Mumsnet users discuss phrases that teachers always say

[EllieMumsnet]

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With National Teacher Day coming up on the 8th May MNHQ would love to know the phrases you remember your teachers always saying….also if you are currently a teacher please share the phrases you most commonly use during your classes.

Do you have strong memory of one of your teachers always using the ‘I’m not angry just disappointed’ line? Perhaps whenever your teacher was annoyed at someone they would say ‘It’s your own time your wasting’? Or maybe as a teacher you’re becoming known for saying one phrase in particular?

Whatever phrases you remember your teachers always saying, comment on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

“See me” was a common one if your work was piss poor

"Fold your arms!" when we were sitting at our desks. I don't think it particularly made us look smart and I've not continued to do it past childhood!

'You should have ducked!' Blackboard rubber that hit you when thrown by the teacher ... :)

Lynda tries hard but is not mathematically gifted

Lynda tries hard but has not quite grasped the concept of (insert lesson here) :D Its a good job I am such a cheerful soul :D

Stop being the class clown

Stop talking!
Be quiet!
You can wait until break time to go to the toilet.

I talked a lot at primary school. I was told to shut up so many times I actually because a really quiet and shy person for years.

We had one teacher who advised us to get involved in everything going on at school “you get out what you put in”. He was so right, I didn’t always follow that advice but when I have got stuck into extra curricular stuff at university / work etc I have made so many friends and gained so much from those activities.

I remember teachers saying "Sugar!" and "Fudge!" and other non swearing swears quite a bit.

'If no one owns up, you'll all be in trouble' is one I heard a lot as a child.

My maiden name was Round. One day, I fell off my chair at school. The teacher decided to humiliate me further by shouting 'Just because your name is Round, doesn't mean you'll bounce like a ball!' Hilarious.

practice practice practice

My maths teacher always used to try and sell the lesson to us by telling us we would need to know this for when we become train drivers (stopping distances), roofers (angles) and maths teachers (anything else that was boring and difficult). Not one person from my class has become any of those things and we are mid 40's now!

"I'll wait, because you're still talking..."
"A bad workman always blames his tools..." (?!?!)
"If you had been listening, you would know what you need to do..."
"Don't call out, put up your hand..."
"The bell is for me, not you..."
"it's your time you're wasting, not mine..."
"Am I keeping you up?!" (After yawning)

Am sure that teachers are issued with a dictionary of these during training, and they're tested before qualifying!!

Read all the questions before starting your exam! I never did and I'll never forget during an exam practice lesson we were given the same advice. I was scribbling away for ages until I realised some people had their pens down. Turns out the last question was "don't answer anything. Just put your pen down on the desk".

Learn to live and live to learn. Our form tutor was always saying that!

The bell is for me not you

I hope you have enough sweets to go around everyone in the class

The boy who has never walked again after someone pulled his chair away when he sat down

As well as the person who split their head open swinging on the back two legs of the chair

I always remember 'Annie apple, Bouncing Ben, Clever Cat....' :)

Put a wet paper towel on it - for every injury ever!

Classic when the end of lesson bell rang....That bell is for me not for you. Then the following lessons teacher would ask why we were late.

"Go and stand outside for a few minutes!"

Walk don't run
Did I say you could go?
I'm still waiting....(for the class to be quiet)
It's your lunchtime you're wasting not mine!

'You get what you accept.'
'Do you want to go and stand outside the Head's door?'
'Would you like to share it with all the class?' (Caught talking.)
'Can you stay behind after class?' ( Like there was a choice.)

We had one particular teacher who thought the best way to teach us the difference between ‘can’ and ‘may’ was to publicly humiliate us in front of our classmates. He would wait until one of us stuck our hand up and asked ‘ Can I go to the toilet please ? ‘, when we stood up to leave the room he would bellow ‘where are you going ? ‘
We would reply that we were off to the toilet and he would say that he had not given permission, that he had said we ‘can go to the toilet’, not ‘may go to the toilet’.
Very annoying teacher but the lesson stuck in my head.

Am I the only one here who is struggling to think of anything memorable?

My form teacher in Year 5 would dispense this particular gem of wisdom at least 3 times a day..

'Engage brain before opening mouth'

..if I heard it once, I heard it a thousand times!
I'm still not sure I do that though! :/

My teacher always told my parents that I was quiet in class but my writing was good, then would produce some little notes that we passed between us and hadn't even known she had seen us doing far less seen us putting them in the bin haha.
She became my favourite teacher.