My last day at this school was on Wednesday. We were only supposed to go until Tuesday and spend the rest of the week working on our TPA (teacher performance assessment), but my students didn't have school Tuesday and I wanted to say goodbye to them before I left.
Because of the long weekend, my students were pretty hyped up. During Spanish (taught by two high school students), they played a game to review the colors. Basically they run around the classroom to find the selected color; once found they touch it until another color is called. One of my high energy boys touched his sweatshirt for the color red and (for some reason or another) kept running around the room with his hand on his shirt. He was probably trying to be funny.
They didn't say much about me leaving until lunch time. Then they asked if we were going to have a party. Well, we kind of were, but not really. The 4th graders were expecting food and video games and lots and lots of excitement. I wanted them to fill out a survey about my teaching. Mrs. J suggested playing a game, "How Much Do You Know About Miss Heintz?"
Most of the questions on the survey were pretty difficult: when is my birthday? what is my favorite sport to play? to watch? favorite TV show? food? etc. But I didn't make it absolutely impossible! I asked how many siblings I had, my favorite subject in school, and what kind of animals I had on my farm. One of the questions on the survey ask my eye color. I thought most would get it right without looking, but some of my fourth graders were sneaky. I purposely sat with my back to the class while I filled out the survey, and some of them pretended to get a Kleenex or just had to sharpen their pencils at that very moment. Coincidentally, they had to walk right past where I was sitting. But I saw right through their acts! I squinted my eyes or closed them completely so they couldn't see my eyes. I should've brought sunglasses!
After going through the answers, they brought out a present and some cards they had made me. We sat in the back and I read their lovely words. They all wanted to sit by me in the circle and practically swarmed me; let's just say our circle was more like an amoeba. We voted on whether I should open the present or read the cards first; I read the cards first. Before I opened the present, Mrs. J said, "I don't know, this thing might give you nightmares!" I wasn't sure what she meant until I opened it. Then it was perfectly clear what she meant. My present was an "Eggspert," a jeopardy buzzer system exactly like the one I had had such a catastrophe with earlier this semester (when my professor came and saw me unprepared because I hadn't had time to test the technology before using it).
I was planning to leave my class while they went to PE, but they didn't want me to leave, so I went to PE with them. That day was their first day of a dance unit! We were supposed to do the Cupid Shuffle, but the CD player wouldn't work. So we did the YMCA, Hokey Pokey, and the Cha Cha Slide. Afterwards, I said my goodbyes. This was quite a process. I sent the class with a para for a bathroom break, intercepted Mrs. J to give her a bag of chocolate as a thank-you (and said goodbye); when the class came back, I gave them all hugs and they swarmed me in a group hug. One student shouted, "Hey, if we all hug her, she won't be able to leave!"
Eventually I untangled myself and headed to the other class of 4th graders to say goodbye. They all had to hug me too and were very dismayed I wasn't teaching them science that day. Earlier in the day, one of the boys had seen me in my classroom and had run in, grabbed me in a hug, and said dramatically, "I don't want you to leave! You should stay forever!" Once I told him I was going to be at school for a while longer, he immediately let go and left the room. When I stopped by Mrs. M's classroom, he was at the resource room, so I stopped there before I left. He of course, gave me another hug and didn't want to let go. But I untangled myself and headed back to school.
I don't think any of my kids cried, and I didn't either! I came close for a while (my eyes got that prickly feeling), but I held strong.
Now I just need to survive TPA and 7th graders...
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