What would your old teachers say if they could see you now?

My art teacher would be amazed that I am now an exhibiting artist. My HT would be amazed that I went on to have a successful academic career despite giving up a place to go to uni to get married at 18. Hey ho, some of us like to do things the hard way!

I don't know what they'd think. However, I know its stupid but I found myself thinking at the time that I'd love to have my doctorate announced at assembly. I never had any achievements announced and all we heard of was the music or ballet exam announcements or the school hockey results. I was obviously a very late bloomer!

thatbags we had the Catholic children outside the hall. Not many but enough to cause comment

Actually domestic science was one subject I was quite good at although it wasn't exactly encouraged at my grammar school. Those of us who went in to take it at GCSE (O level) were rather looked down upon. I think maybe in another life (oh how DH hates it when I say that) I would be in a caring profession.

I also loved English Literature and had a wonderfully eccentric teacher called Mrs Tunnard who wore long hippy clothes. I still love literature today and I suppose if anything I can thank her for my love of books and reading.

The Jewish children stood outside the hall at our school and just came in for 'notices'!

Sometimes a teacher saying something negative is what spurs a kid on — to prove the teacher wrong. Contrasuggestiblity is very common in kids.

My domestic science teacher told me my family wouldn't survive unless there was a fish & chip shop on the corner of the Road I wish she knew I went on to run my own catering business and was employed by the Council to arrange their catering at their Council meeting.Thanks for the encouragement I must say Mrs Jones.

Don't know if I should say this, but what shocked me was the way the Jewish girls had to stand outside the assembly room all lined up during the daily service. Then we all filed past them. Seems shabby to me.

Perhaps the parents of the Jewish girls didn't want them to go to the daily service since it wouldn't be a Jewish one. I think parents have been able to opt their kids out of religious devotions in schools for a long time.

And they would have been standing outside so that (a) someone knew where they all were and they didn't get up to mischief, and (b) so that they could come into the assembly hall for announcements that concerned everybody.

Not shabby if you look at it like that, just practical.

I had some lovely teachers as well as the dreadful Miss Elkington. The art teacher was fabulous (and dotty) despite the fact that I was awful, my history teacher who was badly disabled, told us all sorts of favinating facts that kept me interested. My English teacher encouraged a love of reading. Our PE teacher made us go to the cinema to see West Side Story, 3 times, for modern dance homework!!

My Deputy Head at grammar school told me I should leave at 16, because 'You'll never go to college or university my dear '. Two years later, after a term at a highly respected teacher training college I went back with a friend who was at the same college, but had stayed on at school and done A levels, and the same woman said to me 'I always knew you'd make a teacher.'
The difference was that during my two years at tech the tutors encouraged and supported me in a way that school never had.

May I be so bold as to break the mould here? My teachers would say they were right all along because I did turn out to be the person they prophesied. Lots of my reports said "gives 100%, a potential leader, destined to succeed, a pleasure to teach etc. etc." - you know, all the stuff that makes others want to puke. I did become Head Girl, go to a top university, become Headteacher, run my own business. I often wonder whether it was my teachers' positive comments which propelled me upwards as underneath I really wasn't that bothered.

I'd love to show the miserable old moo that told my mum when I was still in infants that "she'll never amount to anything" that she was very wrong !

gilly I know now I could have passed the flipping exams if I hadn't been so scared of the wrath of the teachers if I got something wrong. So I didn't ask questions and got by in class by being invisible. It's a shame, but it didn't stop me succeeding at work and then finding a career I loved in my 40's. Like you I don't enjoy maths, but I can do what is needed and that's all that maters .

Would like to think that they would say. He didnt do bad did he?

'No milk today, my love has gone away' ( Hermans Hermits)

I would probably have been forgotten. All my reports were "must try harder." "Very slow to finish in exams." I did pass the 11+. Had one report with a "D" for handwriting.
I discovered at the age of 50 I was dyslexic. The revelation that I was quite clever and not thick as I thought myself boosted my general confidence no end.

However I still have trouble writing simple notes to the milkman and birthday cards etc without messing them up.

A few teachers stand out for me Mr Blacknell our English teacher Mr Kneeshaw our geography and form teacher for a couple of years and Miss Macpherson our French teacher., all excellent teachers who were generally well liked and respected. Very unlikely for any of them to be still alive now.
Off to bed now and to try and write a coherent note to cancel tommorow's milk at my first attempt.

They would probably say "Harumph!"

I was caught red handed writing an ode about the head and some of the teachers. I can only remember bits of it. Something about one of them sitting in her ivory tower, chewing cud and mad with power....and of a particularly rotund one, second helping are his joy, he really is a gutsy boy. Anyway, my parents were called to the school and were told that had I not been in my final year they would have considered expulsion!!!

My dad found it funny but mum was furious and I was grounded for a month.

I think maybe we all remember the dotty ones roses . We had an RE teacher who for whatever reason only ever taught with the door wide open. She had some very strange ways and we all thought her a little crazy. She once picked three "gals" to take on a trip to the theatre to see Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, (crikey knows how but I was one of them) and we were amazed to find that she drove a red Capri. She was the most least likely person ever who should have such a car. After that I was a saint in her class and did rather well in O level RE.

Relate to that: they would say same to me too

You know what cornergran I hated maths at school . I always said no matter what I do in life it will never involve maths.

I have been doing the accounts and running the financial side of our business for several years now and I stick by my original thoughts. I still hate maths.

We were right: could do better, does not live up to her promise

Who knows? Can't remember many of my old teachers ( except the dotty ones, quite a lot of those)most of them had unpleasant things to say to all and sundry and especially to girls.I imagine a lot of them had pretty unhappy lives, mostly they were older women who hadn't married and lived in 'rooms'.

I most definitely wouldn't call it successful by any stretch of the imagination Ana . If it were successful DH would be retired instead of working 70+ hours a week .

I was a bit of a clown at school. I think it was my way of coping with being out of my depth.

Never mind, as you say, it is what it is.

Exactly, gillybob - it is what it is!

But you've run a successful business - good for you, and there's no way your former teachers would have thought you 'stupid'.

That's a shame Ana to know yourself that you could have done better . Sometimes circumstances just seem to take over and before you know it ...... Your'e here on gransnet.