We all know that teachers play a huge role in children’s lives, and for many their influence lasts far beyond the years they are in the classroom with them. A new YouGov poll finds:
- 53% of Americans say they’ve had a teacher who changed their life for the better.
- While only 32% say they didn’t.
- Those 65 and older are the most likely to say they had a teacher who improved their life (60%), followed by those under 30 (54%).
- Of those who had a teacher who changed their life for the better, 33% say they met that teacher sometime between ninth and 12th grade.
- 29% say they met them between kindergarten and eighth grade, including 16% who met them between kindergarten and fifth grade.
Of course, not everyone has great memories of teachers.
- 22% of Americans say they had a teacher who actually changed their life for the worst.
- That’s particularly true for those under 30 (28%), followed by those 45 to 64 (23%).
Source: YouGov