Oh. Man.

Every year, I think it's the hardest year to say goodbye to my students who leave me, but I think that they're just so awesome during the year, I forget how my heart breaks and swells all at once on the last day.  Quite frankly, it's emotionally exhausting!  I had an a lot of students leave at the end of this year, so it was a bit hard.

On Wednesday, we had our Montessori Leaving Assembly to say goodbye to our students who have completed the Montessori Cycle and are moving on to another school.  Generally, I'm a blubbering mess on that day - I was pleased that I held it together so well on Wednesday... I cracked a tear when in his farewell speech, one of my boys thanked me especially and said that I taught him "important life lessons beyond academics and how to be a compassionate individual."  My heart twisted a bit, but I mostly kept it together.  Oh.  Man. (#1.)

In a card yesterday, a parent thanked me for "helping shape xxxxx into a mature young man, although he's still got a long way to go, you've given him the best start possible..." again, my heart twisted.  Tears!  Oh.  Man.  (#2) 

But today was hardest.  I was doing alright.  Teared up when I got another beautiful card from a parent, but the tears didn't actually brim over.  Oh yeah!  We said goodbye to our 5/6 students first and I felt my eyes getting a bit wet when I looked at their cheeky grins, sparkly eyes and just gorgeous smiles.  But I was good!  I held it together and made it all the way to morning tea.  Thought I was awesome.

And then...

"So... uh... Tez, we lied and we weren't actually doing anything for the yearbook - the intermediate leavers have organised a gift for you and there was no parental input in this at all.  We just wanted to say thank you to you."  OH!  MAN!  (#3)  Tears, tears, tears.

Not only did they give me a GORGEOUS eco-cup for my morning coffees, but the card... inside were the sweet and heartfelt messages...

Kept it together a bit...

But then... I read this poem that one of my girls wrote...

Oh.  Man.  Tears.  (#4 & #5)

But it was this message that sent me straight over the edge.  It's not only filled my eyes with many tears, but filled my heart with love, pride and a bit of selfish sorrow that she's going.  She hugged me several times at the end of the day, so we cried together (more than once.)

Oh.  Man.  So many tears!  (#6, #7 & #8) 

Ten years ago when I decided to be a teacher, I hoped and prayed that I would make some sort of an impact on children's lives.  I actually still hope for the same thing, each and every day.  Today, however, was one of my high points in my career - it rates up there with when I left home and one of my boys organised all the students sign a Hockey Canada t-shirt that he bought me.  (I cried my eyes out then too, but it was only my 3rd year teaching and I was too cool to cry in front of them, so I hid in the bathroom and sniffled away.) 

I really do love my job... so grateful and so blessed.