Final Week of School

What a week it was. It was exam week so I was having my final exams, however, for most of my classes my final exam was actually a final presentation. See we spent the last quarter reading THE HUNGER GAMES even though some days my students lost interest heavily in the book, but I was determined to finish it. And we did. And even though there were days were kids complained, when it got to the end they wanted to read the next book and the next. They didn't want to admit it, but they thoroughly enjoyed the book.



So even though most people had already checked out from school, I was trying to have final presentations. It was amazing to see what some of the kids came up with. They had 5 options. Create a model of the arena, create a billboard advertising a product, create a mural of their favorite scenes, write an essay convincing the president to end the games, or perform a monologue as their favorite character. Most students chose the model option. And boy some of them were very creative. I was so pleased with their work. Of course there were some students who "forgot" about it or "didn't finish" but those were the students who will not be pleased with their final grades when they get them this summer.



All of these pictures are from some of my students models.



But it was still a weird feeling when the week came to a close. I didn't want to say goodbye because I will be on island next year but I wanted some closure because I was not going to be their teacher anymore. It was a mixture of byes, i'll see you next year, i'll still be here to support you in everything that you do and don't hesitate to contact me if you need help with that SAT essay!



I'm very sad to be leaving my students. These kids changed my lives. Sure they were a pain in the ass most days, but they are such creative, inspiring, caring and interesting creatures that I don't think I could ever forget them. They taught me so much about myself. They made me realize things about myself which I don't think I could have come to the same understanding without their bluntness.



But I really am happy that I will be here next year to see them continue to grow. And I will get the chance to see my 100 juniors graduate. I know that some of them will remember the things I taught them. I hope most of them make an effort to say some words properly. Like "homework" instead of "homeworkS." I'm sure they'll be glad to not here my nagging them about that anymore though.



As I say goodbye to one chapter of my life in American Samoa, I am more than ready to begin the next.