Little acts of heroism from teachers

[StabInTheDark]

I just read an article about the series Educating Yorkshire and it talked about how the program would show the nation the little acts of heroism teachers perform on a daily basis.

When exH and I separated, DD (15 at the time) found out in a pretty rubbish way and a few days later one of her close friends passed away. She was understandably pretty distraught and lost it a bit at school and had a panic attack. Lovely teacher cradled her on the floor of the toilets until she calmed down, took her to her office and gave her hot chocolate and talked to her for a good hour until I could get there. Still grateful today.

Another teacher stuck her neck out for her when she wanted to change GCSE options and the head didn't approve. She knew her pupil's happiness was more important than the paperwork etc and it meant a lot to DD.

So, what is the nicest thing you've ever witnessed from a teacher? And teachers, what little acts of heroism are you proudest of?

[mindyourownbusiness]

Ahh MissBetsy that's lovely , how alone and frightened that young girl would have felt without you. I bet she thinks of you often with great appreciation .
Also the 'fierce' teacher who did that for the young lad , it's often a front isn't it when people seem like that on the outside but they often have a heart of gold underneath.

[NorksAreMessy]

Nope, it is no good, I am still teary at all these lovely acts of genuine kindness and love.

[MissBetseyTrotwood]

I know. It's all a front. The teacher's rather fit too, which helps.

Love your story of the dinky toy, but too.

[Greenandcabbagelooking]

My ballet teachers were both amazing. A lot of time spent sobbing on their shoulders. S and M, you are amazing.

[grants1000]

A TA my son had for three years during primary school, y2, 4 & y. DS is very dyslexic & she worked so hard with him and was so kind a caring, she always let him vent his frustrations with written work but pushed him enough to always try and gave him a huge amount of self belief & confidence in who he is and what he can do. He once flung some written work across the classroom & stormed out the classroom into the rain & across the field, she ran after him & let him shout his frustration all out & took him to get dry in the staff room & made him hot chocolate. When the SATS results came out we went to find her after school to tell her that he'd got L4 in reading & writing, she jumped up & down screaming with joy and hugged us all.

On the last day she handed him a written letter which told him that he could go out into the big wide world and be great because she knew he was brilliant! She also gave us her email & phone number & told us to call any time if he had any worries at secondary school because she would always be there to help.

[borninastorm]

Just last Christmas when ds1 was working towards his final a-levels I got an email from his music teacher expressing her concern for him. She'd noticed this his 'smile had faded lately' and he wasn't putting in the effort he normally did. She thought there was something wrong with him and feared he would fail his a-levels.

Meanwhile, I thought he was just being a class A teenage knob!

After her email I sat down with him and it came to light that he was suffering PTSD from a nasty car crash a couple of months previous.

Because of his teacher's concern my son got the help he needed (counsellor, anti depressants, etc), our relationship got repaired and with support from all his teachers (and me!) he managed to pass all his a-levels and get into university to study exactly what he wanted.

I will always be grateful to that teacher who saw what I couldn't and went out of her way to help him.

PS. I have sobbed my way through this thread!

[itsMYNutella]

Wow, this thread is amazing! I may have shed a few tears at some of the stories

[minitoot]

I've met primary school teachers who had to walk to some pupils' houses and collect them and bring them to school, because the parents wouldn't get them there. Respect.

[icecubed]

International my HT and one of the pastoral teachers have done this at my DS school more than once fantastic

[Noggie]

I remember being the only one on my class to not pass a gymnastics exam. My teacher kept me back after lunch and told me how proud he was of how hard I had tried. I remember feeling a bit embarrassed but also secretly happy that he was proud of my efforts thank you mr mc dowel wherever you are!

[AntoinetteCosway]

A residential teacher once let me into her flat, fed me tea and biscuits and gave me hugs and tissues while I sobbed about my parents' divorce. I was about 16 at the time. I didn't even know her that well, was new to the school and didn't have many friends; she was so kind and gave me that safe space I needed. It was one of the reasons I went into teaching myself.

[unsure2124]

Thinking about it, I had a lovely uni tutor once. I never discussed anything with her except once to highlight that I was off due to family problems. However I knew that every tutor I had was given my 'file' with various letters and documents so she knew what was up.

