At the end of every year, I have my 8th graders make Mrs. Morris Roast and they do it without hesitation. Student honesty is often a combination of brutality and comedy…with a side of painful accuracy.
Mr. Frakes, a high school teacher, knows this feeling. A 13-year classroom veteran, he said that after the pandemic, he’s just looking for ways to help students reconnect with him and each other. “I started asking random questions so they could interact and let me learn more about them,” he told We Are Teachers. “We all laugh, and one of my students said I should post their responses on TikTok.” Recently, he asked seventh-graders about their honesty, and their responses were more painful than a strained muscle after buckling up. He thought his audience was just friends and family, but the internet had other plans.
This teacher asked his students what fun people in their 40s have, and their answers were mind-boggling.
While most adults in their 30s and 40s were laughing in the comments section, they were also quietly shifting in their ergonomic office chairs, thinking, “Okay… but where’s the lie?”
Below are his students’ responses, illustrated with sticky notes.
“Play Wordle (Trust Me)”
It gives the “trust me, bro.” Haha!
“They like to watch black and white TV”
It’s called the “age filter.”
“Go gamble!”
In fact, I don’t know any of my 40 year old colleagues who do this, but maybe it’s more popular in areas with more casinos! ha!
“Spoil all their grandchildren, nieces or nephews”
It seems that 40-year-old people are already mature grandparents? As a general consensus?
“Playing pickleball – a sport with little exercise”
Well, I beg to differ. I found there were a lot of moves in pickleball that I couldn’t keep up with!
“Count coupons”
Man, it’s called CLIPPING coupons! If you’re going to laugh at us, at least do it right!
“Go to Facebook”
100%.
“Go shopping for home décor”
How dare you tarnish the reputation of our temple.
“Sunday roast food”
Yes, we have a Sunday BBQ. Yes, our backs hurt!
“Say no to everything I ask for”
Maybe if you didn’t ask us so many stupid questions, kids!
“Bingo!”
Just kidding, kids: Bingo slaps!
“Take their medicine (or go to the casino)”
Honorable mention: Casino.
“knitting”
Yes, seventh graders, but have you ever given knitting a chance?
“golfing”
“My back!” the speech bubble texted me.
“Sitting in a chair on the patio yelling, ‘Get off my lawn!'”
Hey, we have a cost of living crisis – lawn care is expensive!
“Sitting there slowly drinking coffee and regretting my life decisions”
Ouch, man!
“Talk about ‘back in my day'”
Cue my mom, “In my day, we had to go to the nonfiction section of the library to find information. We didn’t have Google!” Does anyone else have this specific “back in my day”?
So, yes, the kids laughed at us—and yes, they were right. Maybe we do like HomeGoods a little too much. maybe we yes Fueled by caffeine and mild regret. But that’s what makes turning 40 (or nearly 40) so wonderful: We’ve earned the right to laugh at ourselves. If surviving middle school once wasn’t enough, we’re doing it again on the other side of the table—with sore backs, full hearts, and a cart full of seasonal throw pillows. 40+ people unite!
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