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The Powerful Moments of Your Lives, Distilled

We invite teachers to share their triumphs and frustrations, the hilarious or absurd moments of their lives, in no more than 100 words.

For more Tiny Teaching Stories, click here.

To submit your own story, click here.

She dropped off the letter after graduation and asked me to read it only after she鈥檇 gone. In the letter, she described herself as a 鈥渟ide character, not one of the favorites.鈥� She鈥檇 finished her work and earned a passing grade and been a pleasant student. But she was right, she was not a top student.

She wrote that she had planned to end her life, but a story I told in class had changed her mind. The story was about how I find purpose in my students. I had no idea it would be such a purpose.

David Upegui
11th and 12th grade Advanced Placement Biology, Biology, and Human Anatomy
Central Falls, R.I.

As I ushered students out of my 5th period class, a police officer was waiting for me outside the door. My heartrate spiked. I sheepishly approached him. Was this really happening? Was I going to be arrested in front of my kids? What did I do? My career is over.

We locked eyes. He said, 鈥淚s the answer 13?鈥� Startled, I paused. Huh?

Suddenly, relief fell over me. My anxiety lifted. I confidently replied, 鈥淣o, there鈥檚 more. Keep at it.鈥�

He was just checking his answer to the . Whew.

Brian Palacios
Grade 10-12 mathematics
New York

Teaching is extremely humbling. This year, one of my sophomores asked me if I鈥檇 ever been to a party. When I replied yes, she burst out laughing and said I didn鈥檛 鈥渓ook old enough.鈥� She鈥檚 15. Another time, I mentioned to a senior that we were wearing the same jacket and then he swore he was never going to wear it again. I鈥檝e been asked why I don鈥檛 wear more makeup, why I鈥檓 not married, and why I chose a career that 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 pay anything.鈥�

These moments, while brutally honest and impulsive, make me smile. High schoolers are hilarious.

Kara Stoltenberg
10th and 12th grade English
Norman, Okla.

鈥淚t鈥檚 Fun Friday, class! Today鈥檚 game: Two Truths and a Lie. I鈥檓 first. I played professional basketball, my wife teaches 3rd grade, I have eight siblings. How well do you know Mr. Bryant?鈥�

鈥淵our wife doesn鈥檛 teach 3rd grade!鈥�

I laughed. Wasn鈥檛 it obvious? 鈥淐ome on, who else in the school has the last name Bryant?鈥�

Hollis, puzzled: 鈥淏ut Mrs. Bryant is white.鈥�

Majestic: 鈥淚 thought she was your sister, bro!鈥�

鈥淢ajestic, she鈥檚 white 鈥︹��

鈥淪he could be adopted.鈥�

Why couldn鈥檛 they imagine a black man marrying a white woman? Why couldn鈥檛 I imagine a black family adopting a white daughter?

Roshard Bryant
2nd grade
New York

During International Week, I asked the 2nd graders to pretend we were flying on an airplane to see all the different countries. I asked them to peer down at the twisting rivers and bleak deserts below, and they did.

As we reached our cruising altitude, I asked them to recline their seats, sip their drinks, and open their little bags of peanuts. Santiago鈥檚 skinny arm shot up in the air and he said, 鈥淏ut Mr. Minkel, we don鈥檛 have any peanuts!鈥� I looked at him in disbelief and said, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have an airplane either, Santiago! This is all make-believe.鈥�

Justin Minkel
2nd grade
Springdale, Ark.

About This Project

Teachers鈥� lives are packed with powerful moments: moments of triumph, frustration, absurdity, joy, revelation, and hilarity. We want to hear about them.

Submit your Tiny Teaching Story, in no more than 100 words, here.