Friday 15 June 2012

The worst thing about being a teacher



Being a teacher has its ups and downs, but the one thing I never get used to is saying goodbye and today I've had to do it twice.  This morning I had to say goodbye to my lovely International Diploma students at INTO - I was the invigilator for their final exam, and now they are all going back to their own countries for a well-earned holiday before continuing their degree courses at various universities around the UK. Then this afternoon I had my last IELTS lesson with K, and I'll miss her so much. She's got her IELTS exam tomorrow and four gruelling A level exams next week, then she too will be moving to London to begin her degree after spending the summer with her family in China.

It's wonderful being part of students' lives for a time and helping them to achieve their goals, but I'm never prepared for the sense of sadness I feel as they move on to the next stage.  It doesn't last for long - after all, Facebook enables us to keep in touch with each other and it won't be long before I'm busy with my next groups of students - but it does remind me to enjoy and appreciate every day rather than complaining about how much marking I have to do!  My life is so enriched by the people I meet from all over the world, and I have learnt so much from the students I have taught over the years.

So, to those who I saw for the last time today: goodbye, have a wonderful summer, thank you for being my students, and I wish you the very best of luck!

2 comments:

  1. Every job has its ups and downs.

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    1. Very true - and I wouldn't change it for the world! There are a number of downsides to being an EFL teacher but they are massively outweighed by all the positives.

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