Teaching Profession

‘My Dad Is Nocturnal’ And 10 Other Funny Things Kids Have Said to Their Teachers

By Stacey Decker & Marina Whiteleather — November 30, 2023 1 min read
A large amount of glossy painted stones made to look like yellow laughing emojis
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Kids say the darndest things. That’s why America’s classrooms are full of unfiltered hilarity.

While teachers often work to quell students’ silliness, they sometimes have to stop and laugh along.

Like this teacher who felt cute, only to be roasted by her students:

Here at Education Week, we love when educators share some of their students’ best quips. So recently, we put out a call on social media for even more. What we got back was a mix of cute, creative, and cringey one-liners.

Below is a roundup of some of those responses:

Thanks for the compliment?

“A student once came up and hugged me and took a big whiff and said I smelled so good... like tacos!!”

- Loretta V.

“I love you like my mom, but not in a weird way.”

- Elizabeth M.

“You’re just like my grandma, she is round and squishy too.”

- Deb P.

Ouch

“The year was 1996. I wore a turtleneck, and the first kid walking into class said that I looked like roll on deodorant.”

- Jim H.

“Did you do that to your hair or is it just bed head?”

- Susan M.

“Did you know anyone who was on the Titanic?”

- Sherry W.

Hilarious observations

“Why is my forehead crying? (he was sweating)”

-Abigail A.

“I was playing a lot of Adele, and one of my 11th graders came up to me, real serious, and said, ‘Ms. Carter, who hurt you? Do you need to talk about it?’ ”

- Mary C.

A little too much information

“One of the students told me that he was going to give his Granny one of his teeth because she only has four teeth.”

- Toller C.

“We were discussing nocturnal animals and I had a student raise their hand and say, ‘My dad is nocturnal.’ ”

- Jennifer D.

“Daddy slept on the couch last night.”

- Mary D.

Teachers, looking for a regular dose of inspiration? Sign up for Teacher Update. This newsletter, delivered every Thursday morning, has the latest news and perspectives on teaching.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Federal Webinar Navigating the Rapid Pace of Education Policy Change: Your Questions, Answered
Join this free webinar to gain an understanding of key education policy developments affecting K-12 schools.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession Opinion Does Teaching Feel Chaotic Right Now? How to Cope
How math teachers can work in solidarity for the sake of their students and themselves.
3 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Profession Teacher Burnout Is Real. What's to Blame—and How to Keep It at Bay
Teachers share their tips for avoiding burnout.
3 min read
Overwork Burnout Symptom Concept. Tired Overloaded Teacher Character with Low Life Energy Power
iStock/Getty Images
Teaching Profession Quiz Teachers, How Does Your Morale Compare to Others in Your State? Take This Quiz
Take the quiz to calculate your Teacher Morale Index score and see how it compares to your state’s average.
Collaged image of teachers gauging their morale
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Teaching Profession Teaching in 2025: ‘Every Day Is a Crazy Day. It’s Fine.’
The profession is changing, and it's more challenging than ever. Resilient teachers are adapting. But at what cost?
Clayton Hubert is an art teacher who wears many hats as an educator, including driving the school bus each morning, as seen here on Jan. 16, 2025, in Lamberton, Minn.
Clayton Hubert, an art teacher, wears many hats as an educator, including driving the school bus some mornings, as seen here on Jan. 16, 2025, in Lamberton, Minn. Many teachers say the expectations of the role have grown far beyond classroom instruction.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week