AIBU to ask teachers if they miss their old school/colleagues/former pupils when they move to another school?

[potatoandleaksoup]

This is something I've been wondering. If you have spent many years at a school and then leave to work at another school, do you miss the school you've left? Your former colleagues, clubs you ran, pupils you liked etc. Do you ever visit your old schools or stay in touch with former colleagues?

I re applied but unfortunately didn't get it. Interview nerves got the better of me. I am in another school which is ok though.

Yes, I miss quite a few of the children I have previously taught.

What are you trying to get at here, OP? Are you wondering if you should go back to visit your old school? Or are you wondering why someone who left hasn't been in touch? There are no right and wrong answers for these. It depends on who you are, who you worked with, what the school was like, the location of your old/new job, etc.

I’ve been at my current school for 17 years and part of the reason I haven’t left and realistically won’t now (I’m 55) is my fantastic colleagues - my department in particular. I was T my previous school for 7 years and still in touch with some people but it was a big move out of London with three kids, new schools and new jobs. I found it hard for the first year or so but am now part of the furniture.

You do move on. I stay in touch with those lovely colleagues. The bitches can get to fuck though.
every school has its shit bits and there’s always a reason you move on.

Also I have to go back 5 days a week to do the school run as it's my kids school.

I wouldn’t say I miss them, but it’s pleasant to see adults around I’ve taught and have them say hi. Occasionally the odd child of a child I now meet. Always interesting to chat briefly and hear how they’ve done.

Colleagues I haven’t really kept in touch with. Life moves on, though again if I see them it’s usually a pleasant catch up.

I'm just curious. I'm not a teacher but I look back on my old secondary school and I do email my old teachers. I'm wondering how teachers feel when they leave a school they've been at for many years. That's all.

I am.

I retired after 27 years of secondary.

l miss teaching, l miss the children, l miss my colleagues and the crying with laughter ( although l still see them) l have lots of ex students on fb and Instagram. Although you are expected to wait a while before you contact them. Some of these are from 25 years ago.

OP I think it's lovely you still email your old teachers. I'm a secondary school teacher and love it when former pupils email me to say how they're doing etc.
Like a PP has said- I always feel so pleased when old pupils have done well for themselves and a sadness when I hear about those who have fared less well.

@Bluepolkadots42 l find it really hard when you hear about those who committed suicide.

I know of at least 3 l used to teach😔

I moved schools last summer. I miss some people. I kept in touch with a small handful of colleagues friends. The kids I teacher change from year to year anyway so I wouldn't say I particularly miss certain kids from my old school, although of course some make more of an impact than others.

I do sometimes wonder what happened to pupils X or Y once they left school though, and I'd be delighted if they got in touch!

@Bluepolkadots42 my former teachers enjoy hearing from me :)

I worked at two schools for 13 years each and had wonderful memories of both but it just didn't feel right to go back. I knew it wouldn't be the same.

I miss the people at the school I was a TA at before I started teacher training. Some of my best friends work there and we obviously spend time together at weekends and breaks. I'm always thrilled to run into former students at Tesco or wherever.

I've worked at a lot of schools. There's only one I really miss. I'm still in touch with quite a few teachers and some students from there.

I was at my old school for nearly 10 years and left last summer due to a house move. I was very happy there and miss it loads. My new school is completely different and doesn't feel like home in the way my old one did. I went back to visit the other day on the invitation of my old head and it was lovely but made me feel so homesick. I don't know if I'll go back again. Life moves on. I'll always remember it fondly though and will try to stay in touch with a few old colleagues, though I'm not very good at it.

I was a bit like you in several respects and worked at my last school for 27 years. I loved it but new management changed everything. I was glad I was close to retirement and left. I still keep in touch with a couple of teachers, several TAs and office staff mostly via Facebook.