Teaching Kindergarten

A few weeks ago, I was sitting with a few moms chatting about something and one mom said, "I could never be a teacher. Imagine trying to pretend all day long that you love someone else's kids. I couldn't do it."

Let me just say that this is so not me. As cheesy as it sounds, I just love kids. I fall in love with them quickly. And kids in Kindergarten are proving to be the best so far. I just love my class.

Now, there are many reasons that teaching Kindergarten can be challenging and exhausting, but there are so many reasons why it is hilarious and uplifting too.

First of all, you can never have low self esteem when you are a K teacher. They are constantly complimenting you. I hear the following at least 5 times a day. "Mrs. Hildebrand, I like your ________." Really, insert any word here. Clothes, dress, shoes, hair, toes, fingers, eyes. You really do start to think you are amazing and beautiful after a few days of these compliments.

And then you get one of these:
"Mrs. Hillaban, I like your hair. I like when you try."

Ummm... pardon me? "What do you mean, dear sweet child?"

"Well, somedays, you just wear your hair down like you just got out of bed. I like when you try to do something with it, like a ponytail."

Ahem. I'll have you know, it takes me about 45 minutes of prep time to wear my hair down. I do not simply roll out of bed and have amazingly curled hair. But I'm so glad you like when I "try" by throwing my hair up in a ponytail.

Oooh... or how about this story?
One day I was wearing a dress and a boy was standing by me rubbing the side of my leg with his hand. Because kinder kids are very tactile and basically like feeling things, I didn't think much of it. Suddenly he stops moving his hand, looks up at me, and asks, "Mrs. Hildebrand, are you not wearing any underwear?"

Again, AHEM. Let me state a few obvious points, but first I will again say, he was rubbing my LEG. First off, yes, I am wearing underwear. I do that every single day. Secondly, you are rubbing my leg. My LEG. Even if I was wearing the largest pair I could possibly own, he would not have felt them on the side of my leg. Thirdly, I am teaching kindergarten in a dress. 9 times out of 10, I'm wearing long tights under my dress just to be sure I can get down on their level. I'm not about to add excitement into my day by skipping my skivvies, young man.

Although I had so many responses running through my head, I simply looked down, removed his hand, and said, "I absolutely am."

This year is shaping up to be the most interesting teaching year I've had in a long time.