The giggles and squeals of children playing on the playground. The murmur of students writing together. The boisterous enthusiasm of children struggling to make a tiny light bulb shine with only the basic materials required to make it happen. The international “Ah Ha!” or “Ohhhh,!” as the student finally grasps what seemed beyond their own understanding. These are sounds that make my job one of the best jobs on the planet.
I have had the privilege of working with children since my first job at The Children’s Hospital, where I was a mental health worker on a psychiatric unit. Not only did I help the children learn better ways to express their feelings and cope with their individual life circumstances, I had the opportunity to help co-facilitate both group therapy and recreational therapy. It was a difficult job at times, but came with many hidden rewards.
And so, after eight years at Children’s I decided to take my skills into public education -- a calling I had been ignoring for years. In fact, the dreary images of many hours spent grading late into the night had become visions of how I would start my day with Kindergarteners or ways I would make math fun for 5th graders. It was time to move on.
The past 13 years have been filled with many joys, occasional frustrations, but mostly magical moments. Each new year brings smiling new faces filled with their own hopes, wonders and fears. New opportunities arise that allow me to use my skills and consistency as I pass on what I know. The most important knowledge learned while playing volleyball: People don’t make mistakes on porpoise. Our only job is to make it better.