2 weeks into my student teaching, and I love every single one of the children in my 4th grade class. A girl I work with asked me yesterday if I "have any favorites yet...?" I sat and thought because surely there is one student I think is the best- always behaves, reads silently, makes jokes, and smiles at me like I'm the coolest person they've ever met. But the fact of the matter was, I can NOT pick a favorite.
I can't pick a favorite because each child is my favorite:
1. There's one girl who acts crazy every day but she is intelligent and beautiful
2. There's one boy who is goofy and lacks the quiet attention during lessons but he's bright as can be
3. There's one tiny girl who acts like she never has any idea what is going on but when she participates, her intelligence and compassion shine through
4. There's one boy who is always quiet and obedient but given the opportunity he'll beat you with sarcasm
5. There's one girl who seems to lack any drive or competitive nature, but she strives, doesn't give up, and gives the best hugs
6. There's a boy who has a hard time reading in his free time, but he is so intelligent and precious and can keep time on a stopwatch better than anyone in his class
This list could go on and on. I am working with some of the most precious lives on the planet. What makes each child so wonderful is that they are all so different. And the things that seem to be "annoying" or "abnormal" are really just things teachers often try to push on their students inside the classroom so the environment is a much quieter and "parent/principal" friendly place.
We need all of these children.
We need all of us.
I can't pick a favorite. I never want to pick a favorite in any classroom where I stand as teacher. Because... we need all of us. We need the scatter brained, the hyper active, the absurdly goofy, the unorganized and uncompetitive. We also need the rigid, boring, silent, dry, organized individuals.
We were all created in the same Image. We are each unique, and He created all of us because He wanted all of us. And I bet we all fit someone else's profile of a person they "can't stand."
Don't pick favorites.
We need us.
