Farewell Message to Students From A Teacher: My warmest gratitude to the best, unforgettable, unexpected experiences you embedded of my heart.
Farewell Message to Student From Teachers
“Ring…ring…ring!” Yes, that annoying sound from the alarm clock you constantly hear every morning before you lift yourself from bed and dread yet another day at the substitute asylum you call the school. This wonderland once filled with rainbows and unicorns where you learned how to spell basic words eventually turned out to be a place of mental torture, a social battleground, and a never-ending circus of self-discovery. Admit it or not, school becomes that image the moment you step into middle school, or even from the first time you got picked on in a bus on your way to your so-called prison extension. Well, in most days, that’s the way it’s always been for the youth, in fact, for almost every adult who was once a teenager surviving the most awkward phases in the classroom, in the gym, in the hallways, and of course, in the locker areas. Getting educated from whichever institute you are enrolled to certainly have every boy or every girl stricken with anxiety, unless, you are a perfect specimen who has the brains, the brawn, or the beauty. Though some students have glorified themselves with academic achievements and golden trophies from sports tournaments, most have suffered enough from those bullies who marked their territories in the cafeteria, those complex mathematical calculations that seem pointless in real life, those pressure from other kids who always have the newest iPhones or Nike’s, and those you consider “aliens” that conquer the classroom just to give you mountains of assignments at the end of each period.
Indeed, these aliens are inescapable and are destined to be with you throughout your college graduation – teaching you, sometimes, mocking you, and perhaps have once dominated a few of your nightmares the nights before you receive your final grades. Hence, it is with no shock that students loathe teachers for several reasons. I have despised several of my instructors in the past but hey, who doesn’t secretly wish them ill even just for a day just to have an hour free time in class? Since the dawn of ancient schools until this century, there probably has been an unconscious tradition of kids being alarmed by how teachers style their hair, how their mouths shoot a string of “bullets” when they start lecturing, and how they simply march along the halls more sternly than Hitler. True enough, students even learn more about a teacher’s fashion sense compared to what is being taught. But honestly, that’s just half of the equation. If little weasels have their planet of poking fun at a couple of Severus Snapes, teachers too have their universe where they get to label each student along with their idiosyncrasies, so to speak. They just have this clandestine way to keep it inside the faculty rooms. That balances everything, I guess.
Being a seasoned alien myself, I have sensed countless ridicules, sarcasm, psychotic episodes, and occasionally, a great deal of flattery from hundreds of rascals dominating my career. I chose this profession not because of a life-long dream, not because my parents urged me to, not because I could catapult my way into attaining a Ph.D., and most especially, not because I enjoy being with youngsters. Frankly, it makes me quiver right to my inner core just by inhaling sweat from kids who just did a hundred squats from a morning exercise. It makes me scream on top of my lungs just by hearing a few squeaks from a child who just lost his pen. It gets into my nerves if I see someone scatter books or notepads on the floor, obliging me to fix it for them. So why on earth did I end up being this chaos-absorbing, hag-looking, time-defying educator? Mainly because I adore the idea of teaching. It may put me in a place where checking exams is infinite, or when weekend leisure is often sacrificed to create lesson plans, but the thought of improving one’s mind and character, having the power to discipline, and causing positive change for the benefit of one’s future puts my purpose in the highest pedestal.
As each academic year approaches a halt, I harvest plentiful memories, from colleagues, from major school events, and more significantly, from those earthly creatures who have suffered under my supervision and standards. From the time I decorated those bulletin boards ‘til I first welcomed the entire class at the opening of classes, I always knew that it is the start of yet another adventure where I get to be the grizzly captain in charge of a ship with a handful of filthy pirates. Forty hours a week, we get to spend rowing the paddle, some with full force, and others with less than an energy an ant could execute. Some folks who sail as much as they could, responsibly studying and actively joining every existing club and extra-curricular activities. On the other hand, there were the lost souls who seem indecisive of their goals, who are still clueless of their personalities, who grieve in silence and are content being wallflowers. Season after season, month after month, I have witnessed how the harshness of reality affected each one of you outside classroom walls, battling comprehension of not just books, but with family and peer issues as well. Even if I refuse to be attached, I sympathize with your struggles anyway. I may be discrete about it, but trust me, the stories you have disclosed, both colorful and dark, during those spare minutes in recess and even after dismissal, has shaped my understanding of how millennials embrace and combat the burdens of this wild world.
