The best teachers recognize what matters to their students, even when it seems small.

In a moment of unexpected generosity, one middle school science teacher turned a moody teenager’s sour day into something unforgettable.

Read on for this inspiring act of kindness.

A middle school science teacher taught me more than just science

My middle school taught the periodic table in eighth grade.

From the beginning, I fell in love with the element “Bismuth” (Bi 83). If you’ve never seen Bismuth, I strongly suggest looking it up—it comes in absolutely beautiful colors and grows in these funky square shapes that can be altered during the growing process with music.

It’s super cool, and I just immediately loved it.

This student was ecstatic to talk about this element whenever they got the chance.

Now, Bismuth is not exactly as common as Hydrogen or Oxygen, so it wasn’t an element we talked about much in class. However, whenever the opportunity arrived, I would bring it up and would express how much I liked it.

It kind of became a joke that on the rare occasion it was brought up, people would look over at me and kind of laugh/roll their eyes.

But one day, they were feeling disillusioned about everything, including their teacher.

So one day we’re in class like normal, and I was in a bad mood.

This teacher had a rule that if you finished your work early, you had to either do work for other classes or work on this weird math program all the eighth graders had to do.

We had school-distributed iPads, and all I wanted to do was draw or play games. I remember sitting there and just thinking,

“This teacher is so stupid. What’s the point in making us do work for other classes? She’s literally the worst teacher I’ve ever had.”

(She definitely wasn’t, and I knew that, but I was fourteen and angsty.)

But then, it was almost like the teacher could read their mind.

Literally as I was thinking this, the teacher called me over to her desk. I was worried I had somehow said my thoughts out loud, but that wasn’t it at all.

When I got to the desk, she explained that she had been at a resource expo for science teachers to buy some new supplies for the class. She then held out her hand and gave me a tiny piece of Bismuth and said she had seen it and immediately thought of me.

I was ECSTATIC and couldn’t thank her enough. She said that was all, and I went back to my seat.

Then, guilt started to sink in.

I just kept staring at it the rest of the day, and in addition to the happiness, I felt immense guilt.

In my head, I had been absolutely ragging on this teacher, all without knowing she had done something immensely kind for me.

I felt horrible. I have teachers in my family, and I’ve seen the stuff they have to deal with, but I hadn’t been thinking about them or how much had to go into everything that teacher had done for us.

Lessons were always fun and interesting, and she answered questions and let kids talk about what they were passionate about in science. That’s more important than me being able to draw for 45 minutes.

They ended up walking away learning an important lesson, both about science and about life.

Like I said, I was 14 and angsty, so I’ve given myself some grace on it, but that day taught me a lot about respect and just how important good teachers are.

I still have the Bismuth, and I remember this day every time I think of it.

That teacher ended up moving states at the end of the year, but for the rest of my time in that class, I did whatever I could to help her out if I thought it was needed.

They felt forever indebted to this teacher and her kindness.

I remember helping her push a cart from the school entrance to her classroom, and we got to take the elevator and talk for a bit. I thanked her for the Bismuth and was able to thank her for being the teacher she was.

It’s been a long time since then, and my best friend is now a teacher for young kids. I see the effort she puts in, and how much she cares, and this story comes to mind.

And if somehow that teacher ends up seeing this, I just want to say from the bottom of my heart—thank you.

The Bismuth was a gift I will always cherish, but you also gave me a lesson I needed to hear.

This student learned just how powerful a teacher who actually cared was.

What did Reddit think?

This commenter shares a touching quote about the element.

This user reflects on a teacher that made an impact on them.

A great teacher goes above and beyond to foster their students’ interests.

That tiny piece of bismuth wasn’t just a cool mineral — it was a reminder that someone had seen and valued them.

This teacher taught a lesson in chemistry and connection.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.