That’s it, the piles of copies are corrected, the notes recorded, the furniture cleaned and pushed against the wall, the files closed, the class and the school emptied of their occupants. You look at all this with a mixture of emotions. You are torn between the satisfaction of a job well done, the fatigue of the warrior who has fought all year, the sadness of leaving another cohort for which you gave everything. You wonder for the thousandth time if you’re in the right place, if it’s worth doing all this, if you can endure another year, doing all this again. This is quite normal.
Remember that you played a decisive role for Margot, who did not dare to ask questions when she did not understand, but who discovered your openness, your gentle answers and your angelic patience. Pablo didn’t tell you with words, but with his bright eyes when he arrived in the morning, although before knowing you, he had always hated going to school. Yacine is really grateful that you accepted him as he is, with his impulsiveness and his bad choices. He liked that you set clear and reassuring limits for him, even if it made him furious at the time. He will be grateful to you for life because he had value despite his difficulties.
Never minimize the impact you have on your students. A good teacher, a good TES, a good remedial teacher, psychoeducator, speech therapist, a good director, it’s a memory for life. It changes trajectories, it ignites passions, it brings out full potential. You did all that this year and more! Take the time to find these small gestures that seemed trivial to you, but which had an impact on your students. There are more of them than you think. This will allow you to come out of the great fatigue you feel and be proud of yourself. Also think of this reassured parent, this understood colleague, this team supported by your smile, your ideas and your openness.
I attended my eldest’s graduation and what touched me the most was the dedication of the school team, teachers, support staff, and administrators. Everyone left their little personalized comments about the students. The love and pleasure of being around these beautiful young people was palpable. In the end, that’s just what counts.
Dear colleague, hats off! The well-deserved vacation has arrived. Rest. Do what you please and fill your little bag with love and patience. Come back to us in great shape in August. I look forward to meeting you again and continuing this great adventure of Education with you.