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Original poster

To want to know if you had a nice teacher growing up

62 replies

JustYouAndMeNow · 05/10/2023 20:19

70's and 80's schooling. I have to say that many of my teachers in the late seventies were absolute psychopaths looking back..and the rest..but there was one female English teacher in my second secondary school who tried so hard to reach out to me.
She encouraged me to write and would ask me what was wrong (even though she was seen as a strict teacher) I didn't appreciate it at the time and definitely couldn't articulate what was wrong but I have never forgotten her.
The only two final exams I turned up for in secondary school were English Language and English literature.
Did you have a good one ?

OP posts:
VeronicaSawyer89 · 05/10/2023 20:27

I had more nice teachers than I did horrible ones. I can count the number of horrible teachers on one hand.

Original poster
JustYouAndMeNow · 05/10/2023 20:31

To clarify I meant did you have a good one you still think about.

OP posts:
Millybob · 05/10/2023 20:34

Can't think of any who were actively horrible, even those whose subjects I didn't like. Well, I'd never have warm, fuzzy memories of any games teacher but they could have been worse; they mostly ignored me and I ignored them.

CarolinaInTheMorning · 05/10/2023 20:34

I had several really good ones, including one who helped spark my interest in the subject I studied at university. But I did have a few, sadly in the earlier years, that I do not remember with fondness.

historyrepeatz · 05/10/2023 20:35

Yes but I think they stand out more because the others were horrible. Two really nice teachers in primary, that I could barely speak to at the time but I think about them often. None in secondary, some fine but mostly memories of awful teachers. Thankfully DC's had nice teachers through primary and no bullying types in secondary.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/10/2023 20:37

It was the 90s for me, I was in year 1 and my teacher was amazing. She taught me to read, she was brilliant.

She left partway through the year because of parent complaints and she didn't want the hassle. The complaints were about her being strict but she wasn't. She was trying to get the best out of us.

PimpMyFridge · 05/10/2023 20:39

Mr Rush my secondary school maths teacher was ace. If you didn't get one method he'd show you another cos with numbers there is always more than one way to skin a cat, so he'd just go a different way until one clicked, the penny dropped and you got it. I loved maths and really enjoyed the work but he made the subject sing.
He was the reason I went on to do maths at A level... which was a completely different story altogether. The teacher there hated females in his class and actively sought ways to humiliate them and quosh any attempt to understand, but supported the boys and had all the patience in the world for them.

norbert23 · 05/10/2023 20:41

Yes - all lovely but one in particular who went out of her way to help me through a v tough time. I wish I could bump into her so I can let her know how grateful I am.

Saverage · 05/10/2023 20:42

70s and 80s schooling as well. A horrific bully of a woman when I was 7, then the best teacher when I was 8. He took one look at the work I had been doing and said to me 'that stupid woman' and gave me more appropriate work. Within a few months I went from bottom to the top of the class.

He was in his 20s, an ex hippy, he would show us pictures of him with long hair and beard. He went on to teach SEN children. I hope he had a successful and happy life.

Globules · 05/10/2023 20:43

Mrs Cornish
Mrs Mitchell in primary

Mr Huggins
Mr Smith in Secondary.

80s/90s

There was an article in the local newspaper when Mrs Cornish retired. It prompted me to write her a letter for inspiring my life long love of music and for being a kind caring teacher. I had an awful lot of ACEs and she saw those and cared instead of write me off. Most other pupils couldn't stand her as she was very strict.

I was very touched when she wrote back to me. "Of course I remember you Globules." She then went on to describe some of my physical features and some of the things she taught me.

I wrote her the letter around 2010. She taught me in 1984. How lovely was that?

PostItInABook · 05/10/2023 20:45

The headmaster of the little village school I went to was literally the best teacher ever. Strict but fun, imaginative and creative, encouraging……..just generally brilliant. I have never heard anyone…..former pupils, parents, teachers that worked with him…….say a bad word about him.

BertieBotts · 05/10/2023 20:46

I had some fantastic teachers.

I remember fondly all of my primary school teachers except for year three. They were all lovely. And even in year 3 once the not very nice teacher left we mainly had my very favourite supply teacher for most of the rest of the year.

Secondary school most of my teacher memories are quite bland - I suppose I was more jaded by then. But I had a lovely French teacher and an English teacher who treasured a poem that I had written and gave him a copy, which he stuck up in his office. I never forgot that. There was also a hilarious French and German teacher who used to regale us with tales of when she used to teach in a really rough London school where half the pupils were skinheads and it was total chaos all the time because nobody had control. I'm sure she was exaggerating for effect but the stories were very funny and she had a real way of getting people engaged when they didn't want to be, a knack for exactly the kind of banter that works with teenagers without anyone ever thinking she was going too far.

Abbimae · 05/10/2023 20:49

Oh look, another teacher trolling thread. Do people ever give up? Possibly you were the issue, maybe you are looking back with bias…

areyouhavinglaugh · 05/10/2023 20:53

Lovely teacher ..he was our tutor for many years and a lovely man. Another was my English teacher and really believed in us and gave is books that we would love as understand. I got an A in English lit because of him.

