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Weird things your teachers did, which they would be fired for today.....

499 replies

muriel76 · 27/09/2011 19:15

Bit of a random question, but I was chatting with an old school friend the other day and we were remembering our teacher at primary school having a new bathroom fitted and she wanted to check how the workmen were doing.

The whole class was told to 'line up at the door' and off we marched down the road to her house, with teacher leading the way (small town BTW she lived near the school!) but no other adults in sight.

We then all sat in her back garden while she chatted to the plumber!

Ok this was back in the 80s but it made me think - you would never get away with this today.

Anyone else got a similar story from before the days of the national curriculum and parental consent forms etc?!

OP posts:
Friendofdennis · 26/10/2022 12:08

The history teacher (1970s) would punish boys in the glass by grabbing them by the hair just above the ear, twisting it and pulling them up until they were dangling in mid air. Nobody thought this was unusual

SinnerBoy · 12/12/2022 13:21

I hadn't been at infant school for many weeks, when we were told to draw a picture of the seaside. I did the sea green and the teacher raised her voice, "WHY have you drawn grass?! I TOLD you to draw the sea! Everyone knows the sea is green."

"No miss, it's green, it only looks blue from the cliffs."

"It IS blue! Everybody knows it's blue!"#

"It's not, Miss, have you ever been to the seaside!"

"Don't you DARE be sarcastic to me!"

I was sent to the headmistress, who made me stay on a chair all day and wouldn't let me go to the toilet, so I wet myself. She then dragged me, soaked in piss, across the playground when my mother came, screeching, "Don't bring this filthy boy back until it's toilet trained!"

Two years of trouble and woe followed. There was a wet day and a boy ran over and pushed me off the path, into a deep puddle, right in front of a dinner nanny. She bawled me out, calling me a bad boy and said, "Stand on the wall."

There were some L-shaped walls, with concrete benches on the inside. You were supposed to stand in front, but she said, "Stand on the wall," so I climbed up and stood on it. She was ranting "I said stand on the wall," and pointing at the ground and I said, "That's in front of the wall. You said stand on the wall."

The headmistress came over, with more of the same. (I found out a few years later that the dinner nanny was the other boy's aunt, by the way). I argued with the headmistress, adamant that I'd done what I'd been told.

On the Sunday morning, we were woken early by someone banging on the door. It was the headmistress, who said I was never to darken her doors again. My mother started arguing with her and they ended up fighting on the lawn.

I went to the school in the next village, after that.

megan2021 · 04/01/2023 20:10

My DT teacher was called Mr Crisp, as he walked past in the classroom my friend said "crispy bit of chicken". A few minutes later, he marched over to me, slammed a detention card down in front of me, pointed to my name and spat "I wouldn't be taking the piss with a name like THAT". I'm half Arabic and my surname (I'm now married) was a foreign name. I don't remember much from school, but I remember the shock I felt in that moment very clearly!

determinedtomakethiswork · 04/01/2023 21:55

One of my teachers in last year primary had this thing where he would take people brass rubbing on a Saturday. He would draw the names from a hat. Funnily enough the first name he drew was the prettiest girl in the class. She went with him but was forbidden by him from saying what happened. The second prettiest girl was then chosen and she went with him and was also forbidden from talking about it. Then nobody was allowed to go, I think parents complained, but I never heard what happened.

If anyone here was from that school, St A, then please let me know!

determinedtomakethiswork · 04/01/2023 22:01

I didn't realise this thread was 11 years old!

Are used to do a night class on a Friday night. The female teacher used to leave her all female class to go to Greenham Common for the weekend. Feminism is as feminine does.

Medusa88 · 06/01/2023 08:55

Marcipex · 06/08/2022 23:01

Primary- hit us. A lot. Sometimes literally for being in the wrong place.

Girls grammar- threw chalk at us , one man threw the board-rubbers, looked up our addresses and ridiculed those from council houses , ridiculed specific parents from the council- house addresses, smoked in lessons, lesbian pe teacher made our lives a misery as we had to walk naked from the showers -no towel allowed , nobbed each other, nobbed the many willing sixth formers, one married male shagged a 14 year old every week after his ‘bell-ringing club’.

