Who was your favourite teacher at school,and why?

[ALongHardWinter]

Inspired by the thread about who your most hated teacher was. When I was at primary school,I had the same teacher for 3 out of 4 years of the juniors,and although I wouldn't say I particularly liked her,I will always be grateful to her because she made sure that we all knew our times tables off by heart,and she was very hot on spellings,punctuation and grammar. So thank you Mrs.H! At secondary school,I really liked my English teacher. I was good at English,and she always encouraged me and listened to me,although I was painfully shy at the age of 14. Also at secondary school,when I was in the 3rd year (now called year 9) we had a science teacher who was a right joker. He used to drink during the lunch hours,we could smell the beer on him when we had science straight after lunch. He thought nothing of swearing and used to say to us if we being noisy 'Shut yer teeth'.

Mr Meldrum - I had him for maths one year and something computer related another year. But he also ran an after school club where we could go and use the school computers (not just for homework, I think I mainly went on message boards and read fan fiction). He brought a toaster so we could make ourselves toast. When I had him for maths we basically worked through the textbook ourselves at our own pace and asked for help if we needed it but I was 11 and a nerd and loved maths so I really liked that way of working although I recognise now that it wasn’t the best teaching style for the majority of people, it worked for me as a motivated 11 year old. He was quite young and genuinely friendly and interested in us (but not creepy!)

Mrs Chapman - I had her for history all through high school, she was one of those teachers who are strict but well liked, and she loved her subject.

Primary school - Mrs Abbalard, reception teaching, just a lovely, caring lady.

Senior school - Mr Griffin. Taught biology and told us never to have sex with someone who we couldn't laugh with if we farted during the act. Wise man!

Piglet208 My teacher Mrs.H read us 'The Hobbit every Friday,for an hour before home time. It was the highlight of my school week!

Cleanermaidcook at Mr. Griffin!

I mentioned that i still remember books read to us and songs learned from Year 2. The books read to us were "The Little Wooden Horse," "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "A Gift from Winklesea."

Primary teacher who held my hand and walked round the playground with me every day because I was struggling with school.

Another primary teacher who loved shoes and encouraged my obsession.

My 6th form French teacher who made me feel clever and funny and for encouraging me to blossom.

My mother was horrible and my teachers were very important in my upbringing.

Throughout secondary I had the same history teacher, it was her first year teaching when I started there but she was the best teacher in that school. I was never really interested in history which I made clear to her but she still managed to get an A out of me...by promising to buy me McDonald's if I did. She helped me through so much, she was the first person I told when I found I was pregnant half way through my last year. I was terrified but she calmed me down and helped me think logically about the situation. She seemed to have the perfect advice for every situation. I don't think I would have even turned up for my exams if It wasn't for her

First year of Juniors - Mrs Dancey. Really nurtured me, increased my self confidence no end, I found out as an adult se has kept a story I'd written because she loved it so much. She made me believe in myself.

Last year of Juniors - Mr Espley. Just got my quirky sense of humour. Lent me his copy of hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. Made me feel like it was ok to be different, to be me. Legend of a man.

I had the most wonderful Chemistry teacher at secondary school. His wife was my History teacher and she was lovely too.
However, he was truly an inspiration and it’s no surprise that I ended up as a Chemistry teacher myself!
I heard that they retired a few years ago and within three months he sadly died of cancer. It was so heartbreaking. They worked tirelessly for decades in the school and were looking forward to their retirement together.

Last year of Juniors, Mrs Ashby. She had a reputation of being incredibly strict (this was 1979) and I remember that when we were told that she would be our teacher, several boys and girls cried. She was so lovely though, she was strict but very fair and made every lesson interesting.

What made her my favourite though was that she was a divorced lady and every holiday she would go traveling somewhere in the world on her own. She inspired me to learn about the world and see as much of it as I could. We had frequent slide shows of photographs she'd taken on her travels which she'd incorporate into geography lessons and sometimes in PE normal sports would be abandoned and we'd throw the boomerang around which she'd brought back from Australia.

She wasn't exactly young, probably in her early 50s when she taught me, and she always wore a pencil skirt, a tight fitting top and had a chiffon scarf knotted around her neck with the knot to the side, her style was very 1950s glamour girl and she even had bleached blonde hair styled a la Marilyn Monroe.
I used to go back and visit her after I'd left the school.

My reception teacher was wonderful. I was obviously very young so my memories are limited but I recall she always wore her cardigan around her shoulders and she made her own stories up which we all absolutely loved.

In secondary school I only really liked one history teacher, I thought he was great. He managed to fully immerse students in the subject and make it interesting. He’s the person that inspired me to become a teacher tbh.

I really hope one day I make a list like this 😊

I loved several of my teachers, but the one that stands out was called Miss Bullock. She married soon after, no idea of her married name and that makes it hard to track her. It's weird, but from the other side I can now see she was an NQT when she started, but she was awesome from the start and I'd love her to know that!

i had a teacher who made us sign elton john songs, esp candle in the wind.she was ok i quite liked all my teachers up to high school then they were pretty crap

My Art Teacher in Secondary school, he was quirky special and always made you feel good about myself and my work. I had terrible coordination and messy work, in today's education system like DD I think I have DCD. I acted out on other Teachers.

Oh and my History teacher, both my Art and History teacher s were English in Irish School not sure if it made a difference.

