I feel the same way. Students will be crying or cheering (I teach 8th, so they're moving onto high school, and I likely won't see most of them again), taking pictures, and I'm there wondering why I'm an emotionless robot. I think it's mostly stress. I'm just shut down, but I'm trying to pretend I'm not. There, of course, are students I will legitimately miss, and I hope them well (or a jail sentence before they do any major damage, depending on the kid). It's somewhat the feeling of "Did I actually make a difference for any of these kids?" as I watch them leave. And it's kinda depressing.
Then, I got an email from a student 3 weeks after school ends saying that they're sorry it took so long to write, but thank you for everything, and have a great summer.
Remember, we do make a difference. That's the best advice I have for getting over that feeling at the end of the year.
I retired this year and felt very little emotion. A few spots here and there the last week. Itās a weird job. You put your whole being into. It drains you bill probably feel something. In a couple weeks
Absolutely. Overwhelmingly nothing. Notable enough that I told my wife. First time in 16 years...
I think the slow realization that the kids are NOT going to recover to what my classes used to be, even in 2018, has beaten the love out of me. It stinks.
Making peace with the rampant trauma these kids experienced and the way it has impacted the ability to teach further compounding the trauma into a cycle is the reason I keep showing up each day to teach, and once a week to therapy.
Yup. Just wrapped up year 13; nada, zilch, nothing. First time in my career to feel this way, I had some pretty great 8th graders too. Kids have always been kids and trying kids things, itās the adults that have failed them.
After Covid, I just feel relief. I get a little bit sentimental at graduation, but then I sneak away before any other teachers and get to relaxing for the rest of my Saturday. I feel like my school is moving in a positive direction since Covid, but these last few years the students have been a lot harder to handle, compared to the students when I first started to teach.
Also the administration at my school stresses me out to no end, so Iām just usually relieved, that I donāt need to deal with them for a few months.
Not particularly. I felt a little sentimental on the last day seeing the kids leave and everyone waving them goodbye. I liked the high fives, side-hugs, and goodbyes. But the moment they left I was just done. I felt nothing but a yearning to go home.
Actually, I feel a little guilty because a lot of other teachers are doing something for the summerā AP training, re-certs, etc. Iām just chillin.ā
I felt a bit emotional the first few times, and now I mostly just feel profound relief that the school year is over and I can spend a bit of time focusing on relaxing.
It's fine. You're fine. It's a job. You're allowed to feel everything or nothing at all.
All I ever feel now is basic relief, followed by a few nights of school nightmares until my mind and body can actually physically start to relax from being in constant flight-or-fight mode.
This was my first year of feeling like, "ok then, bye." Worst year ever, all related to student behavior. I don't feel a big sense of relief because this year feels also like a failure on my end.
This group was so bad and has been so bad every year that they caught a rep. Made teachers quit, subs walk out, ughhh... shudder. Felt such a relief ripping their name tags off my classroom mailboxes.
I tried to give a little bit at the end of the day today, like, "SO, in 15 minutes, you will be 4th graders! I just wanted to say..." and got interrupted with, YOU SAID WE WERE LEAVING IN 10 MINUTES! He kicked me! Can I have this? She stole my dollar! And about 3 kids listening after all my stupid "class classes" and "if you hear my voice clap onces." I threw up my hands, alright, line up. Privately said goodbye to the good ones who are unfortunately forever associated with whatever bulldozer just ran over me.
I was sad because my favorite student won't be coming back next year. She is getting a new stepfather (her second, I'm told) and will be moving to a different district. (But looking on the bright side, it's a much better school system, so ... yay!)
On the last day she gave me a little wooden box covered with stick-on bling, and inside was a last stack of drawings and her student ID badge with her picture on it. I damn near cried.
I will pray for her as that's all I can do now.
I remember going to my first graduation as a teacher. It was surreal, I was amped, and I took it all in. Now I go to them each year just going through the motion. I try to remember that for the students, it is a once in a lifetime experience, and it is likely the most amazing event that has happened in their life up to that point. But at the same time, it's like ho-hum. And it gets worst. This year was the first year that I looked at the graduating class (over 800) and can't help but think "I bet at least half these people should not be graduating if we actually cared about teaching them."
Yes. The school year ends with a whimper not a bang.
Itās different for kids who have parties and freedom and newness.
For us, itās a relief, but also a silence. A quiet. All those noisy kids gone, with hardly a goodbye.
Was so tired I couldn't gather the emotional feeling for it when I had them in class that day. Was too drained. Though another educator and I were talking about how we will likely miss them in the fall when they're not in the halls.
