Hello Miss

I retired from teaching five years ago and generally I’m happy to get the odd “hello” from ex pupils and their parents. I was totally amazed a couple of weeks ago, whilst standing in the freezing cold, marshalling at a local vaccination centre, completely covered up and a face covering on, a parent of an ex pupil arrived with her mother and said, “Oh, hello Mrs ...” she could only see my eyes... how do they find us and still recognise us?

I live next door to my grandson's teacher. We all know far too much about each other

I don’t know who was more embarrassed as I opened our bedroom door on our honeymoon night to be met by a student holding an early morning tea tray. I was wearing a towelling dressing gown thankfully as she surprisingly greeted me with “hello miss”. I didn’t actually know her but I hope she didn’t recognize me in school. If she did she kept a tactful silence.
On another occasion at a very dressy dinner dance a lovely looking sophisticated young lady came up to me somewhat worse for wear and said “hello miss. You were a real cow but I liked you” and gave me a big kiss! Happy days (sometimes)!

As a retired teacher I’m generally glad to see ex pupils and hear how they are doing in life. Like some others on here, when we were able to travel we went in term time and to adult resorts - no nothing smutty ! - just no children in the hotel as we like to relax without them around. We’ve done children of our own and love seeing our grandchildren - all 10 of them - but holidays are for peace and quiet!

This is an interesting thread.
Do you all miss it?

- the teaching I mean?

Doctor's have the same problem! I am used to hearing, " Hello , Dr xxxx " all over the place!
It's usually fine and I am delighted to meet my lovely old patients. They are usually delightful and respectful of the fact I am no longer working.
I did, however, giggle, when I was convalescing from a broken ankle.
I was going to the Post office, carrying a large parcel. I was hobbling down the shopping road near the surgery , with a walking boot, crutches and parcel.
I was greeted by no less than 3 different patients. They were thrilled to see me, keen to update me on all their medical issues since I retired.....and not a single person commented on my ankle or even seemed to notice ???

NotSpaghetti - I did miss the teaching at first, not really now, especially this last year, I really don’t think I could have coped with all the online teaching. What I DO miss is the mix of age groups in the staff room, I find that these days I hardly ever get to mix with younger age groups, those in their 30s / 40s, apart from family members. I used to enjoy hearing about their lives and getting their point of view on current affairs. Every group I join seems to be full of over 60s these days.

It is exactly the same for doctors, but a bit worse, especially if the patient attends the surgery regularly with numerous trivial health complaints. Likewise, if the doctor knows the patient 'intimately' if you know what I mean!!

It doesn’t bother me at all! I have added quite a few former pupils as FB friends since retiring from teaching. It’s fascinating to hear what they’re up to these day. One’s in Australia & another’s in Cyprus. I met one at the health centre when taking DS2 for an assessment, she was working there as a dietician. Another’s an ophthalmologist, as I discovered when she did DS4’s eyesight check. She filled me in on what others from that tutor group were doing. If I bump into any former pupils on holiday I will likewise play catch up with them and anyone else they keep in touch with.

I met a teacher of mine in Dubai, 25 years after I'd left my UK school. She wasn't one of my favourites.

I recognised her immediately. Said hello, she looked vague, then as soon as I started talking she remembered me and said she hoped my children, ( who were with me) were better behaved than I'd been!

Mostly I've enjoyed meeting ex-pupils. The one time I didn't was when my sister was rushed into hospital in the early hours of the morning. Following her emergency op I walked into the ward to be greeted by the ward sister. I used to teach her and she wanted a chat, while all I wanted was to be with my sister.

This thread makes me remember a lady who recently died. A teacher for years at the local primary school the whole village had been her pupils, they adored her. In her retirement she did so much for the village that turned into a town and they in turn supported her.

