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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

“Little Fae” by Myranda Marie

Submitted to Contest #198

Millie sidled slowly from the parking lot to the front doors of the elementary school. She carried her car keys in one hand and a little purple windbreaker in the other. She moved slowly but with conviction. Years of standing on her feet, tending bar and serving tables took its physical toll on her hips and knees. She made it a habit to leave five minutes early for any appointment, giving herself ample time to walk to her destination without the risk of being late. Just as she leaned on the brick wall to rest next to the heavy double doors, ...

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“6 p.m.” by William Richards

Submitted to Contest #198

My desk was near the front of the class. Every two weeks there were exams and your place in the room got updated. The smart kids were made to sit at the back. I think they wanted to inspire us to work harder. But it felt like being branded stupid sitting up front. The class was silent except for the occasional sniffle, someone tapping their pen, and Mrs Price walking up and down. She was one of the younger teachers. Well, she wasn't as ancient as Mrs Gilbert in any case. And she took care of herself more. Like her skin was always perfect...

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“Everly” by Vanessa Zone

Submitted to Contest #198

Everly thought no one was watching when she woke the mouse. It was during first recess and all the other kindergarteners were busy climbing on the play structure or happily kicking a ball around. Everly had walked away from the playground area and was sitting in the slightly overgrown grass that was still wet with morning dew. She had positioned herself right next to the fence that separated the school yard from the woods and was listening to see if she would hear the voices again. She had first heard the voices a...

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“Look to Yourself” by Asa P

Submitted to Contest #198

*Journey off the well-beaten path, please“No, I’m not doing it,” I said as tonelessly as I could, because as soon as I said the word no, the mid or late 20-something-year-old man’s hand flinched. “You have an obligation to meet with a sponsor if the company tells you to.” He insisted in a tight tone. Three years after arriving in Korea, back in the 6th grade, I could understand Korean well enough to understand tone. 14-year-old me was about to get hit if I said again that I was not doing what he was telling me. However, I was not d...

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““Okay class! Pop quiz.”” by Wade Douglas

Submitted to Contest #198

“Okay class! Pop quiz.”by Wade Douglass5/15/2023Warning: crude language. Sensitive subject matter.So you want to know how I could get sued for thirty million, lose my job, and wind up here at Five Points, serving 25 to life, and all for just sayin' “Okay class! Pop quiz.”OK, I’ll tell you my story. But I gotta ask, are you one of those hacks lookin' for a 30 second sound bite? Are you gonna start speaking norwegian when the convo gets dicey? You're still interested? Well shit then, let's get started. We might finish before the hou...

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“WARDEN” by Danyal Bokhari

Submitted to Contest #198

Everyone in the class noticed it immediately. Pam was missing. The teacher wore a grave expression that she soon replaced with a rehearsed smile. Something was wrong. “Okay class! Pop quiz.” Every student straightened their backs. There was no time to dwell on their missing peer as sheets of paper made their way onto each desk, excluding that of Pam. “You may turn over your papers on the hour.” A measly thirty seconds until the needle on the clock would meet its mark. The students took the opportunity to dry their sweaty palms, and ...

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“The Practice ” by JJBUG123 Awesome

Submitted to Contest #198

When you were in high school or maybe you still are, obtaining the knowledge of multiple subjects and then writing about them for seven hours a day, every day, it was or is probably overwhelming to do. Or maybe that first bit came easily to you. Or you were that one student that was always scared of what the day might come to. Like, something so traumatizing and downright frightening could take place, right in the middle of class! Unfortunately, this fear was not thought of at all when something so horrifying took place at a young girl’s hig...

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“Sedgwick” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #198

Charlie and his teacher, Cameron Miller, stood side-by-side leaning over at the waist and peering through the glass of the terrarium at Sedgwick. Sedgwick was staring back. “He doesn’t look any different.” Charlie put a finger on the glass. Sedgwick eyed it cautiously before waddling across the sawdust, through the other hamsters, and nosing at it with a twitch of his muzzle. “I don’t know.” Mr. Miller leaned in closer and brought his glasses down to give the rodent a thorough appraisal. “I think I might see a little progress....

