Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

As the end of May quickly approaches, I once again get ready to say goodbye to my kiddos and send them off to middle school. This here is a bittersweet experience for most sixth grade teachers housed at the elementary setting. You see, I have been fortunate enough, in my 13 years of teaching, to have taught every grade from kindergarten to sixth, and can honestly share that the send-off at the end of the year weighs much heavily on my heart with my sixth graders than any other. Perhaps it is because I know, in my heart, that my kindergarten students will roam the halls next year alongside me as they enter first grade. That my third graders will still run and give me the tightest of hugs as fourth graders, and that my fifth graders will be here to "rule the school" as they mature into their sixth-grade roles. But with sixth graders... well... the departure feels different. 

Photo by Jan Tinneberg on Unsplash

Their Departure
When anyone ever comments that teaching is easy, I  respectfully disagree. Being a teacher is not a nine-five job that you can clock-out of and check-out at the chime of a bell. No, teaching is about putting your heart and soul into shaping and educating the minds of our young scholars; more importantly, it is about shaping the child as a whole. That is, mind, body, and spirit. With that, you cannot help but fall in love with the children, all the while knowing that in ten short months you will have to see them depart, and sometimes they don't come back. 

My goal as a teacher is to prepare my students for what lies ahead. I educate, I nurture, I try my best to remind them of how special they are and what true potential lies within them. Then, I release and hope that I have given them the tools necessary to be successful in the real world. I pray that they will find success in all their endeavors and that perhaps in their journey, they find a bit of time to return to their faithful sixth-grade teacher and share all that they have accomplished and discovered. 

"How Lucky I am to have something that makes saying Goodbye so hard." - Winnie the Pooh 

Make It Easier 

So how does one make it easier to say goodbye? Here are a few tips to aid with their departure:

1.  Spend the year enjoying each day to the fullest with your students. You have the privilege of helping to shape this generation of scholars, so teach them about kindness, and empathy, and remind them about how important they are in your world.  

2. Create a loving culture in your classroom. Each child's school experience should be one that they treasure in their hearts. Help create an environment that feels like a second home to them. A place where they feel safe and free to make mistakes, learn, and continue their journey alongside their peers. 

3. Nurture bonds that will last a lifetime. Get to know their parents, and siblings (if they attend the school) and see how quickly your students will value how you took the time to create a more significant relationship with people who are important to them as well. 

With that, I sign-off for the summer and hope that when I return in the fall, it will be with a fresh mind, open heart, and ready to fall in love with the newest addition to the Milian Memory Book. For we were never "Breaking Up," we were simply saying, "Farewell. Until we meet again."  

Forever your sixth-grade teacher, 

Yvonne Milian