taught

In the past few weeks I've been very very busy. My new job as a teacher at a preschool is both time consuming and exhausting. I half love it, half wish I were doing anything but this...

But by the third day of work the little munchkins in my class had wormed their way into my heart and I was hooked on their easy laughter and big adoring eyes.

I have thirteen 12 - 18 month olds in my class. The age where their parents still think they are babies, but they (almost all) walk, talk and learn so quickly it's mind blowing. They are fascinating, and lovable and they make everyday of a stinking job wonderful.

There is Reese, Reece, Jonathan, Caroline, Blake, Greyson, Tristan, Christian, Trenton, Katie, Bryce, Aiden & Taylor...

Although this week Caroline, Blake, Aiden and Greyson moved into the big kid class and I got new students (Caitlyn, Hudson, Jackson and McKinley)

This coming week I'm losing Katie and Jonathan and getting two new mystery students...

It's weird. These kids spend 40+ hours a week at the so-called preschool/day care/ "Development Center" with me nurturing them... I see them from 7:00am until 6:30pm almost everyday and it's really easy to get attached to them.

I've seen a number of first steps, first words, first sentences. I've taught them how to do things, how to play, how to eat solid food... it's pretty amazing, and at the same time, it's heart breaking. These kids just need someone supporting them, teaching them and loving them- somehow these parents are in situations where they can pay 30,000+ a year for preschool but cannot afford to spend any of that time with their kids.

It's hard to imagine or have sympathy for them. These kids are terrific and they deserve to have mommy and daddy want to be there when they take their first step, or make the correlation between cow's and moo-ing. It sounds trite and silly... but it's an eye opening job. It's hard to explain, but I feel like a changed person having seen the things I've seen.


Perspective is a tricky thing.