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

Jobs Regional K-12 Virtual Career Fair: DMV
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
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
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Cardiac Emergency Response Plans: What Schools Need Now
Sudden cardiac arrest can happen at school. Learn why CERPs matter, what’srequired, and how districts can prepare to save lives.
Content provided by American Heart Association
Teaching Profession Webinar Effective Strategies to Lift and Sustain Teacher Morale: Lessons from Texas
Learn about the state of teacher morale in Texas and strategies that could lift educators' satisfaction there and around the country.

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 AI Can Help Teachers Craft Their Assessment Portfolios. Is That Cheating?
The tools help guide teacher reflection for the portfolios used for PD and licensing—or be used to cheat.
9 min read
Northside American Federation of Teachers President Melina Espiritu-Azocar, right, speaks with middle school teacher Celeste Simone during a Microsoft AI skilling event, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in San Antonio.
Northside American Federation of Teachers President Melina Espiritu-Azocar, right, speaks with middle school teacher Celeste Simone during a Microsoft AI skill-building event on Sept. 27, 2025, in San Antonio. As use of generative AI ramps up, it could affect the integrity of the portfolios teachers have to assemble in many states to meet licensing requirements.<br/>
Darren Abate/AP
Teaching Profession Increases in Teacher Pay Offset by Inflation, Union Analysis Shows
The inflation-adjusted increase was less than 1 percent, the National Education Association says.
2 min read
Image of a teacher's desk with the words "Pay Day" ghosted on the background.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week with Canva
Teaching Profession Opinion Portrayals of Educators on Film and TV: The Good, the Bad, The Ugly
From "Lean on Me" to "Abbott Elementary," how realistic is Hollywood’s representation of schools?
14 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 Download 5 Strategies for Supporting K-12 Teachers: Lessons From California
This resource discusses the main takeaways from a March 2026 live event hosted by Education Week and EdSource.
1 min read
Attendees and panelists partake in breakout sessions during the State of Teaching event in San Francisco in March 2026.
Attendees and panelists partake in breakout sessions during the State of Teaching event in San Francisco in March 2026.
Andrew Reed/EdSource