40 People Share How Grateful They Are for the Times Their Teachers and Professors Went Above and Beyond Their Duties

We spend a significant amount of our lives in classrooms. In our formative years, our school teachers are among the constant figures we rely on, and they are essentially pillars in our lives.

For that reason alone, we form unique bonds and relationships with the educators who take the time to share their knowledge with us. It's only natural that we have a favorite teacher or two who have impacted our lives in more ways than one.

Those kinds of teachers are the ones we hold near and dear to our hearts. They may have helped you with a simple problem, shared a life lesson you can't forget, or dignified you with a response that wasn't dismissive; for whatever reason, that teacher acted in a way that earned your respect instantly.

It's a shame, then, that our teachers are not paid appropriate wages, yet they are expected to dedicate their entire selves to our learning. If you weren't convinced before why we should pay teachers a whole lot more than what they're earning now, these stories will change your mind.

Grateful Reddit users whose lives were positively affected by their teachers shared their unique stories in a forum. Although anonymous, these teachers deserve more than the empty label of heroes.

Here's the question that instantly sparked a trip down memory lane:

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1. Those small affirmations could be the only ray of sunshine for a kid

Voiceisaweapon

2. A teacher straight out of School of Rock who chose his love for teaching over fame

dasoberirishman dasoberirishman dasoberirishman

3. The principal who led by example

hopgeek hopgeek

4. The high school teacher who hated seeing her once sweet students become jaded teenagers

NuluProton NuluProton NuluProton

5. Salute to the teacher who used his personal time to ensure kids were involved in the right kind of activities

[deleted]

6. No child deserves to go hungry

sk8erguysk8er

7. Kindness breeds kindness

trashymob trashymob

8. A love of reading supported and funded by a dedicated educator

banhbohap

9. Sometimes what you need is someone who will push you to strive harder

AvogadrosMoleSauce

10. The teacher we all deserve

Nicholi417

11. Textbooks are incredibly expensive and get revised almost annually

enchiladacheese

12. A good adult who was willing to admit mistakes and make amends

Andreas_NYC Andreas_NYC

13. Neurodivergent kids were treated like human beings for what seemed like the first time

mild_salsa_dip mild_salsa_dip

14. They have bad days too, but he didn't take it out on his students in the form of a surprise exam

[deleted]

15. Teachers truly deserve everything great in the world

Back2Bach

16. An adult who finally understood what it's like to be growing up

Mom_is_watching

17. Someone who genuinely cares if you learned something in their class

Thesorus

18. A brilliant chemistry teacher who made a difficult subject more enjoyable

HylianEngineer HylianEngineer

19. A teacher who understood and cared about their students' mental health

Spooky_ShadowMan

20. He just wanted to have a class like it was in the movies!

Waffle842

21. Someone who valued honesty

Scratch_That_

22. What was the story of the Pink Elephant? Now we want to know too!

Cae1us

23. A great vocabulary lesson

dinodinodako

24. "Just do what you can"

jodehleh

25. An amazing teacher who will not let you throw away your life

Careful_Horse1588 Careful_Horse1588 Careful_Horse1588 Careful_Horse1588

26. He was a much better prankster

bitchtits93

27. We do not tolerate any bullying in these parts

Mariospario

28. A coach who knew his students well enough to sense when something was lacking

Molly1173

29. Stickers are amazing, and your teacher was really cool!

Techpreist_X21Alpha Techpreist_X21Alpha

30. The rule applies to them as well

Straightup32

31. A true leader who genuinely cared

mmjames66 mmjames66

32. Everyone has a bad day

PancakesandMaggots PancakesandMaggots

33. You don't gain anything by failing and moving on

PhiloPhocion PhiloPhocion

34. They shouldn't have had to teach that class, but that was an admirable display of dedication

nayersman

35. Do not underestimate the quiet ones

Mooseclumps_ Mooseclumps_

36. A great teacher who ensured their student was comfortable

iknowthisischeesy

37. May his memory continue to be a blessing

realrealityreally

38. This is the kind of motivation that will push you to your fullest potential

SuperTed321 SuperTed321

39. An overqualified teacher who provided great lessons

Pimpcool420

40. Mr. D'Onofrio shouldn't have had to think about sacrificing his life for his students, but he would if the need arose

Mister_IceBlister Mister_IceBlister Mister_IceBlister

It's unfair that teachers have to give so much when they receive so little in return. One day out of the year to celebrate them is really not enough to show them their value.

We truly hope that they know how amazing they are at their jobs. Their passion and dedication go above and beyond what their profession calls for, and every child (and adult) in the world is grateful to have had teachers like them in their lives.