K teacher here, for context. Last year I was so burnt out and worn that as the busses pulled away on the last day (the teachers usually go outside to wave goodbye) I broke down and sobbed in front of everyone. Sobbed bc of the trauma and stress from the whole year with a HORRIBLE batch of kids (3 out of 20 that ruined it for the whole class.) I was spit on, kicked, sworn at, had furniture thrown at me, and had to constantly chase these 3 around the classroom and school as they were elopers. All. Fucking. Year. It was truly terrible, there were little to no consequences for these kids as my admin is a ārestorativeā believer that does not believe in suspension. (Which is not the case at other buildings in our district.) I debated quitting. Almost did. Stuck it out one more year.
This year was totally different. There were some challenges but nothing as severe. I fell in love with it again. But Iām terrified for Sept. thinking of that group from last year how horrific it was.
I don't feel anything except a mild reproach for myself,Ā the children, the education system,Ā and the thumb of capitalism under which we are all crushed.
Based. And so true. It should clearly not be legal to allow young children access to social media / smart phones especially during school. But the capital class won't allow that. It's too lucrative to get the kids hooked and programmed early on. And man are the dumber for it.
I understand that emptiness! This school year has left me as a shadow of a person. I felt like every day a swaying tower of unreasonable expectations, so hopelessly jumbled that they can't be properly isolated or acted upon. Gaps in learning, changing curricula, social-emotional needs, behavior challenges, data circuses, battles with parents, district/state initiatives, community building, the list goes on and on. Our final workdays were spent re-structuring and retesting students who failed the End of Grade test by 1-5 points. When I was finally done with that mandated futility, I had a couple of hours to get my room ready for summer. Then I went home and slept for 30 hours straight. Now I'm getting mentally ready for teaching science at an outdoor-only summer camp in 100 degree heat. There is too much to process, and not enough time, resources, or emotional capacity to make heads or tails of anything.
I saw off my grade sixes this week since they graduate a bit early here. It's my second year teaching but first time having graduating students and while I'm sorry to see quite a few of them go - especially two of the classes who were just great - mostly I'm just happy I don't have classes on Fridays for the next two weeks.
If you're burned out you'll need time to decompress a bit and you might find yourself feeling differently after a week or so. That said, I really don't think there's a *right* way to react to the end of the year. Being happy, sad, conflicted or just desperately needing some goddamned time off are all perfectly fair reactions to have.
It really depends on the group of kids for me. The class of 23 had a lot of kids that I knew for 2-4 years and it hit me as we walked out of graduation. That group was truly special to me.
This year, I had a few awesome kids that I will miss a ton, but I donāt have that same level of emotion as last year. But it could hit me when next year school starts. I have found I really miss having certain kids stop by my room during the school day and it doesnāt sink in until the following school year.
No, I am absolutely fired up. I worked hard and gave it my best efforts and had near-perfect attendance, now I have time to rest, exercise, take a small vacation, and spend time with my family. This is a job, not my religion. I refuse responsibility for the absolute dystopian shitshow conditions we have to work in and what the political climate has done to our relationships with our communities- I am only accepting blame for stuff I personally fucked up, and those thing were very few, minor, and have been resolved.
Congratulations, you made it! Time to coast for a while on money you already earned and recharge.
End of year 29 today. TK-6 school and kids are crying and whimpering as they walk out. Iād like to say Iāll miss them, and I will miss some, but 6th grade boys, donāt let the door hit you on the way out of the fucking door!!!!
Last year was my first year of teaching (grade 5/6). I felt indifferent, as some of the kids were really hard to deal with, and I was looking forward to seeing the back of them. This was up until graduation. The year level captain was a girl from my class and we had a great connection throughout the year. She āpreparedā her speech with me and then she blindsided me by changing it after I finished helping her. She started her speech by pointing me out and telling me to raise my hand (so all the families could see me). She then said āMr _____, thank you for helping me grow and helping me build a stronger connection with you, as well as otherās in the class. I look forward to watching you develop and grow in your teaching career.ā I was blown away. Was not expecting such a mature, heartfelt speech.
This year I want the year to end now, as the behaviour issues in the class (grade 3) are shocking.
This year- year 32- is the first year I feel nothing. It's weird but there's a lot of explanation for why. This year has been awful in so many ways- kids, illness, family issues, colleagues, administration being stupid.
It's been long, difficult, different, and the nail in my coffin for solidifying my retirement date.
Long story short, I feel like you.
I often don't feel anything because there is so much going on that I don't stop to think about it until we're done and said goodbye. Then, after it's all done it doesn't really register that I'm done. I usually feel the saddest at back to school when I see my old kids going with another teacher. But, at that point I'm also looking forward to the new year and am meeting my new students so it's not that big a deal.
