Saturday, June 18, 2005

Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes...

... I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again.

(Bonus points for naming song/artist.)

The last day of school came and went. Our last day is only two hours long, because there's no point in keeping them any longer than that. We have mass at 8:30, go back to school, give out report cards and say our goodbyes. It's all rather anti-climatic, really. It seems like there should be more of a fanfare for the last day of school. I spend 10 months with these kids - I know all their problems, I've heard all their stories, I've seen them at their best and worst and everything in between. So how is it that they can just walk out my classroom door without so much as a backward glance? And only 14 of my 24 came on Friday. (Anyone who owes money for tuition can't get their report card until they pay, so they don't even bother coming to school.) I didn't get to say goodbye to the 10 kids who didn't show up, and I don't like not having closure.

But that's the way it goes. Last year, this year, and every year to come.

I had an extremely stressful week this past week. In addition to my grad school responsibilities (midterm and two presentations), I had to...
- grade final exams
- average third quarter grades
- average final grades
- count attendance
- copy final grades and attendance onto report cards, record cards, and roll slips

- make awards list and honors list
- "put away" my classroom (take down posters & decorations, empty desks, move stuff into closets)


It's a lot to do in one week. And this year, I had to walk Miss W through our end-of-the-year checklist, since she'd never done it before. My job mentoring her is officially done (although I'm still available for help should she need it). She's quite a trooper. She made it through the entire year in one piece, and I know that she's prepared to kick some ass next year.

So now it's all over. Tomorrow is Sunday, but I don't have to do any lesson plans or iron any work clothes. It's kinda nice, actually. I think I might spend my day by the pool with a good book.

Let the vacation commence!

4 comments:

SuzanH said...

Good for you!

I hope the weather cooperates and you get to enjoy your first week off.

Unknown said...

You have a wonderful blog roll- not a clunker among them! And enjoy your summer!

Sara said...

Awesome! The summer is here and you can concentrate on you. It might be you in grad school, but still you. Make sure you take time for fun too!

Anonymous said...

Like you say, after the hustle and bustle of paperwork and cleaning, the school year always comes to a strange and anticlimactic end. I expect there to be trumpets or something, or at least for my students say how much they'll miss me. But I often don't get even that. They've already moved on. It's a difficult transition that a lot of us teachers are going through right now, but you seem to be doing well!