Cute

Since I've been out of the classroom for a while, I've forgotten one really annoying fact of being an early childhood teacher: people's reactions.

I was at a Room Mom meeting for my daughter last night, and the conversation turned to what we do / used to do.  I was, of course, the only full-time working mom, but another mom shared that she used to be a middle school science teacher.  Everyone oohed and aahed, declaring how difficult that must have been.

Then came then inevitable:  "What grade do you teach, Megan?"

I internally rolled my eyes, because their response is always the same:  "Preschool? Oh, that's so cute!"

Really?!  Cute?!

Teaching preschool is a lot of things.  It's challenging, it's exhilarating, it's fast-paced, it's ever-evolving, it's interesting, it's AMAZING.  Sometimes it's funny.  Axel entered the classroom today walking like a penguin.  And what was funny about it was not the fact that he was walking like a penguin - what was funny was the earnestness with which he did this penguin walk and how he announced it to me.  He wasn't trying to be funny, he was actually testing out what it was to walk like a penguin.

It's not cute.  It's learning at its most fundamental, core level, and I am priveleged to see it happen every day.  But it's not cute.