It Takes A Special Type Of Person To Be A Teacher, And These 20 People Did Not Have "It"

Many people spend years and years of their lives in school. During those years, you're bound to encounter some special teachers who inspire and excite you. Unfortunately, you're also bound to deal with teachers who are unkind, difficult, and potentially even toxic.

We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about the worst, most toxic teachers they've encountered. Their stories were disturbing and downright heartbreaking. Here are the most shocking ones we received:

Warning: Some submissions contain mentions of bullying, harassment, self-harm, and racism.

1."I once had a professer who found bad reviews on the app Rate My Professors. She then used these reviews against us, calling them petty and nasty. She sent emails out accusing students and even lowered students' grades if she suspected a review was from them. Her last words to us were, 'Beware, now that you have made those bad comments.'"

—pbarnes1224

2."When I was in first grade (around 1979), my mom had put a bit of cheese in my lunchbox, but when lunchtime came, it was all warm and soggy, so I put it in the trash. My teacher took it out of the garbage, washed it off in the drinking fountain, and told me I couldn't go play until I had eaten it. I did not get to play that day."

3."I had a friend pass away in a car crash during junior year of high school. He was a popular kid for all the right reasons. He was funny, kind to everyone, an amazing student, a great basketball player, and just someone great to be around. Many of our classmates, including myself, missed a day of school to attend his funeral. The next day, we arrived to trigonometry class, and our teacher seemed downright giddy. As soon as the bell rang, she started lecturing us for missing class in an extremely condescending tone. She was well aware we were out to attend the funeral, but with a smug look on her face, she threatened to punish us. She even looked at me at one point and said, 'Maybe I'll tell your coach you aren't showing up to class so you'll get kicked off the team!'"

"It was the most sickening display I've seen from an adult — mocking teenagers who were completely devastated by the sudden loss of a close friend. It upset me for the longest time, until I got older and realized she did this because she was a sad, pitiful person who was taking out her own problems on us."

—Anonymous

4."I had a bio professor who told us on the first day that she would not be teaching us. We'd be using the book to teach ourselves, and then she'd test us on how well we taught ourselves. In class, she'd spout off about conspiracy theories. That's what my tuition money was paying for?"

5."I had a terrible substitute in third grade who didn't believe me when I told her I was having a hard time breathing after recess. I had to wait a whole class period (45 minutes) to get to my next class and tell that teacher that I still couldn't breathe right and didn't feel good. I was having my first asthma attack and had to be taken away by an ambulance. She was never hired back after that."

—lukkykat22

6."At my elementary school, we had a weird rule where you had to stand next to the door if you wanted to go to the bathroom. However, my first-grade teacher didn’t like us using the bathroom right after lunch, since we’d just had a break. One day, I walked to the door and waited for permission, but my teacher shook her head to say no. Confused, I sat down at my desk, and about a minute later, walked back to the door again. I really had to go! But she shook her head a second time. I didn’t know what else to do, so I just peed right there, standing in the classroom doorway. Looking back, that was so messed up."

7."My high school French teacher was honestly out of control. She either shouldn't have been a teacher, or she should've retired sooner. She taught NOTHING. I've always been a good student, but even I struggled to grasp a new language all on my own (while juggling seven other classes a day). She would spend our hour-long classes screaming and ranting. She always butted heads with certain students and would throw tantrums. She'd sometimes throw things, storm out of the room, or call the school's officer. Yes, students would push her buttons intentionally, but her reactions were unacceptable."

"On multiple occasions, she'd sit at her desk and just scream. Yes, scream...and cry, and throw her head back, and yell, 'God, what did I do to deserve this?' You never really knew what was going to go down in class that day. I'd have a stomachache walking to that classroom every day."

—Anonymous

8."One time, I was bullied in class right before recess. I was crying in the hall about to go outside, when one of my teachers walked by, saw me crying, and smiled and laughed."

9."My fifth-grade teacher really should have NEVER been a teacher. She told my mom, in front of me, not to be mad or disappointed with me for not getting passing marks. She said that my mom should love me, despite me being below average (now and forever). In the same breath, she told my mom that it shouldn't be a surprise that I wasn't doing well in class since my parents worked at a gas station and never excelled because they're refugees. My mom was a refugee, but at this time she was a ICU nurse with her BSN, and my dad was an accountant and working on his PhD. Even if they were working at a gas station, WTF would be wrong with that? My mom was livid, and I was just crying."

—americanhottie3333

10."The drama teacher I had in ninth grade was by far the worst I've encountered. I have always loved dance and theater, and I took acting and dance classes inside and outside of school. When I filled my schedule out for my sophomore year, I signed up for double science classes instead of drama, since I needed to take more science classes for my future career (I now work in the biotechnology industry). When I handed my schedule in, my teacher yelled at me in front of the entire class because I wasn't going to take any of her classes, and she said that I was 'making the worst mistake of my life.' Later that year, I experienced an injury that affected my mobility right before auditions for the spring musical."

