Teacher, Where Are You?

I am mad and I so weep, Teacher is very ill, and I can t sleep. I m holding close my cuddly toy, Cause teacher kissed it and sent me joy. On an emotional evening at the seaside, Inge took a small notebook and wrote down this story. In this book, she says farewell to her pupils, and they say farewell to her. The loss of a grandparent, mother, brother, or sister has been the theme of many nursery books, but she couldn t find any story about a teacher or colleague who suddenly fades away. Talking (or learning to talk) about death with young children should be done in a natural way. Inge hoped that her story would be an eye-opener in that process. Teacher, Where Are You? should be present in every primary school, every palliative care unit, medical waiting rooms, and every family. Inge liked to make themes such as illness, loss, and mourning open for discussion and offer guidance to those who might need it.

As a nursery school teacher, Inge worked with the oldest toddlers. For more than thirty years she had been watching closely to see their reactions to different situations. Watching these five-year-olds grow and flourish while listening and talking to them, has made her job very fascinating. In February 2023, Inge was taken with a fatal illness. One of her first reactions was: what about my toddlers? How will I tell them? Inge passed away in March 2024, surrounded by her loving family and friends.