The legacy of an inspiring teacher

Many years ago, my grandfather was a teacher and later Deputy Head in various schools in Bradford, West Yorkshire. He primarily taught youngsters aged 6-13yrs old. Passionate about the value and importance of education, he often invited pupils for whom English was their second language back to his home after school for free English lessons around the family dinner table. In small groups, the youngsters would learn and improve their English skills, while my grandmother supplied them with a drink of orange squash and a biscuit. 

Fast-forward a few decades and many years after the sad passing of my grandfather, my grandmother (now in her 90s) was still living in the family home. Once, when I visited, she told me about how she had needed to ring a neighbour because she desperately needed something from the shops but it was dark and she was afraid to go out, and the neighbour had always told her that he was happy to help. He had brought her shopping to her door (a small tub of margarine) but did not want to accept payment. The next day I went round to his home asking him to accept not only my payment, but also my heartfelt thanks for being my grandmother’s ‘go-to’ person.

He then explained that he had been one of those young students around my grandparents’ dinner table, and that he had greatly benefited from the extra time and attention that my grandfather had offered him. He felt very strongly that he would not have had the success in his career had he not had that personalised tuition at such a valuable, critical moment in his education. He was now in a position where he could return the favour, and provide help and assistance to my grandmother. He felt fiercely proud to be able to do so.

The legacy of an inspiring teacher or tutor can endure across the generations.