Teacher Revels In ‘Pride And Emotion’ Over Heartwarming Message From Ex-Pupil He Taught 20 Years Ago

Jun 29, 2023

Teachers are more than just instructors who impart knowledge to their students. They are also instrumental in helping learners build, identify, and acquire skills. Teachers can be likened to second parents — the children's guides outside their homes. A solid relationship between a teacher and their student can make them a role model in the child's life forever. 

However, a teacher's role is not limited to imparting knowledge into the lives of their students. They are also meant to observe students' strengths and weaknesses. In areas of weakness, teachers employ methods to identify the root cause of the deficiency and formulate plans to help the student improve in those areas. 

In cases where they identify areas of strength, a teacher encourages their students to continue pursuing their interest in that subject by giving them exercises to hone that strength and advising them on paths that will make their knowledge of that subject flourish. 

Although interests and strengths might change with time and age, that nudge from a teacher might make all the difference in choosing a career path later in life. More often than not, students whose teachers properly guide them to focus on their strengths and pursue a dream in that line will forever acknowledge the first person who helped them take that path. 

This is the case for Mark Dent, a teacher tracked down by his pupil 20 years after he encouraged them to focus on their interest in science. On June 6, 2023, Dent, the executive headteacher at Cambrai Primary School, Darlington, United Kingdom, shared a tweet revealing how his former pupil reached out to him with an emotional message. Continue reading to get the heartwarming details of this Dent’s student who reached out to him two decades later.

Dent, the executive headteacher of Cambrai Primary School in Darlington, United Kingdom, impacted the life of one of the pupils he instructed two decades ago. The teacher took to Twitter on June 6, 2023, to share a touching message his former pupil sent to him. In the text, an unnamed student who had followed Dent's suggestion to follow his strengths in science was appreciative of that nudge.

"About 20 years ago you told me at a parent's evening I should do something in science as I clearly love it. I graduated in marine biology and just got a job offer today as a microbiologist technologist at GSK. You are the first person to find out as you're the first person I thought of weirdly. It's really stuck with me all those years and I'd just like to say thank you, you were right. 👍🏻 have a good day mate," the message read.

Dent revealed that the ex-pupil purposely tracked him down to share the good news with him. He also revealed that he was emotional when he read the text message and said, "I burst with pride and emotion."

“This is what we do it for, fellow teachers,” he tweeted.

The heartwarming tweet had a ripple effect on people who came across it. Before long, responses, including one showing another of Dent’s students, began to pour in. 

"Hello Mr Dent. Remember Felix? He's at the Royal College of Music now. You are indeed an inspiration," one user tweeted.

"This is amazing. I often think of my English teacher and the things she helped me with, she has no idea. So happy you were able to be tracked down!" another tweeted.

"This is why I teach for moments like this. Well done, Mr Dent and your ex student," a third person wrote.

What do you think of Mark Dent’s heartwarming story? Are you inspired by the students' text message? Do you think teachers are important in building a student’s life? Let us know what you think, and share this with family, friends, and teachers who would like to read this.