I had an oral exam with her asking questions one day. I had done my revision in the back of a speeding ambulance and whilst sitting in A&E. Needless to say I fluffed several questions.

'No. You know the answer xxx, I know you do. You were so close. Try again?'

'No. Think about it, you arent far off - what else could the answer be?'

We were meant to be scored on our first attempt. Every question I got wrong she asked and asked until I got the right answer, so that I could pass the assessment.

She was lovely and helped me choose my final degree, for which id never have been accepted if it hadn't been for her.

[AntoinetteCosway]

I want to add, sometimes it's other pupils who are heroic too. When I was a Housemistress the father of one of my girl's died very suddenly. She went home for the funeral (had to fly to the other side of the world) and didn't want to tell anyone at school so asked me to tell the boarding house once she'd gone home. The girls were so kind and thoughtful-they cleared up her room for her, made cards, dealt with telling the day girls for her and had flowers ready for her when she returned a couple of weeks later. She used to sit in the common room with me and cry in the evenings and one or more of the girls always came to join us and give her cuddles. They looked after her in such a mature, generous way.

[StabInTheDark]

Antoinette that is so lovely and I totally agree. When DD's friend passed away (it wasn't a girl from the same school) her school friends were amazing as well. Just really rallied round. The thing that sticks in my mind is the beautiful photo album they made and gave to her on the day of the funeral. Totally mature and still gives me a lump in my throat when I think about it now.

[MidniteScribbler]

My high school history teacher is amazing. She figured out straight away that I was pretty bored with school, and really went the extra mile. She got me a place at a university residential course over the holidays (even though I was only a high school student), and took me to lectures and events at the archaeology and education faculties at the university as well, and organised for me to have access to the university libraries, where I spent many weekends. Later, when I was doing my teaching degree, she organised me to do prac with some really amazing teachers who taught me so much. Even now, she's allowed me access to her and her classroom while I'm doing my PhD to help me with research. Not many teachers are still guiding and teaching their student twenty years after they first meet them.

[Tortoiseonthehalfshell]

When I was at primary school, I was being badly bullied in my final year by another girl. The real problem was that I had to go to her house after school every day, because she was the only local babysitter and my mother was a sole parent who worked an hour away so couldn't pick us up until dinnertime. It was just awful - we couldn't find another solution, the bullying was escalating, etc.

And I told the headmistress, and she offered to have both me and my younger brother come to her house after school instead, every afternoon, until my mother could find another solution. When I think about what an imposition that must actually have been, to have two little children in your home (hers were older) every day after working in a school. Well. I'm still so very grateful, 25 years later.

[elinorbellowed]

This is a lovely thread. I really hope that I have ex-pupils that have these stories about me.

On Radio 4 there was a profile of Mo Farah the other day. It seemed very clear to me that he wouldn't have made it through school without his PE teacher.

[feelingdizzy]

I am a teacher, got up early this morning to get some planning done before my kids got up. Side tracked by Mumsnet then !

These stories have made me cry and made me remember what it's all about. I had a fantastic teacher in Y6 I had been to 5 schools before this and I was loud and gobby . She encouraged my 'artistic' personality as she called it. I am nearly 30 years on, grateful to her for seeing the real me behind the bluff.

[echt]

taylor mali what teachers make

Try this

[echt]

Damn. Link didn't work

[echt]

Google it anyway.

[feetheart]

The summer I turned 8 my dad died suddenly, leaving my mum with 3 small children.
The teacher whose class I had been in that year came along, scooped up all three of us, took us to her house and looked after us, along with her own four children, almost every day for the whole of the summer holidays.
43 years later I am still grateful - thank you Mrs Johnson.

[CinnabarRed]

www.taylormali.com/poems-online/what-teachers-make/

[NamelessMcNally]

Wonderful thread. I've been moved to tears.

My fabulously individual, language loving, imaginative and never easy DD starts P1 this day next week. Sometimes, when she has been as challenging as only a four year old knows how, I need someone to remind me how fabulous she is. I know her teacher is dedicated, passionate, kind, firm, will bring things out of her I didn't even know where there.

I know the school she will go to is supportive, demands the best from each child whatever that may be. It's not fancy but it's fab.

I feel lucky and thankful that she is embarking on this amazing journey with such admirable guides.