hooked on the Nightmare On Elm Street series from an early age. In fact, one day I managed to craft my own Freddy Kruger glove using kitchen knives and a fabric glove, and carried it to school in my backpack.
One of the teachers found it and informed my parents. I believe this was during my kindergarten years. Surprisingly, I didn't face severe consequences, other than being told not to bring the dangerous gloves to school again.
Looking back, I have a feeling they might not have been acquainted with the movie series because they seemed more bewildered about why I'd stuck blades into a glove than anything else. I assure you, I didn't threaten anyone, and I was never aggressive.
I did, however, have a flair for being slightly offbeat, so they probably wrote it off as just one of the strange things I did.
43. Best Be Careful
After school, I was watching the kids leave the building when two of my students came up to chat. They started teasing me about how cute I was as a baby. I brushed it off at first, thinking this was typical middle school chatter, but their next words caught my interest.
They showed me one of my baby photos on a phone, then began sharing private information, such as my address and my fiancée's name. I quickly got the assistant principal's attention and made the boys repeat what they said.
This wasn't information you could easily find through a simple Google search, which left me questioning how they got it. As it turned out, the father of one child was rumored to be part of a local syndicate, which made the situation even more unnerving.
The school's reaction was to simply wave it off as typical childish curiosity and assured me it wasn't serious. One of the officers stationed at the school assured me that I could press charges if I desired.
However, within half an hour of that conversation, the assistant superintendent came knocking, warning me about the potential negative impact it might have on my future job opportunities and assessment.
44. That’s Why Teachers Take Attendance
I used to teach at a college for adult learners. One of my students was funded by their employer to earn a formal qualification. The employer was disappointed because, after a year, the student hadn't passed any courses. The student approached the college claiming there was some sort of error.
The administration team first brought this to my attention when they asked about the student's multiple failed classes. I didn't even recognize the student's name, as he hadn't attended any classes or handed any assignments in the past year he was enrolled.
It was my first time being asked to provide proof of a student's non-attendance. I wasn't sure how to go about it.
45. Deny, Deny, Deny
This kid would typically have massive meltdowns, which often included tossing around furniture, wrecking anything close by, and constructing blockades with classroom furnishings and shelves. We would usually try to escort the other kids out of the room during these episodes—it was safest to just stay out of his way and let him calm down.
After an especially epic meltdown, he eventually tired himself out and quieted down. As I coaxed him out of his homemade fortress, I informed him that the other children were at the playground. However, before he could join them, he'd have to assist in tidying the disarray he'd caused.
With eyes round as saucers, he took in the destroyed classroom and asked with what seemed like genuine shock and bewilderment, "I did this?? Are you sure?"
46. Sudoku Is Difficult
The theme of this one was a bit unsettling, but I can't deny I chuckled at the phrasing. Instead of submitting an essay, the student handed in a lengthy, punctuation-less rant about the struggle of choosing a subject. He said he had a few thoughts but couldn't locate resources. He was so stressed he claimed he wanted to "commit sudoku".
Presumably, he meant to say seppuku, so I involved his mother and a counselor. Turns out he wasn't serious. He's alright. Just very much acting his age, emphasizing melodrama for the sake of it. But still...sudoku.
47. The Tiny Terror
I work with preschoolers part-time, typically leading creative activities and play in the afternoons. One little girl, for simplicity's sake, let's call her Mary, has a habit of wreaking havoc, causing frequent tears among her classmates. She's quite cunning: pulling hair, toppling toys, and taunting until the other child succumbs to crying.
On the flip side, there's this boy, let’s call him "Jim," who is the antithesis of Mary and often plays the role of peacemaker. He's the tallest kid at the preschool, incredibly gentle and shares easily, setting a great example of kindness during playtime. He's perhaps the most considerate individual I've come across. One day during outdoor play, Mary kept picking on Jim.
Despite the provocation, Jim maintained his cool. Whenever Mary took a toy off him, he would calmly reply, “It’s fine, you can have it. Toys are for sharing," and similar remarks...Quick detour: Recall those large red and yellow pedal cars designed for kids? We have five of them in the playground for sharing. Mary was leaning against a wall, as Jim was maneuvering one such car.
