6 in 10 parents stay in touch with their childhood teachers
By: nypost (New York Post)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Teachers make such an impact on us - six in 10 parents claim they can name every teacher they had in their childhood (62%), according to a new survey.
The study of 2,000 American parents of children ages 0 to 18 examined respondents' early childhood education memories and revealed that three in four parents credit their former teachers for positively influencing their lives (76%) — such as showing them how to be a better person (58%), impacting the hobbies they picked up (52%) and half even saw them as a role model (51%).
What parents remember the most about their early childhood education experience is learning new subjects (56%), making new friends (55%) and learning how to be creative (53%).
73% say if it weren't for their teachers, they wouldn't be the person they are today. MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Almost half of parents also consider having their teachers invest in them (48%) and playing with their favorite toy or game (47%) as some of their best school memories.
That may be why 73% say they learned more life and social skills during their early school years versus their later ones.
The research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of the Kiddie Academy Educational Child Care system further suggests that teachers play a very important role in their students' lives — since 73% say that if it weren't for their teachers, they wouldn't be the person they are today.
It's no surprise that two in three parents (68%) had a "favorite" teacher when they were in school, and 60% even admit that they still stay in touch with one or several former teachers from their childhood.
But why was their "favorite" teacher their favorite? One parent said, "Because she took her own time to help me get caught up in math." Others recalled that their teachers "influenced the career I chose" and "they gave me extra help."
Most respondents keep in contact with their elementary school (59%) and preschool (54%) teachers - mainly because they want to know how they're doing (71%), to show their appreciation (66%) and to keep them up to date with their lives (61%).
60% of those surveyed say they keep in touch with one or several former teachers from school.MediaNews Group via Getty Images
"We've seen how the pandemic has deeply affected teachers," said Joy Turner, vice president of education for the Kiddie Academy brand. "These findings speak to how integral they are in our students' daily lives and how early learning is more important than ever. Whether it's creating a nurturing classroom environment for young children or helping them develop soft skills — we see children successfully transition to elementary school and beyond fully prepared."
Parents also reflected on their children's education and social skills. Despite their kids being more creative than when they were children (49% vs. 44%), four in five parents still encourage them to be as creative as possible (79%).
The way parents motivate their children to be more creative include: watching educational shows/videos together (57%), engaging in arts and crafts with them (52%), enrolling them in after-school programs (50%), playing educational games together (48%) and taking them on educational field trips (47%).
Over half (54%) think being creative has a significant impact on helping a child develop socially, such as making new friends or having positive relationships.
80% of parents don't think teachers get enough credit for what they do.MediaNews Group via Getty Images
But for 78% of parents, the most important thing they want to instill in their children is to be a good person.
While 73% are satisfied with their children's current education, more than that believe teachers don't get enough credit for all that they do (80%).
That's why four in five parents (81%) always encourage their children to show appreciation toward their teachers.
"As teachers, we know that a child's early experiences and relationships, especially in the first five years of life, are critical for development," added Turner. "When you pursue a career in teaching you have to be committed to doing what's right for children because the impact lasts a lifetime."
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That poll was obviously conducted with some very unique participants. I do remember most of my teachers. The part about staying in touch with childhood teachers I seriously question.
What I'm most interested in is how much teachers have influenced us?
“What I'm most interested in is how much teachers have influenced us?”
Given your well documented disdain for our educational system, guessing you would say little if any.
Many have enjoyed a much different experience in acknowledging the influences, and if fortunate, to enjoy a relationship with those mentors later in life…as adults and if lucky, as friends. Count me amongst the fortunate.
I wonder how strong the teacher-student friendships are in China, Korea, Finland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands and the other countries who's students outscore ours.
Maybe their teachers unions are a bit more reasonable than ours.
Or maybe they spend way more money than we do on education---whoops, no they don't!
There's a big difference between having disdain for the incredible damage that heads of the teacher unions (AFT, NEA and subsidiaries) and school boards have caused through mandates placed upon students vs. classroom teachers who must follow those mandates or get suspended/fired.
Many parents will never forget that the NEA and AFT greatly influenced the CDC's and DoE's mandates that have stunted the education and cognitive development of an entire generation. And, they still want more money!
You got that right. 93% of Finns graduate from academic or vocational high schools, much higher than here and 66% go on to higher education. Finland spends about 30% less per student than the US.
There is world of difference between administration and classroom teaching. The old macro v. micro conundrum (learned from my econ 101 prof.)
Too often the classroom relationships, which are indeed influential and can become lifelong, are lost in the larger, colder, political discussions. And who is caught in the middle and thus suffers, the voiceless as always.
Just commenting upon the seeded article, wry…but feel free to wonder away.
Aren't you the one that introduced "disdain for our educational system" into the thread?
My personal experiences were never part of my assessment of the current state of American education. If you had a relationship with your teachers later in life, you should have told us about it. That was a simple question I posed.
I know from personal experience, but thank you for trying to explain it to me.
Thanks for the studentsplaining.
In my experience, those who cannot or will not teach wind up administrators.
In our system, there is room for lots of administrators because we have much to administrate.
That's a lot of affairs.
Even though Mrs. Gee has been a retired teacher for over 10 years now she still gets recognized by one of her students in public occasionally.
It helps that you spend a whole year with them and no one else. That doesn’t make the experience a positive one.
When you get to where you have 5 or 6 different teachers (or more) each year, you only remember the really good ones or the really evil ones.
80%? That sounds like brainwashing to me. Teachers get tons of credit. Teacher unions are some of the most powerful in the country. Contrary to what might have been true generations ago, teachers are generally well-paid these days. And people generally are pretty willing to say that teachers work hard, have tough jobs, and so on. But there persists this need to classify teachers in the public consciousness as underpaid, unappreciated victims.
I can think of only two situations where I had anything to do with any of my former teachers. One was a Latin teacher who flunked me in grade 11, who said to me at the time: "You should really just quit school now and get a job because you aren't going anywhere." After I had obtained my B.A. majoring in English Literature, my LL.B. at law school, had been appointed by the late Queen Elizabeth II to be One of Her Majesty's Counsel Learned in the Law, and was the senior partner of a successful law firm that I had put together, I went back to see him and amazingly he was still teaching, and I reminded him of what he told me and told him about my then present successful situation, to which he replied: "Perhaps if I hadn't told you what I did you might not have put the effort in to achieve what you have." (Seems you just can't win with some people).
The other teacher I've related previously on NT my experience with - my Mr. Chips, who was and is my favourite teacher of all time. Besides the experience of what happened at his retirement banquet many years ago, about 10 years ago I wrote to him from China through my old school (he refused to use the internet LOL) and told him that I was then teaching English to Chinese high school students, and I received a snail mail back from him thanking me for considering him to be my Mr. Chips and favourite teacher of all time (which I told him), and he told me he had never wanted to be a teacher, and was a choir master when he took the job at my school. Sad to say he has since passed away, but I'll never forget him,
I can say that I have actually had a couple of students keep in touch with me long after I had taught them, but no longer do I hear from any former students. As a teacher, I was probably nobody's Mr. Chips.
I was staff and Director of Operations for a private school for many years, After I left the school, I did not go to Homecoming for a few years, Then I got told if I didn't come they were coming to get me and drag me, I can't buy myself a beer on Alumni Weekend.
I see a few of my High School teachers around town