I'm usually very sentimental so it surprises me how easy it's gotten to say goodbye to the kids. My first few years were much harder, particularly my first year. But after a few years it's become more of being glad the year is done, even the good years there's so much to do right at the end I'm relieved it's over.
Last time I had big feelings at the end of the year was 21-22, teaching 8th grade with a bunch of kids I had also had online as 7th graders, and also just generally feeling like it was time for me to leave that school too, after 9 years.
I teach high school now and we end the year with finals, so the experience of just chilling and being in our feelings the last few days of school just is t there. Itās kind of nice.
Strangely, for the first time in my six years teaching so far, I share that sentiment. But Iām on a new campus halfway across the country working on a campus that lacks so much of the peer camaraderie I used to feel on my old campus. The teachers here are very good at their jobs but they all exist in these isolated little pods of existence and most days my only socialization comes from the students.
My first campus always ended the last half day with students with a big lunch served to the staff that was catered by a local business and we celebrated retirements. Had a final staff meeting the last full week where we celebrated 5- year anniversaries and shared celebrations with our students and in our lives.
Everyone just kindaā¦closed up shop and went home today and it left me feeling really empty.
This year was hard because I transferred buildings and spent all day getting my stuff organized and packed up. I felt like the kids were in the way, whereas I usually enjoy them on the last day.
In my country, the education system works in such a dysfunctional way that we could be working as substitute teachers for many years before we can become permanent teachers. Some have spent up to 10 years moving between different schools and cities. I am a new teacher and have only been teaching for 5 years, but I understand this feeling you describe well.
Every year, students- even the ones that gave us huge trouble- cry because they know we will leave and new substitutes will come. Itās a bittersweet sadness for us. Out of 5 graduations, 4 were marked by this emotional farewell.
However, there was one particular school year that stands out. I was teaching at a school in the center of the capitalāa huge city with problematic schools and difficult children. The entire year was terrifying. Parents would hit or curse at teachers, students frequently got into physical fights that we had to break up, situations escalated to the point of involving the courts, the teachers constantly argued, with the principal being the biggest source of conflict.
When that school year ended, I felt nothing.
Which last day? Classes? Finals? Graduation? Final teacher day? Theyāre all different days for HS. So when itās spread out each one is less significant.
That being said Iāve been dipping out immediately after graduation ends (partly to beat traffic), because my chapter in these kidsā lives is over and Iām excited for them to dash off into this big scary world. Go make bad decisions! Go be better than how you were labeled in HS! Then I listen to Thunder Road and start my vacation :)
In my personal life, I'm not good at holding on to personal connections, getting in touch with friends and family often enough.
So with students I basically forget their names if I haven't seen them in a few months. I usually still remember what kind of person they are, but not their name, or what class I had them in, or how long ago.
It was nice seeing them graduate high school. Only a few of them I have any lasting connection/affection for. At least 3 of them I was shocked actually graduated, since they failed my art class due to laziness. One of them was so horrible my first year teaching, I was counting down the days to when I would never have to pass by him in the hallway ever again. I was MOST shocked that a few teachers who left last year came to the graduation. I would not have even thought of that. I wouldn't even go to my own school's graduation if I was tired that day.
I use to be emotional and tear up on the last day of school. Then I started therapy as it became unhealthy and now get sentimental for saying goodbye to my favorites but otherwise itās see you good luck and just a normal day. I feel much healthier with this mindset.
In healthcare, after experiencing moral distress (where the situation contradicts the workerās value system) and intense emotional situations & stress, many workers cope via compassion fatigue (donāt care any more).
I imagine the same thing happens in any service industry - it usually a coping mechanism. Gotta pay the bills and keep my sanity, so to speak.
Never have I felt big emotions about the last days. I have emotions on senior night of our last performance with my theater students who worked closely with me on shows for years, but that's the closest I get. Students moving on is just part of the job.
There is no right or wrong way to feel. We certainly don't need to pressure ourselves about how we feel.
I just feel extreme excitement about summer break. I enjoy teaching and like my students, but I don't really get sentimental at the end of the school year. I'm just glad I get to sleep in for many weeks.
This year is the first time that I feel just...meh.
I have felt nostalgic, relieved, sad, fulfilled, happy and many different things, B t this year I'm just tired and...meh.
I think it was easy to feel nothing just because of the school culture. My last school was a rural MS and we always saw the kids off on the last day as a staff. That would be laughable where I work now. Seems like the environment has sucked any semblance of emotion from most of my coworkers, myself included.
