Teachers will likely get their last glimpse of 8th grade students come June 5. Most said they will miss them, but are proud of their accomplishments.

“It’s a bittersweet,” 8th grade ELAR teacher Jill Martinez said. “I like how I can have an intelligent and deep conversation [with them].”

Teachers such as 8th grade math teacher Alaina Faulconer said students have greatly improved since the beginning of the year.

“They have improved a ton, and I know they will do amazing things,” Faulconer said. “I teach them work ethic, self motivation and not to mention all the math.”

8th graders, like all people, are not perfect, and that is expected. Teachers sometimes have to deal with questionable behavior for the whole school year.

“I don’t like their occasional bursts of immaturity,” Martinez said.

Lack of motivation has also been a factor at times.

“I just don’t like when they don’t do their work,” art teacher Malea Jaffe said.

Jaffe tries to improve her students’ behavior and self motivation, and disciplines them when necessary.

“I think that 98 percent of them are ready to move on to high school,” Jaffe said.

For a lot of teachers, there is a student who stands out to them each year. That’s certainly true for Martinez.

“To me, Lorena Chapa, because she is a hard worker and mature for her age,” Martinez said. “But most of all, she is here without her parents, a great difficulty that she manages to handle very well.”