Say goodbye to your last moments as a teacher. We’ve put together some heartfelt messages for teachers who are leaving a school they’ve worked with for many years, and we hope they’ll be of some help as they prepare for retirement.

Leaving with gratitude

Dear guests, thank you so much for coming out in the heat to celebrate my retirement, and thank you to our staff and parents. I thought that retirement was a distant memory for me, but now that I am standing here, I am overwhelmed with emotion. I am truly blessed to have been able to dedicate my life to educating students and to be able to retire with honour, and every moment of it has been very precious to me. It is only because of you that I have been given this opportunity.
In particular, the guidance and co-operation of many senior teachers and parents have made this possible, and I would like to express my sincere gratitude to them once again. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to my wife, who has been very supportive of me throughout my career. I have had a busy life in teaching, and there have been many moments when I have had to prioritise school over family, but she has always been supportive and encouraging, and I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to her.
Long after I leave the teaching profession, our primary school will remain one of the most enduring memories of my life. From the time I joined the school in March 2010 until today, I have done my best to ensure that the staff and students are happy to teach and learn in a pleasant and clean environment. It has been very rewarding to watch the school gradually change and grow, and I have also felt myself growing as I come to school every day. It has been a great honour and responsibility for me to hold the position of principal, and to serve the school to the best of my ability in all that I do. Every time my hard work pays off, and every time I see the students grow brighter and more confident, I feel a sense of pride and joy.
Through all the changes that have taken place in our school, one principle has remained constant: the belief that students should be able to learn happily and enjoyably. The idea that there should always be a teacher where there are students, and that teachers should be there for students, has been at the centre of my teaching career.
As I leave, I would like to leave my younger colleagues with one final thought. In today’s schools and society, many people say they are the boss, but I am afraid that fewer and fewer of us fulfil our responsibilities as bosses. We must not forget that we are the true owners of our students and our schools. For example, if you walk by a tap and see that it is leaking, turning it off is what real ownership looks like. Every small act of consideration and responsibility for our students makes our schools a better place.
I also believe that we shouldn’t look for satisfaction and happiness from far away, but rather find it right here and now. I want us all to live in the present moment and give it our all. The students we teach grow in our hands, and guiding them to become the leaders of tomorrow is the most beautiful and noble thing in the world.
In closing, I would like to wish our primary school the best of luck for the future and all of you who have been a part of this journey, and I will leave you with my sincere wishes for good health and happiness. Thank you.

Leaving the school

Good morning, my name is Teacher ○○○, and I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being here for me. When I look back on my teaching career, it is you, the students, who have always made me happy and encouraged me, and it was the time I spent with you that made my life as a teacher meaningful and happy.
I don’t know exactly how many students I have taught and how many of them are now living somewhere in society, doing their best, and I’m sorry that I’m not a good teacher and can’t remember every single face and every single name. But I want you to know that each and every one of you is in my heart.
In fact, yesterday I received a letter in the mail at home, a letter from a student I taught many years ago. It was a letter from a student who wanted to know how I was doing and had finally managed to get my address after contacting several schools I had worked at. The student who wrote the letter remembered complimenting me once. ‘You’re really good at art!’ he said, and that small comment had a huge impact on the course of his life. Whenever I hear stories like this, I am reminded of the responsibility and reward of being a teacher. It is these small moments that have made me who I am today. Despite being an inadequate teacher, I have survived all these years because I had students who believed in me.
School was a paradise for me. The freedom from competition and grades, and the diversity of students with different personalities, has always made me happy. The innocence of bookworms who only know how to study, the liveliness of mischievous children, and the vibrancy of the classroom have filled my classroom, and every moment has been precious to me. To this day, I look back on my last moments as a teacher with a mixture of regret and gratitude. Today is the last day that I will officially hang up my ‘teacher’ hat, and while it’s refreshing to shed that heavy, burdensome title, there’s a sense of regret and sadness that rises from deep within my heart.
As a teacher, I have one last thing to say to you. Edison once said, ‘The stupidest and ugliest excuse of all is the excuse of not having the time.’ I don’t want you to miss out on opportunities because you don’t have time. Whatever you do, whatever goals you set, I hope you don’t let time be an excuse to put them off. I want you to know that your future depends on the choices and efforts you make today.
After retirement, I hope to continue my journey of learning, and as someone who still has a lot to learn, I’m looking forward to gaining new experiences and taking on new challenges. I will continue to face the world with the same enthusiasm as young people and never stop learning and growing. I will also try to make a small contribution as a member of society and strive for a better life.
In closing, I would like to thank you, the students, for being here today. I hope you will find a better teacher than me, realise your potential and grow into valuable members of society. I sincerely hope that your future will be blessed.
Thank you.

