However, I don't regret deciding to intern instead of student teach.
I have had my fair share of mental breakdowns and anxiety attacks and sleepless nights and stinky boys, and boogers, and sticky hands (where I wonder if they have even washed their hands this week...) and temper tantrums, and naughty 2nd graders who literally climb the walls and "i can't"s and "i won't's" and days when i would rather rip my hair out then do this another day...
But...
I have also had my fair share of little boy giggles, and practical jokes played on me by 3rd graders, and pictures drawn for me that say, "I love you teacher", and excitement and pride when they finally figure out the 9s multiplication trick after working on it for 2 weeks! And the happiness when they do the same work they they do in their regular ed. classroom and they do it the same as or better than their classmates. The joy of when they read an entire book by themselves or write a sentence on their own. When they help each other and take care of each other, and I catch them doing kind things for their friends and classmates.
It makes it all worth it.
I will NEVER say that teaching easy (And i hope that any non-teacher would never dare say that about teaching). I will also NEVER say that teaching is the funnest job, or the most glamorous job, and most days i think, "they are not paying me enough for this..."
However it is the most rewarding job in the entire universe, and that's a fact.
Hug a teacher today, because chances are they need it. And then ask them to tell you a funny story from their day because chances are even higher that they probably have about 5.
