Thursday 30 August 2012

Goodbyes

This morning I said an emotional goodbye to my Grade 11A and B. I won't lie - they are my favorite two classes, particularly 11A. I had 11B first period and was already feeling somewhat tearful as I said goodbye to them, so when 11A arrived I ended up crying for most of the hour I had with them.
Grade 11A
We took a lot of photos of the two classes, and I spoke to them about how proud I was of their achievements - how it wasn't me making them do it, they'd had the potential and they just had to remember to let it out. I also told 11A that their average in their assignment was 80%, way above what they're used to expecting.

One of the boys talked to me about how when I arrived I was just some teacher, and how I'd become their sister and mother as well, and how much they admired me and had gained hope for the future, and how while we were working on financial maths and discussing all this money they don't have but maybe in a few years time they will have jobs and they'll look back on me teaching them about compound interest. It was much more touching than I can possibly put into words, and I honestly can't really capture the spirit of the moment through what I am writing. They had me in floods of tears all lesson, and even writing this now is making me cry. I am so honoured to have worked with kids who have so much potential and who have come from such terrible backgrounds and are still so inspiring.

Sabatha and her goodbye message
The girls sang for me, while Khutso read me a poem he had written, and Thabo - who used to turn up to every one of my lessons high and is now working so hard - gave me a huge hug. Sabatha sang the beginning of "I will always love you" and the other girls rescued her when she had a fit of shyness. Then they all danced for and sung, and ended up inventing a chant which involved the boys shouting "Miss Novak" while the girls chanted "Anna".. quite a few of the girls were in tears along with me, and  Mandisa, who has been really quite quiet for most of my lessons couldn't stop crying.

I made Clarence promise me to keep working, and to get in touch with me if he ever needs anything, because he has so much potential, he is so so far above all the other kids.

I feel like none of this even comes close to expressing how much love I feel for these kids right now, and how heartbroken I am to be leaving them.

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