A grateful farewell

Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for attending my retirement ceremony despite your busy schedules. It seems like only yesterday that I joined the school, and it’s amazing to be here with you all.
Looking back on my years in teaching, I have seen so much change and growth. It has been a great joy of my life to meet so many students and parents and to watch them grow. As a teacher, I have imparted learning to my students, but I think I have learned more from them than they have from me. I have come to realise that teaching and learning is not a one-way street, but a two-way process.
Some of my students are now teachers and teach children, while others are athletes. I often feel the passage of time as I watch my students grow, sometimes with a parental pride when I hear about their successes, sometimes wondering how they received my teaching and reflecting on what I could have done better.
When I first entered the teaching profession, I was determined to go beyond just teaching academics and become a human teacher, because I believe that the essence of education is in the human connection with students. Going back a long way, I remember my primary school teacher. The day she became pregnant and left the school, I remember my classmates hugging her and crying. She gave me a Major League Baseball notebook and told me to be a great baseball player. I can’t tell you how much of an impact that small gift had on me. I still can’t forget the sound of his voice as he called my name and gave me warm encouragement.
Now that I’m leaving the classroom, I want to leave my students with memories like that. Having been on both sides of the fence, both as a teacher and a recipient of teaching, I reflect on whether I have always shown genuine interest and affection for my students, or whether I have been overwhelmed by my work and neglected them. I wonder if I have listened to the small changes in my students and tried to find meaning in their simple lives.
I’m not sure how to organise my thoughts as I leave the school I’ve come to know so well, especially the faces of the children who were unable to study and misbehave. I think a teacher’s heart is like that of a parent who worries more about the ugly children than the good ones, and I sincerely hope that my students are living their lives somewhere, doing their part, and warming my heart.
As I leave, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone. My colleagues, students, and parents have all made my time in the classroom so much more rewarding and enriching. You have made my time here not lonely, but enriching. Even though I am stepping down from teaching, the memories I have made here and the connections I have made with you will always be in my heart.
To all of you who attended, thank you again, and I wish you all the best in your health and happiness.

With gratitude

The unusually hot summer is now giving way to the cooler mornings and evenings of early autumn. Firstly, thank you for joining us today for my retirement ceremony. I would like to thank all of you for helping me to have a glorious retirement ceremony. In particular, I would like to thank the vice principal, the staff, and all the teachers who have worked so hard to organise this event.
I don’t think I’ve made any outstanding contributions to the education system, so I was embarrassed to have a retirement ceremony, so I was going to keep it quiet, but as I’m leaving the education system I’ve been working in, I thought I should at least take a meal to thank those who have helped me along the way.
When I started my teaching career, every moment was a learning experience, and the time I spent with the children was truly precious. I saw the passion for learning in their eyes, and as I grew with them, I realised the true meaning of education. I may have been just a principal in a small school, but I found great joy and reward in coming to work every day and seeing the smiles on the children’s faces. Teaching has been the most precious time of my life.
To all of you who are here today, I would like to thank you one more time. My motivation for choosing teaching came from my mum, who was so jealous of all those suits and ties in the civil service. She wanted me to become a teacher, and her words never left my mind, which is why I chose teaching. As I graduated from elementary school, middle school, high school, and university, I had many conflicting dreams of becoming a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor, and so on. My mother’s wishes were important to me, but what I realised during my teaching career was that this was my calling, even if it wasn’t necessarily what she wanted.
Throughout my teaching career, I have learnt so much, not only from the children, but also from the teachers. The respect and cooperation that all the teachers have shown me has made my teaching career shine even brighter. Watching the growth of my students, and seeing how they keep moving forward, sometimes in the face of challenges, has made me realise once again how important the role of a teacher is. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all the teachers and staff who have been with me so far.
My teaching career, both long and short, has been a very rewarding and happy time in my life, and I am sad to leave it behind. I’m afraid to leave the warm and friendly environment of teaching, but I’m going to stay small and simple and live quietly in my hometown.
Although I will be leaving the teaching profession and starting a new life, my passion and interest in education will not change. I will continue to support the development of the education system and will be there whenever I have the opportunity to contribute my small part.
I would like to thank you all one more time for joining us today. I hope that the chaotic world of education will soon unite and become a place of stability. Thank you.

