It's that time of year when the oldest students leave the school, marking a significant milestone in their education. As a personal goodbye gesture, I write my classes a poem that charts the times we've shared in the classroom. It's always met with surprise and joy; a poem crafted just for them! Some years (when I'm feeling particularly adventurous) I dedicate a line to each student, highlighting a memorable habit, characteristic or quirk. I am always touched by the very positive reaction the farewell poem receives. I deliver a reading of the poem after handing each student a copy as a keepsake. I somehow manage to make it to the end without bursting into tears!
Here are excerpts from various poems written over the years:
Your Of Mice and Men
accents made us laugh and cry
but we couldn’t agree on whether Lennie had to die.Eddie Carbone had us somewhat perplexed
and his treatment of 'B' left us terribly vexed.
You were a sea of bafflement with Dickens’ words
but rejoiced at the change that Scrooge had incurred.
~~~~~~
It’s time to
rewind and go back to the start
of the GCSE
dawn; the very first part.
You cautiously
shuffled up to my door,
wondering what
horrors I had in store.
You looked at
me with expressions of dread;
“A colourful bunch,” I quietly said.
Extroverts,
introverts, big mouths and small,
the class of
’09 just had them all!
~~~~~~
You
lived through the pain of subordinate clauses,
my
‘evil’ looks and expectant pauses.
We
got to grips with papers one and two-
It
was painful at best but you got through.
Ms. _______ and I, what a dynamic pair!
Between
us we made sure that you were prepared.
You
could count on her to keep out the gloom,
and
constantly lose her keys in my room.
~~~~~~
As
GCSE fledglings you came through my door,
unaware
of the horrors that I had in store.
Through
two years of poems, texts and plays,
you
have made me smile in so many ways.
~~~~~~
You
got stuck in to the weekly writing tasks
where
some talent emerged; it’d been unmasked!
For
some of you though it showcased the bizarre;
writing
ridiculous things that left me quite scarred.
Your
competitive natures saw you excel;
you
wanted to be better and do everything well.
As
a result, most are working at their best
and
will surpass themselves in the final test.
~~~~~~
Our
time together draws to a close
so
here are some verses that I have composed.They chart the highs and lows that we’ve shared,
so make yourself comfy – I hope you’re prepared.
~~~~~~
Conclusions end essays and this
poem too;
I’m incredibly proud of each one of
you.
It’s time to leave the ‘nest’ so go
ahead and fly
and with a heavy heart, I must now say
Goodbye.
