Working as a teacher or a professor can be a wild ride. You get to eat pizza on Fridays at the cafeteria without any guilt. You actually get to enjoy your summers. And your students can shock you with the information that they share or boost your mood with the things they say.
Redditor Kriss0509 asked the teachers of Reddit what the weirdest things students have told them when asked to share facts about themselves, and their thread went viral. Their thread got more than 8.7k comments and 59k upvotes, and the stories they shared had us giggling like schoolkids.
Upvote the facts that you found to be the most memorable and, if you’re an educator, let all the other Pandas know what strange things your own students have shared with everyone over the years. And be sure to read on for what Kriss0509 told Bored Panda about their viral thread.
#1
A guy in my class introduced himself by telling us how he decided he wanted to study philosophy because one day he was really high peeing in the street and he saw a couple of people working and he wondered what they were doing. So he realized his passion was wondering.He dropped out like 2 months later.
Image credits: linaplancartem
#2
I teach middle school, This one still takes the cake.That his mom and dad have the same parents. I asked him to clarify because I didn't understand what he was saying and he said "I only have one set of grandparents, they had the same parents" I quickly moved to the next student so no one else would realize that this kid just told the class that his parents were siblings...
I talked to him about it the next day in private and he said that he got it mixed up, his parents don't have the exact same parents, they shared a dad... I felt so much better when the mom called me to let me know her elderly step-father married her husband's elderly mother. still weird, but much better.
#3
We did one of those two truths-one lie bits. Girl stands up and says, "I've never been out of the country. I'm a twin. I love playing sports." I knew this girl beforehand and knew she didn't have a twin, so picked that one.Nope. She had a conjoined twin that died in utero and had to be surgically removed and she's now missing the last vertebrae on her spine. Showed us the scar and everything. Apparently the lie was the first one as she'd been to Mexico.
Redditor Kriss0509 told Bored Panda about what inspired them to create the successful thread in the first place. "I saw someone talk about the fact that this question is everywhere and how much they hate it, so I thought others would have good stories to share as well," they said.
We also wanted to get Kriss0509's opinion as to why students would share such private (and sometimes shocking) information about themselves. In the redditor's opinion, these students might share facts like this because they want to stand out and get attention. The redditor also suggested the simple idea that they share weird facts about themselves because they simply can't think of anything else "in the heat of the moment."
The redditor added that, in their opinion, it's best to leave some of the things that students shared with their teachers a mystery, as they're much, much too private to be shared openly with everyone.
#4
During french class, A guy in my class said that he liked stabbing children. He meant that he fences but didn't know the exact translation for that.
Image credits: Muffin141
#5
I was an ESL teacher in Indonesia and a student once told me every morning she cleaned the sh*t on her bed. I asked her to clarify, worried she had a serious digestive issue. She answered: "I brush my teeth, wash face and clean bed sh*t." Bed sheet
Image credits: GuruBagus
#6
“I know a lot about medieval torture equipment.”
Image credits: TransplantTeacher94
The memorable facts that these students shared make it seem like they’re either very brave, don’t feel embarrassment the same way others do, or they don’t care about the consequences being this open might have.
Whatever the case might be, these students might just be on to something by being so honest. Sharing private information and opening up to others is a great way to bond and form strong relationships, according to researchers. What’s more, being honest like this can make you more likable.
However, showing embarrassment can be very powerful in social situations and help build emotional bonds, too. Vanessa Bohns, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Cornell University, told Bored Panda earlier that embarrassment is very socially adaptive.
#7
Had students (aged 11) sharing strategies for dealing with difficult emotions, one at a time in a big circle. One girl talked about digging her nails into her face whenever she was feeling stressed or anxious, and I had to explain to the class why self harm was not a good coping strategy.#8
That he has been to juvie multiple times and is currently on probation. Then he pulled up his pants enough that everyone could see his ankle monitor. That was...something.#9
"You will think less of me if you google me."“Being embarrassed signals to other people that you care about what they think. And that actually draws people in to you. So, blushing, burying your head in your hands, laughing, acknowledging how embarrassing something was, are all totally healthy ways to react,” she said.
However, there are certain things that you should avoid doing when you’re in an embarrassing situation. “The unhealthy way to react is to pretend you’re not embarrassed, that you didn’t make a mistake, or to get angry. Those things undo the positive effect that embarrassment typically has on other people by conveying insincerity and pushing people away rather than drawing them in.”
In short, if you open up to others and have the common sense to be embarrassed about things that are actually embarrassing, you might become one of the most likable people in your social circle. Honesty and genuine reactions trump fakeness.
#10
A student once told my wife that her daddy had a special device that he had to blow into to start his truck.#11
Student told me that there is a chapter dedicated to him in a dental surgery textbook because of a very rare disorder that he had as a child. I may still have that essay#12
Not a teacher, but I was a helper in a middle school classroom. A young girl, who seemed uninterested, said, with no hesitation, that she can chug an entire bottle of beer. She got expelled later that year for keeping drugs in her locker.#13
One guy: "I love rape. Sometimes I rape. Sometimes me and my friends like to get together and listen to rape.""Some of my favorite rapers include Tupac, Dr Dre, Eminem, Biggie... My favorite rape song is..."
(English was not his first language... He had us in the first half, not gonna lie)
(edited to add the continuation and make it clear everyone figured out what he meant once he started listed the famous "rapers")
#14
I said my dad steal cars. It was something my parents always told us growing up as a joke. The teacher just laughed and said "that's nice"
Image credits: i_phped_in_the_pool
#15
Not a teacher but I just did a first aid course. During introductions, say your name and one fact about yourself, dude says proudly he once had over 300k of UNpaid parking tickets.
Image credits: paxtonious
#16
“I have 17 piercings, but only 6 are readily visible”
Image credits: NeverDidLearn
#17
I tried to make conversation with a 6th-grade boy who didn't have any friends in my class. I asked him what music he listens to and he said "mukbang soundscapes".If you don't know, mukbang is when people eat a ridiculous amount of food in one setting.
#18
My dad clogged the toilet this morning and that’s why I’m feeling frustrated’ -5 year old child.I will say the question was “how are you doing this morning?” But I could barely keep from laughing out loud!
#19
I am not a teacher but this guy in my class named Shane has this medical condition that causes him to grow tons of hair at an early age. Full beard in middle school. He would say “I’m Shane and I’m Very Hairy.”#20
My friend is really quiet, he doesn’t really talk unless talked to. He’s really cool though and has some things he enjoys doing. Literally second year I knew him the teacher asked this and he said he’s a professional bowler with a 300 best, and I was like WHY HAVENT YOU TOLD ME THIS THATS AMAZING? I guess it just never came up. Haha! Knew him for a whole year and never knew that.#21
Kid in my kindergarten class said "My peepee fell off at Disneyland"I didn't ask any follow up questions
#22
i don't ask for a fun fact, but on the first day i always ask, "what's your most recent obsession?" (low-stakes, building affinity networks, etc. etc.) in my first semester, a student said "air." as in oxygen.#23
Someone said they liked licking thier toes#24
"I've had my hand up a sheep's bum" shocked me slightly.Child of a farming family, helping with lambing season......
#25
When i was in my first year at university my Law and Society professor made each student get up, say his/her name and tell why they picked Law School, well, a guy got up, said his name and the professor interrupted him by asking "Anon, are you related to x?" The guy "Yes professor, he is my grandfather" then the professor got excited and started talking about what great of a guy X is and that he haven't heard of him in years. Then the professor asked how he was, anon replied "He is dead sir" The whole class was trying to hold the laughter, it pretty much broke the class that First day#26
I teach ESL and every lesson we start the class by sharing something good that happened to us over the last week or so. Needless to say, kids share the most random things ever. I have many weird stories because of that. We enforce a rule that they need to share good things so they don't start one upping each other over whose grandma had the worst death lolOne day, a student said: "I was riding my bike over the weekend when I fell.", I could see where it was going but didn't have enough time to enforce the rule when he just spat out: "I fell over a wired fence and cut my neck, it just kept gushing blood, a lot of blood.". I reminded him that we were only sharing good news when he said: "It's good because I'm still alive.". I had a good laugh and agreed but the damage was done, every kid after him wanted to share about the most horrific injury they had or witnessed.
#27
"I have two thumbs on this hand""I am raising cockroaches in my closet to sell to the reptile shop"
#28
Not me but my brother. He told the teacher "Last night my family ate beaver for dinner." (I was much older and had left home by then.) The class laughed, the teacher accused him of lying, the principal was brought into this and my mother had to go in for a meeting. She chewed them up one side and down the other because we had a cousin who was a trapper and he had sent a batch of beaver thighs for the family to enjoy. Altho' my brother was telling the truth, he told me later that he did say that for the effect (disrupting the class).#29
It wasn’t weird, but actually cute and funny. I was teaching fifth grade and this kid, white as paper, goes my name is _____, but you can call me Lebron. He had an obsession with Lebron James and I did in fact call him Lebron whenever I wanted to get his attention. Great kid.#30
a student, not a teacher, but once we were going around a circle during percussion camp in the front ensemble and my teacher goes “hello everyone, my name is ____ and I have sh*t my pants as an adult.” Definitely one of the weirder ones I’ve heard.