Farewell to students from the principal

Before you know it, autumn is here, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I love autumn, and I love September. I love autumn because it’s the time of year when I feel the most relaxed, and I hope you do too. If there’s one time of year when you feel more relaxed and enjoy the bounty of nature, it’s autumn. I think it’s safe to say that autumn is God’s gift to us, and like the warm autumn sunshine, like the bountiful and relaxing Thanksgiving, I hope we all have a lot to be thankful for. Gratitude enriches our hearts and helps us understand each other more deeply. Like the season of autumn, I hope yours is a warm and generous time of year.
There are some years in life that are truly special. There are years that will forever be beautifully remembered. I light a lamp in my heart, love each day that comes my way, and plant a beautiful resolution in my heart: it is always because of your care that my year has been rewarding and meaningful. I am deeply grateful to you for your patience and support.
I have been in the teaching profession for 40 years, and those years have been more precious to me than anything else. The experience of meeting new students every year, growing and learning with them has been an indescribable joy for me. When I first started teaching, I thought that education was simply about imparting knowledge, but as time went by, I realised that education is much more than that. It is about sharing life’s wisdom and helping each other grow.
I am now coming to the end of 40 years of teaching, which is often referred to as another beginning. I can’t realise it yet, but it will be another morning of waking up to a new life. When I started teaching, it was clear that it was a profession that was trusted and respected. For children and parents, a teacher’s word was law, and if you were to ask me today whether I still agree with that statement, I would have to say no. It’s sad to see that as the years have gone by, teaching has become a profession that is no longer respected, but sometimes criticised and put on the chopping block. Some people say that the world is changing and the profession shouldn’t change, but I often wonder if we, the older generation, could have done more to pass on a better environment to the younger generation.
But I was happy while I was teaching, because I enjoyed learning while teaching. Teachers don’t just teach students; in order to teach others, I had to constantly learn. I don’t know if I would be able to say goodbye today if I had a different profession. And the young students who looked at me with wide eyes in class always gave me hope, courage, pride, and joy. Their innocence and passion for learning made me a better teacher and a better person, and that gratitude is the greatest reward and blessing of my life.
When I meet friends from my hometown who are in different professions, I still belong to the axis of looking young. In addition to the good health I inherited from my parents, I think it’s because I hang out with younger friends and pick up their youthful energy. And when my students come to me as young workers in society, it’s a joy and a reward. They show me that they’re putting into practice what I’ve taught them in their own lives, working hard in their own places, and that’s the greatest reward a teacher can feel.
I’m stepping down from teaching, which has been like a priesthood for me. It’s the natural order of things, and although I’m stepping down from the classroom, my love and care for my students will live on, and I hope to continue to learn as an educator and find other ways to contribute to the world after I’m gone. I have no doubt that your futures will shine brighter on that path, and I hope that you will remain meaningful in your hearts. I wish you all the very best, and may your future be filled with infinite blessings and happiness. Thank you.

