Saying Goodbye ... Again

With another school year come and gone, I always hate saying goodbye. I've realized over the years that the people you teach with become like "family"...because you spend a lot of time together. Then when the summer months come life changes and you're busy with so many other things that have been put on hold during the school year.

This year, I didn't think that saying goodbye would be too difficult, because I've only been at my school for a year...but it was. There were a few teachers that I'll really miss working with and have really learned a lot from them. Most of my students were darling and I've loved working with them this year. I was sad that I couldn't be their teacher again and see them grow year after year.

I'm really going to miss working with one student in particular..."Jonah" I've mentioned him before. He said some darling things the last few weeks of school that really tore my heart. I just wanted to share a few...

While packing a bunch of boxes and de-junking stuff. Jonah would question why I was throwing stuff away. So I asked him if he wanted anything (He loves to rummage through trash and make "recycled projects") He pulled a few things out of the garbage can and made a one-of-a-kind project. Then he turned to me and said. "Mrs. Holden this is for you! Will you keep it so you won't forget me when you go to your other school?"

Almost everyday for the last two weeks of school he would say "I don't know if I've told you this or not....but I'm really going to miss you next year. If I move to a new school, I want to go to your new school."

I told him to come down to my classroom and say goodbye on the last day of school. He ran into my room the last 20 min of the crazy day and just started pacing the room, just a little of the autism coming out. We chatted a bit about his summer plans and then he turned to me and said...

"Why do you have to go Mrs. Holden? You know when I'm really going to miss someone, I get this big lump in my throat. And it's really big right now." I told him that I'd be checking in on him next year and to remember me when he becomes famous one day"

All I have to say is WOW this little kiddo just needs someone to care about him. I honestly can say I don't think I've given him any more/less attention than any other kiddo I've taught over the years. But somehow he just needed someone to help him show his brilliant mind in different ways. I guess that's my job in a nutshell.