Goodbye, Chickadee

 Yesterday was one of my most emotional days as a teacher so far.  My absolutely favorite student (okay, okay,so I know it's not allowed, but if every teacher admitted it, they secretly have favorites) finished her last day of school. Her father is in the Army and was transferred to California. 

 Tristynn is definitely the student that I have grown the closest to this year.  Every morning as soon as she comes in the classroom, she heads straight to my desk and gives me a giant bear hug.  There have been times I have feared for my life because my air supply has been cut off.  Then she hangs up her book bag and takes out an item that the entire class has come to know and love.  Bear.  Bear is Tristynn's stuffed animal that she carries everywhere. (We're pretty sure Bear is actually a dog, but we never want to argue with Miss Tristynn.  Ha!)  Bear is a rather interesting creature, who wears infant clothes and a diaper that Tristynn has informed is "just in case".  So, Tristynn removes Bear from her book bag and brings him up to my desk every morning, claiming that Bear wants his good morning hug as well.  The classroom just isn't going to be the same without that raggedy beloved bear (dog).

I think one of the things that brought Tristynn and I so close is all the extra time we spent together.  From day one, Tristynn struggled with her letters, blends and reading.  Since she stayed everyday for after-school care, I began letting her stay in the classroom after everyone else had left for the day, and tutor her in reading.  Usually we would just read together at my desk, her sitting in my lap.  She did so much better of a job reading then, and improved dramatically.  I am proud to say that by the time she left she was doing just as well as the other students, and better than some.

 Tristynn is definitely "Little Miss Personality".  She could always tell when I was stressed or upset about something, and would either come up and give me a huge hug and tell me she loved me, or would cheese an enormous cheesy smile at me.  Occasionally, she would even make a silly face at me, which never failed to instantly change my mood.

Yesterday afternoon, before she left, Tristynn asked if we could do the "heart thing".  I got out  a red marker and drew a heart on both of our hands.  Then Tristynn took my hand, and pressed the hearts together (this is where I lost it and started bawling) and told me that now our hearts would always be together.  Pretty insightful for a 5 year old.  As she walked out of my classroom door for the last time, my little sweetie turned and blew me a goodbye kiss.

It's unfathomable to think that a little girl who was so much a part of my life will probably never see me again, or I her. I hope that I have made an impact in her life in the short time I had with her.  I often wonder, what will my students be when they grow up? What sort of people will they become?  There is so much potential in these young lives and so amazing to think of all that they will one day accomplish.