With 12 years of teaching under my belt one might think that saying goodbye to my kids would be easy. One might also think that an educator spending nine months, five days a week, seven hours a day in class, and three to four hours at home working would be ready to say "so long" to his kids. One might say a number of other things too.
I say...tomorrow will be the hardest day of the year (Last student day of the 2011-2012 school year), because I have to say goodbye to my kids.
My kids become a part of me. I am with them all day, and I take them home with me at night (NOT literally of course). I have the priveledge of spending more time with my students than most of their parents do over a nine month period. I get to know each one of them inside and out. I get to see them grow academically, and as people. I get to experience hard lessons learned in Math, in the classroom, on the playground, and even in the cafeteria. I get to shed light where there was none before, and I get to hope that the kid I shed it for will see. I get to see friendships made, and enemies established. Fights initiated, and "Fix-it" sessions mandated. I get to witness...first-hand...young minds hungry for something new and interesting, open full to something amazing! I get to guide, and unteach. I get to look into the face of a kid who hated Math and see the spark of comprehension. I get to make tears, and dry tears. I get to Laugh hysterically with my kids, and make my kids hyeterically laugh. I get to make mistakes, own up to them, and make amense. I get to lead by example, and consistently demonstrate ethical, compassionate behavior. I get to expect nothing less from my kids. I get to instill the belief that moving a mountain is as simple as believeing you can do it, and I get to assure my kids that their weaknesses are just as important as their strengths.
Inevitably, every year...after all of this, I find that I love my kids. Saying goodbye to anyone you love is NEVER easy.
Tomorrow I will again say goodbye. My heart will break, but I will hold it together as I always do. My intellect knows that they are each on to bigger and better things. It is my heart that will ache. Every year...the same story. Different class. Different kids. Same story.
Is it worth it? Damn straight it is! Come fall...new young minds in need of expanding will walk through my classroom door. Oh yeah...it is worth it BIG TIME!
