Will My ESL Students Be Back? A Teacher’s Back-to-School Worry

As teachers, we all get those “back-to-school jitters” — the mix of anticipation, excitement, and mild panic that hits mid-July when school supply aisles go up and the calendar starts inching toward August. But for those of us who teach English Language Learners (ELLs), there’s a different kind of anxiety we carry — one that most people don’t see.

It’s not just about lesson plans, seating charts, or bulletin boards.
It’s about this unsettling question that hangs in the air: Will my students be back?

The Hidden Uncertainty

Unlike teachers who can generally count on seeing a consistent group of students from one year to the next, many of us in ELL classrooms face instability year after year. Our students move frequently — between schools, cities, states, even countries. Some disappear without warning, their absence explained weeks later by a school transfer, a job relocation, an immigration issue, or something we’ll never fully understand.

Each August, I check the rosters with a knot in my stomach, searching for familiar names.

I wonder:

• Did Daniela's family find stable housing?

• Did Amir's parents find work that allows him to stay in the same district?

• Did Yaretzi's immigration status affect her enrollment?

I remember the faces — students who came to school every day carrying far more than just their backpacks. The girl who translated doctor’s appointments for her mother. The boy who worked nights with his older brother. The quiet student who finally started speaking in full sentences after months of silence. I hold onto their progress like it’s fragile glass, afraid it might shatter if they don’t return.

The Work Continues — With or Without Closure

This is the part of teaching ELLs that’s hard to explain in professional development workshops or planning meetings. It’s the emotional toll of building trust and language skills with a student who may not make it to the next unit, let alone the next grade.

But we keep going.
We keep preparing.
We keep hoping.

Because maybe Daniela will walk back in.
Maybe Amir will be in the desk by the window again.
Maybe there will be new students — nervous, eager, scared — stepping through our door for the first time, and we’ll start again.

We always do.

If You’re an ELL Teacher Too...

Know this: it’s okay to feel a little heartbroken in August. It’s okay to carry those faces with you. It means you care deeply. It means you’re doing the work that matters — even when no one sees the full picture.

And whether our students return or not, the time we had with them mattered.

It always does.

If you would like to share your experience, drop me an email at skybyrdteacher@skybyrdteacher.com.