Mr Graham, my Chemistry teacher. He was somewhat unconventional, had a fierce temper if you messed around and his punishments were bizarre (and would probably be the subject of many AIBU threads if it happened these days!) but he was inspirational. He was so enthusiastic, did lots of great experiments and was able to explain things so clearly. I remember my first A-level class with him at the beginning of lower 6th, and he opened with "So, I'm afraid most of what we taught you up till now has been a lie..." He also had a penchant for explosions

He also recognised the problems I was having socially and was a great support behind the scenes when I was having a tough time being bullied for being the clever one. Sadly he died a few years after I left school. Went back for the memorial service and there were so many of his former pupils from over the years, it was an amazing tribute.

I had a few. My maths teacher was an amazingly clever woman who went above and beyond to help me. But the one that sticks in my mind was my French and Latin teacher. He was so clever (he spoke Greek and German as well, and probably other languages to boot, as well as having an encyclopaedic knowledge of Classics) and very softly spoken. He was a gangly Yorkshireman and one year we convinced him to dance to Common People in one of our assemblies because of his uncanny resemblance to Jarvis Cocker. A very sweet man - I can remember him sharing out an Easter egg in a last minute French GCSE revision session.

I read a few years ago that he had committed suicide. I wish I had told him how amazing I thought he was.

I had two. Both English teachers. One in year 8. He was amazing. Such a kind man. He died a few years ago suddenly. Very sad. He was loved by many. The other was in year 11. I hated her at first, she was quite strict. But I was a bit crap in year 11, and stopped going to school. She helped me so much to scrap a D in my GCSE, tutoring me in her spare time. Also a lovely woman. I'll never forget the kindness either of them showed me.

Mr Williams - middle school English teacher - 1981

I can not do joined up writing - it's part of my learning issues - another teacher - who insisted we use ink cartridge pens, made me stand in the lunch hall all lunchtime holding up my 'disgraceful efforts at handwriting' for the other students to mock - he went ballistic and took me away to our classroom where he told me I was clever, bright and could aim for anything.

He was a right on young teacher - he liked me as my mum was a single parent and doing her Bed (hons) so I think we ticked a few right on boxes - but he made me feel my struggles didn't make me thick

Miss Miller - my first teacher in my first school. She knew that my home situation had been reported to the Head, and social work, when my older brother reported something and nothing had happened (they believed my father and told my brother to stop telling lies). She brought me lunch every day, and kept me behind at lunch or second break to eat it so that it didn't get back to my father. She also kept a cardigan in class (although I realised years later she probably took it home at least every weekend to wash) that was on the back of my chair every Monday becaue I never had a cardi or jumper, she was also likely responsible for the hat, scarf and gloves that magically appeared on my peg in the cloakroom in winter.

Mrs McIntyre - Head Teacher in my 4th school. I was marched to her office by my teacher for saying a "terrible thing" about my father. I was 7. She sat me down and asked me to explain it. Then she got Mr Hunt, the Deputy Head, to come in and asked me to explain it again. She asked me a few more questions and then she sent me to the medical room for the afternoon with a book. At some point that Friday afternoon she risked her job by calling my grandparents rather than my parents and told them what had been said. My Nana came down, with her encouragement I told my Nana the story (we were NEVER allowed to tell our grandparents anything). Her and my Nana went in her car to the high school, spoke to my siblings, then came back and Mrs McIntyre took us to my Nana and Grandad's house. We never went home again. My Grandparents won custody of us in court, and Mrs McIntyre once physically stopped my father entering the playground to take me back. I believe she got in quite a bit of trouble over her actions because she didn't have any proof and basically encouraged my grandparents to take us. I met her at the 75th birthday of the school and let her know how grateful I was. She said she thought she'd screwed her career, but she'd do it again. She died a few years ago and a lot of ex pupils went to her funeral.

Also Mr Sharpe. Maths teacher at high school. Told me about 4 months into teaching me that he wasn't sure why I was bothering because although I had sailed through maths at primary I wasn't as good as I thought I was...

It wasn't until I saw him after I got my A that I realised that he was actually a very, very clever teacher who had realised that I found Maths easy and was starting to coast. He also realised that I had a massive competative streak and would be absolutely determined to prove him wrong. There were a few of us that day cursing him because he played us brilliantly!

I have been fortunate enough to have some bloody wonderful teachers, both at primary and secondary level.

My favourite primary teacher was in Yr3; think Miss Honey from Matilda, that was her all over. She was so kind and calm, I don't remember her ever raising her voice. She was very musically gifted and I loved listening to her sing/play instruments.

Secondary; my history teacher because he was young, incredibly beautiful and 'cool'. But really so many of my secondary school teachers were amazing although I was such a shit I never would have realised at the time. My GCSE English teacher used to write really personalised, encouraging feedback which I loved and her lessons were never boring. I'll always have a soft spot for my Form Tutor, she was hilarious without meaning to be and used to get so angry that she'd shout in her home language. She cried more than us dramatic teenage girls on our last day. Actually, she wrote me a message in my Leavers Book that I've never translated, I don't know why.

God, I miss school!

Mrs Wilkinson, my Year 5 teacher. She let me stay in the classroom and practise the piano at lunchtime, which made it possible for me to learn as we didn't have one at home, and saved me from having to go outside and play/get bullied.

Also my A-level Economics teacher, who was the most immensely charismatic and inspiring man. I had a massive crush on him but genuinely loved the subject because he conveyed his passion for it so well.