As the title suggests, yesterday was the last day of class. With it comes a whole range of emotions. If you are a teacher, you likely know exactly what I'm talking about! If you are a teacher candidate, you'll know soon enough. Exhaustion has begun to set in - my brain knows that it's almost the summer break, so I have been hitting the snooze button more and I feel like I can't think/plan anymore! But end of year is also a little sad.
I've really enjoyed my classes and the students that I have taught, so it's hard to say goodbye. Some goodbyes in my ESL class are permanent, as they are leaving for different schools or moving to different cities. This always seems to make it harder. ESL teachers are, at most times, more than just teachers. We are the first Canadian experience for many of our students, and they often come to us with questions about Canadian society, homestay/guardian issues, questions about classes and how schools work here, course selection and understanding the Ontario system, etc. This makes it more than just a typical teacher-student relationship, as we have really built a community within the walls of our school.
I also have one student that I taught last year and again all year this year, but next year I likely won't teach her anymore. She has learning difficulties/challenges in her first language, so I have been working with her quite a bit to help her acquire English language skills. It has been amazing to see her grow and develop this past year. Her confidence is slowly gaining, and her final summative presentation made me want to cry and cheer all at once. I had to hold myself back from getting my phone out to record the presentation. You see, last year, she couldn't really speak, and she lacked confidence, which made her really sad. Now, she smiles and laughs, and has a peer group with whom she feels like she belongs. And she did an actual presentation, all in English, in front of her peers. And she wasn't whispering - it was completely audible. Her growth and courage absolutely amaze me in so many ways. She is one of the reasons why I am a teacher - she challenges me to find ways to help her, and that feeling I get when she breaks through and shows improvement is awesome.
It's also difficult to say goodbye to my Grade 11 Spanish students. They are a funny group, and tested my patience many times, yet they really are a good group of students. I had the honour of teaching them in Grade 10 last year and Grade 11 this year, so it's weird to know I won't be teaching them in their final year next year. I know that they will do amazingly well with the Grade 12 teacher, as she is an awesome teacher, and they are all really bright. And I know I'll see them in the halls, so it won't be as difficult, but it will still be weird.
I think teaching is strange in many ways. While I am excited for a quick break in the summer, it is hard to end the year. While my body and mind are ready for a break, and I'm certainly looking forward to not waking up at 5:30am, it's difficult to say goodbye to my students. They have taught me so much, and have reminded me of the many reasons that I went into teaching to begin with.
This year I feel like I have grown in many ways in my practice. I'm trying new things (stations, new apps, seeking out PD, putting myself out there more, etc.) and I'm trying my best to really reflect on my practice so that I can get better. I observed a couple of elementary teachers run their guided reading programs, and I've been implementing these strategies in my ESL C class. I'm hopeful that next year I can further improve implementation of Guided Reading - I want to structure it in so that it's easier to actually sit down all semester with my students. I see the value, and I've seen firsthand the benefits of Guided Reading - heck, I used this with some of my struggling students and I have seen amazing results, so I really want to make sure I focus on this aspect more next year.
Now before I go off on a tangent, I'm going to end it here. This week is going to be full of different emotions: excitement, sadness, happiness, anticipation, etc. I just need to remind myself that next year brings a fresh start, a new beginning. I will get to meet many new faces, and they will challenge me in different ways. It really is a cycle.
Enjoy the rest of the school year! I will be posting less often during the summer, but I think I'll try to do some more focused posts on specific strategies/apps that I am hoping to implement next year. It'll be a good way to get what's in my head out in a somewhat coherent format, and it'll force me to sit down and begin the planning process for September!
Have a great Summer, everyone!
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