Teacher’s Simple Strategy Is Changing The Lives Of So-Called ‘Troublemaker’ Students

December 30, 2025

For decades, one teacher has quietly been changing the lives of “that kid”, and her secret is simpler than you might think.

The teacher explained on TikTok that for nearly 30 years, she’s used the same approach with students who already arrive with a reputation. You know the ones — the kids every teacher hears about before the school year even begins.

Instead of pretending she hasn’t heard the warnings, she does something unexpected.

Before the year starts, she finds out who that “notorious” student is — not to judge them, but to understand them. Then she visits their former teachers and asks just one question:

“I know they were difficult… but what’s something good about them?”

Sometimes it’s "he's a good football player", or "she's a talented artist", or " he's a good singer".

All she needs is ONE strength.

On the first day of class when that student walks in, she greets them with, “I’ve heard about you.”

At this point, the kid is bracing for the usual speech: “You better not cause trouble in my class…”

But she changes the script.

“You’re that great football player I’ve been hearing about.”

She tells him she wants his game schedule so she can come watch him play. Instantly, his whole face changes. For once, an adult heard something GOOD about him.

From there, she catches him being good, brags on him in class and tells him, “If you keep this up all week, I’m calling or emailing your mom/dad with GOOD news.”

Most of these kids have never had a positive phone call home. So when she calls, the parent usually doesn’t even want to answer because school calls have always meant bad news.

She shared one story where when the child told his mom, “It’s my teacher,” the mom said from the background, “Tell her I’m at the grocery store,” assuming it was another problem.

Instead, the teacher said: “Okay, when your mom gets back, tell her I’m calling to say GOOD things about you because you’ve been amazing.”

When she called again, the mom picked up before the phone even finished a ring. The teacher told her all the good things about her son.

The mom went completely silent.

The teacher thought she’d hung up… until she heard her crying.

She said, “He’s 13. No one has ever said a nice thing about my child.”

From that point on, that boy spent the rest of the year trying to earn another good news call. And now the parent was a partner too, not just someone dreading school communication.

The teacher’s message was simple but powerful: many parents of “that kid” only ever hear from the school when something goes wrong. So instead of doing what everyone expects; fussing, complaining, only calling when it’s bad, she flips it.

She catches them being good, calls home with good news, and that kid spends the rest of the year trying to live up to that version of themselves.

And it works. Over and over and over.

Good news is powerful.

Being seen for something good is powerful.

And that lesson goes far beyond the classroom.

Finding the good isn’t just for teachers working with “troubled” students. It can transform families, friendships, workplaces, and every part of life.