A Bittersweet Ending...

This is my class...my wonderfully challenging and beautiful class...

I have done all I can do to teach my grade 7's.  Classes have ended and exams have come and gone.  The marking is finished and the report cards are done.  There is still one week of work left...cleaning up the class, dealing with textbooks and moving to my new classroom for next year.   I had been counting down the days to get this point.  I was excited to finish the year and enjoy my summer.  I looked forward to the end of the week...and when it came I was sad.

I had a spectacular year teaching here.  It was my first year and as I blogged previously, it was a year of ups and downs and teaching assignment changes.  I learned a lot of things about myself as a teacher, discovered my strengths as a teacher, and finally settled on a classroom set up I actually like...in May.

I have spent quite a bit of time reflecting on the past 10 months with the students.  Most of them came into grade 7 unaware of what the year would hold.  Many of them were still very naive and open to many new ideas and ways of doing things.  A lot of them had little to no organization skills and the world of Middle School, class changes and lots of teachers was overwhelming to them.  At the beginning they required a lot of guidance.

By the end, most of the students emerged from their shell.  They have grown into beautiful, intelligent young people, full of interesting and insightful questions and perspectives.  When I look at the topics we discussed in social studies, it is incredible to see a shift in their perspectives particularly as it pertains to human rights.  I gave them a self reflective evaluation of their levels of Global Citizenship the other day.  Their responses and comments were incredibly honest and reflective.  I was impressed.

Then it hit me.  I am going to miss these kids!  They will move on to grade 8 and encounter more new teachers and new ideas and I will stay in grade 7 and welcome the next batch of students to the world of middle school.  It is a job that I love...they require so much guidance in grade 7.  But, now that I have seen my first group come and go, I know that I have it in me to engage in facilitating the transition.

My students like to write me notes at the end of tests and assignments.  Some of them tell me the "test was too hard", or "wow, that was super easy".  But, at the end of the exams, the notes written were of a different nature.  They did not complain about the exam being tough or too easy, or too long...these comments were ones of gratitude.  "Thanks for a great year...I learned so much and it has been the best year of school EVER!", and, "Ms. K, you are the best", and, "Ms. K, thanks for being entertaining".

These comments were unexpected...and made me wish there was more time left in the year to spend with them.  Although they were challenging at times, (what 12-13 year old isn't), they were a blessing and they taught me many valuable lessons.  I sent them off to grade 8...and I know that they will be a blessing to whoever teaches them next year.

But, I am ready to return to Canada...that is my new countdown...T-13 days.  I cannot wait.