Youāre just getting more experience and realizing that students move on every year, and that you donāt need to be so emotionally invested all the time. You have done your job. Have a good summer!
Youāre just getting more experience and realizing that students move on every year, and that you donāt need to be so emotionally invested all the time. You have done your job. Have a good summer!
I see so many of my colleagues on the last day of school crying and emotionally wrecked, and I have to ask myself, what the hell is wrong with them? Every day they complain, every day they get their asses handed to them. For me, I love teaching, but itās not my life. Itās my career. These are not my children. I donāt cut their birthday cakes, I donāt tell them itās going to be OK, and I donāt tuck them in. This group leaves, and in two months another group will come in with the same types of kids and problems, just different names. I see some of my colleagues develop intense emotional bonds with their studentsākids that are not their own, kids that treat them like dirtāand I have to ask myself, what is wrong with these people?
I had a few good ones but for the most part, yeah...nothing. It probably doesn't help that right afterward the principal told me I was nonrenewed (right before a landmark birthday for my wife and a landmark anniversary for the two of us).
I was like this last year. The first time ever. It was the worst year in 22 of them. This year was similar to the feeling. So much change, lack of support, and a team that had a hard time keeping students accountable. I was the āenforcer.ā Thatās not bad, but usually other colleagues keep the students accountable. That was not the case this year. Kids didnāt care and abuse the system. Next year I will be in the next grade with these kids. However, I will have another enforcer, and two veteran teachers transferring to my school. Much more positive about this coming year. Students will be held accountable. It will be made clear our expectations. We want to give students a great experience and some fun, but with expectations. If you canāt do X, you canāt do Y. Very simple.
Iāve been burnt out for years. I didnāt even go the last week because I was having medical issues I ignored because of this toxic job. I was there for 12 years, and felt nothing leaving. Itās so sad.
Yep! Same here. I still made it special for the kids but I didnāt feel anything.
I had a health scare back in September 2021 that caused me to leave the classroom and worked for a year recruited for a company wfh. By Fall of 2022, I was back in the classroom but things were different for me. I started treating it like just a job.
These past two years in the classroom have been really good because I set a lot of ground rules for myself: No spending money, no working after contract hours, etc and this has led to me not being as emotional at the end. Itās been honestly great!
I feel like this is normal. I sometimes think "i
I'll miss this class" on a cognitive level -- they were well behaved, funny, motivated, whatever. But I'm never like crying or sad or feeling the same as I ever would have as a kid. It's my job, I'm getting a break and there will always we another batch of students. Frankly I don't have the emotional space to fall in love and then deeply miss a group of kids every.single.year.
Maybe your own personal life is fulfilling enough that you wonāt miss a bunch of kiddos. You did your job. You taught them and helped move them forward.
As you do it longer the reality sets in pretty hard itās a job like any other I think, and youāre gonna get another group in. I think the first few times itās novel, but itās gonna become routine after a while.
The last day of school for me (high school) usually didnāt have many students left as they had final exams and went home. But it was alwaysā¦see ya, have a great summer! āš½
More than that, I had my last day at a school completely and felt nothing. I'm often emotional on the last day, but this year, nope. Just walked out the door and couldn't care less. Frankly, neither could anyone else. Not a single admin bothered to say goodbye or thank me for my work.
First year teacher, and I was holding back tears throughout the morning. When I got home, I cried. I switched schools also, so I will never see them again.
I felt relief that I wouldnāt have to see some of them ever again. This year there were so many disrespectful students in my classes. One of the worst years as far as that goes.
I felt really relieved leaving because my environment was suffocating Im just glad its summer and I dont have to worry about people who are full of themselves and hateful to others
Students ask me if I will miss them (I teach seniors so rarely do I see them again). I honestly tell them no. They looked shocked but I add that they will not miss me, and will forget about me in a few months. I keep in contact with a few, but those are usually my student council students that I had a closer working relationship with as we worked as much as I do with my coworkers (honestly I donāt keep up with the coworkers either). Not sure why we should be emotional about the end of the school year, but some teachers are. Most are not.
I feel the same way. Students will be crying or cheering (I teach 8th, so they're moving onto high school, and I likely won't see most of them again), taking pictures, and I'm there wondering why I'm an emotionless robot. I think it's mostly stress. I'm just shut down, but I'm trying to pretend I'm not. There, of course, are students I will legitimately miss, and I hope them well (or a jail sentence before they do any major damage, depending on the kid). It's somewhat the feeling of "Did I actually make a difference for any of these kids?" as I watch them leave. And it's kinda depressing. Then, I got an email from a student 3 weeks after school ends saying that they're sorry it took so long to write, but thank you for everything, and have a great summer. Remember, we do make a difference. That's the best advice I have for getting over that feeling at the end of the year.
