(One of our beloved teachers died in a car accident a week prior to this. Since he was known for the crazy sweaters he wore, our students organized a ‘sweater day’ on Facebook. Everyone came in wearing a crazy sweater, so we rounded them up in the gym and took a picture. I am sitting by a table one morning selling the pictures to raise money for a charity our teacher worked for. One student, who I recognize as being on the school’s free lunch program, walks up holding a $20 bill. The pictures are a $1 apiece)
Me: “I’m sorry. Since we just started I don’t have enough change.”
Student: “I understand.”
(She still tries to hand me the $20. A light bulb goes on in my head.)
Me: “Do you want to donate the entire thing?!”
Student: “Since it’s for a charity, yes.”
Me: *in awe* “That is amazing! Thank you so much!”
(I take the $20 and give her the picture. She the thanks me and walks away, happy. It’s people like her that restore my faith in humanity.)
(I work at a community college. We have release forms, called FERPA release forms, which a student must sign to allow us to share their information with someone else, like a parent.)
Me: “Can I help you?”
Mother: “I need to get copies of both of my son’s schedules. I have their socials. And they both signed the FUBAR.”
Me: “… The… the FUBAR?”
Mother: “Yeah, the FUBAR release.”
Me: “Oh! you mean the FERPA release form?”
(I’m trying REALLY hard not to laugh at this point, and I think she can tell.)
Mother: “Whatever. FUBAR, FERPA, same thing.”
Me: “Not really…”
(I have been quite sick, but still doing my work. I turn my work in, and the teacher permits me to rest in a beanbag chair in the library as I’ve done all my homework and I have nothing else to do.)
Student: “Why does [My Name] get to take a nap!?”
Teacher: “Because she did all her homework. Now get to work,”
(I’m in chorus class. My class tends not to sing as loudly as we could.)
Teacher: *to altos* “There are 10 of you, but it sounds like 2 people! So let’s DOUBLE our sound!”
Me: “So we can get two-fifths of the sound we need?”
(I have just moved to a new city when I start grade 10. Not knowing anyone, I am pretty shy and don’t speak much unless called on. In science class the teacher calls on me, and after answering:)
Girl In Front Of Me: *spinning around in her chair* “You can speak?!”
Me: “Umm, yeah..?”
Girl In Front Of Me: “I’ve just never heard you speak before! We’re like three months in and this is the first time I’ve heard your voice! I thought you were mute or something!”
