As as a teacher do you remember former students?

[chocolatebiscuitdipper]

If you are a secondary school teacher, how often do you remember former pupils? My DD left secondary school four years ago and she was telling me she wonders if staff particularly those who taught her before sixth form would remember her, it's six years since she did her GCSE's.

I’m not a teacher, but many of my teachers have remembered me. Many I still keep in contact with. Some, I’ve been privileged enough to look after (I’m a nurse). Not nice seeing anyone ill, but it’s wonderful to be able to give something back and help. When my parents died, some of my/my brother’s former teachers attended their funerals. It’s lovely staying in touch :)

NB I was very lucky and had some amazing teachers. One thing that I do find a bit weird is when they say to address them with their first name (that’s a bit of a mad one when you’ve been so used to calling them “sir” or “mrs/miss surname”!!).

I didn’t recognise the nurse doing my cervical screening till she said, “I was in your class Mrs X.”
It was a memorable appointment.

Not quite the same but when I took ds to senior schools for us to choose the preferred school the art teacher remembered me told us to wait a few minutes and came back with a painting of a dinosaur they I had painted many years ago. I still have it

Back in the days of Friends Reunited a couple of girls from my first class in a school nursery contacted me. It was a deprived area and one was at university and one had a job she really loved. It was so nice to hear how well they had done.

I was recognised by my art teacher in a shop in a different town from the school about 15 years after leaving... although he taught my mother and we're similar so that would help memory.

I taught in secondaries, often supply/ temporary contracts for over 10 years so that's an enormous volume of people and not always very long, but I remember quite a lot, some clearly, some an impression of. If I do bump into someone, my memory is triggered easily.

I've also done a youth group for 15 or so years. That's easier because we see them for 3-4 years, and many do things like residentials. I see a lot in the community too.

Not quite the same but I teach small extracurricular primary classes in a small town and have done for 16 years so I occasionally see former students all grown up. Some I wouldn't recognise but some I do. Someone called out my name at a secondary school open evening and it was a girl who was then in sixth form who I'd taught from 5-11, I certainly remembered her.

I guess with the huge numbers of kids in secondary schools you might only remember those who were particularly bad/good/interesting, or who you had a lot to do with over a number of years.

I remember more from when I taught my own class in primary. When I moved to ppa and teach several classes over a week I've found I'm forgetting some. That could also be having kids and peri menopause though

Vividly remember my first few classes.

I only remember significant moments and by proxy the child.

• a boy who once defended me to another teacher who had a bit of a go at me over photocopying (bitch of a woman). I remember his full name.

• a boy who let a stink bomb off in class and made me cry in my first year of teaching. I remember him very well

• a girl who cried and hugged me really tight when I announced I was leaving the school. She said 'everyone I love leaves' and that has stayed with me really powerfully. I remember her name, where she sat in class, how she had her hair that day etc. It's a very vivid memory.

• a girl who was permanently excluded for throwing a chair (was glad to see the back of her - ended up in a PRU and then in prison from what I heard. She was such a violent child. Really sad)

• a group of girls who made me a birthday cake one year

• a girl who had a designer handbag for her school bag - for some reason I remember her so well probably because her bag made her stand out (this was years ago before it was more normalised)

But on the whole I don't remember at all. Not names or faces or anything. The ones I remember are associated with a situation that stuck in my mind.

@ThankyouFrau

I'm not a teacher but I was considering doing a similar post recently. I wanted to make an appreciation post for that one teacher who influenced you the most.

I am dyslexic however this was not picked up until I was well into my 20's. Thanks to autocorrect it's not too much of an issue now.

I was reflecting on my life recently and appreciating how far I've come and how lucky I have been. I owe every single bit of this to one teacher in high school. My modern Languages teacher.

I really really struggled in school and was labelled a bit of a dunce. It didn't help that I grew up in one of the most impoverished areas of Glasgow with parents that didn't give a toss about education.

My teacher had a fairly rough ride with the misbehaved pupils yet somehow still managed to power through.

She sparked something inside me. No one had ever really shown an interest in helping me however she really put the effort and encouraged me. She awarded me subject price at the end of year and I don't think she could ever fully appreciate how much this ment to me.

Thanks to her, I became really passionate about different languages and was fascinated with other cultures. As a result of this, I have worked and travelled all over the world and had the most wonderful life experiences and I owe every single bit of it to her!

So thank you Frau McFadyen, you were my saving Grace.

This is lovely. I so hope she's a mumsnetter and sees this.

I taught secondary for 25 years. I remember all my gcse and A level students. And my form groups.

They turn up everywhere. Ferries to France, deserted beaches, airports….

I remember a few of mine from the boys school i taught in (and not just the famous twins). Generally i remember the ones that were at level 3, but there are memories of class clowns (some of them very bright and witty, others less so), the BIG personalities (often went on to be headboy or prefects). But also the ones that seemed a little lost in the school environment would tug at the heart strings a little - always great to hear how they've blossomed through uni or in work.