How can I find an old teacher?

Question

I am very curious what some of my old teachers are doing these days. Does anyone know how I could go about finding them?

Answer 1

It depends on how old.  If they are likely still to be teaching, you may be able to find them by calling the school district.  If they still work there, you may be able to have a note forwarded to them (for security and privacy reasons, the district should not tell you where they are exactly).  If they have retired, died, or otherwise moved on from teaching, you may have to use other resources.  Classmates.com has a section for each school about former teachers, and I know at my schools there is occasionally discussion about "whatever happened to....?"  Usually someone lives on their street or knew their kids or something, so they get an answer.

Answer 2

No idea how old you are or how long you been out of school.  If it is a small community, might not be so hard, just check the phone directory.  If larger community or they may have moved away, check with the school administration.  They might not give you the contact information, but they might get a message to the teacher you want to contact them and let the teacher take lead on getting in touch with you.  Good luck.

Answer 3

Contact the school.  Some schools have alumni and teacher e-mails links on their web site.

Answer 4

If you know their full name or a nickname they used, you can try looking them up at anywho.com.  This on-line telephone book not only gives addresses and telephone numbers, but it also gives the age and previous addresses of many people.  It also gives the names of some relatives.  That can help you determine whether you are on the right track.  I used this method to find an old friend and neighbor who I hadn't spoken to in more than 30 years recently.  The information I found at anywho.com proved to be invaluable in locating him.  Eventually I was able to call and speak to him personally.  I also used this resource to locate a long lost cousin of my father who was an illustrious graduate and football player for SMU in the 1930's, and who I really suspected was long dead.  Much to my surprise, I found that he was still alive at age 90 and living in an assisted living facility less than 10 miles from my home.  Unfortunately, he passed away two years later at age 92 before I could get together with him personally to collect genealogical information.  

Also, have you considered simply doing a generic search on their name?  This can often turn up information which definitely is decisive in finding long lost friends and acquaintances.  A few months ago, I decided to check on an old schoolmate who I hadn't seen in more than 40 years.  He had an unusual name, so he was probably easier to find than most, but the point is that it worked.  I honed in on the exact person I was seeking.  

There are also professional organizations.  Many teachers are members of state teachers organizations.  So checking websites for membership lists can also be helpful.  Another thing worth a try is to actually return to the school in question and question those you know, including other teachers and school officials, if they are willing to talk.  Teachers often form a camaraderie with each other, so other teachers may be keeping up with those you seek.

Good luck locating your long lost teachers.  E-mail me via my profile if I can be of any further assistance.