Not everyone does, but I do.

"Do you like your job, Ms. Teachin'?"

I looked at the student who'd just asked that. "I do. I love it. Why?"

"It just seems like some teachers really don't like kids. They're always mad and always yelling. And I just don't get why they're teachers. This seems like a really bad job if you don't like kids."

He's right, of course. Teaching is a terrible job if you don't like kids. Why would you want to work so many hours for in such a relatively low paid job with such high stress if you don't like the people with whom you spend 80% of your time?

And he's right that some teachers clearly just don't like kids. Some teachers clearly find their existence annoying, or even just inconsequential. And not all kids - I'd venture a guess that those teachers would say they do like kids, some kids, the kids who do their work or don't cause problems or are always respectful. But if you don't like all kids....why do it?

"Do I seem like I don't like kids?"

"No, you seem like you actually like us. I just don't get why some people are doing it. Do you?"

I paused for a moment. But I wasn't willing to lie and claim that all teachers like all kids, nor was I willing to tell the hard truths about why some teachers teach despite not liking kids. "No, I don't."

He nodded and walked to his next class. I watched him go and told my next class how great they are and how much I enjoy being their teacher.

(Image credit to suchitra prints)