The joys of teaching

• That moment when the student who has been in tears realizes that they aren’t expected to know everything already.
• The point in the day when a student spontaneously smiles and says, “Thank you.”
• The teacher next door who pokes his nose in and says hello without following up with a request to borrow…
• The administrator who pokes her nose in and says “Thanks for being here,” simply because she really cares.
• The parent who sees you in the parking lot and asks if you want extra help — and then actually comes in.
• The lesson plan that works out just as planned.
• The lesson that takes an unexpected turn and teaches you as much as the children.
• The professional development course that has real, and immediately useful, suggestions.
• The morning that you wake up and realize that you look forward to taking on the day.

It’s a short list (so far) but all of these things have happened to me, either during student teaching, or as a substitute. Teaching is full of good moments. There are challenging days, and sometimes heart-breaking situations, but in general I really look forward to each day I get to teach. And I spend hours thinking about lessons I would like to teach, lessons I would re-work, and lessons I hope I never repeat.