It's the Little Things

It’s September — school is in full swing, and with students seeking mischief, fall illnesses swirling, and unit tests popping up, this time of year can easily become one of the most stressful periods of time for teachers. Every time I talk with friends, I always seem to be asked one question: what do you love about teaching that makes it worth it when the job can be so difficult? And the longer I teach, the more I realize that the reason I love teaching is this: the little things. Sure, there’s a magic in knowing that I am the one teaching my students how to regroup for the first time or the feeling of listening to one of my struggling students discover the joy of reading. But the real magic of teaching comes from getting to know each of your students beyond just the classroom — from sports to clubs to their everyday lives.

There are many times throughout the year as a teacher that you get to be a part of your students’ lives outside of school. Last year, I had the joy of hearing about how one of my students finished as one of the top 10 runners in the state for her age group. On another occasion, I went to one of my student’s birthday parties and got to hear from his family how impactful my teaching has been to him. The joy I felt as he opened up a present I gave him — a shark tooth exploration kit — and smiled the biggest smile I’ve ever seen was indescribable. Getting to hear my students sing Christmas songs for the Christmas pageant, or teach my students how to do the Cupid Shuffle at our end of school bash, was some of the most genuine fun I’ve ever had. Little experiences like this help remind teachers that getting to know their students goes beyond just teaching.

A certain experience I had this year, though, takes the cake of the best little moments I’ve had in the classroom that make teaching worth it. While I was teaching a socioemotional learning class about how all people are unique, one of my students raised her hand after some careful consideration. When I called on her, she smiled, and out of nowhere, told me, “You know what, Ms. Brown? You are special and unique too. You have the most beautiful laugh, and so I try to make you laugh everyday.” For a moment, I was taken aback. My laugh is something my closest friends have always told me they love about me, so to have that recognized as something special by my students, none of whom are older than eight, was astounding. For the rest of the day, I couldn't stop smiling at the little things — this time, it was my students who had reminded me of one of the little things in my life that mattered. 

So, what makes teaching worth it? Getting to be a part of a student's little things — be it their first read word, their first sports game, their first time realizing they are kind, or something different — is by far the best part of teaching. Because at the end of the day, that means that hundreds of students are part of the little things that matter to you in your lives as well.