I just had to write that these "willing sixth formers" were likely groomed and definitely sexually exploited, and a grown man can't "shag" a 14 year old. She is underage and can't consent. He was r*ping her every week. Language matters.

Marcipex · 06/01/2023 14:29

@Medusa88 you're right. I was writing it as it was seen at the time.
People complained to no avail, usually. After a very brave girl shouted at the predatory pe teacher , she left that year, no doubt to begin again somewhere else.

I know the ‘bell ringing’ teacher was reported , but he denied it to our awful head and that was that.

crazeecatladee · 31/03/2023 23:00

@VikingBlood I think we could have had the same pervy maths teacher. The one I had would keep sweets in his pockets for us to fish for when we got answers right. Nobody questioned why my end of year marks went down from nearly 100% to below 30%. Didn't learn much that year except how to avoid mens trouser pockets. Thing was that was the third year, and he was my teacher in fourth year too. Say goodbye to any hope of being able to persue my first career choice

MNetcurtains · 13/08/2023 21:07

I'll never forget his name: Mr Rose, we were eleven years old and he used to stand over us and stare down our blouses shudder

MNetcurtains · 13/08/2023 21:09

determinedtomakethiswork · 04/01/2023 21:55

One of my teachers in last year primary had this thing where he would take people brass rubbing on a Saturday. He would draw the names from a hat. Funnily enough the first name he drew was the prettiest girl in the class. She went with him but was forbidden by him from saying what happened. The second prettiest girl was then chosen and she went with him and was also forbidden from talking about it. Then nobody was allowed to go, I think parents complained, but I never heard what happened.

If anyone here was from that school, St A, then please let me know!

Name and shame.

Harlechchick · 11/09/2023 17:31

I know this is an old thread, but I couldn't resist adding my own post to it!
Mr B. was our teacher in around 1989 - he was a very unpleasant character generally, but if he didn't take to you for any reason he would verbally humiliate you in front of the whole class, throw your school bag out of the sash window (3rd floor of the school!) and finish off the punishment by making you stand in the metal rubbish bin with your back to the class 😲.
I heard, after I left the school a few years later, that he ended up getting fired for his behaviour towards students. I was told that too many students & parents had started complaining about him - at last.
Times, thank goodness, we're changing by the early 90's. Sadly, I think we were all just too conditioned growing up in the late 70's and throughout the 80's to 'put up & shut up' about such appalling behaviour.

WandaWomblesaurus · 23/09/2023 20:04

My history teacher used to go into his book cupboard, drink beer, and come out visibly more cheerful, humming the theme to Blackadder.

MNetcurtains · 23/09/2023 20:25

In hindsight, the original post was pretty innocuous, the posts it has prompted are horrendous!

Bambooshoot · 15/12/2023 17:14

The headmaster of my primary school used to hold handstand competitions for the girls (boys not allowed) and apparently gave sweets and a prize to the winner. Of course, in our uniforms the minute you did a handstand the voluminous dress was around your neck and all knickers on display. I never thought it was weird, at the time, though thankfully I never actually won the competition.

He literally had about twenty or so of us (because of course, he got to choose who could play, and it was considered an honour to be chosen - we were so naive) all around him in a circle showing him our underwear throughout the summer term - and none of the other teachers thought to say this was inappropriate!!

DC1888 · 19/12/2023 14:52

Wasn't what you would call weird, but for one year we had a teacher in his 70s (much older than all the others at school) who was stuck in the past (akin to Major from Fawlty Towers) and acted like corporal punishment was still legal. He was a senile, male version of Trunchbull. One moment that stands out is him kicking one lad in the shin who then got up and pushed him back. Genuinely thought a scrap was about to ensue. Really he should have been retired years prior as he was completely out of touch. We constantly messed with his head though (turned around all the desks so we faced the opposite wall as he came in, put bin on top of the door which fell as he entered, chanted 'we will rock you' over and over with him stood looking at us (on this occasion the teacher from next door came in to intervene on his behalf), and as he went round each desk to check the homework was done the pupil whose work was seen would then covertly pass it to anyone who hadn't done it (and so on)..so in a class of 28 only about 8 would have done the work with him none the wiser). That year we got nothing done as it was just carnage every week. His son was a substitute teacher and on one occasion took our class for one hour and he was as mental as him. We all knew who he was before the class started so the anticipation was immense and he didn't disappoint. I spent that hour howling with laughter till my sides were genuinely aching and I was on the floor at one point as he had just as much control of a classroom as his old man, absolutely none. He swore blind at us and agreed to fight one lad who challenged him. Have no idea what happened to him but I can't believe he continued teaching as it was clearly not for him.

