Are you really a teacher if you haven’t perfected the “teacher look”? Or an “I’m not angry, I’m disappointed” tone of voice? Or a vast range of teacher catchphrases that roll off the tongue without a second’s thought?

In the classroom, these are essential traits to have. In the outside world…well, not so much. When these parts of being a teacher seep out beyond the school gates, it can result in some pretty awkward (but mostly funny) stories.

Emma Stanley, a Year 6 teacher and blogger, shared hers on edu-Twitter: “A man packed my shopping for me at the checkout and without thinking I said (in teacher voice) ‘Great packing. Well done!’ Wanted the ground to swallow me up.”

And who doesn’t love sharing an embarrassing story more than the teachers of Twitter? The responses flooded in. 

Here are a few of our favourite ones: