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

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.

Strange to think that most of the teacher's would be dead by now.
When I looked on Friends Reunited a few years ago, I was surprised how many of the girls at my school were terrified by our (spinster) headmistress. Thinking about it though, she did keep us in line.

The nuns would be more bothered that I got married and then divorced- the wrath of God will probably be upon me forever. They would bother more about divorce than how well I have done.

I was fairly invisible in school, all the reports said i was too quiet. I never managed to pass a maths exam so I guess they would be surprised that I have managed some complex financial stuff. That's if they remembered me!

One of my old school teachers lives directly across the road from me and has done for 40years now. She probably thinks I did better than she thought I would. Maybe I should ask her. Or maybe not!

I'm not sure if they would be impressed - although they might give me a bit of credit for DD's success. I will just quote a family friend who had known me since I was 9 - "I never saw you as the motherly type, but you don't seem to have done any worse than anyone else!)

Not meaning you, Anna. Just remarking on my long memory for horrible things!

Funny how 61 year old resentments can still grip one!

I think a couple of mine would be quite sad that I'd never achieved what they believed I could - so am I, but that's life!

My brother failed his eleven plus but then blossomed in the third year, got moved to grammar school and ended up with a PhD!

They'd say " I told you you'd amount to nothing!"
I was remembering my first assembly, standing with my eyes shut at prayer, and all of a sudden the headmistress came down off the stage and shook me violently. I hadn't done anything! Mrs Hill, Portland Road, Hove. I've never got over that. 1955.

You and me both. ann!

My domestic science teacher would be shocked to see that I did get married and rear 5 children despite the fact that she told me that my cooking was so bad she hoped I never did!

They are all long dead and I probably didn't even register on their radar,so timid and self effacing was I. I totally came out of my shell in my 30s/40s that they would never ever recognise me as would not my early work colleagues. I was a very late developer and I am a different person. I am now so happy in my skin.

My domestic science teacher would probably say "all these years and she still can't turn out anything remotely edible!"

Most, I think, would be stunned. I was an 11 plus failure, class clown for most of my time in secondary school and was regularly in trouble.
One or two teachers thought I had more potential, but I didn't. Fast forward 50 years and I am now a happily retired teacher myself.
Bet none of them saw that coming! ?

They would probably say, "Who's that old woman?"

I've no idea what they'd say if they could see me now, nor do I care.

You did ask

She did better than expected !

I could still 'try harder'

but I'm retired so why?

Looking at the mess and paperwork around me my old English teacher [report comment 'Tegan procrastinates'] would see that nothing had changed in 40 years....

We were considered failures unless we went on to teach!!

not everyone can go into teaching, some of us have to do.

If they could see me now
Those old teachers of mine
I'm eating fancy chow
And drinking fancy wine

I'd like those stumble bums
To see for a fact
The kind of top drawer
First rate chums I attract

All I can say is, wow
Hey, look at where I am
I've landed, pow
Right in a pot of jam

What a setup, holy cow
They'd never believe it
If those teachers could see me now^

Or - that rap over the knuckles with a ruler must have done her some good!

Good for you petra it would be nice to go back and say "nah, nah, nah nah nah" wouldn't it?

The worst jobs in my town would have been the local pit for a boy and the dog biscuit factory for a girl. By sheer luck and good fortune I didn't end up in the dog biscuit factory. Phew.

I would love to meet a couple of them now. I knew exactly what they thought of me and they had the assumption that I would end up in the flock factory. That was the worst job locally if you couldn't get a job in woolworths.
I am very comfortable now through hard physical work and being in the right place at the right time and taking chances.