Latest news with #primaryschoolteacher
The Sun
10-07-2025
- General
- The Sun
Parents must do these 7 things now in preparation for kids starting school in September
Abigail Wilson, Senior Digital Writer Published: Invalid Date, PARENTS have been urged to do seven things now to prepare their children ahead of starting school in September. A primary school teacher, who looks after a reception class of four and five-year-olds, has shared her top tips for parents whose kids will soon be heading to school. 6 6 6 6 Not only did the teacher stress the importance of teaching little ones independence, but she also gave advice on why mums and dads should expose children to loud noises. Posting on social media, the blonde beauty also urged parents who have any worries or questions to 'always ask' and acknowledged that no concern is 'too silly.' Teaching name recognition First things first, this teacher recognised that while it is not essential for your child to be able to write their name before they start school, it is 'extremely helpful' for them and teachers if they can recognise their moniker from a group. As a result, the teacher advised: 'Start small and practice recognising their name from just a small group of two or three names and then gradually increase.' Encouraging independence Secondly, if your little one is due to start school in just two months' time, you'll need to begin teaching them to be independent. According to this expert, it's vital that you encourage your child to practice putting on their coat by themselves, practice placing their belongings in their bag and teaching them to use plastic utensils independently. Not only this, but she also advised parents to encourage children to practice going to the toilet by themselves, as well as washing and drying their hands independently. Exposing children to loud noises It might sound random to some, but according to this teacher, exposing children to loud noises is vital before they begin school. This teacher recommended getting little ones familiar with the sound of hand dryers in public toilets, as she explained: 'This may just be my school, however we ALWAYS have at least one child who is scared of the hand dryers.' Writing their name correctly Additionally, for those teaching their youngster how to write their name, you'll need to take notes. Kindergarten teacher urges parents not to bring cupcakes for birthdays - 4 sugary treats kids love to pick instead According to this teacher, it's vital that when you teach your child to spell their name, they are taught to write it in the appropriate upper and lower case. She stressed the importance of encouraging youngsters to write their name with a capital letter to start and the rest in lower case, as she claimed: 'We often get children starting school and writing their name in block capitals and it's a horrible habit to fix.' Getting into a routine And that's not all, as if your child is going to bed and waking up whenever they want, it's now time to start fixing these habits. In UK primary schools, reception typically starts at around 8:45am or 9:00am and ends around 3:15pm or 3:30pm. As a result, this teacher recommended: 'Establish a morning and bed time routine in preparation for your first day.' The importance of reading When it comes to reading bedtime stories, rather than simply picking up any old book from the shelf and talking away, this teacher has shared her top recommendation. She advised: 'If you wish to start teaching early reading, recognising sounds etc, I would recommend researching your school Phonics Scheme so you follow the same prompts.' Giving kids choices And finally, as well as teaching your child independence, it's key that you encourage them to make decisions for themselves too. Great post, with useful tips. All children progress at different rates, but these are good small steps TikTok user So if you want to ensure your little darling is prepared to head to school soon, you'll need to ensure you encourage them to start making choices independently. If you're unsure where to start, this teacher urged parents to give kids options for what to have for dinner and let them choose what they want to eat. Parents react The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ eyfsreceptionteacher, has clearly impressed many, as it has quickly racked up 139,300 views in just one day. Not only this, but it's also amassed 2,902 likes, 77 comments and 1,739 saves. Secrets of a school headteacher By the Secret Schoolteacher I STARTED working in schools in 1996, when parents respected teachers and left us alone to do our jobs. Not any more. Nowadays parents think nothing of barging into schools to read teachers the riot act if their precious child has been told off, or they'll send angry emails in the middle of the night. Warning — it doesn't make you popular. I've worked in all manner of schools across the south west of England, from state schools to private, and I can tell you that right now many teachers are dreading the start of the new school year. They're braced for tears and tantrums, not just from their pupils but from their parents too. Believe me, if you are an annoying parent it will spread round the staff room like wildfire. So whether it's your kid's first day at a new school, or they're moving up a year, these are the things you do that drive teachers crazy . . . Parents often turn up at the school gates complaining how frazzled they are, moaning that teachers must have had a nice long holiday while their six weeks stuck with the kids was the worst. Nothing could be further from the truth. For the first two weeks I'll almost certainly have been struck down by a lurgy which always seems to strike on the first day of the holiday. The next two weeks might have been an actual holiday, just like the average Brit takes in the summer, followed by two weeks of frantic lesson planning and administration. Also, consider that I've probably been working over 50 hours per week during term time. Contrary to popular opinion, we don't clock off at 3pm. Instead, we're roped into all manner of after-school activities and meetings before going home to do marking and more lesson planning. Please don't turn up and make sarcastic remarks about our 'six weeks off'. We won't be happy. Parents were incredibly grateful for the teacher's advice and many eagerly flocked to the comments to express this. One person said: 'Thanks for sharing these tips.' Another added: 'Great post, with useful tips. All children progress at different rates, but these are good small steps.' A third commented: 'As a parent this is very helpful, thank you.' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club 6 6
Daily Mail
07-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Anneka was told she had kidney failure in her 30s. The cause? Undetected high blood pressure. As cases skyrocket, she now reveals the signs that were missed - and the simple test everyone should take
It was only by chance that Anneka Murphy discovered the awful truth. While at work one day, the primary school teacher from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was accidentally pricked by the needle of a diabetic pupil's insulin syringe. Although she wasn't overly concerned about the risk of infection, she visited her GP for precautionary blood tests.