Teaching, gratitude, and farewell

Today marks the end of my public service as an educator. I would like to bow my head in deepest gratitude to all of you who braved the cold weather to attend my retirement ceremony.
I have spent my life believing that teaching was a calling from heaven, and I can still remember the shy, fear-filled self I was the first day I stepped into the classroom. Those years with my beloved students in a small, rural, unassuming school were pivotal to my first steps as a teacher. The look in their eyes as they walked into the classroom every morning, looking at me with their clear eyes, was the driving force that kept me on this path.
Sometimes I scolded my beloved students, and sometimes I punished them, but I want you to know that it was always with a heart of love and learning. I comforted and encouraged those who were struggling, and I shared the highs and lows with them. I realise that it was the accumulation of these moments that made me who I am today.
When I was a regular teacher at a liberal arts high school, I worked day and night to guide students. It was very rewarding to see my students fulfil their dreams and get into the universities of their choice. Although I was physically tired and exhausted, my heart was always happy, because watching my students grow and see their futures brighten was the greatest joy I could have as a teacher.
Since becoming Principal, I have worked tirelessly to provide the best possible learning environment for our students, starting with improving the external environment of the school by constructing a new building and overhauling the playground facilities. Internally, I have worked hard to ensure that our study rooms are efficient and provide students with a comfortable place to study. As a result of these efforts, I am delighted that this year’s graduating class has achieved excellent results in their further studies, and that we have consolidated our position as a prestigious high school.
I recognise that none of this achievement is mine alone – it is due to the teachers who have worked their socks off to build the school’s reputation, and the alumni who have continued to love and support the school. I’ve only played a small role behind the scenes.
Looking back, I realise that I have fallen short in many ways, but I have nevertheless made it to where I am today because of you, the staff, who have always cared for me. Your generous support has brought me to this point. I have tried to maintain the initial determination that I had as a young man to walk the right path as an educator, but now that I am leaving the profession, there are many things that I have yet to accomplish and many more regrets, but I leave with the belief that my successors and teachers will build a better tomorrow.
I may be leaving in body, but my heart will always be with the school, and I will always pray for and support its continued development.
If I were given another life, I would not hesitate to choose teaching again, and now I will return to the natural world with happy memories of the past in my heart. I would like to spend the rest of my life with my family, seeing my students fulfil their roles in society.
In closing, I am sorry to leave my successors and teachers with a heavy burden of what I have not done, and I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for this meaningful occasion. I will take your gratitude to heart, and I will be happy to leave today.
I wish our high school the best of luck in its future endeavours, and with that, I will step down. Thank you. Goodbye.

Farewell letter from the principal

Good morning, everyone. This summer has been unusually hot. It’s already September and the late heat wave is still in full swing. The only good thing is that we are now in the season where the mornings and evenings are starting to smell a bit like autumn. With each change of season, we are reminded that another year has passed. I’ve learnt a lot in the time that’s passed, and I’ve made countless connections and memories along the way, and now that I’m standing here, I can’t help but think back on all those moments.
Today, I’m putting down my high school teacher’s business card as I look back on my life and reflect on the years that have passed. What seemed like a distant prospect when I was younger is now my reality, and it’s a moment that makes me realise how fleeting time really is. It seemed like the person I was yesterday would continue to be today, but time has flown by and now it’s time for me to leave. As I stand here, I’m at a loss for words and embarrassed to say the least. I don’t know if I can sum up all the years and moments in one word, but I’m happy and grateful. I’m glad that I’m ending my thirty-seven years of teaching without a fight. I would like to thank all of you who have travelled all the way here to celebrate this unassuming man’s retirement.
My past years of public service have been very happy years indeed, and I know that some of you have been separated from your families for many years during your public service and have had to endure many inconveniences. But I have never been separated from my family, and this alone makes me a very happy person. I believe I am where I am today because of the support I have received from my family, and the comfort and solace they have given me has been a great source of strength. Of course, there have been times when I have complained about my lack of satisfaction, but I must confess that those were also happy complaints.
Time is a strange thing, because at the time it seems like a struggle, and then you look back and see that it’s all just a cherished memory. In short, I am a very happy person. And I dare to say that all of this happiness is because of you, the people who are here with me today. The teachers I worked with, who spent morning and night nurturing their dreams, and the students who have been patiently following my teaching. I love you all with all my heart. I am also grateful that I am the person I am today because you, my dear friends, have been by my side with your great ambition and youthful enthusiasm.
I confess that the presence of young and ambitious students has always encouraged me to think about tomorrow rather than yesterday and to take strong steps towards tomorrow. The enthusiasm and curiosity they showed me was a great inspiration to me. During my teaching career, I felt that I was not only a teacher, but also a learner. The enlightenment and teachings they gave me are precious assets that I will never forget. I tried to emulate their positive attitude and constant challenge.
Today, I stand here as one who is leaving you, but one day in the not-too-distant future, you will be in the same position as I am today, being farewelled by many of your classmates. Life seems to leave us with unfinished business and endless regrets, but it is never just the regrets that are left behind; it is the challenges and growth that we have experienced that make our lives richer. Now, like me, you will stand in this position one day, and when you do, you will remember this moment.
Wherever I am in the future, I will continue to take care of those around me with the same integrity that I did when I was in the classroom; I will continue to be an educator even when I leave the classroom; I will continue to learn and share; I will live my life with a heart of service to those less fortunate than myself; I will play my role as a member of society; and I will walk a new path. Life is always a new path. I look forward to learning more and connecting with more people along the way. I sincerely hope that you will always watch over me and guide me with love as you have done in the past. Thank you. Farewell.

