Kinder Kids are the Bomb-Diggity!

I work better with children than I do adults.  I have known this since the first day I walked into a school as an adult.  I enjoy their enthusiasm for learning.  I love their knock knock jokes.  I love their hugs and sweet little tokens of appreciation...even when they are half eaten treats.  ;)  I love little people.  They are curious.  They are funny.  They want to have relationships with the adults in their lives.  They tell ALL.  They admire those who give them attention and respect.  They LOVE you sincerely for the person you are.
I recently wrote a "love letter" to my students.  It goes like this...

Dear Kinder Kids,
You are sweet.
You are kind.
You are giving.
You are helpful.
You are loving.
You are THE BEST.
I believe in you.
I love you.
Love, Mrs. Schmidt

I read this letter with my Kinder Kids every day.  I remind them that I love them and believe that they can do wonderful things.  We talk about the potential they have for the day, and then we get started with our reading lessons.  The other day, one of those precious little people brought me a love letter of my own.  When I unfolded the letter, it said, "Dear Mrs. Schmidt,  You are kind.  You are loving.  I bleve in you.  I love you.  Love, _________"  What a sweet little letter.  She meant every word just as much as I had meant every word in my letter to the kids.  I pinned her letter on the wall right beside the one that we read each morning.  It is a reminder to me why I chose the profession that I did.  I was not meant to work in the corporate world.  I am not interested in an administrative position. I want to be in the middle of the exploration of a science lesson.  I want to be there when the butterflies stay in the little garden long enough to take a picture with each student. I want to see their faces when they watch the same little butterfly break out of the crysalis.  I want to work with the children.  I want to spend my time with the people who can be taught the importance of responding to someone when they are spoken to.  I want to remind them (or teach them if they have not already been taught) to say please and thank you, excuse me, and may I....?  I hope they will make good choices in my classroom as well as when they are "Schmidt graduates."  It's not just about reading, writing, adding and subtracting.  It is truly about learning to be a responsible citizen and a respectful member of society.  In addition to the academics part of school, if I have taught them to show compassion, be patient to wait their turns, how to say I'm sorry and even I forgive you, then I've done my job as a Kindergarten teacher.  I have high expectations in my classroom.  I want my kids to be the best.  I believe that they CAN be.  I want them to be successful adults.  I hope that one day as they sit back and remember our time together, they can say what a great year they had in Kindergarten...in Room 29 with Mrs. Schmidt.

The best things in life....aren't things.
(Those things that are not really things are the most delicious!)