Thank You Teachers

On Monday something really terrible happened in a School in Leeds. A teacher with 40 years of experience was stabbed to death; the first ever such incident inside a UK classroom. How absolutely terrible that someone felt the need to do that to somebody who was there to teach – how terrible that a teenager felt the need to do that to anybody!

I’ve been thinking a lot about it and I wanted to take this opportunity publicly on my blog to thank all of the teachers who have played their part in making me the person I am today.

That is all the teachers at School (at all of the Schools I attended!), all my music teachers, sport and adventure instructors, Brownie and Guide leaders, Sunday School teachers, and anyone else who might not even consider themselves a teacher or instructor but who nevertheless taught me something. All of them, from the very first person who taught me to the most recent, have made a difference to me by imparting their knowledge, developing my skills, giving me opportunity to think and learn.

I am not going to name names, but if you remember ever teaching me something, then today I am thinking about you and am grateful. Even if you had to tell me off.

It is so important that we make the most of our opportunities to learn, and those who choose to teach are our key to that learning. Let us remember everything that teachers have done for us, and do your bit to impress onto young people who are at School now that a good teacher is someone they will remember with fondness for the rest of their lives.

Thank you teachers.