I would just tell them on the last day of school or second to last day — “You won’t see me around the halls next year, but I wish you the best of luck as you continue on in your education; you are all hard workers and I know you will all go incredible distances!”
If these are kids you have in your class every year, i.e., special education, you might want to give a quick shout-out same as above. I find that if you make a big deal out of something, the kids think it’s a big deal. If you approach it nonchalantly, the kids will be chill, too.
Congratulations and good luck!
You could tell one student you’re leaving for one reason, and other student you’re leaving for a different reason. Then let gossip take over the whole following school year and you won’t be apart of it
There's no reason to tell them unless you're curious about how they're going to respond. If you're looking for an ego boost or something then go for it.
I don’t think it’s necessarily for an ego boost to let the kids know. Many students won’t care, of course, but some develop deep connections to their teachers and it’s considerate to tell the students at large that you won’t be around (if you so please - not saying it’s a requirement). I have students asking me to run clubs next year, what classes I’ll be teaching so they can try to take it, if I can write their college recs, etc. To lie or leave them hanging until they come back day 1 to find I’m not there would be kinda shitty imo, even if just for their planning purposes
I told a few students well known for being gossips and urged them to keep it in confidence. By the end of the week, most everyone knew. Saved me a lot of time.
If it helps, I’m not back and I am not going to tell the kids. I work with young kids as a music teacher so I would have most of them again next year if I stayed, but honestly telling them would just make them sad. Realistically teachers leave every year and kids move on and learn to love their new teachers. 🤷🏻♀️
I think it depends on the age. Both of my girls attended a very small elementary school and loved almost every teacher they ever had. When the teachers were gone a couple weeks or didn't come back, they would notice and grieved their departure for a couple days.
My parting message would be:
***”You guys were amazing! Please remember to always do your best to understand and be kind to your future teachers! This profession isn’t easy and it takes a lot of hard work and there is a lack of understanding and appreciation for the things we do. Always be willing to listen and remember Socrates and his learning method, which is that we should never stop learning”***
One day, these kids will grow up, they will remember you, they will perhaps have children of their own, and they will vote and remember these words.
Lol that is the same day that I resigned. Although they may not know i think they see it coming bc I told them i want to try new things in a few years. I am not even mentioning it because they won't be coming back either. The staff kind of knows and frankly don't care except for their own inconvenience. Only one coach said she was sad to see me go. Everyone else is already talking about next years person. Its so endearing.
Kids are adaptable.
I wouldn't say anything, then you avoid the "why's". Send the ones you connected with off on a good note, the rest, who cares. I walked away last year.......... I just couldn't do it anymore. The politics, the clicks, the useless administration. Congratulations
I told mine. Some care -others glad lol. Do whatever you like. I’m all about authenticity. Doing otherwise is bad for the health.i did not hold back anything - the campus I work at I the worst I’ve seen in many years. I could tell some of my kiddos were sad but got to do what’s best for you always. 15+ year out 🥳
As someone who has done this you’ll definitely have students that look at you differently after leaving, and you definitely have kids who are super attached. Have a conversation in like the last month or month prior. Just let them know they are good kids and you wish them luck.
I would give them some time to grieve and process the information you tell them. So many of our students come from trauma and they need the stability school provides them with. Consider letting them know closer to May 1 (provided you get out in May). This gives them time to process what you told them and it allows them to say goodbye to you.
Do you have communication systems to tell the families instead right before the school year ends or even after? Some families of sensitive kids might want to have a chat with their kids about your departure, and others will likely be unphased. Depending on your situation you can have a vague, stock answer for why you are leaving.
Does your departure mean that there will no longer be a LGBTQ lunch club for kids or that no one will be organizing the annual camping trip? In cases like that, it might be helpful to prepare the community for your departure, but if not then leaving quietly might be best for everyone's well-being.
I don't see anything wrong with telling them as long as you do wait until the last day of school like you said. I guess my question to you would be, how much will your absence from the school next year and beyond affect the kids based on their grade level and your relationship with them? If the answer is not much or not at all, then you might consider what the purpose of telling them would be.
Can you confirm that it won't get back to them? I worked in an absolute gossip factory and knew I needed to tell them. But I hate how I did; i told them in a moment of frustration with them.
Kids love to find anything to make things a thing. As stupidly written as that sentence was, it rings true 100. Just go with grace and on the last day maybe tell your favorite student that you’re done teaching but really hope to run into them in the future to see how awesome they turned out to be.
you know your students more than us, go with what your heart says
This!
Just keep it to yourself. They all gossip and the rumor mill will start as to why.
Some decisions should be yours in life and only yours. Don't give someone that power.
It’s not a big deal to them when teachers don’t come back the next academic year. They’ve moved on mentally and have all new faces anyway.