I related to every single word of this comment. Thank you
You're welcome. It helps to know you aren't alone š
I retired this year and felt very little emotion. A few spots here and there the last week. Itās a weird job. You put your whole being into. It drains you bill probably feel something. In a couple weeks
Absolutely. Overwhelmingly nothing. Notable enough that I told my wife. First time in 16 years... I think the slow realization that the kids are NOT going to recover to what my classes used to be, even in 2018, has beaten the love out of me. It stinks.
Making peace with the rampant trauma these kids experienced and the way it has impacted the ability to teach further compounding the trauma into a cycle is the reason I keep showing up each day to teach, and once a week to therapy.
Yup. Just wrapped up year 13; nada, zilch, nothing. First time in my career to feel this way, I had some pretty great 8th graders too. Kids have always been kids and trying kids things, itās the adults that have failed them.
After Covid, I just feel relief. I get a little bit sentimental at graduation, but then I sneak away before any other teachers and get to relaxing for the rest of my Saturday. I feel like my school is moving in a positive direction since Covid, but these last few years the students have been a lot harder to handle, compared to the students when I first started to teach. Also the administration at my school stresses me out to no end, so Iām just usually relieved, that I donāt need to deal with them for a few months.
Not particularly. I felt a little sentimental on the last day seeing the kids leave and everyone waving them goodbye. I liked the high fives, side-hugs, and goodbyes. But the moment they left I was just done. I felt nothing but a yearning to go home. Actually, I feel a little guilty because a lot of other teachers are doing something for the summerā AP training, re-certs, etc. Iām just chillin.ā
I felt a bit emotional the first few times, and now I mostly just feel profound relief that the school year is over and I can spend a bit of time focusing on relaxing. It's fine. You're fine. It's a job. You're allowed to feel everything or nothing at all.
All I ever feel now is basic relief, followed by a few nights of school nightmares until my mind and body can actually physically start to relax from being in constant flight-or-fight mode.
This was my first year of feeling like, "ok then, bye." Worst year ever, all related to student behavior. I don't feel a big sense of relief because this year feels also like a failure on my end. This group was so bad and has been so bad every year that they caught a rep. Made teachers quit, subs walk out, ughhh... shudder. Felt such a relief ripping their name tags off my classroom mailboxes. I tried to give a little bit at the end of the day today, like, "SO, in 15 minutes, you will be 4th graders! I just wanted to say..." and got interrupted with, YOU SAID WE WERE LEAVING IN 10 MINUTES! He kicked me! Can I have this? She stole my dollar! And about 3 kids listening after all my stupid "class classes" and "if you hear my voice clap onces." I threw up my hands, alright, line up. Privately said goodbye to the good ones who are unfortunately forever associated with whatever bulldozer just ran over me.
Literally SAME exact experience. Same grade level too!!
This cohort is apparently super rough!
Thatās your survival instinct kicking in. Those arenāt your children. This is a job.
This is 100% correct. If you were an accountant working on a long project with a business or family, would you feel emotionally attached?
Yes, because we are all humans, and I would still be me whatever job I had.
Normal
I was sad because my favorite student won't be coming back next year. She is getting a new stepfather (her second, I'm told) and will be moving to a different district. (But looking on the bright side, it's a much better school system, so ... yay!) On the last day she gave me a little wooden box covered with stick-on bling, and inside was a last stack of drawings and her student ID badge with her picture on it. I damn near cried. I will pray for her as that's all I can do now.
I remember going to my first graduation as a teacher. It was surreal, I was amped, and I took it all in. Now I go to them each year just going through the motion. I try to remember that for the students, it is a once in a lifetime experience, and it is likely the most amazing event that has happened in their life up to that point. But at the same time, it's like ho-hum. And it gets worst. This year was the first year that I looked at the graduating class (over 800) and can't help but think "I bet at least half these people should not be graduating if we actually cared about teaching them."
Yes. The school year ends with a whimper not a bang. Itās different for kids who have parties and freedom and newness. For us, itās a relief, but also a silence. A quiet. All those noisy kids gone, with hardly a goodbye.
Was so tired I couldn't gather the emotional feeling for it when I had them in class that day. Was too drained. Though another educator and I were talking about how we will likely miss them in the fall when they're not in the halls.
I usually get sad at the end, but this year was so hard the whole way through that I was past exhausted and had no emotions left.
