The Bad Side of Building Relationships

Those who know me may be shocked at this topic until they think about it.  We have all been encouraged to build relationships with our students and I agree that students work harder and teachers are better teachers when both groups have built a relationship of respect, understanding and getting to know each other but it is May.  In May, seniors graduate and go away.  Graduation was a whole lot easier way back when we did not do all this relationship building!  Now we know that Bennett is going away to college in Kansas and what a big heart he has.  Sam is off to Missouri Baptist and I will no longer see his smile every morning.  It is hard!  I have grown to know, respect and love these kids and to see them walk out the door for the last time is sad.  Some I will see again.  Some will come back to visit.  Some I will see on social media and some I will have an annual lunch with the in the summer.  Some I may never see again.

So off to graduation I went today, determined that I was not going to shed any tears.  Then I got a shout out from one of the senior speakers and one of the kids brought me a heartfelt card, another told me how much a difference I make to my students.  Another student had gone to alt school after she had wore out many staff members; she cried when she saw me and told me thank you.

Then their are the past students that have come to graduation.  Every year there are few that are there and for them to come and look for me to say hi, or introduce me to their husband or tell me how college is going.  Those small things mean a lot.

.I wish them all the success in the world and I hope they know, they will truly be miss, especially by this teacher, but it is really sad to say goodbye to them!