Return to Headlines

4/29 The Write Way to Say Goodbye

Throughout my life, I have come and gone from many places in this world because of my father’s military career. Every time we left a home or a place we were leaving great friends and memories, but to work through all these emotions I would write letters of goodbye to my friends. These letters helped me work out so many emotions and allowed me to say the much-needed goodbye.Natalie Roig-McKnight

I would never have thought that I would be writing letters again to say goodbye, especially to students that I teach.

This pandemic not only brought a sudden end to my time with my students face-to-face, but it also challenged me and my students to face many obstacles that they would normally not face; such as, the thoughts of when will I see them again, when will graduation happen, and will we be ok?

To think that I could not say my final goodbye or wish them safety and happiness over the summer breaks my heart. So I decided to send my seniors their final goodbye, words of wisdom and let them know how proud I am, not only of them but to have been their teacher.

These letters were both closure for me and I hope a ray of light for my seniors. To let them know that I am thinking about them and here for them now and forever. I may not be in the classroom with them and the time may be coming to completion as their high school teacher, but I will always be their teacher and will always be there for them.

 

Click to share your first-person account of being a teacher in the Tuscaloosa City Schools by authoring a 350-word submission.

Natalie Roig-McKnight