Before I came to New Zealand I knew that I loved working with kids, but I was never able to explain why I loved it so much. When asked, I would typically respond with a story about how a child surprised me or how they put a smile on my face. After only being here a short time I can now respond with a reason, it is the little things. It’s what a child does when no one is looking, or when they feel completely comfortable in their surroundings. In my classroom children are recognized, not just seen as another student but as an individual with their own talents and quirks.
As a student I enjoyed school. I liked being the line leader, reading aloud in class, and feeding the fish. Although these are minute tasks, they made me feel like I was important and that some one believed in me. As a teacher, seeing the satisfaction of others rewards me. Watching little toes stick out of holes in socks, hearing “good morning miss” 28 times in ten minutes, talking to kids individually and finding out something I did not know about that student before. It amazes me. I found that I assume that all of the kids have the same circumstances outside of the classroom, but they do not. I found out yesterday that Claire is the 6th of ten children, and that Tofi lost his dad three months ago. Spending a moment to learn who each kid really is and how they work always amazes me. The one that causes mischief just wants a little more attention, while the one sitting quietly beside him is the one who really needs it. While working on art projects I sat next to Chris, a student that needs more focus and a little extra time to complete his work. I handed him the glue and told him what I thought of his work. I enjoyed sitting and talking to him and I didn’t realize how much that meant to him until he came to me at the end of the day and said “Miss, I really liked that you helped me with my art project today, thank you.” That is the joy of working with kids.
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