Almost half of Brummies wish they showed more gratitude to teachers

A new survey reveals that almost half (46%) of adults in Birmingham wish they had expressed more gratitude for their teachers. The survey, conducted by Get into Teaching, explored the impact teachers have on their students.

35% of respondents agreed that their teachers had a positive impact on their lives, with 37% agreeing that their teachers prepared them for the real world.

Respondents also acknowledged that their teachers played a pivotal role in the development of their lives.

For some, teachers acted as gateways to jobs or universities. For others, teachers instill important personal skills, such as resilience, courage, and self-belief. These skills and attributes are essential for happiness and success in life.

Roger Pope said:“It’s one of the few jobs where you can get home every evening and feel as though you’ve made a real difference during your day - you’ve made a real difference to the lives of individual children as they grow up.

“And consequently, you’ve made a real difference to the future shape of our communities, of our society.”

“So if you want a job, which gives you that level of satisfaction, then I would urge you to put the three words - Get Into Teaching - into your search engine. There are many different ways in which you can train to be a teacher in many different places. We’ll take you a year for that training, and then you’ll be ready to go. As a fully fledged teacher.”

Brummies were asked what they would now like to say to their teachers.

Summer said: “Thank you. I’d say thank you to my teachers. I think they are the foundation of who we  become. I think they need to be respected massively. They’re very patient.”

Meroe said: “I feel like teachers now are more open, you get to talk to teachers and stuff about your mental health. So I feel like it’s a good thing.”

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