The Sound of Music, it is on the list of movies that I feel the need to introduce my son to this holiday season. It celebrates the human spirit and resilience. It also happens to feature one of my most favorite scenes ever, the children singing goodnight to their party guests. I have, in the distant past, even performed this song as a way of sending off a group of coworkers who I came to consider family.
I challenge anyone to watch the scene without smiling. It reminds us of the importance of family, the joy of music but for my purposes here, I'm going to use it as an example of how important goodbyes are as related to Standard 4 of the ECIS International Teacher Certificate, Transition and Mobility.
So Long, Farewell from Iain Gall on Vimeo.
Even though our school semester ends at the end of January, some families choose to conclude their stay at ASM coinciding with our December holidays. Because standard 4 was on my mind I asked all my students who was not returning for second semester. That was when I found out that Seb, one of my 9th grade math students, was leaving that week and not even coming back after holidays. Seb is smart, outspoken and not at all emotional. He studied only enough to get by. He attacked basketball the same way as math, laid back but still always thinking. I made a note to be sure to give him time in our last class to tell us his plans and let him or others make little speeches if they wanted to.
Towards the end of class I asked him if he was going to throw us a little party to say goodbye and he threw it back at me, as he should have, asking if we were going to throw him a party. I told him that if he brings some snacks, I will too. And on went my day.
The next morning in walked Seb with 2 bags full of goodies, ready for his goodbye party. I was shocked. I did not really think he cared too much that he was leaving. He had been very standoffish about it, completely unemotional. A knock at my door followed, Veri was standing there with a home baked cake and a few minutes later Julie showed up with a tray of brownies.
During class Seb was uncharacteristically quiet. We watched a beautiful video on math and debated the words invented vs. discovered. All the while I realized there was no room for a math lesson. Our class would be about goodbyes. We ate, laughed, the kids cried and many of the students talked about how hard saying goodbye is. The Italians who have been at the school for 12 years said I was the first teacher who acknowledged how hard it was for them to always be left behind. We took some photos and at the end of it all I got a huge hug from Seb and a thank you for his "bon voyage."
To our leader Helen Fail, I wish you a goodbye, Auf Wiedersehen, Ciao. Thank you for your guidance, knowledge and passion towards International Education that you shared with us all. Bon Voyage on the next leg of your journey!