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“Creation 101” by Simon Conner

Submitted to Contest #198

Okay class settle down, pay attention please … right, thank you. As you know today we are reviewing the results of your endeavours to create new creatures to populate the upcoming relaunch of this blue planet which is in dire need of a refresh. I have to say class, I don’t know whether to be impressed or depressed – I think we need a new word to encompass the peaks and troughs of your, ah, attempts. Now we, or at least Senior Management, in a misplaced spirit of faith and optimism, promised you that the results of your work would be dep...

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“Talking Out of School ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #198

Mr. Nolan Darman created an impression on the class the minute he walked into the classroom that morning. We were notified that our English teacher, Mrs. Walton had given birth to a healthy seven pound daughter in the wee hours of the morning and would be out for a three month maternity leave. “Sink the sub.” Was the word circulating in our second tenth grade classroom that morning. But when he came limping in the door, his eyes straight ahead as he walked to the teacher’s desk in the front of the room, I got the feeling ...

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“Noteworthy” by Corinne Arrowood

Submitted to Contest #198

Noteworthy “Not all teachers are mean,” he said. “I dunno about that,” I answered. “I’ve never met one that liked me.” That sinking hollow in the pit of my stomach pervaded any positivity I may have had. “It’ll be a good year; I just know it.” Ellis, my older brother, ignited my hope from the twinkle in his eyes and the warmth in his smile. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with hope, and a glimmer sparked the beat of my heart for just a second. I remember that conversation oh so well. I started my ninth-grade year with trepid...

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“Salvation: how Mr. O’Brien and my borrowed Jewish childhood gave me self-respect.” by Nancy Graham Holm

Submitted to Contest #198

I was ten years old in 1953 when the American Government executed Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for being Soviet spies. I went to school the next day, but nobody was there. Instead, the teachers sat in empty classrooms smoking cigarettes and commenting about “the Commie Jews” who got what they deserved. Then, they told me to go home.I remember walking and wondering about these Rosenberg people. What had they done? What exactly was a Commie? Why had I been the only child in school? I guessed it was related to being Jewish, but I w...

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“Brick” by FJC Montenegro

Submitted to Contest #198

I had never been to Ms. Steele’s office before. Tyler has. He’s been here plenty, but I’ve never gotten a good description out of him. “Meh,” is the best answer he’s ever given, though the most frequent answer is a silent eye roll. Despite my thumping heart, I give myself a second to take it all in. I have no intention of ever being called back here, so I’m taking a mental picture. It’s cramped—that’s what it is. And yet every inch is painstakingly optimized. Shelves and file cabinets filled with neatly labeled documents line the room—too mu...

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“Day School Drama” by Laura Pasek

Submitted to Contest #198

Prepare yourselves for a wild ride of workplace drama and petty disputes. This is a one-sided, completely biased account of my personal experiences in the wondrous world of teaching. I can't promise that everything I recount is 100% accurate, but what I can say for certain is that it affected me greatly, and now it's time to share the inside scoop on how schools really work. Now lest you go and try to figure out who and what I am writing about, keep in mind that I’ve worked in five different schools. So before you go implicating yourself i...

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“Family’s Your’s Friend ” by Bella Kuss

Submitted to Contest #198

“Lizzie, you’re coming with me to the office!” That’s the moment I thought I was being sent to my fate. Before I get into that mess though, here’s a recap. It all started the summer after fifth grade. I wanted the next school year to be different. My whole life I had been the quiet kid, and the rule follower. I always wanted to please teachers, get straight As, and most importantly, hide from the bullies. Sixth grade was going to be different though. I had a fresh start at a new school, and I wanted to make a good impression, but not...

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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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