Top 100

In honor of #TLead Chat tonight, I made my own Teacher “Top 100” I hope it’s a hit!

1.     You get to read cool young adult novels FOR YOUR JOB.

2.     Kid hugs

3.     Kid smiles

4.     That moment when a kid says "Oh, I get it!" 

5.     When they make up a song for you

6.     When their parents say they came home excited about learning today

7.     When a parent thanks you

8.     When an administrator tells a parent (in front of you) that their kid is lucky to have you as their teacher.

9.     A job where you get to have recess every day

10. The natural curiosity that kids have

11. When a kid makes a great connection

12. When a kid asks a question that shows they are really listening

13. When a kid solves a math problem a way that you didn’t even think about

14. When the copier works

15. When every kid follows line procedures right as the principal walks by

16. When you hear your student being respectful

17. When you see your student helping a friend

18. When you see your student struggling but they don’t give up

19. When a student e-mails you at night just to tell you that they finished the book

20. When a mom asks how she can help

21. When a dad stops by just to read with kids, not even his sometimes

22. When another teacher asks if you need anything

23. When a front office friend cuts out your laminating for you

24. When a kid sits with you at recess to tell you about their weekend

25. When a kid asks if you can sit at their lunch table today

26. My coffee pot in my room

27. My absurd amount of gel pens that kids think are cool and adults just don’t understand

28. Picture books

29. Town Hall

30. Board games

31. Creating a class song

32. Creating a class rap

33. Showing a kid hilarious internet videos sometimes, just because hilarious internet videos

34. Spending your day with friends

35. Allowing yourself to sit back and watch learning happen

36. Realizing that the kids have more to teach you than you ever thought possible

37. Going to the school library and getting as many books as you want

38. Playing freeze tag during a dance break

39. Skate nights

40. Field Trips

41. Secret Buddies (Bucket Buddies at my school)

42. Getting to draw on a Smartboard

43. Having a line of children waiting to greet you every morning

44. That kid who sees you after school and waves like you’re a rock star even though you just saw them an hour ago

45. When you have time, grading papers and commenting to kids so they know you care

46. Book chats

47. Dressing up

48. Planning a lesson that gets them engaged

49. Knowing that your kids feel safe in your environment

50. Knowing that your kids will take risks

51. Knowing that your kids will feel celebrated

52. Knowing that your kids will know that they matter

53. Jamming to 80’s love tunes during Writer’s Workshop and that one kid sings along to Journey

54. Kid drawings

55. Kids that e-mail you years later

56. Kids that come with their siblings to night events just to see you

57. A teacher down the hall who brings you a cookie just because

58. Leftover snacks in the break room

59. Teachers who share great ideas

60. Teachers who share great documents

61. Teachers who value conversation

62. Teachers who inspire you to be great

63. Teachers who help you with new ideas

64. Teachers who are excited about new technology

65. That kid that asks if they can borrow a book

66. That kid that brings in an artifact to help with our learning

67. When you see a kid help another kid who doesn’t understand

68. When a kid doesn’t know a word and other kids offer to help and don’t laugh

69. The cheers that we give for great news

70. The community that we have when someone has sad news

71. The cheesy videos of adults acting like dendrites

72. The neurons made of noodles

73. Construction paper

74. Blogging

75. Kid presentations and all their awkward glory

76. Shy kids stepping up

77. Loud kids stepping back

78. When a kid tells you that they’re sorry and they mean it

79. When a kid asks if you can come to their baseball game

80. When a kid wants to know how your weekend was

81. When a kid asks if they can take something home to work on it some more

82. When kids get excited about math

83. When kids have on task chats about their learning

84. When kids write you notes

85. When you come home tired but you know you made a positive difference in a kids life today

86. When you spend all your free time thinking about your kids because you care

87. When your kids watch football because they like what you like

88. When your kids ask you to read your favorite book from when you were a kid

89. When your significant other says they’re proud of you

90. When you look in the mirror and you’re proud of you.

91. Dance Breaks

92. Dance Breaks

93. Dance Breaks

94. Dance Breaks

95. Dance Breaks

96. Dance Breaks

97. Dance Breaks

98. Dance Breaks

99. Dance Breaks

100. Dance Breaks