After spending their weekdays caring for and educating other people’s children, teachers just want time to give that same love and attention to their own kids. That’s exactly what one woman was doing when she ran into a student as she relaxed with her child by the pool — but what followed next was mortifying.
The teacher shared the outcome of an after school run-in with a student that she never could have predicted.
In a post shared on the r/Teachers subreddit, and later transcribed on the “Ifey” TikTok account, she explained that she didn’t think much of running into him outside of the classroom, but that turned out to be an incorrect assumption.
When she returned to school the following day students stared at her strangely. She asked several of the high schoolers what was up and they all pretended to know nothing about the weird energy in the air.
“They’re smart enough to not let slip to me what was wrong,” she said. But she was still bothered and knew something was amiss, but hoped it was nothing too big.
The answer to the students’ mysterious behavior came during her lunch break.
A colleague approached her and told her that a picture of her from the previous weekend in her bathing suit was circulating around school.
The student thought it was funny and that the other teacher could use a good laugh. The exposed woman, on the other hand, was not amused, especially since admittedly, “It’s not exactly flattering.”
She’s embarrassed about the photo but is unsure how to confront the issue. According to the humiliated teacher, what makes the picture so bad is that it “shows most of my belly which is bigger than I’d like and I’m clearly out of breath.” Apparently, she was in the midst of chasing her child and caught in an awkward position.
She knows exactly who the culprit is but doesn’t know the appropriate action to take.
She turned to Redditors for their input, who overwhelmingly suggested that the teacher contact the boy’s parents and let them know what he has been up to.
“Hopefully the parents have at least a bare minimum sense of decency to feel ashamed of their son being a massive creep,” one person said.
Others tried to deter her from writing the student up since the photo was taken in a public place and off school grounds. But there might be some possible disciplinary action that can be taken for distributing the picture.
The student’s behavior should be addressed.
If a teacher were to pass a student’s swimsuit-clad photo around, it would likely result in severe disciplinary action. That educator’s job could be on the line, and depending on the circumstances, there’s even the possibility of legal prosecution. But when the situation is reversed, the only possible repercussion seems to be suspension from school.
The young man should be made aware that his behavior is unacceptable and will be met with appropriate discipline.
But more than a disciplinary issue, this is a moral issue.
The student should know that what he is doing is not okay and should have some concerns about his parents finding out and becoming disappointed. Kids can be cruel and without the emotional intelligence to understand how their actions can impact others, they do things that can damage the self-esteem and reputation of other people with little to no regard.
Respect is something that is instilled in children from the day they are born. They learn by example and any disrespect toward other people should be addressed immediately. Parents and caregivers should ensure that their children understand the consequences of their actions. WebMD explains that disciplining teens can be tricky, but teaching them responsibility is integral to their success as independent adults. Paramount to that lesson is that the choices they make are directly related to the outcomes. Empathy can be taught through compassion and consistency.
This student should be taught the lesson that every action has a reaction, and he should be held accountable for the damage and pain he has caused.
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