Over on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE Facebook group, Marcia B. asked elementary teachers, “Can you post here a one-sentence reason why you think teaching is the best job in the world?” Teacher after teacher was happy to jump in. Here’s a roundup of their thoughts on what makes teaching elementary kids the best job ever.
1. You get so many free hugs!
So many teachers agreed with Ginger G.: “Nothing cheers you up like a kindergarten hug!” Brandi C. added, “Sometimes you think they need a hug and realize you do too.”
2. You open the world of reading to them.
As Tanya S. says, “Imagine giving the gift of reading! A gift that will last their whole lives.” Others wholeheartedly agreed, and we do too.
3. Every year (and day) is a new opportunity.
Becky R. loves that you get “new beginnings every August!” Plus, as Tonia K. points out: “Every day is a new adventure.”
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4. They like you. They really like you.
Little kids think you’re amazing on a regular basis. Michelle L. notes that they “tell you that they love you all the time.” Donna P. knows it’s true: “Someone tells you ‘You’re the best!’ almost daily.”
5. They love you when you’re silly.
Want to see their little faces light up? Break into a spontaneous song-and-dance routine! “In their eyes, we are the best singers, artists, etc. Be silly! Learn with them! Love them!” says Judi W.
6. You get to see the aha! moments.
Sydney R. suggested this as one of the things that makes teaching elementary the best job ever. Other teachers concur, like Lindsey S.: “When you see a student finally understand a concept, that light in their eyes makes it all worth it!”
7. Everything is new to them.
Michelle L. loves that elementary is full of “eager students ready to learn.” You’re opening new worlds on a daily basis, and they’re young enough to be excited about pretty much all of it.
8. The kids write you amazing notes.
Like Patty Gray says, “They write you the cutest notes, and their misspellings are hilarious.” (See more of our favorite teacher notes from students here.)
9. Their smiles will make you smile.
Oh, those joyful gap-toothed elementary school grins! “They will make you smile when you’re feeling down,” Reyna G asserts. Jill F. knows it too: “You get fresh smiles every day staring back at you.”
10. You get to be their “person.”
Kids’ lives can be tough, and teachers are often the ones who get them through it all. Nikki A. knows how incredible it is “being that one person a student feels comfortable talking to. Sometimes students never have that person.” Dayna F. wants you to remember: “You are a BIG influence in a lot of little people’s lives.”
11. Your art skills will impress them.
Your stick figures are like Rembrandt portraits to their young eyes. “They will think you are an artist, even if you draw the simplest picture,” says Elizabeth A.
12. You get to watch them grow.
“Seeing an improvement in a student or seeing growth is the best feeling!” enthuses Mary W. “You’ve taught them something. That’s why you teach; to help students become better people,” adds Emily M.
13. You get paid to play!
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As Meredith D. puts it: “Where else can you get paid to read Dr. Seuss, play Duck, Duck, Goose, or sing “Big Yellow Taxi?”
14. You’re shaping the future.
Mary Ann shared this sentiment about the best job ever, and Erin B. backed her up. “You’ll build connections with tons of children who will carry on your legacy.”
15. They call you mom.
Brenda B. loves “having a student call you ‘mom’ accidentally, but then smile, like you really are!” How charming is that?
16. You make a difference.
Joanne R. reminds us, “You always know you’re doing something that matters. You may not reach all of them, but for those that you do, you are making a huge difference.” Rona L. agrees: “Even on your worst day you are still the best thing to some students.”
17. They constantly make you laugh.
Whether they mean to be or not, kids are often hilarious. “They will make you laugh out loud daily,” says Elaine B. “Never a dull moment,” affirms Matt S. (See more laugh-out-loud moments from teachers’ classrooms here.)
18. They’re generous with the compliments.
Jenni S. assures us, “They don’t care what you’re wearing or if you have a bad hair day.” GK S. goes on to say, “Nobody will love your fashion choice more than a kindergarten child! I could turn up in a hessian bag, and my K–2 kids will say, ‘You are so pretty! I love your dress!'”
19. Your influence goes a long way.
Everybody has that one teacher that made a real impact on their life. “Remember that even when someone is giving you a hard time, they are glad you are there,” Kristen S. says. “You may be the only one who believes in them,” adds Debbie J.
20. They remember you years later.
Lisa M. knows, “It’s the best feeling ever when the ones that have left come back to say hi!” Monica G. says, “You find out years later that you made a difference for good in a child’s life.”
21. If all else fails, there’s always summer break.
Tammi O. jokes that one of the reasons teaching is the best job ever is “June, July, and part of August!” (We know, we know, teachers are even busy during the summer, but we can dream, can’t we?)
Elementary school teachers aren’t the only ones who love their jobs. Find out why teaching middle school or high school is also the best job ever!