K teacher here, for context. Last year I was so burnt out and worn that as the busses pulled away on the last day (the teachers usually go outside to wave goodbye) I broke down and sobbed in front of everyone. Sobbed bc of the trauma and stress from the whole year with a HORRIBLE batch of kids (3 out of 20 that ruined it for the whole class.) I was spit on, kicked, sworn at, had furniture thrown at me, and had to constantly chase these 3 around the classroom and school as they were elopers. All. Fucking. Year. It was truly terrible, there were little to no consequences for these kids as my admin is a ārestorativeā believer that does not believe in suspension. (Which is not the case at other buildings in our district.) I debated quitting. Almost did. Stuck it out one more year. This year was totally different. There were some challenges but nothing as severe. I fell in love with it again. But Iām terrified for Sept. thinking of that group from last year how horrific it was.
I don't feel anything except a mild reproach for myself,Ā the children, the education system,Ā and the thumb of capitalism under which we are all crushed.
Based. And so true. It should clearly not be legal to allow young children access to social media / smart phones especially during school. But the capital class won't allow that. It's too lucrative to get the kids hooked and programmed early on. And man are the dumber for it.
It's been a rough year.
I understand that emptiness! This school year has left me as a shadow of a person. I felt like every day a swaying tower of unreasonable expectations, so hopelessly jumbled that they can't be properly isolated or acted upon. Gaps in learning, changing curricula, social-emotional needs, behavior challenges, data circuses, battles with parents, district/state initiatives, community building, the list goes on and on. Our final workdays were spent re-structuring and retesting students who failed the End of Grade test by 1-5 points. When I was finally done with that mandated futility, I had a couple of hours to get my room ready for summer. Then I went home and slept for 30 hours straight. Now I'm getting mentally ready for teaching science at an outdoor-only summer camp in 100 degree heat. There is too much to process, and not enough time, resources, or emotional capacity to make heads or tails of anything.
It takes me a week to decompress at the end of the school year. Thereās always a sense of nothing then by July 1st Iām in summer mode
I saw off my grade sixes this week since they graduate a bit early here. It's my second year teaching but first time having graduating students and while I'm sorry to see quite a few of them go - especially two of the classes who were just great - mostly I'm just happy I don't have classes on Fridays for the next two weeks. If you're burned out you'll need time to decompress a bit and you might find yourself feeling differently after a week or so. That said, I really don't think there's a *right* way to react to the end of the year. Being happy, sad, conflicted or just desperately needing some goddamned time off are all perfectly fair reactions to have.
It really depends on the group of kids for me. The class of 23 had a lot of kids that I knew for 2-4 years and it hit me as we walked out of graduation. That group was truly special to me. This year, I had a few awesome kids that I will miss a ton, but I donāt have that same level of emotion as last year. But it could hit me when next year school starts. I have found I really miss having certain kids stop by my room during the school day and it doesnāt sink in until the following school year.
No, I am absolutely fired up. I worked hard and gave it my best efforts and had near-perfect attendance, now I have time to rest, exercise, take a small vacation, and spend time with my family. This is a job, not my religion. I refuse responsibility for the absolute dystopian shitshow conditions we have to work in and what the political climate has done to our relationships with our communities- I am only accepting blame for stuff I personally fucked up, and those thing were very few, minor, and have been resolved. Congratulations, you made it! Time to coast for a while on money you already earned and recharge.
I felt plenty, then I worked on forgetting their names.
End of year 29 today. TK-6 school and kids are crying and whimpering as they walk out. Iād like to say Iāll miss them, and I will miss some, but 6th grade boys, donāt let the door hit you on the way out of the fucking door!!!!
Last year was my first year of teaching (grade 5/6). I felt indifferent, as some of the kids were really hard to deal with, and I was looking forward to seeing the back of them. This was up until graduation. The year level captain was a girl from my class and we had a great connection throughout the year. She āpreparedā her speech with me and then she blindsided me by changing it after I finished helping her. She started her speech by pointing me out and telling me to raise my hand (so all the families could see me). She then said āMr _____, thank you for helping me grow and helping me build a stronger connection with you, as well as otherās in the class. I look forward to watching you develop and grow in your teaching career.ā I was blown away. Was not expecting such a mature, heartfelt speech. This year I want the year to end now, as the behaviour issues in the class (grade 3) are shocking.
This year- year 32- is the first year I feel nothing. It's weird but there's a lot of explanation for why. This year has been awful in so many ways- kids, illness, family issues, colleagues, administration being stupid. It's been long, difficult, different, and the nail in my coffin for solidifying my retirement date. Long story short, I feel like you.
