Student goodbye

As I mentioned before, this week is the final schoolweek for part of my classes before their final exams. Today I taught one of these classes for the last time. It was such a strange feeling. At the beginning of the schoolyear, I didn't know how to connect to the students in this particular class. They were always chatting, chewing gum, doing other things, they didn't have pens and notebooks with them, and I couldn't make them see why social sciences is such an important subject.
Ofcourse, if they had the opportunity to discuss the news, they were active. Talking in 'classtime' and venting their own opionion was something they liked. But as soon as I wanted to teach them theoretical concepts, or even just explain them something about political parties, the attention was gone and their jaws started moving again- chewing gum, this time.

The most hilarious moment of the year was when I intended to show them 'The Truman Show' (in a class on the influence of the media). When I popped in the DVD, one of the students uttered: "Well, I guess Mrs Frumteacher likes Jim Carey!" I had mistakingly brought Bruce Almighty. Of course I had no choice but to show them the entire movie, which they loved, and afterwards started a discussion on the question whether the way G'd is depicted in Bruce Almighty is acceptable. I connected the discussion to the recent riots in the Arab world caused by the Danish Muhammed-cartoons.

Now that I was standing in front of this group for the last time, I realised that I started to like them. Although I still feel that I didn't get to know these students as well as I had wanted to, I do feel a connection and was even a bit emotional about sending them out and not seeing them again until their graduation next year. Also, I felt strenghtened. Even with a difficult class a connection can be built. I hope that the more experience I get, the deeper this connection will become.