Bittersweet Goodbye

I launched eight more fabulous middle school teachers into the real world last night. (Technically, they have one more year of classwork, but I launched them from my classroom.) Our final was last night, and it was a celebration of how much they have developed this semester. They presented their units, and we talked about how much they had evolved--become more nuanced, differentiated, and realistic. We ate together, and we laughed about how much they learned in the field. And I read them Hooray for Diffendoofer Day--my little reminder to stay true to yourself as a teacher.

At times this semester, I was worried for some of them. Last night, as I closed the book, I looked out at eight young women that I know will be fabulous teachers. I sent them to their classrooms with confidence in their abilities, reminding them this was not a true goodbye and that I would always be around if they needed to think something out. I was proud of them.

Then I got home and started unpacking my bag only to find several thank you notes tucked in the pocket. And then I cried. This is the bittersweet curse of teaching. You pour yourself into your students, see all that they become, and then say goodbye. This was a remarkable class, and I will truly miss them...and hope I see one of them in Issa or Evan's classroom someday.