Schooldays are the happiest days of your life.

[BrianW]

Primary school, on the whole, was fine. Secondary school was a freaking jungle - at best.

Night and day difference. Primary school was largely about nurturing you, my 'grammar' school was about breaking you, making you into a conformist twat.

I sincerely hope schools are not like that anymore. I suspect they have a whole new range of issues instead.

 

[AliBobbyJ]

You know as a retired teacher this thread really upsets me. I just hope that the children I taught are not as disillusioned as most of you appear to be.
I know I was 'only Primary' as they used to say but I did start before the National Curriculum was brought in so could be more choosy with what I taught not rigidly stick to the NC.
For example there was the day one of my pupils found an injured pigeon on his way to school and carried it carefully into the classroom where we found a box for it, rang the RSPB who promised to collect it but said it would be afternoon.
So the planned lessons were scrapped and we explored everything we could find about birds. Comparing weights/sizes/for maths. Going into the class and school library for any books on birds to find where the different types came from for Geography. Writing about the journey Swallows and Canada Geese took to get over here English/Literature. Drawing the pigeon and other birds. You get the idea.
Of course that didn't happen every day but our school tried to teach the whole child and related to the differences (subtly) trying to maximise the potential of each child. I had a boy one year who struggled with his reading but boy oh boy did he have green fingers. He brought back to life some of my failing plants (I always had plants in the classroom) and he used to tell me about helping out at the local stables at weekend. This was a 10 yr old and many years later I saw his Mum in a supermarket and she told me he was working with horses and doing very well.
Not every child is what the powers that be feel they should be and interested in 'academia'. Hence the need to educate the whole child.

Sorry to go on but I sincerely hope that the majority of children I was lucky enough to teach didn't go away feeling like some of you do. :-) JMHO


EDIT: I'm not trying to say I was a perfect teacher or we were a perfect school but we tried our best. I loved teaching and even though there were days when I wanted to pack it all in the good days far outweighed them. Maybe it was because I had had my own children before I became a teacher, also because I was the eldest of 10 and had been surrounded by children all my life!! *lol*

Thank you for putting some balance into this thread. None of the teachers at either my primary or secondary school were anything like some of the nutters described here. Teachers at the grammar school I went to (not posh) believed in the school's motto "Cognoscere Est VIncere" (To Know Is To Conquer, for them what didn't do Latin.) What those teachers gave me has stayed with me my whole life and without them I'd probably have gone down the mines like my dad.

 

[mancityvstoke]

Thank you for putting some balance into this thread. None of the teachers at either my primary or secondary school were anything like some of the nutters described here. Teachers at the grammar school I went to (not posh) believed in the school's motto "Cognoscere Est VIncere" (To Know Is To Conquer, for them what didn't do Latin.) What those teachers gave me has stayed with me my whole life and without them I'd probably have gone down the mines like my dad.

Grammar school not posh?

 

[AliBobbyJ]

Grammar school not posh?

OK it was - Perseverance Overcoming Social Hardship.

 

[mancityvstoke]

OK it was - Perseverance Overcoming Social Hardship.

Grammar school was not an option for most of us in Gorton. We were given what was on offer like it or lump it.

Factory fodder we were. (some did well though but they invariably had good parents)

Twat of a two tier education system.

 

[Phil1]

Was going to reminisce about the extra curriculum activities myself and Adele Symmons used to get up to at the back of our science lab but my favourite poster @Eccles Blue is knocking about so will give it a swerve..

It’s one for the plus column though :-)

 

[mancityvstoke]

Was going to reminisce about the extra curriculum activities myself and Adele Symmons used to get up to at the back of our science lab but my favourite poster @Eccles Blue is knocking about so will give it a swerve..

It’s one for the plus column though :-)

oh go on....she won't mind.

Woman of the world is our Eccles.

 

[Blue Maverick]

I also learnt a massive amount more after joining the army, miles more than I ever learnt at school!

Yep same in RAF, most of it about how people brown nose their way to the top and how you have to play the game to get on (I never did) but loved it looking back. Discipline is what is lacking these days, I’m not advocating corporal punishment there were some vindictive teachers back then, but it seems respect etc has gone out the way of the rags title chances nowadays. I was bullied at school but back then it was just get on with it, like someone said now there is no escape with social media, doesn’t surprise me kids commit suicide :(
I had two great teachers who I did my A levels with and will always remember them, the rest were just shite, certainly in the 80s it was just a case of getting* through it and going on the dole or joining up. Certainly not the best days of my life but I had nit hung to worry about, we had 3 melas a day and a roof over my head, god bless my mum and dad for that.

 

[Eccles Blue]

oh go on....she won't mind.

Woman of the world is our Eccles.

I've not had my dinner yet and I'm starving so I'll see you in an hour or so. Go for it @Phil1.

p.s. Thank you @Phil1 I'm blushing at the compliment. :-)

 

[Berts Neck]

You know as a retired teacher this thread really upsets me. I just hope that the children I taught are not as disillusioned as most of you appear to be.
I know I was 'only Primary' as they used to say but I did start before the National Curriculum was brought in so could be more choosy with what I taught not rigidly stick to the NC.
For example there was the day one of my pupils found an injured pigeon on his way to school and carried it carefully into the classroom where we found a box for it, rang the RSPB who promised to collect it but said it would be afternoon.
So the planned lessons were scrapped and we explored everything we could find about birds. Comparing weights/sizes/for maths. Going into the class and school library for any books on birds to find where the different types came from for Geography. Writing about the journey Swallows and Canada Geese took to get over here English/Literature. Drawing the pigeon and other birds. You get the idea.
Of course that didn't happen every day but our school tried to teach the whole child and related to the differences (subtly) trying to maximise the potential of each child. I had a boy one year who struggled with his reading but boy oh boy did he have green fingers. He brought back to life some of my failing plants (I always had plants in the classroom) and he used to tell me about helping out at the local stables at weekend. This was a 10 yr old and many years later I saw his Mum in a supermarket and she told me he was working with horses and doing very well.
Not every child is what the powers that be feel they should be and interested in 'academia'. Hence the need to educate the whole child.

Sorry to go on but I sincerely hope that the majority of children I was lucky enough to teach didn't go away feeling like some of you do. :-) JMHO


EDIT: I'm not trying to say I was a perfect teacher or we were a perfect school but we tried our best. I loved teaching and even though there were days when I wanted to pack it all in the good days far outweighed them. Maybe it was because I had had my own children before I became a teacher, also because I was the eldest of 10 and had been surrounded by children all my life!! *lol*

Eccles, I have no doubt you were a great teacher,you seem like a really really decent person..I would say 90% of my teachers inspired me..10% perhaps weird but different times in the 70s..but I could tell you a tale of a prominent headmaster who grooms individuals even now..happened to my son..have thought about reporting this individual..still does it..and it is such a clever way that he does it.Even befriended my ex wife and it became an issue in our marriage,but he is Gay. So school, church are not always the best of places unless you can stand up for yourself. I could.