You Gotta Love Little Kids

Today I subbed a half day (PM) for a Kindergarten class. I have been in this classroom before, which was nice because I already knew all the kids. I was interested to see if they would remember me though, since I haven't seen them since January...you never can tell with little ones; it could go either way...they might remember, they might not. When I got there at 11:30 a.m., they had already eaten lunch and were out at recess. So, at 11:45 I went outside to the playground to pick them up. As soon as I walked up to their line, the first boy in the line screamed out my name with this big smile on his face. Wide-eyed, I said, "Oh, you remember me, huh?" He nodded his head 'yes' as the other kids quickly caught on and called out to me too. We then walked inside so I could read-aloud my favorite children's book "Green Eggs & Ham" by Dr. Suess (in celebration of Read Across America/Dr. Suess' March 2nd birthday). I tried not to laugh hysterically as the kids kept telling me so matter-of-factly that the main character in the story was "angry" and "upset" at Sam-I-Am because he kept pushing his green eggs and ham.

Perhaps the funniest thing, though, is how the kids feel no qualms about telling me how their teacher does things...or they tell me how to do something, as if I don't already know. I know this all too well though because my 2nd graders used to do the same thing to the subs that would come in for me. They just don't seem to understand that teachers don't have to do things exactly the same way all the time. However, I realize this is just because they find comfort in their routine...so, I just usually reassure them that everything is okay and then we move on.

I used to think that I didn't want to teach Kindergarten because it is so physically and mentally draining (I've never tied so many shoes and zipped up so many coats in my life!)...but I don't feel that way anymore. I realize how much they are like little sponges and how exciting it would be to play a part in that everyday.