A Teacher Made Her Students Write Apology Letters To Their Substitute After They Misbehaved — 'They're Just Out Here Tattling On Themselves'
"I'm sorry for whatever I did in the bathroom."
Krakenimages.com, Ink Prop / Shutterstock A substitute teacher was relieved after she finished a shift covering for a fellow teacher who had a rambunctious class.
Although she likely never expected to hear from the students in the classroom she substituted for again, she was stunned after she received handwritten notes from each one of them. Now, she claims that she is keeping them forever.
Students wrote apology letters to their substitute teacher after misbehaving while their usual teacher was out.
Camryn Daytona, who works as a substitute teacher at a middle school, took to TikTok to share some of the tender-hearted — and hilarious — apologies she received from the students of the class she subbed for.
Daytona revealed that the students’ original teacher made them write the letters after she learned about their poor behavior while she was absent from the classroom. While their behavior may have been difficult for Daytona to deal with, their letters thankfully evoked a lot of joy and laughter from her as she read through them.
“This is the most entertaining thing I have ever read in my life!” she said in the video that has been viewed over 1 million times. “The greatest part was how many of these students apologized for things that I wasn’t even aware that they did, so they’re just out here tattling on themselves.”
One of the letters written by a student read, “I’m sorry for picking up a desk I was not going to hit anyone with.” Another said, “Sorry for being on Minecraft.” One student confessed, “I’m sorry for spilling things on the floor.” (According to Daytona, the particular student was actually throwing cereal across the room.)
Other students would have gotten away with their behavior had they not ratted themselves out to Daytona.
“I’m sorry for whatever I did in the bathroom,” one student hilariously wrote. “I’m sorry for yelling ‘Fight!’ in the hallway,” another letter read. Some students did not hesitate to throw their fellow classmates under the bus. “My classmates are sorry for whatever they did, I ain’t done nothing.”
In an attempt at redemption, one student shared, “I’m sorry I didn’t get my work done after you sent me to the principal. Also, another student was on his phone not doing any work at all.”
However, Daytona shared that there were several students in the class who were well-behaved and did not do anything wrong. “Dear Ms. Daytona, I do not believe I did anything wrong,” one student wrote, which Daytona confirmed was correct. “I was not even there, but I can imagine how bad it was,” another admitted.
There were even students who were on their best behavior the entire class period, yet still believed they were in the wrong.
“One of my absolute favorite students who did nothing wrong wrote me a whole page apologizing for things I know for a fact she did not do,” Daytona says. “She’s so sweet, she just wanted to apologize for everything in case she did something and forgot about doing it.”
Daytona added that she would be “framing” all of the letters she received, as they are the “greatest things” she has ever gotten in her entire life.
Photo: PeopleImages.com - Yuri A / Shutterstock
Apologies, whether they are in the form of handwritten letters or in-person messages, are more significant than many realize. They demonstrate concern, compassion, and remorse for actions that may have hurt someone.
An apology can be the first step to rebuilding trust and healing in a relationship with someone, whether we intended to hurt them or not. This apology lesson was an important one for these students because saying "I'm sorry" is not always easy, but it shows the power of true empathy and the graciousness of forgiveness.
One thing is certain, Daytona will remember and cherish these tokens forever.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.