#31
Not a teacher, but on the first day of 9th grade we had to form a circle and say one thing about ourselves that we thought was unique. When it was this dudes turn (lets call him mike) Mike stands up and says in a really serious tone goes '' My mom and dad grow weed''His house got raided the next day and his dad got arrested smh
#32
that when he wiped in the bathroom this morning, there was blood on the toilet paper. lol#33
First day of Intro to Lit during my freshman year of college. When asked an interesting fact about myself, I said "I refuse to bungee jump." Slightly confused, my professor took the bait...my professor replied "That's sort of random. Why do you refuse to bungee jump? Is it a certain fear?" To which my reply was "To be honest with ya sir, a broken rubber brought me into this world, so I'm going to make damn sure one doesn't take me out of it!" Luckily, the professor was a chill guy. The entire class exploded with laughter and it was a good time#34
I think his name was carter he stood up and said ( this is college by the way ) "one time i had sex with a girl in the bathroom. He was expelled.#35
Okay so I had Psychology back in the spring semester before covid hit and I sat next to a girl who I was good friends with from highschool. Professor asks her for a fun fact and she said “I like to watch people get cut open.”She obviously said it for effect, but she cleared it up by saying she liked watching videos of people getting plastic surgery because it’s “satisfying” to watch.
#36
In the context of having students introduce themselves one-by-one to a new boy in a small high school class, a girl said her parents got her a nose job and a boob job.#37
During an introductory activity for my new class, a boy, aged 9, got up and said 'My dog has to wear a cone on its head because dad had his bollocks cut off!'#38
Not a teacher, but a few years ago on the first day of school this kid in one of my classes casually answered, “I have a restraining order on my dad!”#39
I was in one of the first small required classes for my teaching degree and everyone in the class was studying to teach. It was day 2 or 3 and we were doing a get to know you activity where we share something about ourself. I don’t remember the exact question but it had something to do with what you regret/ take back. A guy came in late (when almost everyone has answers the question) and the professor asked him the questions and he thought for a moment and said “I regret letting my friend talking me into dropping acid”. The class was silent for a good 20 seconds until the professor said maybe next time we only share things that are legal. I hadn’t seen him in any other teacher classes since. Still laugh about it to this day#40
In my public speaking class at a community college we had to get up and do a speech about a experience that really changed our lives or an important memory and how it made us who we are. On the first day a guy who was a veteran volunteered to go first, he proceed to talk about the day he was captured and sexually assaulted by enemy solider and how he now goes around and helps other soldiers with the wounded warrior project. It was difficult for anybody to follow that, one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met.#41
Had an in-depth conversation with an almost-6-year-old about being a secret werewolf hunter at night. Student described how they track and often makes friends with werewolves. Also demonstrated a stunning amount of knowledge about the moon, haha!(For folks worried about the vibrant lying, this is very typical for young students and one of their relational avenues for assessing adult reactions....and imaginative story telling is an important developmental trajectory. At certain points children start telling stories that they themselves know aren't true, which can be super annoying, and is also a wonderful window into a particularly complex part of cognitive development.)
#42
Maybe not weird, but one I will always remember the boy who wrote "I like chewing bubble gum and drinking out of a water bottle." I also had another boy who said "I always say I'm tired even when I'm not."#43
I'm not a teacher but back when I was sixteen I was kicked out of class for answering "I set my balls on fire and swing them around for people's entertainment" even though the rest of my class confirmed it was true. I still do it sometimes#44
I had a student tell me that sometimes his dad got drunk and asked his mom for things; as I was starting to tell him he didn’t need to elaborate any further, he continued with “like soup and he yells it like ‘soooooooooup’” it took every bit of restraint to not laugh. It’s been years and years since that happened but I still laugh when I think about it#45
I’m a student but a kid in my class said that he loves chicken nuggets then sat down and didn’t say anything to anyone else for a month. I have so much admiration yet confusion for him#46
Not a teacher but this happened when I was 17 at school camp during a "bonding exercise"Teacher: tell us two truths and one lie about yourself and we have to guess the lie!
Weird kid: I play PlayStation, I like Doritos and I am an alcoholic
The teacher: the lie is you are an alcoholic!
Weird kid: got you, I play Xbox
My god the look on the teachers face.
