Untitled

Its Monday May 21st at 4:14 in the afternoon. The rain is pouring down on the roof as I sit inside my empty room. As I look around I see boxes filled with art supplies, math worksheets, and manipulatives of every kind. My heart breaks because my classroom which was once full of laughter and children playing and working hard is now silent and bare. The walls which used to hold children artwork, anchor charts, and other posters full of knowledge is now down laying on the floor. They tell me tomorrow is the last day of school. They tell me that summer is now here and that the school bell will not ring for the next 8 1/2 weeks. Yet, within that time another person will move into my room. They will decorate it to make it cheery instead of staring at the barren walls.
My kids ask me "why are you destroying the classroom?"
                          "Why are you taking that down?"
                          "Why can't you be my teacher next year?"
                          "Seeing the boxes make me sad."
Hearing these innocent children say these words makes me sad. Knowing that after noon tomorrow I will never see them again breaks my heart. These are my kids. They have grown so close to my heart. Even the ones that have driven me crazy at times will always be apart of me.
I knew that this time must come. I knew that one day they would leave me. I knew that my time with them was short.

But they have helped me in so many ways that it hurts to see them go.
They helped me heal in September. They gave me the strength to go on, a reason for getting up in the morning, when my dad passed away. They were my rock. Even if they never know it.
They made me laugh when I was feeling down.
 They made me smile at their innocence.
They taught me to be a better teacher.

I will never forget this class.
I will never forget their smiles....
I am blessed to have been their teacher.

Today we did not celebrate the end... but the beginning of the future.