<p>DH and I went out to dinner tonight at a spot near our home, and a trim gray-haired lady came by our table. She introduced herself and it was our D’s first grade teacher! She wanted to know where D was going to college, and to send her good wishes. I was amazed - number one that this teacher remembered a kid from 12 years ago (she has had her name in the local paper a few times for awards - NMS and music, but not one of the glittering stars in our competitive district), and number two that this teacher recognized me from all those years ago. I must need a new haircut!
Anyone else have similar experiences?</p>
<p>I went to the same school K-12, and my preschool operates inside my parents’ law office, so it’s always been easy for us to keep in close touch. I think it’s something we all benefit from.</p>
<p>Was at a local store last week, the cashier told me she had been one of the recess/noon supervisors when son was in kindergarten/first grade (same year)- that was so many years ago, it was his only year at that school as we switched him to another district elementary school for multigrade classes the following year. She has a child who was 2 or 3 grades ahead of him in HS, but our paths never crossed, even at the elementary school. Both of us must have stood out in her mind. We exchanged “what’s your child doing” information. I’m amazed she remembered after all those years, I don’t recall seeing her at the store before…</p>
<p>I’m a best friend with my son’s K-5 teacher! Under her guidance he learned phrases like, “Mummy, where’s the dustbin?” Her British accent infringed on his Spanish. Because I am in an overseas school, I keep in touch with many of the teachers and their families where ever they are in the world.</p>
<p>My D had a faboulous teacher in 4th grade who was teaching for the first time. She had quit the airlines and gone into teaching at 31 years old.Anyways, turned out to be a great teacher, ther first one that realized my D talking was not “bad” was just wanting to learn! Fast forward 8 years, my DD is now a senior, and back in the 4th grade, the first year of teaching for this teacher, they all put memorable 'things" into a time capsule and buried it into the teachers yard! This year, as many students from there that they can find, will dig it up and relive great memories! Sorry for the rambling, but DD has been looking forward to this (mostly seeing her favorite teacher) for a long time now!</p>
<p>A time capsule! What a great idea! I’m trying to figure out how to work this at my school.
On the subject of accents: On of my friends (a transplant from the East Coast) had a daughter in another first grade class. Her D came home the first day and reported that the boy at the next desk was Taller. My friend, knowing that her daughter would have to deal with her genetic push toward being short, talked at length about people’s height and how that didn’t measure their worth. D replied that no, the boy wasn’t taller than she was, his name was Taller. Turns out the teacher was from east Texas and the boy was Tyler.</p>
<p>Those early elementary teachers are incredible! One of our second grade teachers had a graduation party for her 16-member class this year. She invited all the kids AND their parents, making for a special time for that group of kids as they viewed some of their saved artwork, etc. They even saw a video of one of their programs that she had saved after all those years. Apparently, she plans to make this a tradition!</p>
<p>D’s 1st grade teacher attended her HS graduation in May 2006. We discovered only a couple years ago that D was in the very first class this teacher ever taught. She’s still a gem.</p>
<p>My wife (3rd grade) came home from her classroom yesterday and told me this story. While school hasn’t started yet, people are encouraged to drop by the classroom to meet their teachers. Well, my wife was setting up her classroom and this mom walks in with her 1st grader and comes in for a momment. My wife looks at the mom and asks “are you Janel xxxx’s mom?” to which the mom replies “no, I’m Janel, mrs.opie”. She had brought her daughter back to see her 3rd grade teacher from 24 years ago. </p>
<p>Last year a 28 year old engineering student left mrs.opie a note about walking around his old school and seeing her name still there. He thanked her and wrote a nice note about where he was in life. </p>
<p>Always remember while parents do the bulk of the work making their children into people, there’s a whole bunch of other folks who helped too.</p>
<p>I grew up in a smallish town and my first grade teacher Mrs Smith had my father as a student. When we attended the elementary school open house she was thrilled to see my dad and both had fun reminiscing about their time together decades in the past. I believe that I became Stewie’s son from that day forward.</p>
<p>I am utterly amazed at the memories of some teachers. There is a six year gap between my oldest and youngest children, and teachers will meet the young one and ask about her brother, how he is doing, etc. I find it amazing that they remember his name even, not to mention his interests.</p>
<p>With all the kids that teachers work with over the years, particularly in middle school and up, when they might have 100 students a year, the fact that they remember individual students is quite remarkable!</p>
<p>Reading these posts reminded me of a trip 4 years ago back to my hometown, from which I had moved away about … gosh…okay, 25 years ago (I had to do some adding!!!). I was sitting in a restaurant with my H and this man walks up to me and says, “Excuse me, are you ___?” He was my 8th grade gym teacher. Much later I wondered just why he remembered me…was it my cute butt?!</p>
<p>Last year, the lead teacher for the district pre-school program retired. She had started the job with last year’s seniors, so it was an ending/beginning for both the teacher and the kids. When the kids found out she was retiring, they organized a surprise retirement party and working off the pre-school class picture, contacted everyone in the picture for a “retake” of the class picture. The party was a huge success, and the picture retake was hilarious…all those boys who had been in the front row originally were now strapping young men, who had to kneel so the [formerly] tall girls could be seen. Many of the kids had moved or had jobs, but all but two were able to come back for at least the picture.</p>
<p>The teacher amazed us all; she remembered all the kids and had an anecdote or two about all of them. The kids also played a game with her…“based on what I was like in pre-school, what do you think I’m going to do ‘when I grow up’” (e.g. Johnny spent hours playing with the building blocks…architect or engineer)? Her accuracy was astounding, but that’s probably what made her such a wonderful teacher…she listened and observed, as well as taught.</p>
<p>My older daughter took a year off inbetween junior and senior year in college .
She took some classes at the local community college, but she also worked in an afterschool program at her old elementary school. She only had 2 teachers in elementary- </p>
<p>One teacher ( well really it was more than that- two team teachers, PE teachers & two different art teachers), for 1st & 2nd grades- who very coincidentally is the aunt of one of her best friends ( who lived in another state) in college & another teacher for 3rd-5th grades.</p>
<p>She had a great time working there- although she claimed that cured her of wanting to be a teacher- however- it apparently didn’t stick as I have just heard she is going to run an after school program at an elementary school in her neighborhood. 
It is a pretty special primary school- very small class sizes and it was wonderful for her to have the same teacher for three years-
( the school also has a tradition of having one piece of art from each graduating class framed and part of a permanent collection- hers was the very first!- she was very tickled to hear that they are featuring the alumni art in this years calendar- so watch for it Bill:D)</p>
<p>As far as I know she is the first alumna to return to work at the elem school, but out of her very small( under 20) high school graduating class, two students at least have returned to teach in the high school!</p>
<p>Son’s first grade teacher loved her class so much she kept them for second. Son or I bring her fudge every year at Christmas time. This year she proudly introduced son to all the other teachers. She came to son’s HS graduation party and looks forward to his graduation this year from college. She is friends with the middle school teacher across the street, so we run into her every month or so. She is in her 60’s but doesn’t plan to retire soon.</p>
<p>My own first grade teacher was a wonderful lady who took a special interest in me. She arranged for me to start beginning band during the first grade’s reading time because I was already reading several years beyond grade level when I started school. Years later, her daughter was one of my piano students. A decade later, that daughter was my daughter’s beloved kindergarten teacher!</p>