Why we do it

There are people in the world who question the sanity of anyone who decides to become a teacher. There are also those who question the sanity of anyone who wants to have children. I have friends who have no intentions of having kids and cringe at the thought of being in a classroom full of kids. So why do those who do such things do it? 

Well, my sister just blogged about dandelions in her yard and how much she loved them when she was a kid. To piggy back on that, I remember sitting in the front yard blowing dandelion seeds into the wind, watching them get carried away by a gentle breeze, wondering where the seed would land, and if it landed, would a new flower grow?

Today we took the kids on a field trip to the Mariner's Museum. On our return back, we had to cross the tunnel to get back to the school. As we traveled through the long rumbling tube, my team teacher and I sat and watched shadow puppets dance across the front of the bus as the kids held their hands against the light of the headlights behind our bus. We looked back and saw that all 50 kids had their hands raised up, hoping to make a new animal against the bus wall. P and I started to laugh. P said to me, "It's so easy to please them." As I watched, I remembered doing the same thing when I was a kid. I remember how something as simple as catching bugs in a jar made my whole day (that is, until I made a hole too big and I had fireflies in my bedroom), and how an ice cream sandwich at the end of the day was the best thing in the world. 

The reason why I do what I do really isn't that complicated. I love working with kids because they remind me, on a daily basis, to enjoy life. They remind me that there are simple pleasures in life, and we just have to remember that when life gets rough. Sure, kids can complain and they whine (which I HATE), but I love them because their demands are not complicated. They want love. They don't want toys and games and all this crap. They want us to love them. If that is all that is required, then I can give as much as possible for as long as possible. Kids want to have fun, and that fun doesn't have to be high octane, as many parents believe. Their pleasures are simple, and easily found. For them, there is joy and wonder in everything, even when they are ten. That's why I love them. 

I also love what I do because while intangible,  the rewards are great. There's a certain satisfaction that one gets when you model and teach and inspire, and you see their growth in ways that you can't ever expect, but when it happens, it is amazing. And the pride that you develop in your kids is immeasurable. I am so proud of them in so many ways, they will never know. And although I am not a parent, I can imagine the feelings might be similar. I guess one day I'll find out.