In the age of teacher morale plummeting and state mandates rising, its great to consider the upsides of your job.
1. Your students are hilarious.
Somedays you don't realize it because you are worried about assessments, lesson plans, classroom management etc. When you slow down, you realize the comedy that goes on everyday.
Me: why do you have wax in your hair??
Student: Probably because I put my head in my lunchbox.... It's cold in there
Student: I don't want to put my teddy bear in my backpack
Me: Why?
Student: He's like real to me, so I don't want to do that to him.
2. You have a second home.
Your classroom is your domain. You take pride in your anchor charts and laminated posters. You have a place for your coat and winter gear. You have your coffee maker and microwave by your desk and ready for any parent-teacher conference/ 12 hour day/ weekend grading session.
3. You are the boss.
....most of the time. You make the decisions for the room, because you are responsible for the development of all these young minds (not intimidating at all). You have the prerogative to cancel turkey bingo if your students are out of control; yep, that happened.
4. You make an impact.
I worship/ed some of my teachers. They taught me how to cope with emotions, math, knotted shoes laces and friend problems. They helped me navigate some of the hardest times in my life. I see my impact when a student say "ohhhh, now I get it!" Or when a student gives me a random hug during the day. It's those moments that you live for as a teacher.
5. Summers and snow days.
All I have to say.
6. Watching "your kids" grow up.
I haven't gotten there yet, but I saw a coworker holding a former students new baby and my eyes teared up. You are a part of your students lives, now and forever. When students think of a grade level, a subject or a special: they think of you.
Thank a teacher this week. They work to improve lives, make an impact and change the world. Plus they love you a lot!
-Meli McG
