School days… they were the best days of your life, or so they say.
From those innocent Junior Infant days all the way up to Leaving Certificate year, each teacher came from one of these distinct moulds…
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1. The One You Could Make Cry
We’re starting on a harsh one. Please don’t judge us. But there was always that one teacher whose eyes would start watering the minute someone even implied they didn’t have their homework done. Their life mission to inspire kids with the wonders of Shakespeare would be melting before their eyes…
2. The One You Would Not Say One Word Out Of Line To
Was it the pulsing vein on the top of their forehead? The way they’d glare at one person, but could see what the student behind them was doing at the same time? The way they’d be behind you within a second of just being in front of you? These teachers were SO SCARY.
3. The One That You Could Fool
As in the teacher that you could fool easily and fall asleep behind your open maths book, whilst they thought your head was deep in thought. Or the teacher you could come in twenty minutes late to class to and say you were helping the school caretaker with the bins or showing a poor lost first-year to their class. Yup, we all had one of those…
4. The One That You Wanted As Your Best Friend
That one really, really sound teacher who’d discuss the latest matches, reality TV shows and house parties with the class. It was kind of like hanging out with your older brother’s friend.
“He’s sound like…”
“Yah, he’s really sound.”
5. The One That Was Hot
Was this teacher even hot? Or was it because there was some serious slim pickings and we all thought the art teacher was just so creative and cool…
(Okay, she was hot)
6. The One That LOVED Irish
The roll was in Irish (“ANSEO”), the weather was in Irish (“fliuch”), the forced chat was in Irish (“Tá sé go hálainn, is ea”), the posters on the wall were all in Irish. Most often, not someone who actually taught Irish.
In fact, we became fans of Gaeilge that year: “Ju’know, it’s not that bad.”
7. The One That Was Bat Sh*t Kerrr-aazzzy
Go on, think of that teacher. We all had one.
8. The One That Loved Nature Walks
This teacher was everybody’s favourite, understandably enough.
9. The One That Would Dress Really Well
This teacher was glamourous and always looked so “well”. The guys got all hormonally excited around her and the girls were in awe of her. You wanted her shoes.
10. The One That Was Always Out
This was the teacher that always had some poor, hapless substitute replace them for the day/week/month.
Cue: spit paper balls and farting sounds.
It’s also the subject we all barely passed in the Leaving Cert, but knowing who your teacher was, at least you could write it off as your ‘Don’t Count This One For Points’ on day one of the year. Efficient.