Farewell message from the last denomination

It’s still sweltering, and I’m standing in my last denomination, the one I’ve tried to dedicate so many years to, the one I believe to be my vocation. It’s a mixed feeling, and there are no words that describe my feelings more accurately than bittersweet. I no longer have to get up early in the morning, I don’t have to worry about my students, I don’t have to worry about school. I have more time for my family, more time to love myself, and more time on my hands, but it won’t be long before I find myself missing this position again.
I can’t believe it’s already been more than 40 years, and the excitement of my first day at work is still fresh in my mind. The enthusiasm, anticipation, and excitement of crossing the school gates for the first time seems like yesterday. I’ve come a long way from being a rookie teacher, frustrated by every little mistake, to now being in a position to offer advice to younger teachers, and I realise that the time that has passed has grown me and made me a better teacher.
The young students who used to look at me with wide eyes in class have always given me hope, courage, pride and joy. And when they came to me as adult members of society, it was nothing short of joy and rewarding. I can’t think of a more fulfilling and rewarding profession. Although there have been some difficult moments, every single one of them has been the most valuable and precious time of my life. In my lifetime of teaching, I can say that I have lived my life well. I’ve given my all to whatever I do, knowing that I won’t be teaching in the next life, knowing that this is my last.
I am now coming to the end of 40 years and six months of teaching, which is often referred to as another beginning. I can’t realise it yet, but it will be another morning of waking up to a new life, and even as I step down from this position, I am constantly reminded of what I can do for children. My passion and love for education will not change after I leave the classroom, and I look forward to sharing my experiences in new settings and finding opportunities to contribute in any way I can for children.
As I sit here today and reflect on the moments I have shared with you, I realise that all the memories have been a great gift to me. I would like to thank you all once again for being here. May you always be well and blessed in all that you do.

