Sometimes My Job is Awesome

Let's face it, teaching isn't easy.  Whether you homeschool, teach in a private school, or work in a public school, it's a lot of work and a lot of stress at times.  In my particular school setting, it can be very overwhelming.  The pressure to perform well on standardized tests, keep parents happy, accommodate special needs, and accomplish 4,000 things in 12 hours can make it hard to remember that sometimes, my job is fun!

Kids make me laugh.  I am fortunate enough to work with 11 year olds.  I love kids at this age.  They are hilarious and sweet, but also independent.  This week, one of the kids wrote "Tropic of Sun Damage" instead of "Tropic of Cancer" on a test!  Sometimes I get to wear pajamas to work, and if I mention that I love chocolate, kids bring it to me.  Not too shabby!

 Another perk is that I get to deal with all sorts of people.  One of my favorite things to do is be in charge of the Book Walk at an after school event.  It is very similar to a Cake Walk, but instead of receiving a cake if your number is called, you receive a book.  When the music stops, I draw a number and present the winner with a book of their choice.  It can sometimes be chaotic because it is filled with small children, teenagers, and adults.  It's usually a popular event, especially with the little ones.  You don't need much skill to walk around in a circle. 

Once, it was the end of the night and it was time for the Book Walk to shut down.  There were still a few small children that wanted to participate.  The last time around, when the music stopped, I announced that that if they were standing on an odd number or an even number they could come select a book, but they had to be on an odd number or an even number only.  The little children all yelled out their numbers to me, asking if their number was an odd or an even number, and were thrilled to "win" a free book.  My obnoxious former students (who are now teenagers) snickered about what a sucker I was.  Just as I was cleaning up, a tiny little blonde girl (who was maybe 5) came up and tapped me on the leg.

"Can I still do it?" she whispered.

"Of course you can!" I replied.

I turned the music back on and the tiny, adorable girl skipped happily around the circle, completely alone.  I stopped the music, she stopped on a number and eagerly looked up at me.  I yelled out the number that she was standing on and she pumped her little fist in the air, shouting "I can't believe I won!"

She was so darn cute that I let her do it again, three more times.  She was amazed to win three times in a row.

My job rocks.