Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog

Menu

✕
CONNECT
Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites
BLOG
Success Stories
APPS
TOOLS
Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships
ABOUT
About Reedsy Terms Privacy

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

“The Starling and the Fisher” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #198

Rolly looked up through the leaves of the elm at the small, dark, tee-shaped figure soaring graceful figure eights high above against a backdrop of fresh, fat spring clouds. The hawk sent a cry down to earth, high-pitched and slightly raspy. Rolly’s siblings shivered all around him and emulated frightened turtles ducking into their shells.The six baby starlings that surrounded him whispered amongst themselves as if afraid the great hawk in the sky could hear from that far away. Maybe he could. His sister Serry whispered, “It’s him. It’s the ...

3 comments 3
Read story

“MEMORIES OF A YOUNG READER” by Julia Corliss

Submitted to Contest #198

I am one of the fortunate ones. I had a mother who read to me. As the poet Strickland Gillian says at the end of The Reading Mother: “You may have tangible wealth untold; Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be— I had a Mother who read to me.” My mother read to me before and after I could read to myself. I started reading to myself, as well as out loud to Mother and other family members, between the ages of three and four. By the time I turned five, I was reading “chapter books,” like the Bobbsey Twins....

4 comments 4
Read story

“FATHER XAVIER; AM UNCONVENTIONAL TEACHER” by CHIEF John West

Submitted to Contest #198

Father Xavier: An Unconventional Teacher by John West Kids can be very cruel. Woe to the teacher, fresh to the class, who shows signs of weakness. As soon as he steps into the classroom, 30 pairs of eyes will be picking him apart. (This story is about a boys’ school). If the new teacher is tall and confident and speaks with an assured voice, he is likely to pass initial scrutiny. But if he lacks these qualities, he will have work to do. Any fault detected will be used by the class as an object of ridicule if it turns out the poor unsuspectin...

2 comments 2
Read story

“A Bad Day” by Abigail F. Taylor

Submitted to Contest #198

Mrs. Hasslebein rolled her eyes when the telephone on her desk began to ring. She snatched it up and wedged it between her round cheek and shoulder. She nodded once. Twice. She muttered, “Okay, thank you.” then returned the phone back to its cradle and began to write on a pink pad. The class began to unfold with a murmur. She stood and swung her big body forward, paper folded between two perfectly manicured fingers.  “Andre,” she hovered, waiting for her victim to look up from the theater textbook.  Andre did, eventually, wi...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Amazing Mentor” by Matea Schulz

Submitted to Contest #198

Ring! Ring! Our teacher walks over and picks up the phone. "Hello, Mrs. Well's class how may I assist you?" A short pause takes place. Mrs. Well speaks into the phone, "Yes he's here." My friend Ryan nudges me and whispers, "Dude, they're talking about you." I reply, "Just because my grades are slipping doesn't mean they're talking about me." "Liam the principal requested to meet with you." Mrs. Well tells me. I stand up and trudge to the door. "Good luck Liam!" a kid yells. The entire class bursts out in laughter. A tear falls from my eye a...

0 comments 0
Read story

“13” by Katie Nick

Submitted to Contest #198

She once told me I was going to be the better version of her - right at the end, when I thought the end was just the beginning - but I’ve long since stopped believing it was true. Maybe it could have been, had she been around long enough to tell me what that meant, or how to do it, or what I had ever done to make her believe such a thing. How had I duped her into thinking I could really even function in the world, much less surpass her? My own mother, corporate break-out star, near-gourmet chef, professional hostess, whip-smart and sexy woma...

1 comment 1
Read story

“Bouncin’ Benny and the Bonehead” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #198

Bouncin’ Benny, the kingdom’s testy enchanted crow, caws, laughing. His mocking laughter echoes throughout Baldor the magician’s extravagant living quarters. “So, this is the kid you think can turn back the rebel army?” Chip, Baldor the magician’s seventeen-year-old apprentice, smiles meekly, his reed-thin body, freckles, and crippling shyness making him appear even younger. “Yes, he’s the one,” Baldor insists. The stocky, good-natured seventy-two-year-old Baldor has served King Ruppert Vontobel since the 1980s, and his father, Moonjack,...

5 comments 5
Read story

“Mr. Gray” by Nancy Mcatavey

Submitted to Contest #198

                                                   Mr. Gray      August is the longest month of the year when you are twelve years old.  The longest thirty-one days  when you are waiting for the summer to end and  your best friend to com...

