Math Teacher Doesn’t Know Why Students Called Them the G.O.A.T.

$Confused woman with a braid scratching her head, seen from behind. She's standing in front of a chalkboard full of question marks.$

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Many teachers go underappreciated for their hard work. So, it's always heartwarming to hear about educators who are loved and respected by their students. In one funny case, a teacher didn't even know that their students were complimenting them all year long by calling them the “G.O.A.T.” However, when they discovered those letters stood for the Greatest Of All Time, they were brought to tears.

An 8th-grade math teacher (known as PuzzleBrain20 on Reddit) posted their dilemma to the NoStupidQuestions subreddit. “Throughout this whole past school year there was this running joke where the students would call me the goat,” they explained. “And I would respond back each time that they were the goats and they would all laugh. It was pretty funny to be honest, and I never gave it much thought. But I realized that I have been partaking in a joke that I never actually got.”

It was only after the school year came to a close that the teacher became suspicious of the nickname, and worried that their fun classroom atmosphere might have been in their head. “I had a good connection with them, and they are all really good kids, so I don't really think that they were making fun of me,” they add. “Can someone (maybe an 8th grader) explain this joke to me? And how would you respond if someone calls you a goat?”

Of course, the students weren't calling their teacher an actual goat, but using the acronym G.O.A.T. Commenters online gently pointed this out to the teacher. “GOAT stands for Greatest Of All Time. It’s a compliment. Sounds like you’re a great teacher and they enjoy your classes. Which is saying something since math is most people’s least favorite subject,” one person said. This was chorused by many others who gave similar answers. When the teacher came back to read the comments, they were overwhelmed by joy. “Omg I am IN TEARS!!! I can't believe they were complimenting me this whole time!!!! Thank you all for answering this question!!!!”

The term G.O.A.T. is often used in pop culture for athletes and musicians, but it's endearing that the teacher didn't even know they were the recipient of such high praise all year long. Even though they didn't understand the nickname, they continued to play along with their students. “It's so cute that you didn't realize they were calling you the Greatest of All Time the whole year, and you were calling them the same back,” someone added. “So wholesome.”