Teacher and former student questions

[LawBeefaroni]

I had a 4th grade teacher who was one of those life-changing teachers. She kept in touch with most of my class and hosted a "party" when we were all graduated and on our way to college.

It was a mid-afternoon thing, a chance for everyone to reconnect (many of us went to different middle/high schools) and just talk about where we were headed. It was harmless and a great memory.

[gbasden]

I don't have an answer, I just hate that teachers are constantly forced into CYA mode, especially knowing that 14-19 YOs brain are far from fully developed and often don't have developed moral/sense of responsibility compass along side everything else.

It seems super weird to me as an old person. One of my teachers was the DM for our D&D game while I was a student. I hung out at teacher's houses because I was friends with their children. I and other students hung out at our physics teacher's house for a few weekends to help put together materials for science fair.

It's not my life, but it seems really sad that these kids can't have a simple party with a teacher that is obviously very important to them. It seems like a simple thing to reach out to one of the parents to come over to give you CYA on the .0001% chance someone accuses you of impropriety.

[Kraken]

Once upon a time I planted some marijuana in the school library's potted plants. The librarian, Mr Kemper, who was 120 years old, quickly narrowed it down to me and asked me if he could have some seeds for a horticultural experiment. Me and my buddies got stoned and went to his house to deliver the seeds. His wife made the most excellent chocolate chip cookies and we marveled at his amazing stereo, which inexplicably could only play classical music. Klipshorn speakers that could've been blasting Bowie were wasted on him.

If you're going to ask your students for drugs, first convince them that your interest is purely scientific.

Things were different in the 1970s.