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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#198: Teacher’s Pet

Whether it was the one who taught you a valuable skill, encouraged you to strive for better, or simply put a band-aid on your grazed knee, there must be at least one teacher you’ll always remember. They’re a constant presence in our childhoods, and, when you’re only small, teachers can seem like larger-than-life characters; the source of all knowledge. It’s little wonder that they feature so often in our stories and our imaginations.

Teaching is a difficult and complicated calling. As in any profession, alongside the above-and-beyonders are also those who should never have become teachers, or who have become jaded. Perhaps your own experiences with a teacher of this kind, one who failed to believe in their students when they needed them the most, clipped your wings, or drove you to work even harder in life. Either way, let's use this week to draw from these formative experiences and write about the people who taught us things, or ought to have.

This week's prompts

Write a story about an unconventional teacher.

High School – 57 stories

Start your story with somebody getting called to the principal’s office.

Middle School – 40 stories

Write about a school trip that takes a turn for the unexpected.

Kids – 15 stories

Write a short story about a teacher or mentor figure who recognizes hidden (or magical!) potential in someone and helps them cultivate it.

Narrative – 46 stories

Write a story that contains the phrase “Okay class! Pop quiz.”

Teens – 24 stories

Stories

“Life Lessons” by Leanne Taylor

Submitted to Contest #198

*mentions of death It was a cold and rainy day at Sir Trevelyan’s Primary school. Several children were crowding the cloakroom getting dry and taking their coats off. As soon as they walked into the main classroom they were greeted by their teacher, Mrs Bates. She was a kind woman and a mother of two. She would frequently run into her youngest daughter, Jessica, while at work. Ophelia Bates decides to run a lesson on Animal biology, which she knew would interest Jessica. But she was in a different class so couldn't participate. How...

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“Unfold” by Matteus Armini

Submitted to Contest #198

Unfold In the last week of August, Noah was sitting in the ensemble room of his school together with the rest of his class. Marie was telling them that, as they all knew, they would be granted private lessons this year funded by the school, and how the next two years would require more work and effort from all of them. It had been nearly three years since Noah’s last private lesson. He could still vividly remember his last two private teachers. Neither had employed the greatest teaching methods, with one thinking that exclusively practisin...

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“Coffee, Doodles, and Lightning Bolts. ” by Lila Monroe

Submitted to Contest #198

“I have no idea what to design for Mrs. Keaton,” Cassidy sighed as she took another slow sip of her caramel macchiato. She pulled down her sunglasses to look at a fluffy, black-and-white doodle walking down the sidewalk. “Huh, that doodle kind of looks like a cow,” Cassidy mumbled to herself. “What do you have against cows?” Cassidy pushed her sunglasses back up and turned around to see who was speaking to her. Although she didn’t know what to expect, she was still surprised to see a young-looking boy staring at her. She paused b...

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“Blocked Chakras” by Kelly DiMario

Submitted to Contest #198

"Take a deep slow breath in through your nose. One, two, three, four, five. Now slowly exhale through your nose and feel your belly empty. Five, four, three, two, one," says the yoga instructor. I lift my head off my mat and squint my eyes in the dark wooden room to take a look at the owner of the tranquilizing voice up front. The lithe, red-headed teacher sits in a meditation pose, the tiny center of a candle circle."Let's repeat the breath again slowly,” she says and I drop my anxious head and comply. After three rounds of breath, I alread...

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“The Case of Missing Plarn” by Miranda Alvarez

Submitted to Contest #198

A pair of giant rusty bolt cutters clamp around the cam lock. Mr. Alan, a stern, starched man, like a shorter version of Mr. Smith from The Matrix, squeezes his forearms together. The bolt cutters bite down, breaching my security system. Clink.I would have given the code if he'd asked. Spools of colorful plarn overflow a wooden case sitting at the bottom of my locker."Mr. Alan. I swear I didn't. They--" I point at Monique, Danna, and Gina, "they told me to grab take it. They told me to stuff it in--""That's enough." His scowl is cold and ste...

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“ The Impulsive Act of a Young Mind” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #198

“Sit down, Billy. We need to talk about what you did. This is a very serious matter,” Principal Stevens said with a tone that expressed how severe the situation was. Billy focused his eyes from the beige carpet and onto Principal Stevens. His fingers set gently on the chair in contemplation. After a moment’s thought, he complied with Principal Stevens' request and he took the seat opposite Principal Stevens so that the large wood desk sat between them. Although the desk was only what the district could afford,...

