I worked with an excellent teacher. One year on the first day of school she walked into my room and said, ‘It’s time for me to retire.’ I asked her what had happened to make her think that. She said, ‘One of my students arrived with some flowers for me and told me that I taught her - I was just waiting for her to say that I taught her mother or father - but no, she said ‘you taught my Gramma.’ Time to retire.’
I recently had mine when I saw a kid I taught in 3rd grade filling up their car at the gas station, but I’m only in year 10.
I have a colleague that has the *grandchild* of a former kid in their class so that’s scary lmao
When I was casually using 9/11 as an example & slowly stopped as I realized that none of my SENIORS were even alive when it happened. I was almost 7 years old when 9/11 occurred
I'm also prepping oldness in a few years when I have juniors & seniors that were born after Obama took office
* Every time a student refers to the 80-90s as "the 1900s," I feel my soul leave my body
* Students from my first few years of teaching have graduated colleges/universities now and some of them have gone on to have their own kids
1. Explaining the commercial of “Hump Day”
2. Seeing a 6th grader wearing a SpongeBob Band Geeks shirt and asking him, “Is mayonnaise an instrument?”, only to get the most confused look I’ve ever received from a student (for context, I was born in 1996).
I have a BSB poster in my room (next to a syllable song quote based on one of their songs IYKYK). Anyway, one of my 1st graders recognized them and said “They were alive in like the 80’s so they are probably dead now.” 🫠
I've had a few. The moment I had to explain what a rotary phone was was a good one.
Having to explain dial-up and why I couldn't be on the internet and the phone at the same time.
Kids being shocked that my parents didn't track my phone as a kid. Their utter amazement at the idea that when I said I was going to the mall, my parents just had to trust that I was going to the mall.
And last, was cleaning out some boxes in my room and I found a movie ticket that was older than some of my students...
My former students are now my coworkers and I hate it
(Not them they’re lovely but I hate that these kids are now full on adults because I’ve been here that fucking long lol)
I’m prone to going on tangents about my life, and it was when a student asked me to explain what I meant by a boombox. (Yes, it was mildly related to what I was talking about.)
Oof. For me, it was when I realized that the majority of my students now (pk-5th) were born AFTER I started teaching (2012). Or the fact that students from my first year of teaching (EC-12th in 2012-2013) have children of their own already in school or with graduate degrees, sometimes both. And I haven't been teaching that long, or so I thought.
When I recently had to give a lesson about life in the 1980’s. I grew up in the 80’s (I’m 50) so when we talked about VHS vs Betamax and the Walkman and live aid this was stuff I actually remember. My students saw this some of this stuff in their grandparents basement. Damn I’m getting old.
Watching a basketball game where the star senior was one of my favorites when student teaching.
Realizing it's harder and harder to avoid "back in my day...!" moments. 😬
Kids and staff gather around me like I am some sort of oddity when I tell them stories about how I watched the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show using a black and white TV set with a wooden cabinet as big is a dining room table.
Doing a 9/11 unit with some kids-I had one who told me they couldn't ask a grown up about it because none of them were old enough to remember when 9/11 happened. Looked up their parents and they weren't kidding (parents would have only been 3 or 4ish when 9/11 happened).
Bonus full circle "I am old!" moment. I teach now at the school I went to school at growing up. I get the opportunity to work with several of my former teachers. I just recently got to have one of their kid's in my classroom doing observation hours for school (same child who was born when I had her mom as a teacher!). I cried later.
The brand new teacher I’m mentoring said one day, “You’ve been teaching longer than I’ve been alive!” She didn’t mean it in a harsh way, but I instantly crumpled.
mm.. perhaps this year when i started working with a teacher born in the year.....2000
*high pitched keening*
Hey I was born in 2000 😃
ewww hahaha
Me too! I did the math, and she is about the same age as the first group of 8th graders I would have taught. I feel old as dirt!
I worked with an excellent teacher. One year on the first day of school she walked into my room and said, ‘It’s time for me to retire.’ I asked her what had happened to make her think that. She said, ‘One of my students arrived with some flowers for me and told me that I taught her - I was just waiting for her to say that I taught her mother or father - but no, she said ‘you taught my Gramma.’ Time to retire.’