News24
18-05-2025
- General
- News24
He waited 40 years for his dream: The unexpected story of a Garden Route pottery teacher
News24/PaulHerman Anthony Noble spent 40 years educating young minds in East London and later along the Garden Route as a primary school teacher. But in the back of his mind, he held on to a dream: To one day own his own pottery school after a chance cleanup of a studio in 1980. Three years ago, he retired and took the dive to turn his front lounge into his own space, despite 'knowing nothing' about business. Now 64, he boasts 12 wheels, five kilns and stories for days as he pours his faith into a learning, tactile experience for his guests. What is your dream? For Anthony Noble, it was merely to do the thing he loved every day, and that thing was to teach pottery at his own pottery school. He even knew what he would call it. But it was a dream he had to wait 40 years for - only once he retired as a primary school teacher in George on the Western Cape's Garden Route. Anthony loved teaching. But a chance encounter in 1980 while studying, where he was forced to clean up a pottery studio, sparked an unexpected love that endured for decades. 'When I was at college in Gqeberha, I was forced to do art. I didn't want to do art,' the 64-year-old told News24. 'I was in the unfortunate situation where I had to clean up a classroom where a 600-litre drum of clay fell, and cleaning up the clay gave me an affinity for the stuff. 'So instead of going home for that March holiday, I stayed in college, and I sat at a pottery kick-wheel and started throwing.' Fun Fact: Throwing is the term used for the process of forming clay into shapes on a potter's wheel. Anthony would qualify as a teacher and would spend the next 42 years teaching primary school English and high school art, first in his native East London, and then in George – where he still lives. Throughout this time, he had kept up his unexpected hobby of throwing. He bought his own wheel and kiln for a combined R3 000. He also picked up a love for painting, and hobbies remained hobbies for four decades. The terror of impending retirement Then, like all things, the chance to make a forgotten dream a reality came only when facing uncertain fear – in this case, the terror of impending retirement. When I retired in 2021, the first three months were terrible, because you'd break from your routine of waking up in the morning, going to work, whatever you have to do… to not having purpose almost. Anthony Noble 'I realised that I had forgotten about my dream. And then I realised, but hey, hang on, I've got the time now to pursue the thing that I really wanted to do. For 40 years, I did what I had to. Now I can do what I want to.' And so Anthony threw all of his passion and faith into making his dream a reality at the ripe age of 61. By his own account, he 'knew absolutely nothing about business', and he faced some other hurdles as well. 'I knew then what my school would be called, and I tried to find a place to rent, but couldn't. All of the owners of the buildings I approached, when they found out what I would be doing, they turned me down. 'And then my wife said to me: 'Let's use the lounge.' I made the tables myself, I made the shelves myself. I'm not much of a carpenter, but the tables are here,' he laughs. Anthony had six wheels at the time and two kilns – and could finally use the name he'd been holding onto: Perisos – which means 'super abundance' in Greek, and taken from the Gospel of John, 10:10. A marriage proposal, a blind man and life lessons Today, Perisos Pottery has doubled to 12 wheels and five kilns. He has around 25 regular customers who come fortnightly to his home in George and around 50-80 once-off customers every month – ranging from tourists to passers-by to locals holidaying along the coast. Every session, people from all walks of life come into his studio unaware of what they are doing and leave with a life lesson from an experienced teacher told over 10 sessions, if they so choose. One instance involves a young man so moved by Anthony's lesson where he as the Potter joins two types of clay to make something new but beautiful – a metaphor for marriage - he chose to come back and propose to his girlfriend in the presence of both families. 'I gave them the same lesson and he gave me the engagement ring and I pushed it deep into her piece of clay. As she was working with it, she said to me, 'something is hurting her fingers'. I said, 'No, couldn't be'. 'And then I said 'take it out', and she took out, and he ran across to her wheel and knelt before her, and asked: 'Will you marry me?' 'Everybody started crying. Obviously, she said yes. It was very special.' The couple came back two weeks later and made engraved candle-stick holders for each of their wedding guests marked with their names. Another example is best seen through the work of a blind man. 'Clay is tactile. When you sit at the pottery wheel, you are in control. You feel and you touch, and you know,' he said. 'I've taught a blind man to do pottery, and I said to him, 'now feel what you're doing'. And then he said, 'I can see what you're saying'. His mother started crying because here's a blind man saying, 'I can see what you're saying'. 'So, with clay, you can see with your hands. I see with what I feel.' Protecting your dream from the dream killers Anthony has found his passion. He has taken his 64 years of life and everything he believes and throws it into valuable lessons for his customers who can leave with something tangible they've made, from clay he sources himself in the surrounding area. For him, he is living out his creed through the work of his hands. 'I'm a piece of clay telling other pieces of clay who the Potter is. If a piece of clay is hard, you can't do much with it. But when a piece of clay is soft and pliable and surrendered to the Potter, it becomes a vessel worthy of having the Potter's name on it. 'And that to me is a very practical and visual lesson. If the clay decided it's had enough, how can the Potter chase it and bring it back to the wheel? It's got to surrender completely, and that's basically what I have had to do with my life.' Finally, Anthony believes everyone should have a dream, and this is his advice for those chasing theirs, however small. If your dream does not frighten you, dream over. Your dream must be bigger than you. It must involve other people. It must not be easily reachable, or it becomes a goal. A dream is much bigger. 'I had no clue where to start, I'm not a businessman. But here I am in a, well, I say a successful business, because it's achieving the purpose for which it was intended. 'Lastly, guard your dream. If you tell too many people, they can be dream killers. You'll find your dream being aborted on your behalf. I didn't listen to that, and here I am.' Bonus Fun Fact: Anthony also teaches another love: painting. He shows his guests how to paint a landscape in under 10 minutes using only one brush - and does it upside down.
