The kids’ last day was Friday, but my last “teacher” day will be tomorrow. I will be back to do some summer group stuff next week, and then I’ll be really done next Thursday. This end of the year has been a bit different.
This was my fourth year at this school. Obviously next year will be my fifth. In my fourth different classroom. Teaching the third different grade level. In August, I will have lived in this city for four years, and I’m currently in my third place. I think I just figured out why it still doesn’t feel like home. 
As I said, this end of year has been different. While we have lost people to retirements and resigning, it never really hit me that hard. At the beginning, I just really didn’t know the people leaving. This year, someone I have worked with each year, and who has helped me out a lot, is moving with her husband to my home state (but still a few hours from where my family is). I’m seeing that there is beginning to be a lot of coming and going, and that makes me really sad. My grade level team has been different each year, and will be completely different next year. I will, however, have about 12 students I have taught before in my class next year. While I love them, two of them drive me absolutely crazy (so I’m glad they wanted me- I’m hoping that means it wasn’t obvious they drive me crazy!). But there is a group of about 5 that are absolutely AMAZING and I’m starting to see how much I am going to need them next year.
I haven’t really had much consistency in my life, which is not good since I do well with consistency. There are too many important circumstances in my life right now that are up in the air and stressing me out. (There are also non-important things that I do know about that are stressing me out!) I am trying to get better at taking control of those things I can control and letting every thing else just be. On the outside, it must seem like I’m good at this- I get told I’m very flexible and go-with-the-flow a lot, but I need to make the inside match that.
So, in August, when I’m walking to a new classroom, working with a new team, and teaching a new curriculum (and dealing with who knows what else in my actual life outside of the classroom, such as getting a life outside of the classroom that doesn’t involve napping!), I will be extremely grateful for all of those familiar faces, giving me some consistency and, in their own sweet way, support.
*This is so NOT what I was expecting when I started to write this. It’s times like this that I realize how great writing, even journal-type writing, can be!! I have joined another writing thing this summer- hopefully I’ll have more moments like this.
My Little Slices of Life! 
Amazing how stuff sometimes comes out in writing that we didn’t expect!Wishing you a relaxing summer, with lots of great books and great friends, so you will be ready for all that this Fall might hold!
Change is tough, no matter how old we are! Reading this post, I realized that one of the difficult aspects of teaching is the turnover – staff having to learn new curricula, get to know one another, students and families facing new teaching styles…yieee. We could all use some stability and consistency! Here’s to a soft and restorative summer for you!!
Like you, again next year, I’ll be a teacher in transition! I don’t and probably won’t know where I’ll be until August-just one of the goofy ways things work…glad you were able to write through what you were thinking and feeling! Good luck with your transition!