How to Act when You Cry in Front of Your Teacher

Last Updated: May 3, 2019

Something is upsetting you and you need to cry. You try to hold the tears back, but you can't. You start crying. Oh no! You're in school and your teacher sees you! What to do? Read on to find out.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

For a teacher you don't like

1
Wipe the tears away quickly. If a classmate asks you if you are crying, just say you yawned or that you have bad allergies.
2
If the teacher comes over to you and asks why you are crying, don't give them much information. Just say nothing. That will make them walk away.

Advertisement
3
Say that you don't want to talk about it. They may send you to the guidance office because they don't want to deal with it. If this happens, you can go to the guidance counselor if you need to talk to someone. Or you can hide in the bathroom until the end of the period.
4
Act like nothing happened the next day. The teacher won't bring it up.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

For a teacher you like

If you like and trust the teacher, then you don't have to worry about crying in front of them. But if you are embarrassed anyway, keep reading.

1
Expect assistance. If they like you, then they will most likely come over and ask what's wrong.
2
If you want to play it cool, then use the steps in the previous method.
3
Explain the situation. If you feel comfortable crying in front of them, then tell them what's wrong. They will likely try to make you feel better. Just go along with it.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

For a male teacher

If you are a girl and you start crying in front of a male teacher, you may feel more embarrassed than with a female teacher.

1
Act like you aren't crying if he asks. Say you yawned, sneezed, or have allergies. Or, you can pretend you don't know what he's talking about.
2
Ask to use the bathroom. Get your crying done there.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

For a female teacher

1
When the teacher asks what's up, tell them what's wrong.
2
If you want sympathy, start crying more. People tend to try to comfort you if you cover your eyes with your hands and act shy about it.
- For sympathy, say something like, "This is so embarrassing," or, "Oh my gosh, I'm really sorry. I don't want to bother you with my crying." This will most likely get you a hug.
- If you don't like hugs, then don't lay it on thick.
3
Act very quiet for the rest of class when you've finished crying. You don't want to seem like you faked it all. That will irritate people.
4
Act a bit shy the next day if you want more sympathy. If you want to keep it normal, act like nothing happened. If you act that way, then the teacher will too.

Community Q&A

Question

What if I'm a guy and I cried?

Community Answer

It's perfectly fine for a guy to cry, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Any of the steps in this article would still apply to you, but you don't need to overthink it. If you want to cry, cry. If you want to talk about it, talk to your teacher or ask to a guidance counselor. If you want to be alone, excuse yourself and go to the restroom.
Question

My teacher found me crying in the hallway, what do I say to him?

Community Answer

You have a few options. You could give an excuse about why you're crying, like your cat died or something. You could say you have an allergy and there was dust in your eyes. You could also tell him you don't want to talk about, or you could just tell him why you were crying.
Question

I cried in front of my teacher and classmates in a theater rehearsal and I'm worried people will make fun if me for it. I felt weak doing that, what do I do?

Community Answer

Just own it. Everyone gets upset or frustrated from time to time. Just be sure to not cry a lot and because of a lot of things or you will get a reputation of crying a lot.