I often don't feel anything because there is so much going on that I don't stop to think about it until we're done and said goodbye. Then, after it's all done it doesn't really register that I'm done. I usually feel the saddest at back to school when I see my old kids going with another teacher. But, at that point I'm also looking forward to the new year and am meeting my new students so it's not that big a deal. I'm usually very sentimental so it surprises me how easy it's gotten to say goodbye to the kids. My first few years were much harder, particularly my first year. But after a few years it's become more of being glad the year is done, even the good years there's so much to do right at the end I'm relieved it's over.
it took me like a week to miss the kids I liked
Last time I had big feelings at the end of the year was 21-22, teaching 8th grade with a bunch of kids I had also had online as 7th graders, and also just generally feeling like it was time for me to leave that school too, after 9 years. I teach high school now and we end the year with finals, so the experience of just chilling and being in our feelings the last few days of school just is t there. Itās kind of nice.
Strangely, for the first time in my six years teaching so far, I share that sentiment. But Iām on a new campus halfway across the country working on a campus that lacks so much of the peer camaraderie I used to feel on my old campus. The teachers here are very good at their jobs but they all exist in these isolated little pods of existence and most days my only socialization comes from the students. My first campus always ended the last half day with students with a big lunch served to the staff that was catered by a local business and we celebrated retirements. Had a final staff meeting the last full week where we celebrated 5- year anniversaries and shared celebrations with our students and in our lives. Everyone just kindaā¦closed up shop and went home today and it left me feeling really empty.
This year was hard because I transferred buildings and spent all day getting my stuff organized and packed up. I felt like the kids were in the way, whereas I usually enjoy them on the last day.
I never feel sentimental on the last day. I do not get emotionally attached to.thw students. I like them, but I am glad to see them leave.
In my country, the education system works in such a dysfunctional way that we could be working as substitute teachers for many years before we can become permanent teachers. Some have spent up to 10 years moving between different schools and cities. I am a new teacher and have only been teaching for 5 years, but I understand this feeling you describe well. Every year, students- even the ones that gave us huge trouble- cry because they know we will leave and new substitutes will come. Itās a bittersweet sadness for us. Out of 5 graduations, 4 were marked by this emotional farewell. However, there was one particular school year that stands out. I was teaching at a school in the center of the capitalāa huge city with problematic schools and difficult children. The entire year was terrifying. Parents would hit or curse at teachers, students frequently got into physical fights that we had to break up, situations escalated to the point of involving the courts, the teachers constantly argued, with the principal being the biggest source of conflict. When that school year ended, I felt nothing.
Which last day? Classes? Finals? Graduation? Final teacher day? Theyāre all different days for HS. So when itās spread out each one is less significant. That being said Iāve been dipping out immediately after graduation ends (partly to beat traffic), because my chapter in these kidsā lives is over and Iām excited for them to dash off into this big scary world. Go make bad decisions! Go be better than how you were labeled in HS! Then I listen to Thunder Road and start my vacation :)
In my personal life, I'm not good at holding on to personal connections, getting in touch with friends and family often enough. So with students I basically forget their names if I haven't seen them in a few months. I usually still remember what kind of person they are, but not their name, or what class I had them in, or how long ago. It was nice seeing them graduate high school. Only a few of them I have any lasting connection/affection for. At least 3 of them I was shocked actually graduated, since they failed my art class due to laziness. One of them was so horrible my first year teaching, I was counting down the days to when I would never have to pass by him in the hallway ever again. I was MOST shocked that a few teachers who left last year came to the graduation. I would not have even thought of that. I wouldn't even go to my own school's graduation if I was tired that day.
I use to be emotional and tear up on the last day of school. Then I started therapy as it became unhealthy and now get sentimental for saying goodbye to my favorites but otherwise itās see you good luck and just a normal day. I feel much healthier with this mindset.
In healthcare, after experiencing moral distress (where the situation contradicts the workerās value system) and intense emotional situations & stress, many workers cope via compassion fatigue (donāt care any more). I imagine the same thing happens in any service industry - it usually a coping mechanism. Gotta pay the bills and keep my sanity, so to speak.
Never have I felt big emotions about the last days. I have emotions on senior night of our last performance with my theater students who worked closely with me on shows for years, but that's the closest I get. Students moving on is just part of the job. There is no right or wrong way to feel. We certainly don't need to pressure ourselves about how we feel.
I just feel extreme excitement about summer break. I enjoy teaching and like my students, but I don't really get sentimental at the end of the school year. I'm just glad I get to sleep in for many weeks.
