to ask if teachers remember??!

[nycarchives]

Hi all, just curious if teachers remember old pupils in a sense of if a former pupil emailed them or similar years after they finished Y11 or Y13, would you recognise their name/picture or remember anything about them??

I ask this because I have two DC who are out of school.

DD is 19 and done with the second year of university. She’s in the same Oxford College as her old Geography teacher was in and wants to email her to let her know how everything’s going and see how she’s doing. DD was very popular in school, had behavioural issues along with her disruptive but really loving group and got on with few teachers as a result of the high maintenance behaviour. Geography teacher was young, in her first teaching job and already fairly senior in the school and took a liking to DD and friendship group as they were all similar to her personality wise etc. DD went on 3 residentials with her abroad and they all bonded over similar interests and crazy experiences on the trips which to be fair were really a bit of a jolly. She taught DD from a 12 year old in Y8 up to Y11 when she was 16 and finished her GCSES.

DD isn’t sure if she will remember her but hopes she will.

AIBU to ask if you think there is any point in DD getting back in touch or not as when DD is let down (as she will be if said teacher doesn’t remember her after 4 years) she takes it to heart and can get quite emotional and upset over it.

Caution her against it. I taught over 8 000 people - if they all came back it would be a nightmare. I like it when they stop me on town and say ‘Miss, you made a difference.’

Same here! I can remember every child I've taught over the years. I love hearing from old pupils.

Sounds like a good chance of remembering. A year of KS3 on one lesson a week and not having a distinctive character, less chance. Specialist subject (more time) and personality, good chance. Personality being for the good or needing to use the name frequently making little difference!

If I bump into an ex-pupil, I might need a bit of memory jogging e.g. school and class as I struggle out of context, but there is usually something retained in there.

When I went to secondary, a lot of my mother's teachers recognised me as we looked very similar.

I don't think they remember them all, but certain ones.
I remember some of my A level pupils from about 5 years ago, for varying reasons, but not all of them. I think something unusual about them might make you recall. e.g I remember one that no matter how great I made the lessons would sit and copy the text book during the class. You could tell she was listening as would ask questions. It was the way she learned and she got straight A's. I have wondered what became of her and would know her immediately if she got in touch, likewise the one who was a complete nightmare and hard work.

I have been at the weddings of former students. I just love hearing how they're getting on.

I'll bet that Geography teacher will not only remember your DD, but will be delighted and very touched to hear from her.

Yes tell her to do it!

I contacted my old tutor over friends reunited (remember that lol!)

It must have been about a decade after I had left and he was made up to hear from me.

We still send the odd email now.

My Mum went to her 60 year reunion and one of her teachers was there and she remembered everybody, including the things that they got into trouble for.

I Iove hearing from former students. I have many as friends on facebook.

You remember the ones you had most dealings with - whether that was positively because of them loving your subject, trips or because you were constantly being driven crazy by them or their batshit parents, is neither here nor there.

A lot of staff get their first NQT positions from keeping in touch with teachers - it's a good way to get references, as if they were good students, they know the site, they know a lot of the policies and staff.

So yes, email - the odds are that she'll remember your DD and if she doesn't, she'll send a nice reply not letting on, in any case.

Not quite the same but I had a very useful careers advisor at high school. After doing a four year degree and a post grad to become a careers advisor myself, she recognised me at an event. A bit of a weird moment for both of us.

I’m 48 and last year my old French teacher approached my mum and asked her whether she was my mum and wanted to hear all my news. I don’t think I was memorable for being a good student. I was well-behaved but frustratingly lazy.
Even if she doesn’t remember your dd she’ll be happy to be remembered and to hear that she had a positive influence. I would think it would be really rewarding to hear from your dd.

Yes, of course !
And offer to go back to school to talk to her current students about university

Sounds like she would be remembered. My DS is certainly remembered by numerous staff at his old secondary school which had approx 1300 pupils.

I would say no. DD was a good pupil, had a huge amount of 1:1 help in getting onto her preferred un8. Purse and they were delighted when she got into a great uni to do it. She only graduated last year and bumped into the head of year who knew her really well. The head remembered her friend but looked through DD and had no recollection of her at all.

She likes to think it is because she’s lost two stone rather than she wasn’t memorable.

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar That’s really lovely
@SummerInTheVillage That’s also lovely! Is that allowed? DD says that a few of her university friends have teachers on social media and so do a couple of her school friends but she wasn’t sure if it would be allowed or appropriate to add them? Maybe after next year as she will be out of university and a ‘proper’ adult?

About 10 years ago, I went to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve with my mum, who was 60 at the time. One of the servers at communion was her old headmistress, who still remembered her >40 years on! And I don't think mum was that much of a tearaway.

I think I’ll try to speak to her tonight and encourage her towards it.

But the general consensus is that if the teacher doesn’t recognise her, she will pretend that she does/write a short but sweet reply back? Just don’t want DD too upset!

I remember all my pupils, I love to hear from them.

DP recently went to a job in his old school while at work (paramedic) and a teacher who had never taught him recognised him straight away. I now teach and remenber and recognise kids I taught 3 years ago. Send that email!

When I was 18 and about to graduate from high school, I went shopping for a graduation dress. A teacher that taught me when I was 6yo came over to ask if I was her old student. I saud yes. She said "If I'm calculating correctly, you should be graduating this year". I told her tha I was buying a graduation dress. I was suprised that she remembered me, recognized and remembered when I was her student. Amazing.

I can remember most of the hundreds of children I have taught and love hearing about how their lives are now.

The ex-pupils added me as adults so I don't think it's a problem. I'm retired now anyway. :)

I remember all the pupils I have taught for A''level and virtually all the pupils I have taught is year 11. I'm always delighted when past pupils get in touch to say how they are getting on. It hasn't happened yet, but if one e-mailed that I didn't remember I wouldn't let on.... and ask round the staff room for someone to remind me!

Not this again. Yet another variation on the 'everybody loves my popular, sensitive, disruptive daughter and forgets the boring one' Aren't you bored yet OP?

Teacher friends of mine remember some students from twenty years ago or more, 4 years really isn’t very long especially since they had a good relationship.