Why I Love My Job

I consider myself one of the lucky ones.  I actually enjoy what I do for a living.  When I stop enjoying it, I will retire.  But for now, being a teacher is still very rewarding and often entertaining.  I especially love working with 11-12 year olds, an age that I often describe as “still doing anything for a sticker”.  They are independent enough, capable of great insight, and have an emerging sense of humor.  Some things they say, write, and do make me smile.

Last month students were asked to write about a person who inspired them.  One student wrote about Looge Errig.  He had a lot to say about him.  He mentioned that Looge was a great baseball player.  I love and follow baseball and was surprised I never heard of him.  Looge was also a Yankee, which surprised me even more that I didn’t recognize a player from my favorite team.  He died of a disease that is now named after him.  Oh!  Lou Gehrig…  You have to smile at that.

Recently students did a science lab that included a goldfish in each student’s eco-bottle.  Now that the lab was over, each student got to bring home his or her goldfish.  An hour after getting home, one student emailed the science teacher with this note:

Hi Mrs. _____, Sorry to bother you but something is happening.

The orange fish is having a prolapsed intestine meaning its intestine is coming out of its pelvic area.  It has come out pretty far.   I googled "prolapsed intestine minnow" and I saw a website saying that his fish had one and asked what to do. People said they actually watch their fish die in front of them because of it, and I need to know if I can save him somehow or if he will heal by himself. They said that healing is very rare.  I need your input. Please reply to this email as soon as you can.

From,

_____

This from an 11-year old whose parents are not doctors.  I am neither a doctor nor a veterinarian, but it sounds to me like the fish was pooping.  These are just two quick examples of why I love the students I work with, and why I love my job.