Positive stories/memories

[DoctorDonnaNoble]

As a counter to everything, how about a lovely thread of loveliness.
We've been gutting our spare room and I've found my memory box. This includes:
A landscape painting a member of my form did at the end of year and 11
A 'comic book' a year 11 group made me for their last lesson including many of our 'adventures' (i.e., silly things they or I had said)
A poster of my Shakespearean directorial debut signed by the cast
A very treasured thank you card from a year 13 class (2 of the 8 no longer with us😢)

I also love how many of our former students 'pop in to say hi'. I used to do the same to my teachers.

What lovely things/memories/stories do others have that make it worthwhile? I have a couple of other excellent ones but fear they're too identifying!!!

What a lovely idea for a thread.

I too have a memory box and everything I'm given is kept in there. I love to look over things such as old photos from past productions and the cards I received from pupils. I treasure the ones from my gruff Year 8 boys (I'm an ex middle school teacher, now primary) who wouldn't admit to liking anything let alone a teacher but put the loveliest messages.

I have a passion obsession with Harry Potter so a lot of my notes/cards etc are themed and make me smile every time I read them again. Some of the earliest are from pupils who will now be adults making their own way into the world such as I was when I first started teaching them. I often think about them and how they have got on since those goodbyes.

It's the messages that I get through Twitter, via email or through FB telling me how much they loved the subject, how much better the teaching was at school than on their University courses 😬 and then the random photos that they send you from far flung photos that show the geographical features and locations that I taught them about in 'real life'. Just knowing that you've made an impact on an young person's life is what makes this job so worthwhile.

I have kept the more personalised thank you cards from pupils and parents from my 20 years of teaching. I have a beautiful embroidered small bag which a y6 pupil made for me years ago and several plants are still doing well on the windowsill. I always use the mugs I get but end up breaking them! I have a great photo of my first ever class and a card they all signed ( I am now teaching a couple of their children!).

I kept all the daft little drawings and notes from my classes.
I daily wear something that a pupil gave me.
I carry the key rings with my name on (instrumental in getting a mislaid set promptly returned recently).
Christmas decorations.
The big glass jar that held homemade sweets that now resides on my office desk full of chocolate for anyone in need.
The comedy pencil sharpener that relates to the daft event with That pupil.
The plant holders.
The tote bags with suitable inscriptions.

The only stuff I don't keep are toiletries that I wouldn't use so they get passed to fundraising stalls a suitable distance away.

Selection of cards from staff and children (and parents), with personal messages. They mean a huge amount and if I'm feeling rubbish I have a look through.

See, when it's good it really is the greatest job!