What Do You Love About Teaching?: Stories from the Learning At The Primary Pond Community

February 13, 2022

Teachers sure have a lot on their plates, don’t they?! As a teacher, you’re expected to plan, prep, teach, check in with parents, attend weekly meetings… all with a big SMILE on your face! 🙂

At the same time, teachers are needed now more than ever. Students truly look up to their teachers and look forward to coming to school each day because of YOU. Yes, you.

Here’s one of my favorite analogies about the teaching profession:

Imagine if a doctor was asked to test, diagnose, and treat multiple patients at once. 30 patients in one room. Needing 30 different things.

Can you imagine? Ummm, no! Because this would never happen for a doctor!! Yet this is really what the day in a life of a teacher is like. And the role of a teacher is never really just a teacher.

Being a teacher sometimes also means acting as a:

Parent to a student who just needs a little guidance and encouragement.
Nurse to a student who scraped a knee at recess.
Psychologist to a student who is having trouble making friends and may feel lonely.
Social worker in supporting families that may need assistance.
Event planner to plan and facilitate holiday parties.
Repair person to fix that broken copy machine (for the 10th time this week!!)
Chef to bake special treats for students who’ve earned it.
Cleaner to keep the classroom as tidy as can be.

The list goes on. And on. And on.

With all of the tasks you’re asked to do, it’s easy to lose sight of why you got into teaching in the first place. That “honeymoon phase” of teaching might be over for you….But can you remember your big “why” for teaching?

In this post, I’m simply sharing other teachers’ big “whys” for teaching – I hope this sparks a bit of joy for you and that you’re reminded of how special you are in your students’ lives!

Being a teacher is the hardest and most rewarding job, all rolled into one! In this post, I give some quotes from other teachers as to why they love teaching students. — *photo credit: balabolka*

“As a teacher, I have the chance every day to really matter–to really influence someone else’s life. I’m usually one of the first experiences children have with school. I can take a kid who feels overwhelmed and frustrated by school and help him/her to see how much they truly can do–how smart they are, how kind they can be, etc…and allow them to see themselves as successful even at an early age. I can take the child who always struggles with ‘getting in trouble’ and help them see how to turn their energy into something positive. It’s sometimes scary how big of a responsibility teaching really is, and how you have to pay such careful attention to make sure you don’t miss that one ‘opportunity’ that a certain child really needed. But if we can get those moments, there is truly nothing more rewarding than seeing the trust, care, and love reflected in a child’s feelings toward me, knowing that what I did really did matter to them.”
– Jessica W.

“I enjoy teaching for the deep connections and relationships with coworkers, parents, and students. Each year I love building a classroom family that learns together, loves each other, and grows in both academic and social areas.”
– Lindsey K.

“I love teaching for so many reasons. I love how the daily routine is pretty much the same to give the children stability, but each day still ends up being different because you never know what they might say or do! I love that we can give them a lot of attention and help them develop, grow, and have fun without their parents. I love the innocence of the children. For example, it makes me laugh that they think we, as teachers, live at school! I love that while they might not remember all of the activities we did, they will always have that feeling that their year in my classroom was a special thing.”
– Drew W.

“I love teaching because the rewards are limitless. I am fortunate enough to work with the youngest learners in my school. They bring so much joy, excitement and a love of learning. Their genuine hearts add so much excitement and delight to each day. Watching the growth and progress of each student as well as the pride they take in the learning and growth they make is exciting! After working in a district for many years, I have developed relationships with so many families. It is special to watch the little siblings grow up and finally have a turn to go to the big school. In turn, I get the benefit of watching my former students move all through elementary school.”
– Kim S.

“I love teaching because of the young children I have the privilege to teach. I am in awe of their sense of wonder, their curiosity, their love of learning and their open hearts and minds. Their smallest discoveries bring such big joy! They are a daily reminder to me of how to be! And of course, with littles especially, you can’t take yourself too seriously!“
– Cathy S.

“I have been teaching for 18 years and it’s only the last few years where I have changed everything about the way I teach. I learned about structured literacy… because my son is dyslexic. My goal is to spread awareness. My saying moving forward is ‘You do better when you know better.'”
– Melanie B.

“I love teaching because everyday I get to be creative and there is always a new adventure! I love seeing a child’s eyes light up when they learn something new! I love connecting with children and their families!”
– Sarah B.

“My favorite part about teaching is the relationships I have with my students. I love both the academic and non-academic conversations that I get to engage in with kids. During every morning meeting, my students are given a question of the day. For instance, one day the question revolved around favorite holiday dishes. Turns out, a majority of the class shared a love for potatoes. Following the meeting, all the students in the class created a club called ‘Potato Squad.’ I love how silly questions can lead to funny conversations that ultimately grow the classroom culture.”
– Melissa L.

“I love being a part of a student learning something or doing something for the first time. It is such a special moment when they find their success. I love being a teacher for that reason and so many more.”
– Selina R.