Let's talk about Teachers!

Yes - another one here - I clocked up 35 years altogether. Started by teaching in a junior dept but at one school the head asked if I would help him out and teach an infant class - I agreed and absolutely loved it! For a good number of years I taught reception and so enjoyed that. I went on a course once where an inspector said - for a young child there are only two times - now and not now. How true that is.
It was wonderful when a struggling child suddenly could read. I always felt that the greatest gift you could give a child was the ability to read - it opens so many doors.
I retired a bit early when all the form filling and other administration work was meaning I had insufficient time to spend organising things for the children to do etc.
I enjoyed the time spent with the children and never had the desire to sit in an office for most of the day. Someone mentioned classes getting to 40 - I remember having a reception class of 42 and no teaching assistant etc.
After I retired I had a spell doing other things and then went back to supply teaching which showed me I had made the right choice of career all those years ago.

Retired primary teacher here; started off teaching top infants (yr 2) and finished my career teaching yr 6. My specialism was music and was music co-ordinator for a few years. I have taught in Singapore and Australia. Joined Gransnet having read about it in a newspaper, and just thought it would be an interesting group to join.

I worked for the local authority and managed building projects in schools. I found teachers to be annoying and obstructive. They were always trying to teach children and get the best buildings/furniture/ toilets etc for their school, making my job very difficult. Trouble with schools is that the buildings are always full of children, like hospitals being full of patients!
Hope you all realise that I'm joking. Impossible to work in schools without the support and assistance of the teaching staff. I learned a great deal from them on how building design affected learning.
One school even taught in military tents while we ripped the asbestos out of the buildings. Blessed with a dry summer!

Santana It's a standing joke in most schools that they are the lovliest places when al the children have gone home!

Santana

Trouble with schools is that the buildings are always full of children, like hospitals being full of patients!
One of my friends who was a teacher at a comprehensive (interestingly most of my friends were teachers) said her HT thought that the school would be a wonderful, well-run place without the pupils.

I too am a retired teacher. I taught mainly in primary education but did work part time as a special needs teacher in a high security prison when my children were small. That was interesting but it shakes me to the core when I think about it now.

Primary teacher for years and I love it, though for the last few years I’ve only taught computing, music and French unless I’m called in to cover absent staff.
If I’d answered the “what don’t you miss?” I guess I’d have to say Sunday evening prep and Monday mornings!
I preferred KS1 when I worked full time, but for the subjects I teach I’m happy in any year group. Teaching Y6 maths is a challenge I’d rather avoid!
I come on GN to see what others think about all the changes that are going on and pick up information.
Another teacher GN friend says GN is like a staffroom where you can chat, but there are thoughts best kept to yourself.

I’m a semi-retired teacher. Taught 6,7 year olds mainly. Gave up full time teaching nearly 6 years ago, work as supply for one local school a couple of days a week. Think I agree with you Bevan, it is like a big staff room on gransnet.

Was a teacher in EYFS for 25 years. Loved it, and it was only when I retired that I realised just how much I had laughed every day!

I am Grandmabatty's twin. My favourite sets at GCSE were the lower ones: to rekindle self-belief and witness them succeed was such a joy for me. My 'great expectations' approach continued as I was also responsible for Gifted and Talented in the years before I retired. No, I don't miss the briefings before the school day, staff meetings, marking and Ofsted. I'll 'fess up, though, to mentally taking a register on the Good Morning thread...!

Was a primary teacher and IT co-ordinator until I took early retirement 7 years ago. I created the school website years ago and won a National New Media Award from the New Statesman magazine. Just realised it was in the last century, in 1999! The head teacher and I had to go to London for the ceremony. It was like the Oscars and we didn’t know we had won until the awards were given out. We got a trophy and £500 which was great.

I created my own website a few years ago, with spelling resources for parents, teachers and schools. I joined Gransnet when I became a grandma as I thought it would be interesting. I was right! ?

Another teacher here. Did my degree in my 30s. Taught English and English Literature in Secondary schools.

Absolutely loved teaching and found working with teenagers so rewarding. Helping them succeed and then hearing about what they did with their lives after they'd left school.

Of course there were challenges and some kids had really problematical backgrounds. There always was a special satisfaction in seeing some of the troubled ones do well.

I retired at aged 62, 6 years ago having worked in both the public and private sectors. Finished as Head of Upper School. Really miss the teaching. Don't miss the endless marking and some of the staff room politics/cliques or the commute on dark winter mornings.

Fantastic to read all of these stories.
So varied. Thank you so much for sharing them. I haven't read them all yet.
I come from a family of teachers.
Like VampireQueen, my Grandmother worked her way up for being a dinner lady. She qualified as a teacher when she was 40, which would have been in the 70s, so quite unusual for the time.
My lovely late Mom was teacher. She worked in a special unit which was the first of its kind. It was a school that was specially for school girls who were also mothers so the babies were there aswell! She didn't talk about it much but I know that it was very emotional for her and she got really involved with the girls.

So many typos

Tweet of the day - the Lesser White Fronted Goose

Random post on the wrong thread now
I'm making a right mess of this previously lovely thread

I was a Primary School teacher and Senco, then became an advisory teacher for ICT and ended up as LA ICT inspector and also Ofsted. Since retiring and moving to France I have been teaching English from primary to U3A. I really must retire properly sometime!

I've had all manner of job roles throughout my adult life; whilst maintaining mostly full time but occasionally part time employment I have taught my children to use the potty, eat with cutlery, write their names, how to count, to respect their elders, how to behave in public, how to drive, how to cook, how to sew, self respect............the list is endless! So, yes, I am a teacher and have been for a long time.......all done whilst working otherwise!

PollyDolly good for you.

This is an interesting thread Fanny. Being a Miss Marple type I have suspected all along that there are many teachers on Gransnet.

Joined because friend told me how good Gransnet is. Didn’t realise how many teachers were on till this thread.
Qualified as Nursery Nurse when youngest 5, did 5 years then did degree and PGCE. Worked Nursery to Year 2 for 20 years to Assistant Head.
Went part time to look after Mum and sadly then first in line for redundancy !
Still do some supply.

Nanna58

Was a teacher in EYFS for 25 years. Loved it, and it was only when I retired that I realised just how much I had laughed every day!

That is so lovely and sad at the same time Nanna58. I remember being told young children laugh all the time, and how we all lose this ability as we age. I've often thought about basing a book on funny school moments.

I was a TA in an extremely and notoriously challenging inner city school for over ten years.

When I had my PGCE interview they accepted me on the spot and said that if I'd worked there for ten years and still wanted to teach I deserved it!

The tales I could tell about that place!
And I loved it

And Ellianne yes, we laughed all of the time. It was a brilliant job.

Wow - what a lot of teachers, retired or otherwise! I’m not a teacher, but coincidentally my daughter is. I worked in a library for many years and loved it. Quite a lot of communication needed in a library, but not in the same way as teaching. I really enjoy the discussions on GN, especially since the pandemic started. Wide range of topics and some intimate things I wouldn’t even discuss with a close friend! I’m not particularly political, but do enjoy the political threads - I think it’s the wide-ranging views that are expressed that I relish. GN is like having a discussion among a big group of friends and it’s certainly given me lots of benefits during the last year. So thank you all - whatever do do/did for a living.