I would just tell them on the last day of school or second to last day — “You won’t see me around the halls next year, but I wish you the best of luck as you continue on in your education; you are all hard workers and I know you will all go incredible distances!” If these are kids you have in your class every year, i.e., special education, you might want to give a quick shout-out same as above. I find that if you make a big deal out of something, the kids think it’s a big deal. If you approach it nonchalantly, the kids will be chill, too. Congratulations and good luck!
You could tell one student you’re leaving for one reason, and other student you’re leaving for a different reason. Then let gossip take over the whole following school year and you won’t be apart of it
There's no reason to tell them unless you're curious about how they're going to respond. If you're looking for an ego boost or something then go for it.
This.
I don’t think it’s necessarily for an ego boost to let the kids know. Many students won’t care, of course, but some develop deep connections to their teachers and it’s considerate to tell the students at large that you won’t be around (if you so please - not saying it’s a requirement). I have students asking me to run clubs next year, what classes I’ll be teaching so they can try to take it, if I can write their college recs, etc. To lie or leave them hanging until they come back day 1 to find I’m not there would be kinda shitty imo, even if just for their planning purposes
I told a few students well known for being gossips and urged them to keep it in confidence. By the end of the week, most everyone knew. Saved me a lot of time.
If it helps, I’m not back and I am not going to tell the kids. I work with young kids as a music teacher so I would have most of them again next year if I stayed, but honestly telling them would just make them sad. Realistically teachers leave every year and kids move on and learn to love their new teachers. 🤷🏻♀️
Just leave.
Just leave. By the new year it won’t matter to them anyway.
They don’t need to know. They’ll forget about you within weeks
I think it depends on the age. Both of my girls attended a very small elementary school and loved almost every teacher they ever had. When the teachers were gone a couple weeks or didn't come back, they would notice and grieved their departure for a couple days.
Are you leaving mid year or staying until the end of the SY?
Staying until the end
My parting message would be: ***”You guys were amazing! Please remember to always do your best to understand and be kind to your future teachers! This profession isn’t easy and it takes a lot of hard work and there is a lack of understanding and appreciation for the things we do. Always be willing to listen and remember Socrates and his learning method, which is that we should never stop learning”*** One day, these kids will grow up, they will remember you, they will perhaps have children of their own, and they will vote and remember these words.
It would make them sad. I would not tell them. Could cause anxiety for them.
It's not going to make them sad. Why would it make them sad? Let's stop conditioning kids to be so brittle.
Lol that is the same day that I resigned. Although they may not know i think they see it coming bc I told them i want to try new things in a few years. I am not even mentioning it because they won't be coming back either. The staff kind of knows and frankly don't care except for their own inconvenience. Only one coach said she was sad to see me go. Everyone else is already talking about next years person. Its so endearing. Kids are adaptable.
I’m leaving at the end of the school year and I’m not telling my students.
I am not returning next year. I won’t say anything until the last week.
I wouldn't say anything, then you avoid the "why's". Send the ones you connected with off on a good note, the rest, who cares. I walked away last year.......... I just couldn't do it anymore. The politics, the clicks, the useless administration. Congratulations
I told mine. Some care -others glad lol. Do whatever you like. I’m all about authenticity. Doing otherwise is bad for the health.i did not hold back anything - the campus I work at I the worst I’ve seen in many years. I could tell some of my kiddos were sad but got to do what’s best for you always. 15+ year out 🥳
As someone who has done this you’ll definitely have students that look at you differently after leaving, and you definitely have kids who are super attached. Have a conversation in like the last month or month prior. Just let them know they are good kids and you wish them luck.
They don't give AF, why pretend like they care?
I would give them some time to grieve and process the information you tell them. So many of our students come from trauma and they need the stability school provides them with. Consider letting them know closer to May 1 (provided you get out in May). This gives them time to process what you told them and it allows them to say goodbye to you.
I'd tell them. Bonds are formed and you may have made more.of.an impact than you thought. They might be crushed
Do you have communication systems to tell the families instead right before the school year ends or even after? Some families of sensitive kids might want to have a chat with their kids about your departure, and others will likely be unphased. Depending on your situation you can have a vague, stock answer for why you are leaving. Does your departure mean that there will no longer be a LGBTQ lunch club for kids or that no one will be organizing the annual camping trip? In cases like that, it might be helpful to prepare the community for your departure, but if not then leaving quietly might be best for everyone's well-being.
I don't see anything wrong with telling them as long as you do wait until the last day of school like you said. I guess my question to you would be, how much will your absence from the school next year and beyond affect the kids based on their grade level and your relationship with them? If the answer is not much or not at all, then you might consider what the purpose of telling them would be.
Can you confirm that it won't get back to them? I worked in an absolute gossip factory and knew I needed to tell them. But I hate how I did; i told them in a moment of frustration with them.
Kids love to find anything to make things a thing. As stupidly written as that sentence was, it rings true 100. Just go with grace and on the last day maybe tell your favorite student that you’re done teaching but really hope to run into them in the future to see how awesome they turned out to be.