Let me express my warmest gratitude to the best, worst, unpredictable, unforgettable, and unexpected experiences you have all embedded somewhere in the veins of my heart. Those triumphant days where our class championed competitions manifest your cooperation, passion, wit, and unparalleled strategy which could not have been possible only on my terms. I am merely a facilitator and not the sage on the stage. Never was it just me as your guidepost, it was each of you all along who made such magic that enabled us to reign supremely in all those contests we’ve won. Just tone down those bragging rights, okay? Likewise, our annual outreach programs wouldn’t have been a blast if it weren’t for your generous donations, time, and assistance to the marginalized. It was enlightening to witness all of you collaborate with the needy though it’s not in your comfort zone. Blessings will surely return to those who pay it forward. Concerning class recollections, it would be difficult to forget those tearjerkers who had bared out all emotions in one session. You owe me a box of Kleenex tissues for having participated in such spiritual retreats and for connecting with Christ in prayers with all sincerity. Seriousness aside, though some of you were absent in such events mentioned, never had I heard of anyone being absent in field trips. True or half true? Undeniably, everyone, including our beloved introverts, yearns to travel and inhale the atmosphere outside the school gates. Without pens and papers, you had all been delighted to tour a variety of itineraries where you had taken thousands of pictures, selfies, and groupies, all of which, had turned me as your official photographer. Indeed, such excursions were made special as those were times where I allowed you to explore, goof around, joke around, and have fun with me though you keep yourselves guarded as I keep my hawk-eye intact, in case you have way too much fun. Noticeably, some of you have a different kind of fun which I regard as the “blush-rush” moments. It’s that unforgettable and unexpected scene when I sense that your crush suddenly sits beside you, hands you a notebook, or simply calls out your name just because you are partners on a project. Oh, what a piece of paradise it must have been! Don’t worry guys and gals, your secret is safe with me. Just don’t blush too much every time it happens because you are giving it all away, buddy.
Besides my amazement at those anecdotes, negative vibes hinted me as I have heard some of your wicked fears happen while you journey through your tender years. Some of you were agonized by almost-fatal accidents, others lost their loved ones, several struggled financially, a few had failing grades, and surprisingly, most have manic depressions. These are unspoken skirmishes that I could only imagine. Had it not been communicated by guidance counselors, I would have been ignorant of what some of you had been going thru at home. All the more, I felt the severity of my involvement in being the spark to keep all of you ignited in such dark times.
Inside my image as a tough nut, there also lives a weak worm in me. I may seem like a lecturer in steroids – strong, dedicated, and uncompromising, yet I also have some inner kryptonite that weighs my energy down. As an educator, transparency is not an option so I keep private things private. That cheerful aura I sometimes flaunt could be just a mask I use to conceal heavy burdens with now and then. You may see me wear the brightest shade of lipstick and think of it as a weapon of authority but what you may not see are my naturally pale lips caused by restlessness, and often, sleepless nights where I joggle checking papers and curating lesson plans. You may instantly sense my austere presence as I make my reprimands on your misconducts but what you may not see are the fears that engulf me if I lose my father from cancer. You may have the habit of criticizing the difficulty of the exams I made that took you only about half an hour to finish, but what you may not see are the grueling after-work hours I spent in front of my laptop just to research and formulate thought-provoking questions to meet proper standards. There were instances where my body felt so weird that my temperature ascended profusely, nights where my brain was about to explode due to headache, and minutes where my eyes were squinting on their own due to fatigue, weekends where my friends would tempt me to join their social gatherings and yet, I still chose to work incessantly. Crazy, right? Perhaps, because, that is who I am – a workaholic maven, a part-time psychologist, a relentless wrongdoer, an occasional clown, and above all, God’s servant. Teaching can be like this radical, demanding, and abusive boyfriend but, as ironic as it sounds, I find it the most rewarding and most audacious vocation one can attempt for a lifetime.
You’ve got your serious years ahead of you so don’t fret if you haven’t figured out what vocation suits you yet. Today, you take your time to live, to make mistakes, and to cherish the vigor of your active body and spirit. It’s understood that at school days, even the most intellectual nerds in your batch gets mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted with the demands of every subject, from biology to calculus, from vocabulary enhancement to chemistry, and everything in between. What more is there to expect from average students that take up ninety-eight percent of the student population? Ooops…, don’t get overwhelmed. Moms didn’t say there would be days like this where you could be loaded with mountains of paper works and deadlines. Since there will months of vacation time, just maintain that positive mindset that you’ll get past that eerie tunnel. In the first place, you guys are still just a bunch of seedlings far from having that bud that will be blossoming at its own perfect time. Always look forward to the imminent liberty you are about to have on those vacay months but as long as school days aren’t over, then you have no choice but to surface the depths of studying before the tidal waves of your insecurities drown you.
