‘I’m a teacher and I have perfect response to one rude comment parents always make’

Teaching can be a taxing job, and dealing with demanding students and parents can make it even harder to cope. One teacher has a “legendary” response for those who make rude remarks

A teacher has shared the “legendary” response they issue to parents – and the occasional student – who boldly declare “I pay your salary”. Teaching isn’t a job for the faint of heart – it comes with a lot of responsibility, ever-changing demands, constant planning and organisation requirements, all while keeping students challenged and engaged in their lessons.

Difficult and unpredictable behaviour can add to burnout, with Heart Teaching citing “pressure and stress” among the “cons” of starting a career in education.

“Teachers face high expectations from students, parents, and school authorities. Balancing multiple responsibilities, meeting deadlines, and managing classroom dynamics can lead to stress and burnout if not managed effectively,” it states.

It adds: “Managing a diverse range of student behaviours and addressing disciplinary issues can be challenging. Teachers must possess strong classroom management skills and the ability to handle difficult situations effectively.”

On Reddit, a teacher shared their go-to response for handling one particularly divisive comment that often gets thrown at teachers.

The teacher explained: “As a teacher, I hear this at least twice a school year, the ‘My taxes pay your salary. That makes me your boss.’ line.

“My response (my admin has stopped fighting me on this): ‘If you’re my boss, where are the supplies and resources I’ve been promised? When are you going to supply my updated curriculum? What about the extra pay for working outside contract hours?’

“When they stumble over those I follow it up with, ‘Wait a minute. I pay taxes too. I guess that makes me self employed. Thank you for your time. This meeting is finished’.”

Fellow Reddit users were keen to share their thoughts in the comments section, with many heaping praise on the teacher’s boldness and moxie.

One person simply declared: “Legend!!!! What a fantastic reply!”

A fellow educator confessed: “Awesome! In true teacher style, I’m gonna borrow this”.

Another teacher shared they’ve experienced similar comments and typically respond in a similar manner to try and prevent such remarks from being repeated.

They then added: “Mostly, I try to remind them that they are paying me to teach them stuff, not do it for them.

“A lot of students now seem to think we should be doing more for them. I tell them that would be like hiring a personal trainer and then making them do all the exercises for you.”

And another teacher shared insight into their own experiences: “In the 17 years I’ve been doing this job, that’s the biggest change I’ve noticed in student behaviour in general; accountability.

“Nothing is ever a student’s fault anymore. No matter what it is, they reflexively blame someone else. When you get a student who has screwed up, owned it, and is asking for help, it’s like a breath of fresh air.”