teacher

call (oneself) a (something)

A phrase used to show the speaker's incredulity that someone considers themself to be a particular thing, often a friend. And you call yourself a friend? You totally gossiped about me to other people in our class! If she's only working as an intern there, how can she call herself an editor on her resume?
See also: call

experience is the best teacher

proverb Most wisdom is gained by experiencing different things (compared to acquiring knowledge through schooling or other means). A few years ago, I couldn't even get behind the wheel without having panic attacks, but, with practice, I'm much calmer and can drive with no problems. Experience is the best teacher after all.
See also: experience, teacher

experience is the teacher of fools

Foolish people only learn from personal experience, rather than witnessing others' mistakes. After watching Alex's failed attempt at the experiment, I realized what we were doing wrong. Experience is the teacher of fools.
See also: experience, fool, of, teacher

no (person) worth their salt would (do something)

No person who warrants respect in a certain field or profession would engage in such bad behavior or activity. No professor worth their salt would remove a student from class just for asking controversial questions. It's baffling—no doctor worth their salt would have missed such an obvious diagnosis.
See also: no, salt, worth

teacher's pet

1. A derogatory term for a teacher's favorite or favored student, typically one who has sought such favor by being ingratiatingly obedient. Jill's classmates called her a teacher's pet after she volunteered to supervise the class while the teacher was away. Being the teacher's pet will get you nowhere when the midterm exam rolls around.
2. By extension, a derogatory term for someone who has gained or attempts to gain the favor of an authority figure, typically in order to obtain preferential treatment. Jeff is the resident teacher's pet in the office. He brings the boss coffee every day.
See also: pet

wear (one's particular profession's) hat

To act as one would in one's particular profession while in a different setting. Bobby, I know you're off duty, but can you please wear your doctor's hat for five minutes and tell me what's wrong with my arm? I don't want to have to go to the hospital. My wife was still wearing her judge's hat when she tried to intervene with our neighbor's arguing kids.
See also: hat, particular, wear
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

Experience is the best teacher.

Prov. You will learn more from things that happen to you in real life than you will from hearing about or studying things that happen to other people. I don't care how many books you read about how to run a business; experience is the best teacher. The nurse believed that experience was the best teacher when it came to developing a bedside manner, so she made sure that all her students spent a lot of time with patients.
See also: experience, teacher

Experience is the teacher of fools.

Prov. Only fools do not learn after seeing other people's mistakes and insist on repeating them. Father: You should spend more time studying and less time having fun with your friends. If I had been a better student when I was your age, I'd have a better job now. Son: Oh, come on, Dad. School's worthless. Father: Don't make the same mistake I did! Experience is the teacher of fools.
See also: experience, fool, of, teacher

*teacher's pet

the teacher's favorite student. (*Typically: be ~; become ~.) Sally is the teacher's pet. She always gets special treatment. The other students don't like the teacher's pet.
See also: pet
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

teacher's pet

A person who has gained favor with authority, as in Al has managed to be teacher's pet in any job he has held. This expression transfers the original sense of a teacher's favorite pupil to broader use. [1920s]
See also: pet
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

no teacher/actor, etc. worth their salt

COMMON If you say, for example, that no teacher worth their salt or no actor worth their salt would do a particular thing, you mean that no teacher or actor who was good at their job would consider doing that thing. No racing driver worth his salt gets too sentimental about his cars. No player worth his salt wants to play in the lower divisions. Note: Instead of no, you can use any or every with this expression. For example, if you say that any teacher worth their salt would do a particular thing, you mean that any teacher who was good at their job would do that thing. Any policeman worth his salt would have made proper checks to find out exactly who this man was. Every teacher worth their salt will learn as much from their students as their students learn from them. Note: In the past, salt was expensive and rare. Roman soldiers were paid a `salarium' or salt money, so they could buy salt and stay healthy.
See also: no, salt, teacher, worth
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

call yourself a ˈteacher, ˈfriend, etc.?

(informal) used to say that you do not think somebody is a very good teacher, friend, etc: Call yourself a friend? Why did you forget my birthday then? How can he call himself a musician when he’s never even heard of Schubert?
See also: call
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

teacher's pet

Someone who seeks preferential treatment. A derisive epithet hurled at a student who tries to curry a teacher's favor in hopes of a better grade. Such a charge, valid or not, often led to cloakroom or schoolyard challenges and bloody noses. Outside of school, it was applied to people who insinuated themselves to authority in the hope of special treatment. The French equivalent is “teacher's little cabbage.”
See also: pet
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • call (oneself) a (something)
  • call yourself a teacher, friend, etc.?
  • friends with
  • friends with (someone)
  • make a friend
  • Any friend of
  • any friend of (someone's) (is a friend of mine)
  • who needs enemies with friends like (someone)
  • with friends like (someone), who needs enemies
  • friend or foe
References in periodicals archive
Orff Schulwerk Teacher Training, Level L Rochester, 7/16-7/27.
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As displayed in Table 3, the participants indicated that they did not work as hard on their individual set goals as they did on their teacher set goals.
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President Bush wants to improve teacher quality and rigor in American classrooms under the No Child Left Behind law.
Reaction to President Bush's teacher improvements
Interviewee (1), a female Kuwaiti special education teacher with BA degree, states that students with autism need more time and effort from the teacher in order to help them to be a success in the classroom and to develop their self-esteem.
Special education teachers' attitudes toward autistic students in the autism school in the State of Kuwait: a case study
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From the inside out: in his book, a journalist tells what going back to high school taught him about today's educational challenges
Her son Alex would stay where he was, in an overcrowded, low-performing, dilapidated district school called Jefferson Elementary because, she confided to me, Alex had a good teacher.
Hot for teachers: John Kerry's quietly radical school reform plan
And no, I'm not that good a teacher yet--but students of color immediately saw me as an advocate, someone who they could confide in as well as learn from.
Hey teach! who's in the classroom and why it matters
Non-teachers acknowledged a steep learning curve as they adjusted to the school and teacher cultures, but relied on personal qualities and counselor training as they moved successfully into competence.
Teachers and non-teachers as school counselors: reflections on the internship experience
She engaged her campers in a hands-on biology lesson because she had done it numerous times previously in her other life as a classroom teacher.
Counselors are teachers
Throughout Ontario a number of teacher unions, public and Catholic, were in legal strike positions, with others threatening some kind of action if they were not offered contracts to their liking.
Militant teachers and their unions. (News in Brief: Canada)
Teacher unionism has a short, but storied existence.
The evolution of research and information services at the American Federation of Teachers
Teacher-leaders conducted "student-led" conferences where students demonstrated their strengths and weaknesses to parents and teacher. Students also collaborated with parents and teachers to establish appropriate learning goals.
Challenges to reform: an overview of the study
Are you a new teacher? Do you need further dance education?
A Heady Teachers Conference at Vail
Teachers didn't get to be teachers by being oblivious.
Score with teach! no, teachers aren't out to get you. A few thoughtful tactics on your part could get them to see the star student in you. (Life)