What were you like at school?

moonseed

joanlawson wrote:

moonseed wrote:

Hi Joan,

Loved the infants and juniors but hated the all girls grammar.
I'm probably one of the oldest on here so my schooldays now sound like they come out of the dark ages.
All the teachers were lesbians except for one!
And OLD, VERY OLD.
One had a full black beard which she shaved every morning. Her name was Mrs Hollace. She taught biology.
Then there was Miss Dyer (very fat) - needlework,
Then there was one whose name I can't remember at the moment who took R.E. She kept wiping underneath her armpit with her other hand then would sniff it to see if it smelt.
Then the absolute bitch of all **** was a woman named Miss Fuller who must have been in her seventies at least.
She wore a dark green gym-slip with a sash and a shirt and tie and huge brown brogues.
She stood at least 6' tall and was the ugliest woman I have ever laid eyes on.
She had a face like a road map.
We absolutely hated one another. She would throw board rubbers at me on a regular basis and once hit me across the back of knees with a brass-edged ruler!!
Needles to say, she took maths.
We had to walk (not run) in single file everywhere. Not allowed to speak at all in class.
It was 5 years of absolute misery.
I left as soon as I reached 16 and have never looked back or been back!!!!!!!!!!
Steph x

PS. Actually, now you have made me and think about it, she could well have been a man in drag!!!!

Hi Steph

You really did have some old dragons as teachers, didn't you :?: :shock: There was a particular breed of female teachers in the grammar schools at that time, I think. Most of them were unmarried because at one time women had to leave the profession if they married. You might be right that many of the ones who remained were lesbians.

It is fortunate that you survived so well, but my guess is that you actually learned a lot with such strict teachers, not that I would condone their methods.

Yep, did learn a lot, especially English. But actually learned a lot more after I left from books etc. They sewed the seeds and I did the rest.
Steph

joanlawson

trisher wrote:

When I first started school, we just played. We had hamsters and rabbit in our class and we all looked after them.

I remember a sunny day and we would take them outside to play and let them exercise more.

We also had a large rocking horse in it, witha leather saddle and stirrups. It was grey and had a long a mane. We had to have our names written down to have a turn.

When we moved, I went to another school, so very different from the other one. There was no horse, no coloured stricks to help you with math.

I remember this teacher Mrs Davey, shouting at me because I asked for the coloured sticks. That yeaar although I was well behaved I came bottom of the class. She frightend the life out of me.

My mum went up there to find out why I was so upset. They decided that I needed a little help.

The following year I was top of the class. I carried on like that, always coming top, but now without the teacher's help.

When I moved up to junior school, I was the only one who was allowed to use a fountain pen.

I went on to represent our school in playing netball, swiming also rounders and hockey. I still have my medals somewhere.

I still remember that horse and hope it is in someone's attic.

Trisher

Hi Trisher

It is strange that details like the hamsters and the rabbit, as well as that marvellous rocking horse stay in your memory for life. If you had been in my class, I would have given you the coloured sticks ( Cuisinaire ) to help with your maths, without any hesitation :!: I am impressed by your sporting achievements, and especially the fact that you were the first child to be allowed to use a fountain pen :!:

joanlawson

fester wrote:

Went to catholic school and got a slap across the face because my parents we're sending me to another school as i could almost recite my catechism backwards but could not write or do simple maths.

From there went to a junior school where in the second year got told to shut my mouth,look like a goldfish by my class teacher. Thereafter got stuck with the nickname 'Fish' which i state hate to this day (may she burn in hell, rotton bitch!).

Comprehensive school was a breeze as only lasted about a total of 2 years from 11-16 as was off ill with Arthur!

School days the best years of our lives...i don't think so :roll:

Hi Fester

Oh dear, yet another negative experience of school :!: :shock: For a teacher to call a child a name is unforgivable, and would not be allowed these days. It would be reported and the teacher could be dismissed, rightly so. Name calling is a form of bullying, and it hurts as much as any physical bullying, sometimes moreso.

I grew very tall at junior school, and had one teacher who nicknamed me Longlegs. I don't think she meant any harm by it, but it undermined my confidence for a whole year. I thought I was a freak of nature because I was so tall, and longed to be shorter. In fact, I am 5' 8'', which isn't that unusual, and now I am pleased to be tall, but I was convinced there was something wrong with me at the age of 10/11.

joanlawson

Hi Joseph

One day he said to us, "Am I here to teach you Geography? No! Am I here to teach you any subject? No! I am here to teach you something that will keep you in good stead for the rest of your life, I will teach you how to learn. Because if you can learn, the world is yours to do with as you will". Great man, he makes me proud to be an Old Blue.

