Every teacher starts their career with a list of things they swear they’ll never do. But as any seasoned educator will tell you, the classroom has a funny way of making you break those promises. Whether it’s using the same old clichés or adopting habits they once found annoying, every teacher has had their “I’ll never do that” moment.
Take Ms. Stevens, who began her teaching career vowing never to use the phrase, “Because I said so.” She believed in always giving her students a reason. But after a particularly long day of endless questions, she found herself uttering those exact words. The look of surprise on her students’ faces mirrored her own shock. “I couldn’t believe it! I was officially ‘that teacher,’” she laughs now, realizing sometimes you just have to pick your battles.
Then there’s Mr. Thompson, who was adamant that he would never rely on the classic “silent reading time” to manage his classroom. He thought it was a cop-out, a way for teachers to get a break. But after a week filled with energetic and chatty students, he found himself reaching for a stack of books and announcing, “It’s silent reading time!” He now appreciates those quiet moments more than he ever thought he would.
And who could forget Mrs. Lee, who swore she would never sing in front of her students. “I have the worst singing voice,” she admitted. But one day, faced with a group of restless kindergarteners, she spontaneously broke into song to get their attention. To her surprise, the kids loved it—and now, it’s a regular part of her classroom routine.
These moments may start as slip-ups, but they often turn into valuable teaching tools. They remind teachers that flexibility and adaptability are key, and that sometimes breaking your own rules can lead to the best classroom experiences.
So, the next time you hear a teacher say, “I’ll never do that,” just wait. Chances are, it won’t be long before they’re doing exactly that—and discovering it wasn’t so bad after all.
