a surreal public school classroom under harsh fluorescent lights, its walls made of dull gray cinder blocks. At the front, a chaotic mashup of teachers—an angry, red-faced older woman, a clueless math instructor surrounded by flying formulas, a poker-playing English teacher absorbed in their laptop, and a disheveled history teacher waving a government flag—argue or ignore their students. In the foreground, a teenage version of the narrator sits at a desk, slouched and visibly exasperated, doodling runes and elemental symbols in a notebook while glowing hints of blue and gold light swirl faintly around their hand—foreshadowing Arcane Elemental Academy. A cracked clock shows time standing still, symbolizing how endless each feels. The mood is absurdist, nostalgic, and rebellious, blending realism with faint magical undertones.

The 7 worst public school teachers I’ve ever crossed

ByTC Marti

Who were the worst public school teachers whose classroom I had the misfortune to sit in? Well, you’re about to find out today. 

Disclaimer: I will not mention the names or the gender of any of the public school teachers listed below. The last thing I need is a defamation lawsuit, so expect vagueness in terms of identity. That said, let’s get on with it. No intro. Just a good old listicle.

1 – The FOREVER Teacher

Seventh grade, I will never forget one teacher who thought they were the most entertaining thing on the planet. Kind of like a wannabe comedian who, when you break down their performance, you find them strange, unsettling, and far from funny.

It makes them boring, creepy, and not right in the head. That led to a one-hour class feeling like it dragged for at least two hours. Man, I’d never been so grateful for hearing that annoying bell in my life.

2 – The Nasty Old Bat

At least I only needed to put up with the Forever Teacher for an hour a day. As for the Nasty Old Bat, I had them in first grade. And why they were allowed to hang out with kids between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., I’ll never know.

Nasty Old Bat loved yelling, and not only at us. If they heard a peep in the hallway, they’d storm out the door and scream so loudly at their unsuspecting victims that their voice echoed off those cinder block walls. Oh, and they also coerced you into constantly smiling because “TC, you’re in school, so smile.”

A dictator if I ever met one.

3 – The Worst Math Teacher Ever

Side note: This one was a student teacher, but they still made the cut. They never looked comfortable getting in front of and teaching an eighth-grade class about “slope-intercept form,” among other subjects.

To this day, I can’t even tell you what the hell “slope-intercept form” is, but the very phrase sends chills down my spine. Fast-forward to this cumulative test we all took as they ended their tenure, and the best grade was a mid-level ‘C.’ Or, it would’ve been.

As a group, we performed so poorly on that test that the class’s actual teacher curved our grades so they’d look halfway decent. After that student teacher left, the real teacher in charge all but admitted we all wasted time over the past seven weeks.

4 – The American History Sheep

No matter what the American government did from Reconstruction to the then-present day, it could do no wrong. Well, until they told us the story of how they were a ‘Hawk’ during the American War in Vietnam before rethinking things.

Still, this one would get annoyed if anyone questioned an iota of the way the textbook described 20th century America. And they dutifully, gladly even, lectured us about how Roosevelt saved America from capitalism, how World War II lifted America and the world out of the Great Depression, or how our ever-expanding government looks out for us.

Might be the absolute worst of the public school teachers on this list.

5 – The Second-Worst Math Teacher Ever

I’ll admit I found their class mildly entertaining, but not because they were any good at their job. Instead, it was entertaining because they couldn’t control the class and, at times, seemed absolutely clueless of what was going on around them.

A friend of mine always did something to get themselves thrown out, including putting a condom on the door handle. They’d also raise their hand and answer “69” when this teacher asked us if we knew how to solve the problem. That got them thrown out a few times, too.

Anyway, they were so clueless that, during Finals Week, another friend who wasn’t even in this class came in, wearing a hoodie and sunglasses, took the test, then left. It’s safe to say this person, who had to be nearing 70, should’ve retired before I had the misfortune to meet them.

6 – The Language Arts Stickler

My confidence wasn’t what it is today when Gyubin (a K-pop idol I’m rather fond of) was still an infant in 2006-07. And this language arts stickler shattered any confidence I had in writing and my ability to write with their relentless standards in which perfect wasn’t good enough.

They once marked me down a letter grade because they didn’t like the way I wrote my ‘g’s. And this teacher didn’t just make your life tough in class. If you were at lunch and you needed to use the bathroom before the bell rang and you crossed them, they’d hammer you with questions about where you were headed.

This teacher despised students and was in a constant war with them. If you were between ages 14 and 18, they saw you as a criminal in dire need of control. Once, they admitted teaching wasn’t their first choice, and they wanted to be a brain surgeon. If you ask me, they should’ve taken that route and lobotomized themselves.

7 – The Cussed Students Out Teacher

No, seriously, they put this one on “paid leave” for cussing their students out. I was in ninth grade, and there was a massive commotion going on when I went to my locker that afternoon, grateful the day was finally over, but pissed off because it was yet another seven mundane hours of my life that I’d never get back. Still, it was fun listening to everyone’s accounts regarding this teacher.

Anyway, I had them back in middle school for an elective that nobody wanted to take. And to be honest, myself and everyone around me paid more attention to their “skinny-fat,” and I mean skinny-fat, physique than we did the subject matter, because you just couldn’t look away.

And that’s not body shaming; I wasn’t athletic in the slightest at the time, nor did I have a particularly attractive build, myself. Hell, I looked like a stereotypical dweeb, if you want the truth, in those days.

Dishonorable mentions

World History Droner

Can you believe I actually liked history class once upon a time? Like, official narrative history class? True story, but as far as world history went for me in the ninth grade? No, it was horrible. This teacher droned from notes on a tablet on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, It was so boring that Cuthbert Binns would’ve given a more interesting lecture.

The Poker Addict

English teacher in the eighth grade was literally addicted to playing poker during class. They’d give us an assignment, and bam, hit the computer. Once, they even told a student who had a question to “Wait until I finish this hand.”

Perverted Weight Lifting Teacher

This one drove an hour and a half from their home to their job every day just to catch glimpses of high school kids. No lie. And you know what? I’m not, by a mile, the only one who’s saying this.

No public school teachers needed at Arcane

The Arcane Prophecy by TC MartiArcane Elemental Academy, my YA fantasy series, gives you an alternative of what a 100 percent privately-run school system can look like. Is it perfect? No. But does it contain bad teachers within its 32 competing schools? If it does, then it’s not long until they’re shown the door.

Accountability is key at Arcane. And for my protagonist, Yote Diamondback, it’s something she sees immediately upon attending the elemental school. And guess what? Her schoolmates don’t just want to be there, but they embrace the unique curriculums that the academy offers.

Because with 32 schools within it, there are a lot of choices, since each offers a unique curriculum based on a student’s personality and learning style. Yote finds a home at Arcane much like Harry Potter found one at Hogwarts. But if you want to know what her life was like before her days at Arcane, then check out the first three chapters of Book I, The Arcane Prophecy, and see what kind of hell she went gone through.

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