It depends on where and what age you taught. When we lived near I kept away from Supermarkets in holiday time nothing like a young man you taught as an infant putting your teena ladies or women razors through the till. He with a red face telling you he was not the one who wet his pants regularly.
The odd hello Miss did not bother me but the pushy mothers did I was even asked by one to get her child placement at a school, I could just about remember the family.
I was never caught out on holiday but colleges were and complained of stripping off at the beach only to find little eyes peering at them they all had booked at the local Travel Agency
A friend also suffered the same they were involved in medicine and I remember listening to lengthy discussions about ailments in the middle of M&S when all they wanted to do was run.
away.
We always book holidays in term time.

It never bothered me if I met pupils while on holiday.

If a parent tried to discuss the child's progress out of school, I just smiled and said, "I'm on holiday too, you know. Make an appointment once term starts, will you?" and walked off.

You have to draw the line somewhere.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

A colleague of mine was sunbathing topless on a beach in the South of France when a pupil shouted “Hello Miss”
I was on a trolley being wheeled into the labour ward about 15 mins before the birth of my daughter when the porter leaned over me and introduced himself as an ex pupil.

I knew a retired teacher who was waiting in a queue for the post office, when he was grasped firmly by the shoulder by a very large policeman, who said 'Will you come along with me sir'
He was very relieved when he turned to see it was a grinning ex pupil.

I wasn't a teacher but I was a social worker in a large busy city. Eventually moved job and home to a smaller town about 12 miles away but travelled to the big city by bus one Saturday afternoon and was horrified when a couple got on whose children I had removed a couple of years back!
Fortunately we weren't too far away from the terminus and I had a newspaper with me and spent the next half dozen stops firmly hidden behind it!

I have always lived in the catchment area of my schools, as I didnt drive then and could just walk to school. Never minded seeing children out of school when I taught infants, but when I taught top juniors I avoided them like the plague! If I met any on the bus I would get off at a different bus stop to avoid any of them finding out where I lived. Mind you I had some lovely pupils, and spent a long time once chatting over the bar in a local pub to the barmaid, who was doing holiday work. She was at university doing sports photography. Also one who had been the bane of my life who I met on the bus, and told me proudly that he had just joined the army.

Was in hospital once recovering after an operation, and the two domestics on the ward were both mums of former infant pupils "What are you doing in here Mrs D?" was the cry. Followed by a long chat about female ailments, as it was pretty obvious which ward I was on!

Never met any on holiday, but the first thing we did on my retirement was to book a holiday in September!

And no I don't miss the teaching, but I do miss the company of colleagues.

NotSpaghetti

This is an interesting thread.
Do you all miss it?

Yes and no. I would not have enjoyed teaching zoom lessons. I miss the students though and I loved my subject.

I like meeting ex students and am in touch with quite a few years later .

I met a grown up ex pupil who was smoking , and when he saw me he hid it behind his back ?

Two of the teachers from my son's former school live close to us - one about 10 houses away and another in a small street about 5 minutes away. Even with that proximity we have never seen them!!!
We have been known to see school staff (teachers and other support staff) in the town centre and its always been them who has spotted and spoken to us first!!

Like many other posters, the first thing I did on retirement was holiday during term time-which was more about the cheaper cost than bumping into ex pupils or parents. In all my years of teaching I only once met a pupil and their family on holiday-no issues arose although I did used to scan the area for their presence before plonking myself down on a sun bed

Most of the time, this wouldn't bother me at all. A quick conversation and I put it behind me. I did however have a boyfriend who, unbeknownst to me, had many friends who were parents at the school. We went to a Christmas "Do" where silly, drunken, party games were played and with all the parents there, I didn't feel able to join in. He got really cross about me being a party pooper when I wouldn't get drunk with him. He just didn't understand the word, "professionalism." That was the end of that relationship!
More recently, we went to Rome and a young lady with a school party kept looking at my husband who was jokingly terribly flattered at the attention. It was only when the teacher went to pay for the meal, we noticed the name on the bag was the one of my son's school. The young lady in question was an ex girlfriend who was trying to ascertain whether it was us. I had one deflated husband!