I have been a teacher almost 20 years. That is probably over 1000 students throughout time but

[demtenjeep]

just this year I have lost 8 babies. two to suicide, two to a car accident in the same car and one to a murder (gang related) and just Thursday one to leukemia. It never gets easier. Once they have been in my classroom, they become one of my "babies"

When they die a little piece of me dies with them.

Omar was an especially sweet young man full of life. When I was his 8th grade teacher, I had this wild cat my daughter had given me. He was very handy with his claws until we had him neutered and depawed. I would often show up with scratches all over my arms. Most kids would comment but in particular, Omar would say "miss I hate your cat" "it hurts you"


When I visited him in Jan he was in the hospital for treatment and he really looked good. His attitude was spectacular and he was consoling me on the loss of my mother. He got out of the hospital the next week and over the months we have spoken back and forth through facebook and then he went on vacation to Mexico...and never came home. He went to Mexico to die. He had been telling everyone he was feeling better and that he was going to beat this thing. The last picture of himself was a week before he went and he looked healthy and happy. How he must have been in such pain.

Even though he really wasn't my baby he was one of my "babies"

RIP Omar your work on earth is done.

[TexasProgresive]

1. Thank you for your caring service to our children, your babies.

I had a supervisor tell me that I needed to maintain a "professional" distance from the people I served. I told him that was impossible and I would continue to share their joy and their pain. I sense that your are of a similar mind. Bless you.

[Lifelong Protester]

2. I am sorry for your loss.

We've had our share of deaths here in our school, and it is horrible.

[Terra Alta]

3. You sound like a great teacher

And a great friend and mentor to your students. Sorry for your loss.

[demtenjeep]

4. my husband says I get too attached and that we can't adopt them all

but I think that bond helps me be a better teacher - I don't have to deal with a lot of behavior issues that other teachers do because my kids respect and trust that I have their best interests at heart first and foremost.


I go to every graduation and sadly have been going to too many funerals.

[Terra Alta]

7. It's okay to be attached.

Students have a lot of respect and admiration for you when you reach out to them on a personal level.

What makes it hard, though, is when you lose one of them too soon. It's like losing a family member.

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. rip Omar. it must be so hard to lose students

[Mnemosyne]

6. Something in my eyes...

[Hoppy]

8. I lost students -- car accidents, suicides. The one that stick with me the most,

It was a brief period in New Jersey when the drinking age was lowered to 18. The kid moved into our district from Newark. Christmas eve, he decided to go to his old neighborhood and have a couple of drinks with friends.

In the bar was a cop who's girlfriend gave him a Christmas present of a pistol in the form of a cigarette lighter. The cop went for his similarly shaped lighter, triggered it and the kid was dead.

[demtenjeep]

9. oh man that is horrible

the first one I lost there were 5 of my babies in a car. I am sure drinking was involved. The car rolled twice and one baby went out the back window while the car was rolling...none were wearing seatbelts. He "lived" for a couple weeks but his organs live on in many people.

that was the summer between his sophomore/junior year and all of the students were really close and every parade/float game activity was dedicated to him. At their graduation there was a huge slide show and the class gave his mom and dad his cap and gown.

[jwirr]

10. One of the real pains a teacher feels if she/he really cares about the students. I was not a teacher

but my sister taught a special ed class in Delaware. The day she lost one of her former students who had committed murder and was killed she called me to talk and cry about how it feels to lose a student. It is often balanced out though by those who drop back into the class room or by your home to tell you how good they are doing.

Mourn for your babies but remember you successes also.

[NYC_SKP]

11. With you.

I lost two, they were brothers, both to gangs and about one year apart.

And others...

It's very hard but you left a lasting impression that bettered their days, numbered as they may have been.

[SunSeeker]

12. ...

[demtenjeep]

13. The family is trying to raise money to help pay for final expenses

I used to be the yearbook sponsor when I taught Omar. I had a couple extra yearbooks where he was in several clubs and had a really cute candid photo. I donated them to the cause.

They are so heartbroken.




On a good note many of my former students graduated tonight. That makes me proud.