I Miss My Former Students!

Every day of the year is a hectic time for teachers as they complete lesson plans, grade papers, attend meetings, and more. There is a part of us that will miss our pupils for both small and large reasons, even though we are "teacher fatigued" after all of these demanding school duties. My former students from the previous international school I worked with made me miss them because of this. Due to my attachment to them and my awareness of how quickly they were growing up and becoming young adults, I was overcome with emotion as I looked at the images. One of my favorite aspects of teaching is hearing the hilarious things students say and do every day—the kinds of stuff you just can't make up. I hope to see them one day and hear from them again.

I'll miss watching them develop. There is nothing better than watching our kids truly "understand" something after a full academic year with them, whether it is long division, identifying the subject, or paragraph writing. Knowing that I contributed to their development gives me a great deal of satisfaction.

I will miss their enthusiasm. It makes me pleased when my students genuinely enjoy learning and are engaged in every activity we undertake. As a teacher, it is my mission to always find ways to make learning enjoyable.

The bonds I formed with each pupil will be missed. By the time the school year is over, I will genuinely miss my students since I have grown quite close to them. Every year (most years, at least), I get the impression that I'll never get to know and love a new class as I did the previous one. Nevertheless, the reality is that when a new year begins, new connections are forged, and the magic happens once more.

The final thing is that I'll miss watching them develop. Similar to planting seeds, teaching entails observing young plant growth but hardly ever mature plants. I'm always interested in the progress and outcomes of "my pupils." One of the most rewarding experiences for a teacher is to hear from a former pupil who left the classroom years ago how much they enjoyed it, how much it meant to them, and how much they remembered about what you did in class. Although the end of the year is always chaotic, I know that on the last day of school, when the walls are empty and the desks are empty, and I'm saying my goodbyes, I'll miss my children for all of these reasons and many more.