People Are Sharing Things That Elementary School Teachers Told Them That Were Totally Wrong, And I Can't Believe Some Of These

Here's a scenario that might feel familiar: You're in elementary school, and you have a question — so, you ask your teacher, and you get an answer. Pretty simple, right?

That is, until some time passes — maybe years, even — and you find out that what the teacher told you turned out to be, well, totally wrong.

U/VandyThrowaway21 recently asked the people of Reddit, "What's something an elementary school teacher told you that was totally incorrect?" Pay attention to everyone's answers — you might just learn something yourself:

1."In 4th grade, we were learning about bats. And the teacher asked the class to name as many different types of bats as we could. I raised my hand and said 'Vampire Bats,' and he said 'Name only real ones please.' They are real, and I knew it. But he made me feel like an ass."

—u/Yetizod

2."I got sent to the principal's office for using the word 'plethora.' The teacher thought it was a swear word. So did the principal."

—u/DenL4242

3."A student in my class asked why we call it the 20th century when the year was 19xx. The teacher explained that most likely that a long time ago, probably in the dark ages, they made a mistake in printing a calendar, but by the time it was noticed, all the calendars had been made and sent out, so they just left it that way. I heard her say this and knew it was all kinds of bullshit, but I said nothing because I was a shy 4th grader, and she was a hostile nun."

—u/DVWhat

4."That I couldn't have blue eyes if my mom had brown eyes. Thus began a lifelong obsession with genetics so I could prove her an absolute fucking fool. Bless my mom's single recessive gene she passed to me. I missed the blonde, but I'll take the blue eyes."

—u/PeppermintNya

5."That when you get to middle school and high school, the teachers won’t constantly remind you of assignments that are approaching their due dates, or hunt you down for missing assignments."

—u/No_Skylark

6."That there was no such thing as a black flower. She put a big X through my painting."

—u/Splattacus

7."That the moon emits light, just like the sun. As a nerdy kid interested in space, I told her that it’s actually reflecting the light of the sun, but she did not believe me."

—u/mandys14

8."You will need to write in cursive once you get to middle school and beyond. Seventh grade teachers explicitly prohibited kids turning essays in written in cursive. Don't think I ever saw it in high school, college, or throughout my career except from older people."

—u/LeeroyTC

9."Before blood touches oxygen, it is blue."

—u/kbronzov

10."That I won’t always have a calculator in my pocket. Fuckin' liar."

—u/CriticallyThougt

11."Sex ed teacher in grade 7 told me that the white stuff that collects in my underwear is semen. I’m a girl. I learned way later that it’s actually discharge, and EVERY vagina does this."

—u/oblatespheroids_

12."That Abraham Lincoln was the first American president. I told her she was wrong, it was George Washington, and she snapped, saying, ‘Well why do you know so much about American politics; it is pathetic.’ And all the other kids in my class started making fun of me for being stupid."

—u/ProfessorPie1888

13."I was told in no uncertain terms that the match in shape between Africa and South America was coincidental. ... That is to say: The match between the Western coastline of Africa and the Eastern coastline of South America."

—u/RhoOfFeh

14."Middle school not elementary, but my sixth grade science teacher told the class that sound travels faster than light because, 'If a plane is flying overhead, you hear it before you see it!'"

—u/gain_glowsack_sun

15."That 'a lot' should be 'alot.' I always got that red pen underline bringing them together and lost marks. I'll never let that go."

—u/remotegoodness

16."Never start a sentence with 'because.'"

—u/faith00019

17."I remember an elementary school teacher warning us to not accept apples on Halloween, cuz some people put razorblades in them. I mean, wouldn't you see the big fat cut on the apple?"

—u/uncultured_swine2099

18."That white fire was the hottest fire."

—u/DrPepper-IsGreat

19."That I could avoid a nuclear blast by hiding beneath my school desk. I saw a movie about this, and now, I know to climb into a refrigerator instead."

—u/pullin2

20."That I will never amount to anything."

—u/Fast-Volume-5463

Agree? Disagree? Have your own additions? See you in the comments!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.