It was a common sight to see children racing around in them. While Jim was quite a distance from Mary, he suddenly began speeding towards her. He was steering it directly at Mary who was blissfully unaware of what was coming. I believed he would veer off at the last moment or halt. I was mistaken. He rammed the car straight into Mary.
He managed to pin her against the wall. The time it took her to finally gasp for air seemed endless. I was trembling, fearing he'd broken her ribs. Her back was severely bruised, but thankfully, there were no other injuries. Stunned beyond anger, once my co-worker took over Mary’s care, I cornered the sulking Jim and asked, “What made you do that?”
He remained unflustered, shrugged his shoulders, and his chilling response left an imprint on me: “I was just trying to solve our problem". It’s safe to say I’m now quite wary of Jim.
48. It Follows
One of my female students had it in for another girl whom she saw as competition for a boy she liked. She distributed blades to five other girls. However, one of them dashed off to the office, quite possibly preventing a tragic event. After this incident, the girl was expelled and placed into therapeutic counseling.
Her younger brother still attended the school, so she would accompany her mother to the school every day. Her mother confessed that the daughter has ADHD, which she believed made her unstable. However, she was actually diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder when she was just twelve, not ADHD.
The girl has a track record of harmful behavior. After this event, I decided to move to a different school. But that wasn't the end of my encounters with her. In a twist of fate, her mom transferred her, and once more she landed in my classroom. On another occasion, she snatched my purse which led to another expulsion.
Yet, despite all this, she visits my classroom every day after expulsion to say hi, and I feel helplessly stuck with the situation.
49. Know The Rules
So, I'm not officially a teacher yet but I'm spending my gap year working at my old school. My plan is to return and teach there after university. Since I was only recently a student, the kids know me well—definitely a strange dynamic. More importantly, my young age and inexperience mean I'm not always ready to handle certain tricky situations, and frankly, no one expects me to.
Despite the kids knowing how to rile me up, we've got a mutual understanding which proves useful. They go easy on me compared to other staff and I permit a certain degree of casualness. That said, some students define the word problem. That brings us to one girl, let's call her Sunshine.
Sunshine is daddy's little girl, spoiled, problematic, almost hellish at times. But towards me, she's strangely charming, excessively even. It's not settled well with me, and strangely, it makes the whole situation weirder. One day, I found her in a classroom fight while the teacher was away.
It was more of a one-sided altercation really, Sunshine had the other student in a headlock while the girl was helplessly struggling. As I walked by and spotted the situation, with no teacher in the room, I stepped in to intervene.
Initially, Sunshine let go, but her anger was obvious. Seeing it was only me, she picked right back up on her infuriating behavior. Now, I know according to the school guidelines (I've only read the most intriguing bits) I could physically restrain a student causing harm to themselves or others, but I hesitated to make physical contact.
I tried calming her with words, but she quickly chose a new tactic: a pair of scissors. She started to slice off the other girl's hair. That's when I felt the need to step in, cautiously seizing her wrist. Shockingly, she began to wail the second I touched her. Naturally, I recoiled, stepping back. Then, she crossed the imaginable line.
She discarded the scissors and stripped entirely. Clearly, she knew that male teachers can't remain in the same room as an unclothed female student. Horrified, I made a quick exit. Around 40 minutes later, I noticed a group of teachers outside the room.
The quiet girl, whose hair had been spitefully trimmed by Sunshine, thanked me for intervening later. She quickly retreated, probably hoping I didn’t notice her uneven haircut.
50. The Risk He Took Was Calculated
I teach circus activities, and one day, a child unexpectedly fell off his equipment. Despite showing no difficulty with the task earlier, he suddenly started screaming and crying. Given the risky nature of what we were doing, we naturally treated it as a serious accident, thinking a broken arm might be involved. I later reviewed the incident on video after he left.
The footage showed the boy checking to make sure I wasn't watching before deliberately falling. I found the situation completely baffling. Later, his mother phoned us and revealed he was pretending to be in pain. He believed getting injured would let him see his dad. So what started as a bizarre and scary experience turned into something deeply saddening and still frightening.
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