#47
I’m not a teacher, but this may qualify. As a freshman in college, this kid named Brenton told our class his name was “Brent5on, but the 5 is silent”. He was a weird cat. I mean do you man, but it was the most awkward silence from the lecture and professor I have ever witnessed#48
My first year, as an earnest and ideological teacher in a very rough underserved area, I got all the students in a circle on the first day to talk about what we’d done that summer. I pointed to a student who’d been engaged w me before class and said, “what did you do this summer that could inspire us?” His answer: “I did the last 2 months of a sentence for stealing a car.”Um. I hadn’t expected that. So I pointed to another student and said, “OK! That’s great! Let’s talk about what you did this summer!”
That student said, “YES. I had such a good summer. I went to camp and...[laughing] lemme stop lying. I did the last 2 months of a sentence with that guy cause I stole that car w him.”
#49
Omg not a teacher, but the student...Introducing ourselves around our grade 10 social studies class, and my intro goes: “Hi, I’m Catbomb4, I’m blah blah blah and I really really like trees. Like I swear I have a tree fetish” ... The teacher gives me a wtf look and goes “okay...” and quickly moves on.
I confused “fetish” with the word “obsession”.... still weird, but holy smokes I did not mean to say I’m sexually attracted to trees.
#50
I work with preschoolers (3-5 age group). One day we had the kids go around and tell us one thing that made them special. Most were pretty normal (I’m really good at drawing, I have two big sisters, etc). And then I get to this one little girl—super cute and sweet. Looks me dead in the eyes and goes “I have been around forever. I have seen the whole world and I know everything.” Dead serious. Super creepy. When I pressed her, she couldn’t really find the words to explain, but kept talking about how she “came from the sand”, and was frustrated that she couldn’t “say it better”. I didn’t use to believe in past lives, but now I’m not so sure#51
Hi. I'm Dorian and coming to uni is the only time I'm allowed out because I'm under house arrest for attempted murder.First year University student. First year.
#52
I work at a nature center as an informal teacher. Once I had a student, about 6 or 7 years old, while referring to an action figure he found in the room, say "I used to have one of those, but then my house burnt down."While talking about the zodiac, when we got to Cancer the crab, another student announced "I had cancer for 2 years!"
#53
I had my students ask what they wanted to be after they graduated. A girl who sat near the back and was a little more edgy was up next to answer, and she looked around and said “I want to be a mortician because living people are the worst to work with. The dead don’t talk back to you, they don’t demand things. I’m in control.” And nobody really spoke to her for the rest of the 15 week class, except me by default.#54
In my history class someone said, "I like to start fires."#55
Coach (at the time) not a teacher so slightly different relationship. End of year 7 UK school, aged 12.The question was slightly different, you had to say something that had changed about yourself over the past year.
One boy stands up and simply says ...... pubes.
#56
Taught elementary school the past few years. One kid told me he was a dragon when he was born but changed into a human as he got older. He was absolutely convinced and couldn’t be persuaded.#57
Someone in a class once told everyone about how his grandparents were arrested for keep a bunch of adopted children in cages. He said that he used to play with the kids when he was young, but he was too young to understand that the conditions they were in weren't normal. They kept kids in cages and locked in rooms for years before they were discovered and arrested.Yup. Fun fact.
#58
Even though I'm a professor, nothing that's ever been revealed by this question has ever been as awkward or uncomfortable as an occasion that happened when I was still a student. This was when I was in my MFA program for creative writing. If you've never been in an arts program before it probably won't surprise you to learn that they can attract some weird personalities. It was the first day of a fiction workshop and the professor decided that he wanted us to all share something interesting about ourselves and for some reason one girl, Ashley, decided that this would be a good opportunity for her to tell us about her long history of drug abuse and the equally long period of mental psychosis she went through as a result of it. She didn't do this as a quick answer either but as a long drawn out list of every single drug she had ever experimented with followed by a catalogue of every single delusion she suffered as a result (the only one I can remember now is that at one point she became convinced she was a millionaire and her family was hiding her money from her). All of this was delivered in a monotone monologue with her eyes glazed over that lasted at least five minutes, which was met at the end with a long, awkward silence before the professor said "well that was definitely something interesting" and moved on to the next person.#59
I’m a teacher from the UK, form tutor to a Year 7 class (11 year olds) To get to know each other on the first day I had them take it in turns to say their name, which primary school they’ve come from and an interesting fact, like favourite food or colour. We get to the last kid in the class, his fact is that he has 6 fingers on one hand. Coolest kid ever.#60
“My arm is F**KED y’all” in the deepest southern drawl and proceeded to wildly swing his “f**ked” up arm around. He was 12, had Erb’s palsy and also got detention that day. He might be one of my fav students
#61
Not a teacher but the daughter of one.My dad had a student tell him during the fun fact question in detail about how his goldfishes died that morning and how he experimented on their corpses. He had pictures on his phone of the skin off and the intact skeleton next to it.
