Perks to teaching elementary-aged children

Taken from real experiences.

• You receive little notes on student assignments that say, "I love you Miss Elizabeth!" (and you can write, "I love you, too!" without worrying about getting in trouble).
• Students draw pictures of you that are intended to actually look like you rather being an examplary piece of satire.
• When students sob for 45 minutes because their last teacher left, you can hold them while you continue the lesson. And, in some cases (Jef), solving the next math equation can calm him down.
• Reading time ends as a group hug. My Level 4 students (3rd graders) love to crowd in close when I read them a story. At first the encroachment on personal space is a bit much, but by the end of the story, I've adjusted. There's a certain calmness that ensues when the story has ended, we've all agreed it's good, and one student rests his head on my shoulder, another leans forward to lay her head in my lap, and the other three lean in and find a resting spot as well. With the slam of the door the magic is broken as seven other students trickle in for math class.
• Grading that gets finished. Though partly due to the number of students, I can actually finish grading several stacks of student work in a night. And plan. And make corn tortillas for the next few days. And hang out with the kids at the house. And go to bed at a decent hour. :)