At your age, in this society, these so-called monsters are lurking around and bait you to becoming the worst version of yourself. People will expect you to fail, people will abuse your trust, and people will stir the wheel for you. Doubts will surround you, friends may become your enemies, and you may lose the ones who unconditionally love you just by the time you realize their worth. As your second mother, I have saved several words of wisdom that I guarantee would exclude you from regrets, trouble, and tribulations. The first on the list is to discern your strengths and weaknesses. One may easily determine his power and his vulnerability but more substantially, this process must be done with full honesty and acceptance. It might be heart-breaking to admit that you don’t have the talent in singing though you have such dreams of becoming the next American Idol. It may even be devastating if you aspire to become a superstar ballerina yet you can’t even walk straight the street without tripping. Ouch. Well, you might just be too idealistic instead of being realistic. Social media is to blame. It’s like an engine that bombards us with videos of teens who have skyrocketed to fame with their impeccable dance moves or angelic voices. Their awesomeness has even been more highlighted with their gazillion followers on Instagram, not to mention their gigs with A-list celebrities. Cool. But not cool enough. Why? Being exceptional with your God-given abilities makes you cool, but being a person of principles makes you even cooler. Sadly though, the latter is overshadowed by what the eyes can immediately recognize. I once glanced at an explanation that differs two somewhat synonymous words: character and reputation. “Character is who you truly are, while reputation is how others see you”. Agree? So don’t get disappointed if you have nothing to show off. Who knows? You might be the type of person who gets sincerely appreciated by everyone because of your good deeds and simple acts of kindness. It may sound cheesy but your good character is way more inspiring compared to those who only know how to look good in front of a camera. So just spread the spirit of compassion, benevolence, and humility – such traits that are usually disregarded yet weigh the heaviest in the character scale. You’ll see, God himself will compensate for every noble action you do without expecting anything in return.
About our Almighty Creator, what better life is there to be of service to the number one boss in the entire galaxy? None could ever surpass the benefits of serving our one true God. According to 1 John 5:3, the bible says: “For this is the love of God, that we should keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.” See, He never asks too much yet most of us chose to worship ourselves. This century enslaves us with consumerism and egotism which would only lead us to discontentment and self-pity. Spare yourselves from jumping on the world’s bandwagon and instead show vigilance and obedience with God’s instructions for a meaningful journey in life. I’m not asking you to religiously kneel and pray five times a day nor join every charitable event nearest your areas, but to simply read the Bible reverently because that is the only book that could tell you the harshest truths but it can transform your character more efficiently than what school teachers like me can do. Make it a routine to thank our Father at least once a day because out of all those who deserve the most gratitude, devotion, and admiration, it is no one but Him who has gifted us with love and understanding though we are all sinners. Again, I’m not suggesting you should do this for hours that it consumes your time to finish your assignments at home. Maybe five to ten minutes would do, as long as it’s genuine and passionate, then I guess God will be pleased.
Do you know how you would perhaps please Him the most? It’s conforming to the fifth commandment. No, it’s not about the aversion of murdering someone, nor coveting others’ goods. It highlights the need to pay our respects to no other than two of God Being exceptional with your God-given abilities is one thing, but being a person of principles is another’s stewards who vowed to protect us: our fathers and mothers. They may have created us by accident or by purpose but it is only proper to shower them with love and affection for all those loud and irritating cries they had endured from us when we were babies and for all those sacrifices they had tolerated just to provide our emotional and material needs. Words alone are not enough to describe every action they took that deserve honor from us. We won’t make it this far without their moral support and perpetual guidance, no matter how many times we had yelled at them or even took advantage of them just to satisfy our selfishness. Inevitably though, they may neglect us due to strenuous working hours, it is not at all, their fault. As an employee myself, I lose track of time and unconsciously become careless even in my own needs. I could only imagine how arduous it must be for your moms and dads to balance work and family life weekly and constantly. They may not show it directly to your faces but believe me, they are struggling day by day just to make ends meet. So don’t feel as if they prioritize their work over you as their child. Sometimes, there are just things that happen out of their control and you will someday understand the ruggedness of reality once you start earning money or have a family of your own. So hug them, kiss them, and say you love them every day because you’ll never know when it’s going to be the last.
I end this message with the faith that each of you would make the right choices, do the right things, and become what God wants you to be years from now. I am in debt of those wonderful memories you had gifted me and will miss you terribly as I abound my future undertakings.
also read: Good examples of farewell messages for students from teacher