11."When I was ages 8 to 11, my primary teacher was this middle-aged dude. He seemed really fun at first — he was also the principal of the school. But then, things turned to complete hell. He targeted a couple of students that were the 'outcasts' (me and a couple of boys basically). He would constantly pick on me because I had old, worn clothes and speech problems, and often came to school with bruises. Then, a boy from my class started harassing me at school. I told him about him, but 'boys will be boys' was the only response I got. Then, the teacher actively tried to pair us together and forced me to sit next to this boy during all our classes."

"He also loved to watch the bullies beat others up — it was a daily thing. Usually it was the quiet boy who got beaten up. Sometimes I got my share of it. The teacher also played very inappropriate videos during class, made sex jokes about us, and was a real fucking creep."

—prekeles

12."I had a physics professor who was actually the worst. Early on in the semester, I had a health emergency and was in the hospital for four days, unable to do my homework. When I got out, I emailed him and said I wasn’t done with the homework, but I would try to get it in on time — but, if I was unable to do so, could I have an extra day. I explained that I'd been in the hospital for part of the week. He was very upset with me and said giving me an extension wasn’t fair to the other students (not because I would have more time, but because it would delay when he could give out answers, as if students were that desperate for the answers)."

13."My third-grade teacher used to get mad at me for taking a book out of my desk and reading when I finished my class work, instead of talking to other kids. 1. What kind of teacher gets mad at kids for reading?! 2. I was a gifted kid. I finished my work before everyone else. If I had talked to them, I would have distracted them from finishing their work."

—Adrienne1013

14."I had a chorus teacher who seemed set on humiliating students. Everyone in the class liked singing, but not everyone was a freakin' pop star. We were all learning about music and how to improve our voices. She'd single people our at random to make them sing a line, and then would laugh at them and hurl insults at them, sometimes until people cried."

15."My worst teacher for sure was my science teacher when I was 12. I was heavily bullied for being autistic and gay, and was expelled from a group assignment the day before it was supposed to be delivered. I told the teacher what had happened, and he said I should just die because no one wanted to be close to me, and my existence was disturbing everyone. He said the best thing I could do for my family was rid them of the burden of having to live with me. That was 14 years ago, and to this day, I can still hear his voice saying those things. I still have nightmares about that day."

—beelphg

16."I had a really bad substitute, and everyone at my school knew he was the worst. There was a group of kids in my class who were simply talking and laughing, not super loud or anything, and our sub threatened to mark them absent from class if they didn't shut up. Later, he tried to send my classmate to the office, just because he dropped a pencil. Hopefully, I don't get this sub again."

17."My third-grade math teacher was the worst. I’ve always struggled with math, and back when we were learning multiplication, I counted on my fingers (still do). She called me out in front of the whole class and mocked me for counting on my fingers. She said one day I'd be a cashier at the grocery store, holding up the line by saying, ‘Please wait, sir. I’m still counting! Please, wait wait wait.' I will always remember that trauma she gave me. I have a feeling there was a racial component, too, since I was the only brown kid in the class, and she was white."

—patricktomasino

18."My kindergarten teacher would hit my hands with a long wooden ruler when I’d use my left hand to write. She’d say only children of the devil are left-handed. I’m ambidextrous now, but I learned, in that horrible way, to use my right hand for writing, and I prefer it that way now. I remember actually feeling ashamed for being a 'devil child,' and other kids also estranged me because of it."

19."My second-grade teacher was by far the scariest! One afternoon, I was kind of goofing around while I was sharpening my pencil. She told me to stop wasting time, or she’d sharpen my finger and I could write with my blood!"

—melialexander

20.Finally: "My high school English teacher was the worst! She used to make fun of me in front of the class for looking 'depressed.' At the time, I was in therapy and still living with my toxic parents, so I struggled to talk about stuff like that. There was another kid in my class who had visible self-harm scars, and she specifically picked her to read out a poem about self-injury and smiled through it, even though the student was visibly upset and had to be consoled afterward. I complained to another teacher at that point, but nothing ever happened. If there is one silver lining, she once told me and my parents that she 'didn't see' another teacher's observation that I was a good writer — which is something I now do professionally. Screw you, Miss J."

—Anonymous

Unacceptable!!! I know most teachers are quite literally the opposite of these monsters, but it still makes my heart hurt. If you have a story about a toxic teacher (or a really amazing teacher!) that you'd like to share in the comments, I invite you to do so!

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.