Being a teacher is never easy at all. Here in the Philippines, in most cases, teaching is not even considered a very high paying job. That is why it is important to realize that these people choose this profession because of their love for instilling discipline and education in young minds of the students. A lot of things that students do annoy their teachers, and most of the time, they never tell us about these things whether it is not paying attention or maybe, you just forget to put your name on the test paper, and most especially, cheating. I have actually conferred with some of my professors and came up with the list of honest confessions by teachers they never tell us about.

If you really are sensitive enough and want to appreciate their work, below is a list of honest confessions by teachers and a few pet peeves which you might want to avoid doing. Every teacher is different, but one thing is the same: they all get irritated at some point.

Honest Confessions by Teachers

1. Please observe proper hygiene.

“I appreciate students who look good and clean and it is easy to verbalize that. However, I can never tell a student that he/she smells bad (body odor, bad breath). That is always my problem whenever a stinky student comes to my office.”

2. Being noisy insults me.

“I hate it when you are not paying attention and becoming too noisy when I am doing my lecture. I feel rejected. It feels like what I’m teaching is not that important or it is too easy. Actually, it is very insulting and it hurts as much as cheating. Before we deliver our lesson, we have to study it. It is another total different story to have it understood by students. I always prepare my lessons, researched more about it especially on how to make it easier for students to understand. So, just imagine how it feels when there are students who just don’t care at all.”

3. We know you give us nicknames.

“You call us Godzilla, Terror or any funny names. We know it exactly. I hate it because you will never know whether it’s a compliment or not. Most of the time, it’s not. I also hate it because they use it to bash me. Just make sure that you don’t get caught red-handed and pray that you are one of those students who are lucky enough to get an escape.”

4. Sometimes, there are students who make you feel that they don’t need you to learn.

“It is frustrating and insulting when students make you feel that your subject is not important especially when you are handling minor subjects. You want to encourage them but they seem not interested no matter what teaching techniques you use.”

5. Most of the time, we adjust your grades.

“Most of the time I have to adjust grades to accommodate those hanging on a very thin thread. When I do, it applies to everyone. So those who got higher marks, originally your grade is a step lower. I make sure though that those in the bottom of the food chain remain there.”

6. I hate when parents meddle in the affairs of students at school.

“I’m only 56 but I already retired because I couldn’t endure anymore the parents’ meddling in the affairs of their children in school. They think they know better than teachers and they brainwash their children to report to them everything the teachers do in violation of
Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC). This causes children’s disrespect for teachers. I used to enjoy and love teaching, but with the attitude of the children nowadays, there was nowhere to go but exit Department of Education (DEPED).”

7. I hate inattentive and passive students.

“I don’t like it when students do not comprehend what they are reading, and when they are not thinking critically or logically. Inattentive students also need focus when in class. What annoys me is when I have to repeat the question twice or thrice just because the student is not listening. That really leaves a mark!”

8. A student who is pestering constantly is annoying.

“There is always that student in class whose questions never end. I mean it is fine to ask questions but this student always has a butt load of doubts. He also thinks the best time to ask is while I am still speaking. What’s irritating is that his questions don’t even make sense. He just asks for the sake of it.”

9. I feel defeated with unwilling students.

“Some of my students come to school not because they want to learn, but because they have to. When I am faced with this kind of student who doesn’t care about his grades or making it through his exams, I already feel helpless and defeated. It’s hard to teach him anything.”

10. Like Parent – Like Child

“When we get to know your parents, it gives us a chance to do more than just keep your parents updated with your progress. It is also a chance for us to see where you get your behavior from. Most of us inherit a lot from our parents whether you like it or not. Now, it gives us answers at to why you act as you do. It’s interesting.”

11. We take bets on students.

“The next time you gossip with your friends about your crushes, just remember to think about who is there listening. We often bet on who will end up dating who as well as who will pass the board exams, or what sort of stuff you are into. You may think that we haven’t got a clue about what is happening outside the room. However, you would be very much mistaken.”

Though these are just a few honest confessions by our teachers, most of them share common sentiments and pet peeves. Actually, there are a lot of things students do (conscious or not) to annoy or bother them. It is totally fine as long as we don’t try to annoy our teachers on purpose, but knowing the above makes us more conscious of our behavior. Of course, we don’t need to like all of our teachers, but they are all hard working individuals. Their salaries are not even sufficient for all their efforts they put into this career. They deserve to be respected because we owe our degrees to them. At the end, we all wish to have one successful year!

Did you like this article? Let littlemisadvencha know in the comment section.

Cha Esper

Cha of Little Misadvencha is a Filipino Civil Engineer, researcher and a fur mom. She came from General Santos City and finds that everything in life teaches her a lesson. She is inspired to write about and out of her experiences, but later found out that it was her experiences that actually inspire her.