Happy Teachers' Day

Do you remember your favourite teacher from school? Or perhaps it's easier to recall the ones who left you feeling less inspired?

A great teacher can profoundly shape a child's life—and unfortunately, the opposite holds true as well. You may have seen that moving moment when Adele broke down during a live performance after spotting her English teacher in the audience. She invited her onstage to personally thank her for the lasting impact she'd made. Footballer Ian Wright similarly credits a particular teacher for his success. Then there are the heartbreaking stories, like the magnificent actress Hannah Waddingham being told by a teacher that she'd never work on TV because one side of her face looked like she'd had a stroke. Who says that to anyone, let alone their own student?

These stories aren't just about celebrities—what about you? Can you think of a teacher who made a profound impact on your life?

My personal goal each year is to make a meaningful difference to at least one child I teach, though I'm fortunate to surpass that through my private tutoring work. My own favourite teacher was, interestingly enough, my English teacher—an Englishman, which was quite the novelty in Ireland! He encouraged my creativity and never made an issue of my atrocious spelling. He simply mentioned it to my mother at a parent's evening: "I don't want to stifle her creativity, but the spelling isn't great." Because I liked and respected him, and loved English, I took it upon myself to improve.

Research shows that children achieve better grades in subjects where they genuinely like their teacher. It makes sense, doesn't it? Yet as educators, we're often told we're not there to be liked. So how do we strike that delicate balance? It's a tricky job indeed.

I hope you've had positive experiences with teachers throughout your educational journey—and that your children are experiencing the same.

Happy Teacher's Day!