As a student, you can show up to class with your homework done, notes organized, and your head straight, and still see something totally unexpected. Oftentimes, it's thanks to the person in front of the blackboard.
American art historian and lawyer Erin L. Thompson asked people online to share their teachers' most memorable phrases, and I think even she wasn't ready for the number of replies that poured in. These clever puns, savage roasts, and poetic observations are the reason you shouldn't skip school!
#1

“An apology has three parts. “I’m sorry”, “It was my fault”, and “How can I fix it?” Anything less and they are full of bologna.”.
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89points
#2

For me was: “Class, try your best to learn because your government wants you to be stupid”. It still keeps me awake at night sometimes, 20 years later….
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76points
#3

"You have to know where the box is in order to think outside of it". There was more to it but that was the essence.
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57points
#4

I have some errands to run while you do your quiz. If, for some reason, you feel the need to cheat on a 12th-grade drama class quiz, you probably have a personal problem I can't help you with.
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54points
#5

While in a computer graphics class the professor was explaining the math behind something and it was going over our heads a bit so we started zoning out. He noticed we lost our focus so he said “Come on guys it’s not rocket science.” And then he paused and thought for a second before continuing “Actually this is used in rocket science so pay attention!”.
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50points
#6

A teacher once told me, “Nobody’s going to pay you to stare out a window.”
Well… I became an Air Traffic Controller and got paid very well to do just that.
Well… I became an Air Traffic Controller and got paid very well to do just that.
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43points
#7

My math teacher once told me "Dont try to understand math, just use the formula and calculate." My math grades actually improved after this wisdom 😂.
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40points
#8

It wasn’t me, and I don’t even remember the question, but my HS Earth Science teacher asked a question to the kid in the back who clearly wasn’t paying attention and he responded: “uhh, 7”
And my teacher was like: “Hmmm a NUMERICAL response . Interesting— but the answer is Sedimentary”
Still cracks me up randomly.
And my teacher was like: “Hmmm a NUMERICAL response . Interesting— but the answer is Sedimentary”
Still cracks me up randomly.
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37points
#9

Biology teacher: 'Hey (classmate) put your phone away before I take it.'
Classmate: 'I don't have my phone miss'
Teacher: I observed chimpansees for 3 months in order to graduate, I know when you are using your phone'.
Classmate: 'I don't have my phone miss'
Teacher: I observed chimpansees for 3 months in order to graduate, I know when you are using your phone'.
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36points
#10

My government teacher said, 'If you make the rules, then you will always win.' Oof.
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36points
#11

My friend's teacher once told her "The wheel is turning but the hamster is dead.".
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35points
#12

I was failing calculus my senior year. My teacher came up to me and said "Fergee, I honestly don't think it's mathematically possible for you to pass this class."
I said "Are you sure?"
He sighed and said "Yes Fergee, I'm sure. I'm a calculus teacher.".
I said "Are you sure?"
He sighed and said "Yes Fergee, I'm sure. I'm a calculus teacher.".
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33points
#13

I said “I could be wrong, but isn’t it xyz?” to a question the teacher asked and nobody knew the answer to. He was a hardass and would not move on until someone answered, so I threw a guess out.
He said “Well, you’re right. You *are* wrong.”.
He said “Well, you’re right. You *are* wrong.”.
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33points
#14

“That was a rather astute answer considering you didn’t read the book”.
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32points
#15

'In a word, no. In two words, no no.' —AP Lit teacher.
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31points
#16

Me and thirteen other of the "best and brightest" in my suburban high school were in "AP Calculus A", the most advanced math that you could study in that school. Our teacher, Mr Yingst, was going over some parts of projective geometry and, as we struggled, he remarked - "A 14 year old French kid living in the 17th century came up with this and you are having trouble figuring it out. You aren't that smart." It was exactly what kids in our position needed to hear.
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30points
#17

High school physics teacher like to scream: "This isn't Burger King math, you can't have it your way!!!".
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30points
#18

Me: "Sorry for being late."
Teacher: "No worries, sorry for starting on time."
Teacher: "No worries, sorry for starting on time."
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30points
#19

My sixth-grade teacher told me I have the attention span of a French fry.
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30points
#20

Our P.E. teacher said to a girl “Brooke, you’re supposed to put makeup on, not dip your face in it.” At the time was hilarious, but in retrospect I feel bad for Brooke getting called out like that.
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29points


