feels good

Friday night, as I was working at the ticket booth at the elementary school carnival, this smiling woman came up and asked me if I was the student teacher. I replied that I was, and she said something that melted my heart. She told me that her daughter "is in your class and she says that you are the most wonderful person she has ever met. She is sad to see you go." She then thanked me for my work.

That comment took me by surprise and I wanted to cry. Tears of joy. Tears of happiness. Tears of accomplishment. It made me feel validated--that the nights I stay up until 3:00 writing lesson plans and the days I wake up at 4:00 to correct homework and the 50 minute commute I drive to school each day are worth it.
My sacrifices have been blessing and influencing the lives of others, and I didn't fully realize it.

Hearing this mom talk about how her daughter loves me made me feel grateful. To think that I have such a power to be an example to these young kids is mind-blowing. Her daughter reminds me so much of myself when I was that age.  She is blonde, quiet, and loves to learn. She is very talented and her projects are incredible. I don't think I ever gave her less than a 98% on anything. She hardly talks in class and only occasionally will raise her hand to ask a question or give an answer. She has so much potential. To know that she looks up to me so much was eye-opening, because I also look up to her.

This is why I chose to become a teacher. Not for parent appreciation, or for thank-you notes, but to change lives. I want to change the world one kid at a time. If in some way I can  influence them to do better and be better while they learn, I have done my job. With a kindergartener, it is easy to tell that you made a difference: they tell you they love you and give you hugs, and besides their parents, your are their next best friend. But with sixth graders, you never know if you're getting through to them. I worry about if I was too mean, or not harsh enough, whether or not they will like me after I say something or enforce the rules. But being a teacher is not always going to help you win the popularity contest.

I have spent the last four years of my life learning how to be a teacher. My days were spent learning what to teach and how to teach it. But during my college education, there was never a class that taught me how I would feel when a parent thanks and praises a teacher for their hard work. You just have to experience that for yourself firsthand. And to tell you the truth: it feels good.