Must be doin' somethin' right.

This conversation happened while I was sitting with a student doing an art project.
Kid: "Ms. Jessie?!"
Me: "Yes dear?"
Kid: "I saw a man on the side of the street the other day sleeping.  He was sleeping on the sidewalk with trash."
Me: "Well, that is a very common thing to see.  Do you want to talk about how it made you feel?"
Kid: "It made me feel sad.  He had no home or family."
Me:"Yes.  He was probably homeless."
Kid: "Yeah he was.  Well, I can't give him a home, but I can make him a bed."
Me: "Oh really...out of what?!"
Kid: "You know...legos."

    I'm not going to lie...I get a lot of grief being a preschool teacher.  I have literally had people look at me and be like, "Oh so you wipe butts?!".  Actually yes...I do wipe butts, but didn't someone wipe yours?  Didn't someone lay the foundation of your whole education career?  Didn't someone take the time to listen to you and help you develop social-emotional, cognitive, language, and physical skills?

    There are plenty of days were I just want to give up and quit.  However, days like Friday, where my kids got to preform sign language and songs for their parents...just to see my students faces was priceless.  I choose to work.  I don't have too.  But I do have more good days than bad and to know what I am doing for these children means the world to me. 

    I have had parents act superior than me.  I have had DOE (Department of Education) teachers look down on me.  I have had other people just assume I have to work and this is the only job I could get while in college.  Well, let me tell you something, everyone is equal and you really shouldn't look down on people.  So parents and grade school teachers, listen up...I have spent over $1,000 (of my own money) easily in the past year ON YOUR CHILDREN.  Yes, I willingly do it and yes I am still buying things for my students because I want too.  I'm not complaining, but I teach your children a lot more than what you may think.  You may not realize this but I have a lot of control of how your child turns out educationally, socially, and as an all around person.  I am with them more than you are and I am molding them into honorable human beings.  Well, I'm trying. I (as well at most other preschool teachers) are setting the foundation for your child for the rest of their life.  I teach my students to take pride in themselves, to have confidence and to be a respectable human beings.  

    The reason I put the conversation between the student and I at the beginning of this post is because it melted my heart.  I teach my students to care and help people if they are able too.  I teach them to love people and accept people even if they are different than them.  But not only did it warm my heart, it made me realize that I must be doin' somethin' right.  


Of course I couldn't do this without my PIC (partner in crime) ;)

My awesome classroom. Excuse the mess on the counter.