With gratitude and new beginnings

Hello everyone! Today marks a major milestone in my life. After 40 years as an educator, my time with countless students, parents, and colleagues is coming to an end. Today, as I reflect on that time, I say my final goodbyes as an educator and look forward to a new beginning. My years in education play out like a film in my head, and I am touched by the emotions that I have experienced. I will never forget that my time with you has been some of the brightest moments of my life.
Looking back over the past 40 years, there have been many changes and challenges, but the moments of meeting children’s eyes in the classroom, listening to their inquisitive questions, laughing and learning together have always brought me great joy. Being an education official has been my life partner and the biggest driving force behind my growth. Among them, the time spent with children has been the most precious, and the passion and love I shared with them will always remain in my heart.
Dear primary school children, as I reflect on my time with you over the past year and a half, I wish you a bright future. It has been a short time, but those moments of dedication to your growth and school development have been very rewarding. Although I have many regrets, I wish you all the best and pray that you will continue to grow stronger and move towards the future you each dream of. I am leaving Zhengden School now, but your bright smiles and clear eyes will remain in my heart forever.
You are proud children who will be responsible for the future of this country. As my time as your principal comes to an end, I sincerely wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Be hopeful and courageous, believe in yourself, and move forward. There will be many challenges and difficulties in the world, but you will be able to overcome them all. I hope you will grow into loving and caring children and future leaders.
Dear parents, it has been my great pride and honour to work with you for this school, and I sincerely thank you for your support and cooperation in the development of the school and the growth of our students. Even though I am leaving this position, I would like to ask for your continued interest and support to make our primary school an even better place for education in the future. The love and encouragement shown by parents has always been a great source of encouragement to me, and I have done my best to live up to your expectations. Now that I am gone, I wish our school well as it continues to fulfil its role of instilling dreams in children at the centre of their education.
Finally, I would like to thank my fellow staff members, your teaching and co-operation has brought me to this point. The things I have learnt in our time together have been a great asset to me and will guide me in my future life. I will cherish my association with you as I have fulfilled my calling and responsibility as an educator, and I wish you all the best in your respective positions.
Now, I’m opening another chapter in my life: leaving my life as an educator behind, I’m going back to nature to embrace new opportunities, to feel the peace and joy of living with nature, and to live a healthy and meaningful life. I’m deeply grateful to all of you who have stood by my side, and I say goodbye with excitement for the new beginnings ahead.
To my education family, I say goodbye and wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Thank you.

Gratitude and new beginnings

Good morning, everyone.
How does summer, and especially July, feel to you? For some of you, it’s a time of heat and humidity that raises the malaise quotient. For me, it’s a time when I’d rather escape the heat of summer, but when I think of the cold weather of winter, I still prefer summer. You have the perks of summer, where you can freshen up with a quick shower in the heat of the day, whereas the bitter cold of winter is something you really don’t know how to deal with, which is why even the heat of summer is something I sometimes miss in the winter.
Summer or winter, if we can’t avoid it, we should enjoy it, so I’d like to thank all of you for braving the heat to be here today, and let’s enjoy this moment together. I would like to thank all of our guests, staff, and parents for joining us to celebrate this special moment in my life, my retirement. In truth, I had hoped to have a small retirement ceremony with our school family, but I couldn’t be more thrilled to have so many of you with me.
When I first started teaching, I used to look at the senior teachers who were reaching retirement age and think to myself, ‘Wow, you’ve been teaching for so many years.’ I admired them so much, and I wondered if I would reach that point one day, but it seemed like it was a long way off for me. Today, as I stand in that position, I am overwhelmed with emotion and realise how quickly time flies.
As I leave, I would like to make a small request to the younger teachers: be your own boss, wherever and whenever you are. Today, there is a lot of talk about being the boss of society and schools, but fewer and fewer people are truly responsible. But the real boss is all of us. Whether you are a student or a staff member, I hope you will be a responsible boss wherever you are. Responsible people will be the real power that drives this society and our school.
I would also like to remind you that satisfaction and happiness are not to be found in the distance, but in the here and now. It is only when we find small joys in our circumstances, and cultivate them to the best of our ability, that we can truly feel happy. We should always approach education with pride and a sense of mission, remembering that we have the most beautiful and noble job of any profession. Our students are our future, and our dedication to them is for the future of all of us.
In closing, I would like to express my gratitude to all the teachers who have been with me, and to all the students I have taught, and I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely wish you all happiness and prosperity in your future endeavours.
Once again, my sincere thanks to all of you, and I’ll sign off.
Thank you.

