Teacher Laughs After Student Thanks Him for Helping Her ‘Shine’ Like His Bald Head

A 10-year-old student amused her teacher, Ryan Saunderson, with an end-of-year card thanking him for boosting her confidence and helping her “shine” like his bald head, a joke that he happily found funny.

A primary school teacher in England was left amused after receiving an end-of-year card from a 10-year-old student who combined a heartfelt thank-you message with a playful joke about his bald head.

Ryan Saunderson, a teacher from Liverpool, Merseyside, received the handwritten card from his student, Isla Howell, on July 16. In the note, Isla thanked him for being a great teacher and for helping her become more confident.

The 10-year-old then added an unexpected comparison, saying her teacher had helped her “shine” as much as his bald head. The humorous remark caught Saunderson by surprise, but instead of being offended, he found it funny and appreciated the creativity behind it.

Isla’s mother, Chloe Howell, said her daughter enjoys making jokes and had come up with the comparison herself. She explained that she did not know about the message until Isla returned home and told her about it. The family then had a good laugh over the card.

Chloe, who works as a teaching assistant, said she was confident Saunderson would take the joke positively because he has a good sense of humor with his pupils. She also noted that the teacher has taught Isla for several years, giving them a strong relationship and making playful jokes between them more natural.

Saunderson said he was actually pleased that Isla felt comfortable enough to joke with him. He explained that the class already had a strong bond and that he regularly jokes about his own baldness around his pupils. He said Isla’s message was unexpected but witty, and he was impressed that she came up with such a clever joke at her age.

The teacher also revealed that he sometimes makes comments about his bald head to encourage his students to feel comfortable joking with him. For example, when it starts raining during outdoor activities, he jokingly tells the children they need to get inside before his “hair” gets ruined.

The card later gained widespread attention after Isla’s mother shared a photo of it on X. The post attracted more than 420,000 views, with Chloe saying she was proud of her daughter and found the entire situation hilarious.

Chloe believes Isla could even have a future in comedy because she is naturally playful and knows how to make jokes without intentionally hurting people. She added that she expects Isla and Saunderson will continue laughing about the memorable card for many years.

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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, PEOPLE