Love of the Game

“Promise me you will not spend so much time treading water and trying to keep your head above the waves, that you forget, truly forget....how much you have always loved to swim.”

-Tyler Knott Gregson

It's days like today - Parent/Teacher Conferences - when I realize how much I really do love to teach. The parents were so great, and they kept expressing how pleased they were with how their children were doing in our class and enjoying school. It feels good to get that kind of feedback because the hard work often does go (seemingly) unnoticed.

It's so easy to forget why I teach - it's certainly not for the paycheck! - on a day to day basis due to all of the requirements, student needs, phone calls & emails, etc. Some days it seems that there are more hoops to jump through and tasks to accomplish that I feel I'm not able to truly do my job and focus on the kids.

But the kids are what count. All 22 of those 4th graders are my coteacher's and my responsibility. And we do love spending time with them - teaching them and learning right alongside them. The laughter, the critical questions, the funny moments, the randomness - all of these things add up and play a part in the equation of teaching.

It's days like these that I feel that I am floating with my head well above water, and it's days like these that give me the energy to maintain my energy when I need to tread awhile.