Teachers, how do you feel at the end of summer term?

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Just filled out a card & sorted gift for DS last day at nursery tomorrow. I actually got really emotional at the thought of him leaving, as it's absolutely flown by and I can't believe he will be starting Reception in September!

His teachers are lovely and they've been amazing this year. He has SEN and they have helped so much, I'll be forever thankful.

Do teachers really get emotional when kids move on or is it kind of that they are used to it after a while? I can't imagine it would be easy at all but I'm curious for honest opinions

Aww I’m a secondary teacher (14 years in) and I do get emotional, especially about students that I’ve taught for 4-5 years. It’s so lovely seeing them go from little dots - that’s how we see year 7s! to articulate semi adults (who are much taller than me).

And having worked elsewhere previously I love the ‘end of year’ idea. Everything is reset in September. New teachers. New chances. I’ve had a couple of really tricky year 9s who have really come into their own at the end of this year and I have told them next year is a fresh start -chance to reinvent yourself and get your head down and be the person you want to be.

It’s a great thing to tell your kids too. Trust me- teachers forget everything and start afresh in September. And in secondary no, teachers don’t know your siblings or talk about you to other teachers. They’re too busy trying to remember everyone’s name and find the secret stash of board markers!

Ah yes i forgot it was different in England. Sorry I had based it in Northern Ireland as schools closed here in March 2020 and remained closed the rest of the term.

Did Year 1 still come into school? Or do you mean the key workers kids?

I always get emotional during the leavers' assembly especially when I see the children crying. When they leave the building for the last time, the staff have a guard of honour and clap/cheer them as they walk out. It's really moving.
Tomorrow will be a bit different as I'm retiring after 31 years in the same school. There might be a few tears...

It was keyworker children only until May half term then they returned in FS and Y1. Y6 also returned so staff either taught those 3 year groups, the key worker children or led remote learning for the other year groups.

I’ve cried this year at one or two points during the leavers assembly.

Teach fantastic kids in an sen school. Get attached every year but this year had the most fabulous class of Post 16 students. I had got very attached to them and it's been very difficult moving on.

I've taught early years and upper ks2 (same school) was more emotional when the year 6 left. There's a huge change as they get older. They really develop personalities and are hilarious. The younger years you continue to see, watch and grow. It's more emotional the older they are. IMO anyway

I'm secondary. Beyond tired because my DM died in January and I have been dealing with a flare of a condition that I have, plus breast pain which ultimately meant I needed to go private, due to the ridiculous wait times. All ok, but it's been a tremendous worry.
I'm also gutted because I'm moving tutor groups (due to changing needs within the school) and it means I'll leave my group behind, which I don't want to do, but must.
I'm resigned about it, but don't feel good about the change.

It’s a real “end of the year” feeling. Both completely knackered but with the excitement of a decent break and a new start in September.
Always there are kids you feel sad/ proud/ happy for but equally most of them don’t really care about you as the teacher. Even if they think you are amazing they know they’ve got loads of other teachers and lecturers to come after you so they move on quickly.

It’s hard to believe that schools were closed for so and kids were learning at home for so long - a distant memory!

I agree! Feels like a different world!

@Foxymoxy68 enjoy retirement and good luck for tomorrow, I'm sure it will be very emotional xx

I've been in this job a long time. Classes come and go, even ones you really like. Same for colleagues. Each year is a different timetable, different classes and different colleagues.

I suspect far less emotional at secondary than primary when you see the kids far less.

We had a proper sob fest a couple of weeks ago when our Y13s left (Sixth Form College)

Tomorrow will no doubt be similar as some of our students have less than happy home lives and we will worry about them so very much over the next six weeks.

All of our year groups were in school from June. To be honest, the emotive side of it felt no different to a normal year.

OP I've been teaching for over a decade and, in general, I'd say it always feels significant but not always specifically nor exclusively positive or negative. When I taught lower down school, it was less impactful for me because the kids weren't going anywhere, just moving up. I've taught Y6 for a number of years now and that, in my opinion, does hit harder because they are going off and, for many, you don't hear from/about them again. I do find myself wondering what happened with former pupils and who they eventually became.

I was a 1:1 with a child for 3 years. They are leaving this year.

Even though I have not worked with them for a year I am going to be in absolute bits - along with the current 1:1. We will miss them hugely and there will be lots of tears from the parents and us.

I am a TA in a tricky class now, but I still really like each of those children and will definitely miss them too. They've so funny and kind, and incredibly noisy 😆.

Contrary to what gets posted on MN sometimes, IME school staff genuinely care and like the children they work with. It would be really hard not to when you spend so much time working with them.

Another flipping exhausted here.

I work Rec-Y2, so am heavily invested in their lives and part of the fabric of their home conversations. But I don't get too emotional... I'm not that kind of person.

I moved schools 2 years ago, and went back to my old school last year for my favourite class ever's y6 leavers service. That had me crying. I'd invested so much in them emotionally over the two years I had them, as their home lives were so difficult. I needed them to know I loved them and cared for them and wasn't going anywhere. They could behave however badly they wanted, but my boundaries were firm, and if they crossed them there were consequences, but I still loved them and they were always welcome back in my class. I made so much emotional progress with them over those two years, they were finally ready to learn towards the end of year 2. They began to fly academically, and I was so proud that they were the highest achieving year 6 for the school in a while. The school security I gave them enabled them to learn and for that to happen. And you then think how that affects the rest of their life.

And you sit there sobbing in front of 100s of chn and parents when you recognise again you change lives and you have the best job in the world!

Exhausted!! At secondary school it’s a bit different as you see them less and there’s a good chance you’ll have them again in a later year which usually isn’t the case in primary so it feels less final. GCSE results day is an emotional rollercoaster though!!

It depends on the individuals and the way the class acts as a cohort. Sometimes I feel sad but more often relieved-mainly because of parents rather than the children though!

Hmm. Shouldn't be sending texts. That's way beyond appropriate.

I used to feel emotional when I worked in nursery because they were leaving and I would miss them but now I work in a primary school (ta) not so much, I'll see then again in September anyway, they're only going to the classroom next door.
Personally I just feel knackered.

She is crossing professional boundaries

sounds like a safe guarding nightmare

I don’t get emotional. Doesn’t mean I’m a bad teacher I’m just not that way inclined!!

To be honest I’m so exhausted and run down that the main emotion I have at the end of term is relief!

A bit sad about saying good bye to some individuals and classes, mostly wrung out, exhausted and relived to get away from the place

Shattered mainly!

But also emotional when watching our year 2 leavers (infant school) do their concert and when they sing a song in the last assembly. Less so for the other classes as I'll see them again in 6 weeks - I teach across school so not quite the same as for a class teacher, though do teach some classes a lot more than others.

Today is the last week. I'm back at school this week after being quite poorly and off a couple of weeks. Still not quite right but came back as final week. The final assembly today will be emotional - my emotions when poorly are high alert so I'll be battling against letting it show!