Why a Teacher?

The first response I get when I tell people I want to be a kindergarten or first grade teacher is, "oh my, you must have a lot of patience!" I can't tell you how many times I have heard that. What's ironic is that I am generally not a patient person. God has definitely grown me in patience, but he is still at work. So why do I teach? It's definitely not because I have patience, because occasionally there are days I do not have patience. Here are four reasons why I teach:

1) Children seem to have a very genuine love and are eager to learn. Children speak their minds. If a child says your shirt needs to be lint rolled, it probably does. If a child says he loves you, he probably does. I find young children are generally more accepting, open, and trusting. Generally, they also are more willing and ready to learn.

2) I love to watch the progress children make. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing a student understand. Progress in students is encouraging and makes the job of a teacher worth while!

3) One of my favorite things to do is to get to know each child's personality. I laugh at the outgoing one who makes a funny comment, or I watch as the shy one slowly starts to feel more comfortable in the classroom. Every child is different, and it's so much fun to see that!

4) I learn things from my students. I'm the one who is supposed to be teaching, but I usually end up learning something new, too! It's funny how that works! They unknowingly teach me classroom management skills. Other times, they help me teach the lesson by giving me clever examples.

 I love working with kids! Every day is a surprise! It has taught me a balance of flexibility and preparedness. It has also taught me patience. Maybe I'm not always a patient person, but maybe that is what God is molding me into.