2 comments 2
Read story

“It Only Takes One Interested Person” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #198

I hated school. In fact, I hated everything. I felt as if I had never fitted in anywhere. I just don’t think I was born with the enthusiasm or interest genes! ‘You’re just different’ My mother told me during one of my ‘woe is me; I’m good at nothing’ times. ‘Different, who wants to be different” I thought after she told me that. I didn’t really know what she meant by it and I wasn’t going to ask her to explain - her explanations or stories were so long winded that I usually fell asleep standing up! The truth was that I knew I didn’t really t...

1 comment 1
Read story

“The Muddy Creek” by Nancy Hibbert

Submitted to Contest #198

Attempted Assault and Murder by Witchcraft. The reason King Alizner appointed me as a top advisor was because I discovered powers hidden in old Ruby Malone.Before Bertram drowned, I used to enjoy walking early mornings through the king’s fields. I liked listening to birds calling in the quiet. The air was so much fresher out of the palace, especially as the rising sun glistened across dewy fields of clover. Merchants would be hauling full mule carts to market, and Bertram would be stumbling home drunk and harassing someone.He was a scrawny ...

3 comments 3
Read story

“A Day in The Life of A High School Kid” by Rashaad Saunders

Submitted to Contest #198

Okay Class! Pop Quiz. Instantly the class drops their heads, well all except for Tim Eisenhower. Tim Eisenhower is the classic "teacher's pet" character from one of the classic 80's movies, Ferris Bueller's Day's Off, I think of that film every time he raises his hand to speak. If there was a remake coming out Tim Eisenhower would definitely be an extra in that film. I've never actually seen the movie, but cover picture that pulls up online looks like a teacher's pet movie. As Mr. Dominguez set's to open the quiz online via Canvas, he str...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Off To A Great Start” by Ah Jones

Submitted to Contest #198

“Shoot!” Zoe yelled as she jackknifed from her warm pillow.  She could tell by the amount of sunshine filtering through her curtains that she’d overslept. Zoe turned and looked at her cellphone screen - black. Dang it! Her battery must have died again last night.  Zoe hurriedly put her feet on the floor and plugged in her cell phone. She’d told her dad that she needed a new phone. This stupid phone would randomly go from showing a fully charged battery to saying it only had 30 percent charge left. She never knew when her battery ...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Figaro” by Kathy Philpott

Submitted to Contest #198

Figaro He sat high atop a large puppet tree in the toy store. It was love at first sight. My daughter and I asked the salesperson to retrieve him for us. He was just as charming close-up as he appeared on the puppet tree. He was adorable with his furry green dragon body and lime green Mohawk hair.  We drove back to our apartment with our new puppet in hand. We listened to the Three Tenors on the CD player as we went home. With her small hand adjusting inside the puppet, my daughter made him come to life and pretended to sing with th...

2 comments 2
Read story

“A Regrettable Mistake” by My Trip Around The World

Submitted to Contest #198

A Regrettable Mistake  by  Anthony Mendoza  Grayson leaned against the trunk of his car, fighting the urge to pace back and forth. He pulled the final drag off his cigarette before flicking it amongst its dead brethren scattered across the asphalt. Cynthia was over an hour late and he hadn’t heard from her since they had finished working 3 hours ago. She didn’t answer any of his calls or respond to his texts. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and texted her “are you ok? please answer!” for the 3rd time. He slipped his phon...

2 comments 2
Read story

“LIVING IN THE SHADOWS” by Glenna Agnew

Submitted to Contest #198

Seth hunkered down behind a large leafy bush. He could smell a strong urine scent of an animal that had recently relieved himself close by, but his need for safety far outweighed his need for the luxury of a rose-scented bush. He could hear them coming. They were not trying to hide themselves or camouflage their numbers, why would they? They obviously had the upper hand, he was but one, they were many. Or at least there seemed to be many. They were big boys, strong boys…mean boys. Last week they had slammed him into a locker at the end of ...

0 comments 0
Read story

$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!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

Join our weekly contest

Get 5 new writing prompts every Friday. Write and submit a story for a chance to win $250.

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months. Learn more →

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

Join our weekly contest

Get 5 new writing prompts every Friday. Write and submit a story for a chance to win $250.