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“Sisters” by Gabrielle Holly

Submitted to Contest #198

“We don’t want them to feel dejected. We want them to feel uplifted!” Sarah said to Principal Groft. She’s the best actress in our grade. She could make herself cry instantly as she did now. Principal Groft, a stout teapot of a man and very uncomfortable with emotional females, the perfect qualities needed of an all-girls school principal. He kept looking at his hands, so he didn’t have to look at Sarah. Principal Groft’s office was sky blue; he didn’t want to keep it lavender. His office was bare except for the wall behind him. It had the...

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“Psycho 101” by Jasmine A Taber

Submitted to Contest #198

[Contains mentions of drug abuse]“Ronnie, could you tell us who this quote is from?” I could hear the voice faintly, but I wasn’t able to acknowledge it. I felt a soft smack against my left cheek and it startled me back to consciousness. On the floor next to my desk was a crumpled up piece of paper. I turn my attention to Dr. Moore, our Psychology teacher. He’s not a doctor in the traditional sense, but he has a doctorate, so he doesn’t think that “Mr.” is a proper title.“Tell me, Mr. Marlow. What can I do to keep your attention?” ...

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“Writing His Own Happy Ending” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #198

Tom Potenski felt his future closing in on him like the gates of a medieval castle slamming shut on invading armies. He faced the uncertainty of very limited prospects without a clue or a plan. He had managed to claw his way to decent grades at St. Anselm’s High School, particularly in English and history, but the idea of standing in front of a classroom trying to jam some knowledge into the brains of ungrateful, pimply-faced teenagers...

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“Opportunity Doesn't Knock” by Robert Moore

Submitted to Contest #198

Chris felt himself snatched into the air by his legs, and his head cracked against the wood floor, leaving him in a daze. He barely noticed lights coming on, or the door on the other side of the room open. A figure with long white hair, a flowing white beard, and wearing a deep purple velvet robe entered. “What have you caught, Albegerion?” Chris regained his senses, but all he could see was the heavy oak desk he’d been investigating when something snatched him up. He tried to maneuver to see who held him up, but stil...

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“Tree in a matchbox” by Anna Frederiksen-Washington

Submitted to Contest #198

Tree in a matchboxA private school in Australia in the sixties entitled a child to a one-on-one learning basis. That is how Simon’s education started. His parents worked hard to pay for his fees. A blue cap with a matching blazer, embroidered with the emblem of St. Michaels became his first uniform. A small boy in a world where everything had its place and the world outside appeared strange and confusing. A cloak room that smelled of brand-new leather satchels and banana sandwiches.It was during this time he began to explore the books in the...

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“BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED” by Debbie Curtin

Submitted to Contest #198

It was the final art project of the semester and our senior year. Graduation, hopefully, would happen with a positive finale for me. What we were challenged to do was to pick our choice of a unique project to sum up every nuance of what we learned and blend it all together. This would consolidate and put into perspective everything we took in over the past two years. This two year college was the way I chose to follow my art. Short and sweet. How it would play out in the long run was an open road. Who knew where it would lead? The variety of...

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“Beautiful” by Lillia Ankeny

Submitted to Contest #198

Aussie was a freak. Aussie was a retard. Aussie had no parents. Aussie had no social skills. Aussie was not cool. Aussie was not normal. Why did Aussie even go to their school? Wasn’t there a special school for people like that? Ms. Lee knew about all these things that had been said about her student, as well as many more. Numbering among those who said such things were teachers and parents. Folding her hands in her lap Ms. Lee kept her voice gentle. “Do you know why I asked you to stay?” Across her desk the little face shook...

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“Dimitri” by Andra Patterson

Submitted to Contest #198

Dimitri It was the first day of the new school year, at a new school, in a new town, a brand new me. I was finally away from him and everything that had conspired in my life within the past 4 years would be over. Life would once again be quiet, peaceful, and maybe even normal for the first time in over 10 years. I was born and raised in a small, isolated town in the suburbs of Maine, raised by my loving parents, Dad was a desirably handsome dentist and Mom was a strong and dedicated OB/GYN. I grew up in an upper-middle-class neighborhood, i...

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“Lessons From the Future” by Gracie Lyle

Submitted to Contest #198

“Bad night?”That would've been obvious to anyone with eyes if the bartender hadn’t been so eager about clearing my empties. I found my reflection in the mirror behind the bar. The glass was so foggy and warped that it turned the scene into an impressionist painting—or maybe that was the seven beers I’d just drank. “I am having a bad night.” “I know.” The woman I’d never seen before sat down next to me. “You told me to meet you here.”“I don’t know you.”“In the future, you do.” A fire truck screamed outside and she paused while it passed....

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$250

Prize money

182

Contest entries

105

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 19, 2023 EST

Won by Zack Powell 🏆

Title: Multiple Choice

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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