At last a positive comment about a teacher! I was beginning to feel that I should hide myself away!!

Your Geography teacher certainly was great if he taught you how to learn. That is by far the best gift a teacher can give to his or her pupils. My priorities were always to teach my pupils how to read and write, because without that ability they could not make progress. Once the basics had been grasped, my main aim was to teach them how to learn, and to realise the excitement of learning new things.

You were fortunate to be an Old Blue, and you should be proud indeed!

skezier

Hi Joan,

Well I didn't think I would answer this one but it might help, cus its only now I think about it I realize how much it hurt me emotionally...... and there are so many of us who did suffer at school.......

Over all I hated it, it made me very miserable and yep I was bullied by the teachers partly cus my mother was a head teacher and well partly cus my older brother and younger sister were very intelligent but had a superiority thing with it. I was a soft target even then...... I as bullied at home somewhat too......

I got belted, caned and picked on so much, oh and like Joy the touchy feely teacher who really should have been sacked but back then nobody believed kids eh?

I was deemed thick cus I am dyslexic and have trouble putting stuff on paper and reading out loud but I was also very lucky..... One teacher in junior school found out though I couldn't read out loud I could actually read and she went easy n me..... The rest oh they loved to make me feel this big! I lost confidence, was put in a lower set, did the work in ten mins and got bored..... and went off the rails big time in senior school and it was so horrible....... I really spent more tie being belted and outside classes than ever in them!

Other kids used to try and bully me cus my father was reasonably well known and I learned to fight..... and play truant..... Good school and I am with Del MISRABLE really sums it up......

I have to say though the junior teacher and one very good kind and nice teacher in college really did help me. I got GCE's and A levels but everyone was a to finger salute to the word that would be deleted beings that 'taught' me.......

Oh the other thing.... I stood out as a neglected and abused child and the teachers really should have seen it! Thankgod nowadays they would and do!

One other way of summing up school for me..... Pink Floyds Brick in the Wall part 2!!!!

Be you wish I had kept quiet now eh? Hope alls ok with you? Cris x

joanlawson

skezier wrote:

Hi Joan,

Well I didn't think I would answer this one but it might help, cus its only now I think about it I realize how much it hurt me emotionally...... and there are so many of us who did suffer at school.......

Over all I hated it, it made me very miserable and yep I was bullied by the teachers partly cus my mother was a head teacher and well partly cus my older brother and younger sister were very intelligent but had a superiority thing with it. I was a soft target even then...... I as bullied at home somewhat too......

I got belted, caned and picked on so much, oh and like Joy the touchy feely teacher who really should have been sacked but back then nobody believed kids eh?

I was deemed thick cus I am dyslexic and have trouble putting stuff on paper and reading out loud but I was also very lucky..... One teacher in junior school found out though I couldn't read out loud I could actually read and she went easy n me..... The rest oh they loved to make me feel this big! I lost confidence, was put in a lower set, did the work in ten mins and got bored..... and went off the rails big time in senior school and it was so horrible....... I really spent more tie being belted and outside classes than ever in them!

Other kids used to try and bully me cus my father was reasonably well known and I learned to fight..... and play truant..... Good school and I am with Del MISRABLE really sums it up......

I have to say though the junior teacher and one very good kind and nice teacher in college really did help me. I got GCE's and A levels but everyone was a to finger salute to the word that would be deleted beings that 'taught' me.......

Oh the other thing.... I stood out as a neglected and abused child and the teachers really should have seen it! Thankgod nowadays they would and do!

One other way of summing up school for me..... Pink Floyds Brick in the Wall part 2!!!!

Be you wish I had kept quiet now eh? Hope alls ok with you? Cris x

Hi Cris

No, I don't wish you had kept quiet at all, and thank you for answering my thread so honestly. I just feel so sorry that a part of your life which should have been exciting and wonderful was so damaging instead.

I'm glad that you did find a couple of good teachers along the way. We're not all bad, contrary to how it might seem on reading many of the replies to this thread.

My first aim was always to try to make children feel valued for who they were, and to encourage their interests and strengths. As my expertise is in special needs, I have taught many dyslexic children. Most of them had lost their confidence, like you, and I worked very hard to restore it. Sometimes my efforts were undermined by neglectful or uncaring parents, so then I had to work even harder.

The thing about Pink Floyd's Brick in the Wall is that we all DO need an 'educashun', but it has to be done properly and handled with care because we often only get one shot at it.

Joan