Whyohwhywyoming · 27/12/2023 23:23

In middle school, aged about 10, I was chosen to chaperone home a younger pupils to pick something up from home - I don’t remember what now, she was 7/8 and lived about a 10 minute walk from the school. I literally can’t imagine this happening now!

in secondary, we had a teacher who would take photos of female pupils only, smoking in the playground.

Talcypeach · 20/01/2024 20:35

Mr H taught us how to make elderflower wine. We were each given a small glass during school dinners with the remainder ending up on the teachers' table. He was the best teacher I ever had.

Mr S threw chalk and board rubbers at you, he would also take you around a corner and give you a slap. He was a bully and I spent most of that year in almost permanent detention. He later became headmaster of an independent school

Mr B discussed in detail how 'fit' one of my sister's friends was (she was 14 or 15 at the time). She moved in with him as soon as she left school at 16. No repercussions.

There was a young English teacher who went on a school trip to Spain and we never saw him again. Rumour has it that he got drunk and stripped off on the disco on the ferry back.

IcyEagle · 21/02/2024 09:43

On a mixed aged (13-18) residential trip in Europe the teachers took us all to a nightclub. Those under 18 (the vast majority) had to line up in front of the head teacher to make sure they looked old enough to get in before we left the hotel. I was 15 at the time and was very pleased to 'pass'! Also, every night in the hotel bar the teachers were so drunk they had no clue about the amount of alcohol being consumed by the students!

mjf981 · 03/04/2024 10:39

Geography teacher used to show a lot of movies in class. With the lights off he used to circulate the room and massage the shoulders of the boys. The jocks/football players at the back were usually his chosen ones..

We had a brilliant science teacher who got so frustrated one day, he threw a chair at the class clown. Most of us cheered as he was really annoying! He had a large bruise on his leg.

Home ec teacher (female, middle aged) had all the boys make their own boxer shorts and then 'model' them for the girls. They weren't allowed to wear anything but their boxers! One poor lad who was quite overweight was mortified. She made him do it anyway.

GrimDamnFanjo · 03/04/2024 14:36

PE teacher male used to shower naked with the boys...

TheseBootsAreWalking · 02/06/2024 16:52

After PE class in both primary and secondary school, joint schools with one PE gym hall, the PE teacher would come into the changing rooms when us girls were changing to "check that we had all taken showers, and would routinely walk through to the showers to "check, everyone felt really uncomfortable.

The PE teacher was male btw.

He was known to do this after swimming lessons too and telling the parents was no use as this was "normal and its just Jimmy doing his job.

mrsdavegrohl0 · 12/11/2024 00:43

Sooo many things...

The teacher who threw a board rubber or (heavy) set of keys at you if you weren't listening. Or slammed a metre stick on the desk for the same reason.

The near-retirement aged teacher we had, if you mentioned the navy to him you knew you didn't have to work for the entire lesson. So many stories!

The supply teacher we occasionally got who used to drop a pen on the floor to look up the girl's skirts. Also used to stroke our hair 🤮

The bus driver who used to flirt very inappropriately with my friend (who was 14 at that time)

All from 1989-1994

WanOvaryKenobi · 15/11/2024 12:59

"If there is one thing - one thing - I can teach you that you will use in your future careers it is 'Do you want fries with that?' or in your case 'Do you want pilau rice with that?'"

Jc2001 · 16/11/2024 20:27

My geography teacher used to set us some reading in class to keep us occupied and then periodically disappear into the stationary cupboard and smoke his pipe.

(And no, that's not a euphemism)

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