Goodbyes are inevitable

but that doesn't make me hate them any less. I am no good at goodbyes, the dearer people are to me, the worse I am at saying goodbye.

Yesterday it weren't any friends I had to bid goodbye. It was my class. Yeah the one I told you about, my internship class, my beloved 4th graders. I had the pleasure of teaching them for 3 and half weeks spread over the last 5 months.

We had some real fun times, and I really feel like I've grown so much in being a teacher. I know this was a wonderful class to have. Easy even, considering how nice they all were, not trying me much at all. But I also know that this experience will help me hold on and know what the future will be like. Although getting there may be tough.

Let me update you on Vincent. Yesterday I sat with him and girl who also had a hard time with the multiplication method they had to use. We sat and worked on them for 30 minutes, and Vince was actually giggling from time to time, and really seemed to enjoy himself. Okay so I was teasing him a bit, but he also mastered the skill of short multiplication. He wrote me a goodbye note, in which he said he loved the fun activities I did with them, and that he really hoped I'd come back.

Last weekend I attended a gymnastics performance in which my brother, Marcel and a bunch of my cousins and even aunts and one uncle of mine participated. It was a great show. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Then halfway through I heard a little voice beside me "Hi teacher!" It was Jim.

Jim is an average student in my class, with a great sense of humour. He is also very creative, and last weekend I saw with my own eyes that he is an amazing gymnast. He is so good and so strong! Jim is a little guy for his age. But he competes with grown men, and even wins! As I watched his demontration I held my heart. I tell you, gymnastics is a REAL sport, more so than any other sport! It takes strength, skill, flexibility and pure guts.

Okay maybe I'm bias, coz I used to be a gymnast myself. But I have to say my whole body longs to get back into it. Its the bestest thing if I may say so :-D

Anyhow, back to Jim. Yesterday morning he snuck into the classroom early and hid something between the heaters and the windowsill. Ofcourse I knew but pretended like it wasn't there. At the end of the day he came up to me and handed me his present and a card. On the card he wrote that he'd miss me so terribly much. Sweet kid... The present was a funny flowery eggholder with an egg in it. As Jim walked back to his chair he turned and said: "Oh teacher, the egg is raw".

As I stared at him I saw all these images of me and my egg on the way home. It would definately be a challenge getting the egg to Ede safely. And I am not sure how innocent those big green eyes were that looked straight back at me.