--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Back when I was still working …” at least…" description: "\"“Back when I was still working …” at least appeals to me more than “When I was still standing before a class …” or—the most horrible of all, the favori..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f8/herman-koch-7856_education_back-when-i-was-still-working-at-least-a_1782543.jpg" --- # Back when I was still working …” at least appeals to me… ![“Back when I was still working …” at least appeals to me more than “When I was still standing before a class …” or—the most horrible of all, the favorite phrase of the worst-of-the-worst, the former teachers who say of themselves that teaching is their blood—“Back when I was still in education …” I” quote by Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f8/herman-koch-7856_education_back-when-i-was-still-working-at-least-a_1782543.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f8/herman-koch-7856_education_back-when-i-was-still-working-at-least-a_1782543.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f8/herman-koch-7856_education_back-when-i-was-still-working-at-least-a_1782543.jpg) > ““Back when I was still working …” at least appeals to me more than “When I was still standing before a class …” or—the most horrible of all, the favorite phrase of the worst-of-the-worst, the former teachers who say of themselves that teaching is their blood—“Back when I was still in education …” I”” [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker prefers a nostalgic, personal narrative over abstract teaching rhetoric, highlighting authenticity. **In simple terms:** Prefers personal story over generic teaching talk. Key Takeaway Choose genuine, personal expression. Themes authenticity nostalgia communication Mood thoughtful introspective Type literary reflective When to use this quote - public speaking - writing - education - personal branding Key Concepts narrative style teaching philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How does personal history shape your voice? - When is nostalgia a barrier? A Different Perspective Nostalgia may obscure current relevance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Phrase Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phrase-worst-1874342/) [Say Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-teaching-1874343/) [Teachers Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers-say-1334987/) [Teaching Blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching-blood-1874341/) [Worst Teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-teachers-1505528/) ## Related quotes > [I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/i-have-been-and-still-am-a-seeker-but-i-have-ceased-to-question-stars/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“Some say that my teaching is nonsense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/some-say-that-my-teaching-is-nonsense/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [The one thing that makes me laugh about the phrase 'the worst week of my life' is that nobody actually uses that phrase when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-miller/the-one-thing-that-makes-me-laugh-about-the-phrase-the-worst-week-of/) [Ben Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-miller/) > [Nobody wants to admit it, but they send the worst teachers to The Bronx.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-diaz-sr/nobody-wants-to-admit-it-but-they-send-the-worst-teachers-to-the-bronx/) [Ruben Diaz Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-diaz-sr/) > [Parents are the worst teachers, if they are good at it and you're not. 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They cannot imagine what it must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-brookfield/the-best-learners-often-make-the-worst-teachers-they-are-in-a-very/) [Stephen Brookfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-brookfield/) > [Your job is not just to do what your parents say, what your teachers say, what society says, but to figure out what your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/your-job-is-not-just-to-do-what-your-parents-say-what-your-teachers/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I've had acting teachers say, 'If you want to do anything else but act, that means you're not an actor,' which I think is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zazie-beetz/i-ve-had-acting-teachers-say-if-you-want-to-do-anything-else-but-act/) [Zazie Beetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zazie-beetz/) > [I hate it when teachers say from all this talking, I assume your done working SHUT UP,from all this complaining, I assume your still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-it-when-teachers-say-from-all-this-talking-i-assume-your-done/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Teachers say to me, 'The internet is full of rubbish, wrong answers.' But you would be surprised how just long it takes to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/teachers-say-to-me-the-internet-is-full-of-rubbish-wrong-answers-but/) [Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/) > [Teachers say try your hardest to get a good job. When most of them have minimum wage drop out jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-awesome-quoter-truth-only/teachers-say-try-your-hardest-to-get-a-good-job-when-most-of-them/) [The Awesome Quoter Truth Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-awesome-quoter-truth-only/) > [AndIQuote : Teachers Always Say ' Stop Talking When Im Talking ' But Then They Never Really Noticed That Your Were Talking First And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-fulk/andiquote-teachers-always-say-stop-talking-when-im-talking-but-then/) [Alyssa Fulk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-fulk/) > [Good teachers never say anything. What they do is create the conditions under which learning takes place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/good-teachers-never-say-anything-what-they-do-is-create-the/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [“No matter what those sex-ed teachers say about how great condoms are, there's not a condom in the world to protect you from heartbreak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-friend/no-matter-what-those-sex-ed-teachers-say-about-how-great-condoms-are/) [Natasha Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-friend/) > [I hate it when teachers say, You think it's funny? Obviously it is,if it wasn't I wouldn't be laughing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-it-when-teachers-say-you-think-it-s-funny-obviously-it-is-if/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Herman Koch > [“We looked at each other. At that moment, I was also a hundred percent sure that Van Dieren and I were thinking the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/we-looked-at-each-other-at-that-moment-i-was-also-a-hundred-percent/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [The stupid woman is the one who thinks she doesn’t need any help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/the-stupid-woman-is-the-one-who-thinks-she-doesn-t-need-any-help/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“Christ, what an asshole!" Babette said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/christ-what-an-asshole-babette-said/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“Some people might say it's not smart to be so insecure about what you wear. But that's not how I see it. 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What double lives are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/in-one-way-or-another-every-parent-is-curious-what-their-children/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“Life as a widow, she thinks, will always be like this. The friends will go on proposing toasts for months (for years!). To her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/life-as-a-widow-she-thinks-will-always-be-like-this-the-friends-will/) [Herman koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“Er was een dokter in de zaal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/er-was-een-dokter-in-de-zaal/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“The smile remained suspended on her face, but it was as though it had been disconnected from the emotion behind it – if there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/the-smile-remained-suspended-on-her-face-but-it-was-as-though-it-had/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“I let go of the pump as well now. I registered a sense of fatigue. And regret. 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They said it slightly sotto voce, but you could hear the thirst for sensation right through it: when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/is-it-life-threatening-they-asked-they-said-it-slightly-sotto-voce/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“happiness needs nothing but itself, it doesn’t have to be validated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/happiness-needs-nothing-but-itself-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-validated/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [Around here, we're as happy as God in France.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/around-here-we-re-as-happy-as-god-in-france/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“...het was van dat weer dat je niet weet of het al avond wordt of dat de dag nog moet beginnen...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/het-was-van-dat-weer-dat-je-niet-weet-of-het-al-avond-wordt-of-dat-de/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) [Explore all 65 Herman Koch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. 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(Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-hilda-doolittle/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. 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