Everyone who has a job while studying in college knows how challenging it can be, especially when it is a demanding one such as teaching children. Sometimes I wake up so tired after a long night of writing papers for college or cramming for exams and when I come back home I’m completely exhausted after a day of little kids screaming in my ears, but don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love it. For me, there is no other profession in the world as rewarding as being a teacher.
Coming back to my school time I can remember lots of teachers that have passed through my life and were important for me. There are always the sweet and friendly ones, who can offer you a hug in times of need, the crazy and funny ones who can make any day get better, and even the strict ones who students discovered that deep down had a soft heart, unfortunately you will only find that out on the day of your graduation (at least that’s what happened to me).
You always have a special place in your heart for them and that’s how I feel about my students, throughout all the noisiness and naughtiness of kids, they have a pure soul and you know their affection is true. When they hug you and kiss you, when they give you gifts on special dates (yeah, I get lots of presents on Easter, teachers’ day, etc… and that’s AWESOME), when they are sweet and compliment you, it just makes it all worth it.
Being 18, but looking like a 15 year old girl, I thought I’d have problems with my students because they would see me as one of them, especially because some of the kids, even the girls, are taller than me. But that’s not what happened, when I first started teaching, early this year, they were a bit shocked by the way I look, but that’s all gone now. I think that because of it, they see me as a teacher and a friend; they feel free to tell me things about their personal lives and always want to chat with me during break time. They even call me crazy because I love to sing and dance in front of the classroom, make jokes and laugh with them. Those things never made my students lose their respect for me, but helped us to build a stronger relationship.
So if I were to sum up my experience as a teacher I’d say that what motivates me to continue is the passion that I have for teaching and building a relationship with those little angels. Every single one of them, even the toughest students in terms of discipline, has thought me something. Is a continuum work of exchanging values and knowledge with the kids and there is nothing more satisfying than to know, in the end of the day, that you did a good job, that they like you as much as you like them and that they are going to remember you the same way you remember your teachers, with a smile on their faces. At least that’s what I hope.
Being a teacher can be tough sometimes, so be kind to your teachers and wish them all a happy teachers’ day, because they deserve it <3