Original poster
JustYouAndMeNow · 05/10/2023 20:55

Globules · 05/10/2023 20:43

Mrs Cornish
Mrs Mitchell in primary

Mr Huggins
Mr Smith in Secondary.

80s/90s

There was an article in the local newspaper when Mrs Cornish retired. It prompted me to write her a letter for inspiring my life long love of music and for being a kind caring teacher. I had an awful lot of ACEs and she saw those and cared instead of write me off. Most other pupils couldn't stand her as she was very strict.

I was very touched when she wrote back to me. "Of course I remember you Globules." She then went on to describe some of my physical features and some of the things she taught me.

I wrote her the letter around 2010. She taught me in 1984. How lovely was that?

That's so lovely of both you and her.

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 05/10/2023 20:56

Lots of nice teachers, I don't remember any horrible ones.

FieldInWhichFucksAreGrownIsBarren · 05/10/2023 20:56

I was in secondary education early 90's and the majority of teachers were just ok. I had one Maths teacher who was, to put non finer point on it, an absolute cunt-she disliked me and I despised her.
I did however have a fantastic Media studies teacher and my English teacher was both hilarious and extremely animated which possibly explains my love of the subject.

975zyx · 05/10/2023 20:56

My secondary school English teacher, his lessons were both fun and inspirational. It was down to him that I got As in both English language and literature.

WillowCraft · 05/10/2023 20:59

I liked most of mine, only a couple I actively disliked. Some of my favourite ones I realise now weren't actually that nice at all... Teachers have a huge influence especially on children with difficult home lives.

Original poster
JustYouAndMeNow · 05/10/2023 20:59

PimpMyFridge · 05/10/2023 20:39

Mr Rush my secondary school maths teacher was ace. If you didn't get one method he'd show you another cos with numbers there is always more than one way to skin a cat, so he'd just go a different way until one clicked, the penny dropped and you got it. I loved maths and really enjoyed the work but he made the subject sing.
He was the reason I went on to do maths at A level... which was a completely different story altogether. The teacher there hated females in his class and actively sought ways to humiliate them and quosh any attempt to understand, but supported the boys and had all the patience in the world for them.

That's just awful, did you manage to do ok in your A level or was it just impossible?

OP posts:
975zyx · 05/10/2023 21:00

Also an honourable mention to my maths teacher who had infinite patience and kindness (for those of us who were more mathematically challenged) and gave up her own time in extra lessons to ensure that we passed our O level.

Mummadeze · 05/10/2023 21:01

My Eng Lit teacher was amazing and really inspired me to write insightfully and analyse texts. I breezed through all my exams because of her. Sadly she died of cancer soon after I left school so I didn’t really get to thank her for how much difference she made to my life.

MoirasSaggyBundles · 05/10/2023 21:07

70s and 80s. Working class estate primary and comprehensive. Had one proper psycho teacher at primary, who would pick up boys and throw them across the room - I'm not exaggerating; and the headmaster decorated his office in canes and liked to use them liberally. They were both terrifying. Secondary was an extremely rough comprehensive, but bar one or two exceptions, the teaching staff were all absolutely lovely. Every single English teacher I had was an absolute delight, and I think of them fondly. However, I loved school and was bright and driven, so I think I just really looked up to all the teachers as fountains of knowledge, and they in turn responded positively to an eager pupil. I imagine for other students, those same teachers do not generate fond memories.

LadyBitsnBobs · 05/10/2023 21:07

I had some amazing teachers who I clicked with in the 80s/90s at secondary school. One who actually changed the course of my entire life and went out of his way to help me get onto the degree course I wanted to do.

I went back to the school to thank him, a few years too late - he had already left and I lost track of him. I never got a proper chance to tell him how he had made my life turn a corner, and the sad little creature he knew at school had turned into someone successful and confident and so very grateful.

I wonder if he ever thought about me too.

For any teachers out there who helped a pupil change direction, pulled them back from the brink of a dark place… don’t think you were forgotten. I frequently think of my teacher , 30 years later.

ghostyslovesheets · 05/10/2023 21:16

born in 1970 - I had 2 that stick out:

Mr Thompson - middle school - I struggle with writing (processing 'disorder' which means my mind works faster than my fingers) and could never do joined up writing - one day I was made to stand in the lunch hall all lunch hour holding up my 'horrible' writing for all to see by my English teacher, he rescued me, he made me feel like I was clever, he nurtured my abilities and self worth and told me I would get to Uni one day (I did).

Mrs Hamer - English yrs 9-11 - oh she was glorious - a very sarcastic Scottish woman - she ripped me to shit on a regular basis with a dry put down (I was a goody shit), one day I choked on a pen top (like proper choking) I finally coughed it out - her response 'ohh Ghosty, your life is full of drama' but again she saw my potential, quietly encouraged and challenged me, pushed me on and I knew she secretly liked me!