I will miss

"I will miss the good-byes and "see you tomorrows!" at the end of the day, and the good morning cheek kisses at the beginning."

"I will miss encouraging another teacher when they are discouraged about the same group of kids that has recently been driving me crazy."

"I will miss the laughter of shared stories about lives that I never thought I would be able to relate to, only to find that we have so much in common."

"I will miss bread and yogurt breakfasts in the teachers' room where conversation swirls around me in a mix of Kurdish, Arabic, Assyrian, and English like the sugar in my tea glass."

"I will miss planning a lesson that I know will be exciting and then getting to see my students have ten times more enjoyment out of it than I anticipated. I will miss pushing them to be better readers, writers, thinkers, speakers, and citizens of their country."

"I will miss the quiet corner chats with kids who are struggling with questions that are almost too big for them to ask."

When it comes time for one of our team members to return to the U.S. it can be hard knowing all they leave behind. Over the summer we'll be sharing some of the things our team members miss. "I will miss the morning greetings of my students, and their crazy antics in the halls."