He is a successful taxidermist now so silver linings I guess.
#62
Not me, and not a fun fact, but teacher/student story related.A close friend was doing an activity where the teacher had everyone anonymously write down some traumatic event or something that happened to them. My friend couldn't think of one, so he made one up, little did he know the teacher randomly selected some to read out loud in front of the class, and his was chosen.
He had written "when I was 9 I was forced to rape my neighbors cat" the class went dead silent. The teacher was speechless. My friend nearly had an aneurysm trying to hold in the laughter.
#63
I remember one kid used it as an opportunity to explain that he believed in the Flying Spaghetti Monster.#64
Not a teacher, but first day of high school when we did introductions one of the popular girls said “Hi i’m Maisie, and I’m trash... wait no! IM FAN-TRASH!!!” And then proceeded to explain that she read smutty fanfics to every and any of the teacher that asked what “fan-trash” is.... we were 11! (British High school)#65
Along the same avenueAfter an winter half term the teacher asked "how was your break?" My class was silent for some glorious seconds when it was my turn and I said "well my granddad died and my dad got married" yes in that order. My teacher asked my mum if it was true at parents evening a few days later. Sorry Mr. Moore
#66
Not a teacher but my freind said masterbation is his passion.#67
He has a TV in his bedroom. (He was 17.)#68
I was teaching a 10th grade Honors English class once and this pleasant young woman busted out the C-word (See U Next Tuesday). I hadn't had any trouble with her whatsoever, so I was a bit shocked. The whole class went dead silent. I told her she couldn't use "that word" in class and she was confused as to which word I was referring to. Finally, I said "the C-word." She repeated it and then admitted she didn't know there was anything wrong with it because her parents use it at home all the time. The rest of the class let her know it was bizarre that she was using it.#69
My son told his 7th grade teacher that he had a Sasquatch uncle. The teacher was doubtful until my wife wrote the teacher a note scolding the teacher for not believing and backing up my son's story.In retrospect, it's likely the teacher just humored everyone while thinking my wife was a lunatic
#70
I'm a trainer at a bank, and I've learned some really interesting things about my colleagues doing icebreakers.One guy used to be in a pretty successful metal band. Another can solve a Rubik's cube in under 2 minutes (yes, I made him prove it). One woman was a professional pianist for a while, and another can read tarot cards.
I'm seriously thinking of putting on an employee talent show
#71
Obligatory, not a teacher.First year college, a guy shared with the class that he hated dogs... we were Veterinary students.
1 year later he dropped out, and 3 years later I dropped out too.
#72
Not a teacher, but a guy in a handful of my high school classes used to always say he met Ron Jeremy if the class was doing two truths and a lie. He wasn’t lying, and would always show the class the picture they took together.#73
First grade- student told me that she like spending time with her dads “special friend” more than her mom because the special friend bought her things in exchange for not telling mom about her.Fast forward two months to parent teacher conferences and I’m sitting at the table knowing dad is cheating on mom and mom has no clue... and dad has no clue that I knew!
#74
On the first day of 6th grade in my math class the teacher was having every student introduce themself and tell him if they went by a nickname.This one kid requests to be called "The Surgeon General" in a confusing attempt at humor. He thought it was pretty funny, we all laughed at how weird it was, but there was no actual thought put into the "joke" as he was just being random.
But the teacher remembered this, and whenever the kid acted out in class the teacher would refer to him as "Mr. Surgeon General" when reprimanding him, much to the kid's embarrassment lol
#75
That she was a public pooper. I still remember her first and last name so good job freshman from 8 years ago.#76
One guy licked the E. coli Petri dish in AP Bio.It was his “fun facts about me” in the yearbook.
#77
I had a friend in college that felt like she never had a good fun fact to share, so she memorized all of the US state birds so she could say that she knew them all as her fun fact. She was expecting someone to not believe her and quiz her on one, but when she actually shared the fact in class no one did so she memorized them for nothing.#78
"I love to God."I had a Korean student here on an international visa. His host family were Korean as well, but they were very strict about English in the home. They were also super religious. On the first day of school this kid was super nervous, trying to fit in, and pretty clearly was only saying stuff he'd rehearsed with his host family.
I think something got lost in translation at their church, and he thought he could use God as a verb, meaning "to worship God".
I had him for US History. Bright kid, and he always brought an interesting perspective, but the language barrier was right out of a sitcom.
#79
Sadly in a Sex Education class, a 12 year old was very worried about having ETS, AIDS and HIV. "My parents have been using drugs and have shared many siryngs, even when my mum was pregnant with me so I don't know if I have it or not"So sad. So shocking for us, the teachers and the kids in the class.
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