My last day at Isle12 proved to be somewhat anticlimactic. I had a migraine headache by 10AM and could not wait to leave the mold-o-licious building and never return again.
Most kids appeared unaffected by my decision to leave. After fighting off rumors that I had been fired for weeks, I finally sat down with my students and told them that I had been offered another job closer to my home and had made the choice to leave midyear.
If this had been last year, I think I would have been more emotional about telling them but the fact is, I just don't have the same bond with these kids that I did last year. They truly do not care about ANYTHING-grades, their futures, people in general... It's really quite bizarre if you ask me.
Some were hurt, as they felt like I was abandoning them. I expected this feeling from them since most people in their lives had abandoned them already, but most were indifferent to the fact that another person would be in and out of their lives through the the revolving door they were eerily so used to.
Right before last period, I attended my last team meeting with my favorite principal.
"So uh, Miss, Mac... certainly you will be taking some good things from this experience and some bad things but nevertheless you will be taking some things. Ya know what I'm saying?"
What good things?
"Um, I guess."
What the hell was she trying to say here?
"Well, I wish you well. I really do. We have disagreed on some things and we have agreed on some things, ya know what I'm sayin?"
No, I really did not know what she was "sayin" When did we agree on ANYTHING? And furthermore, you wish me well? What a load of crap. Could she be any more generic? Um, remember when you pounded your hand against you head repeatedly and told me I just "couldn't get things in my head?" Or perhaps you forgot the time when a girl pushed me into a door and you told me you had to "investigate" but just never did.
"Yeah, thanks."
"You know Miss Mac, a wise women once said if you don't learn anything from life, life is not worth living. A very, very wise woman said this, ya know what I'm sayin?
A wise women said this, huh? Was she referring to herself? Did she actually think she invented this common expression? The women was on drugs, clearly.
"Well I have certainly learned a lot."
And I meant that. I learned what it is like to work for someone who is so delusional, she thinks she came up with the brilliant idea that people should "learn from their experiences." Who knew I had been working under a brilliant philosopher for the last seven months?
Feeling a bit nostalgic towards the end of the day, a couple of my students decided to make me a giant card and have everyone sign it. Here are some of my favorites: I have decided to leave spelling and grammar "as is" so that you can see just how much I was unable to reach them.
"We had our downs but we also had our ups. Even when I didn't like you, I still thought you were the best teacher. I will never forget you."
I guess the "downs" represent the time she took off her earrings and attempted to fight me.
"Gone miss you dog peace out don't let no n*ggas mess wit u"
"Your the weirdest teacher I known (in a good way)"
"Goodbye bignose"
Big nose is apparently one word now.
"Why u leavin Miss Mac? It's bad enough you changed your name in the middle of the year."
"I'll miss you. Tranna be smart on the sneak tip."
Your guess is as good as mine with that last one!
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