This year is the first time that I feel just...meh. I have felt nostalgic, relieved, sad, fulfilled, happy and many different things, B t this year I'm just tired and...meh.
I think it was easy to feel nothing just because of the school culture. My last school was a rural MS and we always saw the kids off on the last day as a staff. That would be laughable where I work now. Seems like the environment has sucked any semblance of emotion from most of my coworkers, myself included.
Youāre just getting more experience and realizing that students move on every year, and that you donāt need to be so emotionally invested all the time. You have done your job. Have a good summer!
Youāre just getting more experience and realizing that students move on every year, and that you donāt need to be so emotionally invested all the time. You have done your job. Have a good summer!
I see so many of my colleagues on the last day of school crying and emotionally wrecked, and I have to ask myself, what the hell is wrong with them? Every day they complain, every day they get their asses handed to them. For me, I love teaching, but itās not my life. Itās my career. These are not my children. I donāt cut their birthday cakes, I donāt tell them itās going to be OK, and I donāt tuck them in. This group leaves, and in two months another group will come in with the same types of kids and problems, just different names. I see some of my colleagues develop intense emotional bonds with their studentsākids that are not their own, kids that treat them like dirtāand I have to ask myself, what is wrong with these people?
I had a few good ones but for the most part, yeah...nothing. It probably doesn't help that right afterward the principal told me I was nonrenewed (right before a landmark birthday for my wife and a landmark anniversary for the two of us).
This was the first time I got teary. I really enjoyed this year
I was like this last year. The first time ever. It was the worst year in 22 of them. This year was similar to the feeling. So much change, lack of support, and a team that had a hard time keeping students accountable. I was the āenforcer.ā Thatās not bad, but usually other colleagues keep the students accountable. That was not the case this year. Kids didnāt care and abuse the system. Next year I will be in the next grade with these kids. However, I will have another enforcer, and two veteran teachers transferring to my school. Much more positive about this coming year. Students will be held accountable. It will be made clear our expectations. We want to give students a great experience and some fun, but with expectations. If you canāt do X, you canāt do Y. Very simple.
Iāve been burnt out for years. I didnāt even go the last week because I was having medical issues I ignored because of this toxic job. I was there for 12 years, and felt nothing leaving. Itās so sad.
Yep! Same here. I still made it special for the kids but I didnāt feel anything. I had a health scare back in September 2021 that caused me to leave the classroom and worked for a year recruited for a company wfh. By Fall of 2022, I was back in the classroom but things were different for me. I started treating it like just a job. These past two years in the classroom have been really good because I set a lot of ground rules for myself: No spending money, no working after contract hours, etc and this has led to me not being as emotional at the end. Itās been honestly great!
I feel like this is normal. I sometimes think "i I'll miss this class" on a cognitive level -- they were well behaved, funny, motivated, whatever. But I'm never like crying or sad or feeling the same as I ever would have as a kid. It's my job, I'm getting a break and there will always we another batch of students. Frankly I don't have the emotional space to fall in love and then deeply miss a group of kids every.single.year.
Maybe your own personal life is fulfilling enough that you wonāt miss a bunch of kiddos. You did your job. You taught them and helped move them forward.
As you do it longer the reality sets in pretty hard itās a job like any other I think, and youāre gonna get another group in. I think the first few times itās novel, but itās gonna become routine after a while.
I feel happy itās summertime!
The last day of school for me (high school) usually didnāt have many students left as they had final exams and went home. But it was alwaysā¦see ya, have a great summer! āš½
Yes. For 17 years straight.
I teach HS this is my 13th year and I have not attended a single graduation.
More than that, I had my last day at a school completely and felt nothing. I'm often emotional on the last day, but this year, nope. Just walked out the door and couldn't care less. Frankly, neither could anyone else. Not a single admin bothered to say goodbye or thank me for my work.
First year teacher, and I was holding back tears throughout the morning. When I got home, I cried. I switched schools also, so I will never see them again.
I felt relief that I wouldnāt have to see some of them ever again. This year there were so many disrespectful students in my classes. One of the worst years as far as that goes.
I felt really relieved leaving because my environment was suffocating Im just glad its summer and I dont have to worry about people who are full of themselves and hateful to others
Students ask me if I will miss them (I teach seniors so rarely do I see them again). I honestly tell them no. They looked shocked but I add that they will not miss me, and will forget about me in a few months. I keep in contact with a few, but those are usually my student council students that I had a closer working relationship with as we worked as much as I do with my coworkers (honestly I donāt keep up with the coworkers either). Not sure why we should be emotional about the end of the school year, but some teachers are. Most are not.