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

My maths teacher would just shake his head , and say to my Mum , your daughter just hasn't got Maths ! , especially on seeing me trying to work out kg to make jam ,
Tho after doing catering [ with lbs and ozs ] at college early 60's , one job I took was in an accounts dept . Fingers were used , but I always got it right.

I think they may be surprised I did quite well despite all their criticism. There should be a board in the old school for all the late bloomers who got degrees despite them in our 30 s. Even in a grammar school there were also rans. They had little idea of the concept of encouragement strangely so important in modern education.

Mine would say 'welcome to the real world' I was a bit of a dreamer at school.

I think they would be very surprised. For one labelled as unteachable at infants school, ESN at primary school, considered stupid at secondary modern (yep, I failed the 11+!), I felt in my 30s that I had something to prove to myself, so gathered my qualifications and ended up with a 1st class hons degree. Still suffer with a lack of confidence though! Scarred for life? Only joking. I agree totally with LullyDully.

I do not know and do not care.

I was not particularly happy at my secondary school so I built my own private cocoon. I knew that to get the life I wanted I had to pass exams and get to university and I knew I could do it, so I concentrated on that and let the unpleasantness roll over and around me. I knew that most of my teachers concentrated on my bad points, and I was under constant criticism. There were exceptions, the English teacher I had for O and A levels and two geography teachers, but apart from that I just concentrated on what I wanted out of the school and gritted my teeth and accepted the rest.

I didn't enjoy school at all and as the eldest of 5 life was tough as it was for many in the fifties. I have done ok in life and both my children went to University and are doing very well. I stressed the importance of a good education to them always which is ironic really.
As for the teachers I doubt they would care either way!

Having read so many of these posts I really hope that there are some "Justly Pround" folks out there. So many of us have greatly exceeded expectations and made successful lives.

By a successful life I mean - we have kept our head above water, got ourselves and our family through tough time, had good times, experienced losses, hurts and can still laugh. We are still here. Well Done Us

They would be surprised that no, I did not start a revolution nor become a career criminal.
Despite my early promise of lunacy and wickedness I became a clever but dull good citizen, with a big family.
Because of frequent moves I lost touch with all my childhood friends. I'm sure nobody who knew me then would recognise me now.

My art teacher told me I should go to art college but I couldn't wait to leave school. Silly me. I can just hear him now, "I told you so."

I still know quite a few of my teachers (small town). I think they're mostly unsurprised. I'm about average for my cohort from my type of school: university education, mid range professional, kids etc.. I'm very unremarkable

I was academic but not gifted, so I've probably done exactly what they expected me to do… I now feel like I should have defied expectations by joining greenpeace or becoming an off grid artist or something - this thread makes me feel boring and predictable

notanan,

I’m sure you’re very special to the people who matter.

LOL, I do have a good life it's all good… just when I think in terms of this thread I feel rather predictable and ordinary/boring, there's nothing wrong with ordinary though. Got a job and roof over my head and nice family etc…

Most of my classmates who I still know or hear about are the same: uni, jobs, home & family, nothing extraordinary or unpredictable. A few are dead sadly. No millionaires but no criminals or degenerates either (that I know of)

It was the kind of school where uni was the done thing though so that kind of sets you on a common path..

I thought you went to a 'sink comprehensive', notanan.

At least, that's what you said on the 'Staff' thread...

Most of the girls I remember from school have led fairly predictable, some might say boring, lives, apart from one of my best friends who is anything but.
However, I am not sure that she is happy.

Grew up in Glasgow, crappy childhood, oldest of five, hated school, married a soldier, had 3 kids, divorced after twenty years. You can imagine what my life has been like. Retired now and never been happier.

Well given that I don't know what the term "sink comprehensive" means Ana your attempt to troll me is a bit of a fail

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

just because you keep repeating it doesn't mean I know what a "sink" comprehensive is, I know what a comprehensive is, but what does sink mean?

I also don't know what you mean by "staff" thread, and would be surprised if this sort of harassment is within GN rules, what exactly is your problem here Ana?

I apologise unreservedly, notanan. I have looked back at the thread in question and it was a poster with a similar username who had made the comment about her school.

I have asked GNHQ to remove my post.

Even if that wasn't the case Ana I still don't see what your problem was?

Curiosity about the two different school descriptions.

if you were just "curious" you would have pmed me Ana
please leave me alone!

I would certainly NOT have PMd you. Far better to be open about such matters on the forum.

I remember comprehensive schools being described as 'bog-standard' by Alistair Campbell, which was probably the kick-start for T Blair to encourage diversification and academies:

Did Blair succeed in wiping out the "bog-standard" comp?
The answer is, superficially, yes. The vast majority of comprehensives did Blair's bidding and diversified. Some 96.6% of secondaries are now specialist schools, which leaves just about 80 that have bucked the trend, according to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. The more entrepreneurial heads – 780 at the last count – opted for foundation status, distancing themselves from the local authority. Then there are the 400 academies and soon there will be free schools. Faith schools, backed by the current prime minister just as they were by Blair, also expect to see their numbers increase.^

the guardian: Tuesday 15 February 2011 07.00