Leaving the Order, Leaving Dreams

Outside, spring is bursting forth with fresh greenery in the wake of winter’s retreat. On this bright spring day, I stand in front of you with a heart full of regret. The beginning of a person’s life is remembered with excitement, but the end of a person’s life is remembered with sadness and emptiness. However, I do not feel lonely because of the love of all of you who have filled the room. I will long remember each of your faces gathered here for me today. I am deeply grateful to all of you for giving your precious hearts to me in the midst of your busy lives.
As I stand here today, I am overwhelmed with emotion as I reflect on how far I have come in fulfilling my young promise to dedicate myself to the teaching profession. I have always believed that teaching is not just a job, but a calling. I can still vividly remember the excitement and thrill of stepping into the classroom for the first time, but all of those moments are now just memories, and looking back over the years, my footprints are a mere record of embarrassment. Still, most of my life has been spent in schools, and I have always defined myself as a teacher. Throughout my life as a teacher, I have dreamt many dreams and worked hard to realise them.
I’ve also grown alongside so many fellow teachers along the way. I’ve never felt lonely because I’ve had you all by my side. Sometimes it’s been hard and exhausting, but we’ve encouraged and supported each other and pushed each other forward, one step at a time. You’ve been my colleagues, my partners in education. Now that I’m stepping back, the many moments we’ve shared together are flashing before my eyes. The joy of seeing each student grow and change, and the way my colleagues stood by each other through difficult times has sustained me.
In my nearly 40 years in schools, I’ve met so many people, and my dreams and the dreams of my teachers have come together to form a beautiful picture. As I’ve watched my students grow, I’ve continued to learn and develop myself. It’s the students who have made me grow – their innocence, curiosity, and challenge have always brought me back to my feet. I still have a passion for education and a great love for my students, but it’s time for me to leave the classroom and take a break.
Ladies and gentlemen, I now entrust you with my remaining dreams. To you, who are so much younger and more ambitious than I am, I entrust the dreams I had, the passions that still burn in my heart. There are so many more days ahead of you. I want you to know that you still have the opportunity to be out in the field, working with students, and changing the future of education. I hope you realise once again how precious this place you are standing in is and how important your role is, and never forget the responsibility and pride that comes with it.
As teachers, we must always stay ahead of our students and be a beacon to light their path. For the sake of your students, who will blossom in their own beautiful colours, I hope you will unfold the fullest extent of your dreams and passions. Anyone who doesn’t dream has lost their ticket to a better tomorrow, and teachers are no different. Before I emphasise ambitions and dreams to children, I want teachers to live each day with the same ambitions and dreams as educators. Let your grand visions shape today in education. I look forward to the beautiful day when teachers‘ dreams meet students’ dreams.
Today I am not sad to leave the school that has been the home of my dreams and passion, because you are here, and I can leave with peace of mind. Although I will now be outside the school, my eyes and heart will always be here with you, my students, and the times I have shared with you will live on in my heart forever. Once again, I want to thank you all for being here today. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours, and I’ll leave you with my farewell remarks.

Ending a teaching journey

It’s a typical autumn morning. The leaves are changing colour in the streets and the air is filled with the calming scent of autumn. This time of year always brings back memories of days gone by. Strangely enough, autumn always seems to make us look back, feel nostalgic, and reflect on the past, which is why I think it’s a great time to take stock of our lives.
As I stand here today, I am filled with emotion. It is said that the passage of time is indeed unstoppable, and that the slower we get older, the more we sigh, and the deeper we worry about life, but today I would like to express my deepest gratitude in the midst of those sighs and worries. The fact that I have been able to step into the teaching profession and reach retirement age without incident is all thanks to my ancestors, my seniors who have guided me, my colleagues and juniors who have been with me, and my family and relatives who have stood by my side.
Looking back, as a young man, I hoped that the children of my hometown would grow up to be upright and true, and that they would become reliable workers in the future. To achieve this goal, I devoted myself to research, school management, and various educational activities such as character education, manners education, and special education. Over the course of my teaching career, I was able to watch many students grow up, and I felt great joy in them. At some point, worldly success and honour faded away from me, and only the innocence of children remained.
I don’t think I’ve even said ‘I love you’ to my wife of 40 years. As the years go by, I remember not being able to give my children a proper gift on Children’s Day. Nevertheless, I have no regrets, because every child in this country is my child, and I believe that I am where I am today because of my wife and family, who have understood and walked with me through it all. This is the greatest blessing of my life.
As I leave, there are so many things I would like to say, but only a few words come to mind. I pray that you will have more affection for our students, and that education in Korea will have a brighter future. When young lives grow bright and clear, so will the future of Korea that we all dream of. Although my body will leave the school, my heart will continue to pray for the development of education from afar.
In closing, I wish you all good health and great fortune in your endeavours, and I leave you with a deep sense of gratitude. Yours truly!