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

(129 Posts)
gillybob Wed 19-Oct-16 18:42:25

School life is very much at the forefront of my mind at the moment, following failed primary school appeals and now trying to get DGD into the secondary school near her home.

This has started me wondering. What would your old teachers say if they could see you now?

Would they be surprised how well you had done for yourself? Would they be proud that you have/had a great career?
Would they be disappointed and feel that you could have done things better?

or (in my case)

Would they nod their head and say "I knew all along, that girl was too stupid to be in grammar school and her place could have gone to someone would have made better use of it?"

tanith Wed 19-Oct-16 18:46:17

I doubt they'd even remember me I was extremely quiet and feel like I sleep walked through my school years even though I passed my 13+.

gillybob Wed 19-Oct-16 18:47:33

but assuming they did tanith ?

KatyK Wed 19-Oct-16 18:49:18

Most of them didn't notice I existed!

petra Wed 19-Oct-16 18:53:34

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.

gillybob Wed 19-Oct-16 18:57:14

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.

Jalima Wed 19-Oct-16 19:00:09

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!

Jalima Wed 19-Oct-16 19:03:43

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

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

Tegan Wed 19-Oct-16 19:16:31

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....

Jalima Wed 19-Oct-16 19:45:45

I could still 'try harder' grin

but I'm retired so why?

BBbevan Wed 19-Oct-16 20:13:09

She did better than expected !

thatbags Wed 19-Oct-16 20:18:41

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

You did ask wink

annodomini Wed 19-Oct-16 20:22:10

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

thatbags Wed 19-Oct-16 20:23:28

grin

fiorentina51 Wed 19-Oct-16 20:25:59

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! ?

Greyduster Wed 19-Oct-16 20:33:47

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

annsixty Wed 19-Oct-16 20:38:47

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.

kittylester Wed 19-Oct-16 21:28:57

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!

wot Wed 19-Oct-16 21:32:02

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.

wot Wed 19-Oct-16 21:36:24

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

Ana Wed 19-Oct-16 21:39:59

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!

wot Wed 19-Oct-16 21:40:00

Funny how 61 year old resentments can still grip one!

wot Wed 19-Oct-16 21:41:53

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

Deedaa Wed 19-Oct-16 21:47:43

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!) grin

Andyf Wed 19-Oct-16 21:54:44

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! smile