How to Say Goodbye....Let's Teach it!

Saying goodbye to a friend, mentor, or family member when a strong connection has been made is really hard. We need to intentionally give our students the time, words, and a safe space to learn how to do this. Thank you Mentor Washington for helping me to create this for my students.

As we hit the semester change, there is a ton going on in my classroom. We are saying goodbye to over 50 peer mentors. Closing out the mentoring process is one of the most important things we can do. Helping students understand that their time together has come to a close but they are not being abandoned.

This year we are intentionally doing this by having the peer mentors and students make bracelets for each other. The peer mentors are also writing letters to the students saying goodbye, and talking about their time working together. In this way helping my students process. We are also having my students communicate through pictures about their time working with their mentor.

Monday we begin the transition in of over 50 peer mentors who will need to be matched, trained, and supported to become a working part of our classroom. It's not a pretty process but we try and make everyone feel comfortable and welcome. For tips and tricks to support this crazy transition look back at my past blog "Semester Switch" to help support your program.