Posted: by Rhian Thursday, 16 June 2016 @ 10:59
We all have a favourite teacher, someone who inspired you, changed your path or was there to listen when you needed them. These memories stay with us for a lifetime, as we’ve seen this week when we asked our team and friends about a teacher who changed their life. Here are some of our stories, we’d love to hear yours!
She inspired me to do something I love
My design teacher really changed my direction – even when she was no longer my teacher. I left school after A Levels with the view to do an Art & Design Foundation. A few weeks in, I was hating it, really hating. It was the first time I’d quit anything, but one lunch time I made the decision to leave not sure what I’d do instead. I had to switch buses on the way home and bumped into my design teacher. She helped me figure out that first and foremost I needed to choose something I already enjoyed. She had taught me jewellery design previously and had a contact at the Birmingham School of Jewellery she set up an interview and I started the jewellery and silversmithing HND the following Monday and never looked back.
She carried on helping me even after I’d left college and inspired me to do something I love, leading me to study jewellery design further and ultimately kick starting my career at fabulous!
Sinade x
She taught me to believe in myself
My favourite teacher was the head of dance at our school who had worked for some of the biggest dance companies in the UK. I wasn’t sure about the piece I’d choreographed, but she pushed me to put it in the show and it was a success. She really pushed me to believe in myself and better myself when I was so unsure. She taught me “It’s all about the confidence” and that was our years mantra and mine still.
Chloe x
She made me who I am today
Ms Lunnon was my primary school teacher, as a young girl I was painfully shy and she really brought me out of myself by teaching me to act. I really believe she made me who I am today.
Becs x
She taught me to never give up
I’ll always remember my A Level art teacher. She came in as a replacement, to begin with I thought she was ‘old-school’ and I couldn’t see how we could collaborate in the same way my old teacher and myself had. She had the patience of a saint (I may have had a touch of attitude at high school) she put up with my back-chat and some serious teenage arrogance. After a few months we began to really bond, she never gave up on me. She taught me to never make assumptions about people from first impressions, she taught me that collaboration with different people is the key to success, she taught me to drop my attitude, she taught me to admit when I was wrong, she taught me so much about forgiveness too, on top of all of the things she taught me about the creative process. On my last day she handed me a card which I still have, I treasure it and I treasure her.
Rhian x
She has steered me on the right course in life
I was really struggling to decide on my next steps after my A Levels my accounting teacher suggested I researched apprenticeships in more detail for a finance based career. I had originally planned on going to university to study marketing, however I am now looking for an apprenticeship as I don’t think university is the right path for me. She always says to me “I promise it will get better” which has helped me get through my A Levels and now I feel I’m on the right path for me!
Becky x
She taught us to dream big!
My sixth form tutor was an absolute #GirlBoss. She was in her 70s when she took our class, but you wouldn’t know it: she was teaching English for the fun of it after a successful career working for companies such as Laura Ashley, and she went on to lecture Business at Warwick Uni after we left. She had a wealth of life experience and loved sharing everything she had learnt with us. She was incredibly motivational to myself and the other girls in my form, and would always encourage us to have confidence in our opinions and hold our own against the boys in our class, who were all big characters. She always stressed that it didn’t matter what hand you were dealt in life, since everybody had at least one amazing quality or talent that they could definitely make something of.
Natasha x
Wow! I've loved collating these inspirational stories from our friends, it just goes to show what a huge influence teachers can have on your life, your personality, your direction, your self-belief. We'd love to hear how your teacher/mentor changed your life... leave us a comment below!
If you have a teacher you'd like to thank, we think you'd love these... Appreciation gifts from £15
