When I tell people what I do for a living I get one of two reactions:
"Is that even a real job? Don't you just babysit all day?"
"They hold a special place in heaven for people like you. I am pretty sure I would claw my eyes out after three hours!"
Yes my job is hard, exhausting, frustrating etc. But it is also exciting, fun, fulfilling, amazing etc. I believe teaching is one of the only jobs where you can come home feeling like you totally failed but also did amazing things that day. There are many days where I leave wondering if my kids learned anything at all.
I soon figure out though that they do actually learn what I teach and that is the most rewarding part of my job. I have cried over kids that have made leaps and bounds and it is only December. I have laughed when my kids tell me some really smart things and I don't even think they know what they are saying. I have run down the hall to show our reading specialist scores of kids that were the lowest of the low and now are on level.
I do this job for them. I do it for those kids that get no support at home. I do it for the kids that live in terrible situations. I do it for those kids, that without me and other teachers, would have never succeeded.
I love seeing their faces light up and being there when they realize they are smart. Yes I realize my job is hard but it is so rewarding. I have never doubted that teaching Kindergarten was what I was meant to do. I love my kids.
3 comments:
Yup yup yup. You are an excellent teacher. You proved that to me on the phone last night when we talked, as well as through this blog, and through everything I see you do for your kids at school. No matter how hard things get, you still stick in there and get the job done. AND you show your love to those kids through your hard work and dedication. You rock.
P.S. I love how you tell all of the teachers about your students' progress monitoring levels when they do so well.. ha! You turn into a little kid on Christmas morning. It makes my day :)
I sometimes wish that I would have been able to teach...even for a little while! So...post more about teaching and I will live vicariously through you. :)
Thanks for being a great teacher. I so appreciate Jessica's Kindergarten teacher. What a fun age. What would be a good gift for a Kindergarten teacher if I wanted to do something small for her teacher for Christmas?
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