Last Day of School

I can remember a time when the last day of school was all about excitement. You spent the morning watching the clock hands move ever so slowly toward the final bell. Then you practically bolted from the room with, if you had one of those great elementary teachers, a quick hug to accompany the call of "Have a great summer!"

It's not really like that anymore. First, most of my students can't be bothered to even come on the last day. In fact, I haven't seen several of them since last week. Second, there is no clock watching when you're a teacher. Today I spent every moment fully engrossed in helping a senior finish those final few geometry assignments so he could get his diploma. Third, my "Have a great summer." doesn't quite end that way. I usually follow up with "Don't do something stupid!" Some kids crack a smile, some laugh, some throw me a look that screams "Get real!" And then they're gone. My classroom is silent, and I know that when I go in to finish tidying up tomorrow, I will feel a little bit lost and disconnected. And then, I will watch the clock.