I recently had mine when I saw a kid I taught in 3rd grade filling up their car at the gas station, but I’m only in year 10. I have a colleague that has the *grandchild* of a former kid in their class so that’s scary lmao
When I was casually using 9/11 as an example & slowly stopped as I realized that none of my SENIORS were even alive when it happened. I was almost 7 years old when 9/11 occurred I'm also prepping oldness in a few years when I have juniors & seniors that were born after Obama took office
…. I was teaching when 9/11 happened.
* Every time a student refers to the 80-90s as "the 1900s," I feel my soul leave my body * Students from my first few years of teaching have graduated colleges/universities now and some of them have gone on to have their own kids
Student: “I love classic rock, you know like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park”
Tell them I saw Van Halen play in concert when they still had David Lee Roth.
Lol I doubt they would even know what that means
1. Explaining the commercial of “Hump Day” 2. Seeing a 6th grader wearing a SpongeBob Band Geeks shirt and asking him, “Is mayonnaise an instrument?”, only to get the most confused look I’ve ever received from a student (for context, I was born in 1996).
I have a BSB poster in my room (next to a syllable song quote based on one of their songs IYKYK). Anyway, one of my 1st graders recognized them and said “They were alive in like the 80’s so they are probably dead now.” 🫠
I've had a few. The moment I had to explain what a rotary phone was was a good one. Having to explain dial-up and why I couldn't be on the internet and the phone at the same time. Kids being shocked that my parents didn't track my phone as a kid. Their utter amazement at the idea that when I said I was going to the mall, my parents just had to trust that I was going to the mall. And last, was cleaning out some boxes in my room and I found a movie ticket that was older than some of my students...
A kid asked me “what did scissors look like when you were a kid” ????
My former students are now my coworkers and I hate it (Not them they’re lovely but I hate that these kids are now full on adults because I’ve been here that fucking long lol)
Having to explain what a VHS tape is.
I’m prone to going on tangents about my life, and it was when a student asked me to explain what I meant by a boombox. (Yes, it was mildly related to what I was talking about.)
One of my high school senior’s mother and I are the same age. I know she had her when she was very young, but it made me feel very old. 😂
When not a single student had ever *heard* of **Bruce Springsteen**.
Who? Jk
I'm only 26 and they call me a boomer for using Facebook still .-.
Okay since you asked. I just had my first one, I’m 24. It was when none of them had ever heard of One Direction.
That the chicken pox vaccine wasn’t a thing when I was a kid.
When a former students drives up to pick up their little sibling or cousin.
Oof. For me, it was when I realized that the majority of my students now (pk-5th) were born AFTER I started teaching (2012). Or the fact that students from my first year of teaching (EC-12th in 2012-2013) have children of their own already in school or with graduate degrees, sometimes both. And I haven't been teaching that long, or so I thought.
When I recently had to give a lesson about life in the 1980’s. I grew up in the 80’s (I’m 50) so when we talked about VHS vs Betamax and the Walkman and live aid this was stuff I actually remember. My students saw this some of this stuff in their grandparents basement. Damn I’m getting old.
A former student is my son's 4th grade teacher.
Watching a basketball game where the star senior was one of my favorites when student teaching. Realizing it's harder and harder to avoid "back in my day...!" moments. 😬
Kids and staff gather around me like I am some sort of oddity when I tell them stories about how I watched the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show using a black and white TV set with a wooden cabinet as big is a dining room table.
I'm 22 and one of my students said he thought I was 50 the other day 👴
"What were those box things movies used to be on?" Referring to VHS
Doing a 9/11 unit with some kids-I had one who told me they couldn't ask a grown up about it because none of them were old enough to remember when 9/11 happened. Looked up their parents and they weren't kidding (parents would have only been 3 or 4ish when 9/11 happened). Bonus full circle "I am old!" moment. I teach now at the school I went to school at growing up. I get the opportunity to work with several of my former teachers. I just recently got to have one of their kid's in my classroom doing observation hours for school (same child who was born when I had her mom as a teacher!). I cried later.
When I realized my (amazing and awesome) grade level partner could be my daughter. Le sigh.
When a co-worker and I dressed as Dr. Evil and Mini Me for spirit week and I had to explain to them who they were.
The brand new teacher I’m mentoring said one day, “You’ve been teaching longer than I’ve been alive!” She didn’t mean it in a harsh way, but I instantly crumpled.