I started my student teaching thinking I wanted to teach the older kids. Kindergarten teaching with the little ones and their snotty noses scared me. Well, I was hired to teach kindergarten in my very first year. I quickly discovered it was not only the best grade to teach but the best job ever.

Here are the top 15 reasons why kindergarten teaching is the best:

1. Enthusiasm is everywhere.

High school teachers put up decorations for Halloween, and they aren’t even noticed. I put up one spider web, and my students’ eyes glow like candles on a birthday cake for an eighty-year-old. As soon as the students walk in the room there is a collective, “Woooahhh!”

2. Our colleagues are the best.

I don’t want to toot my own horn, but BEEEEPP! Not only are we amazingly down-to-earth and helpful, but we have the best sense of humor ever. That’s a given.

3. We get very special gifts.

Five-year-olds will give us their well-loved stuffed animals, toy robots, or even a twig they find on the playground. They beam with pride as they hand it to us.

4. Kindergartners make the cutest mistakes.

Kindergarten students confuse words in the most adorable ways. They call sanitizer “hanitizer” and put pyramids at the end of sentences. When we ask them for questions, we get, “My cat’s name is Henry,” or “It’s my Uncle’s birthday tomorrow.”

5. Our rooms are huge.

Kindergarten teachers usually get the biggest room to accommodate five-year-old attention spans. Most have their own bathrooms which is a great benefit (and relief) for any employee who drinks some type of liquid all day.

 6. Holidays are more fun.

We hide our Elves on the Shelves, and we get to set leprechaun traps. The holidays come to life in the organized chaos of the kindergarten classroom.

7. Hugs are good for stress.

This may not be happening now, but it will again. Kindergartners don’t give you a light hug like a middle schooler hugging their aunt at Thanksgiving. They hold on and squeeze until you have to peel their little arms from somewhere, hopefully, close to your mid-section.

8. We get to wear comfortable clothes.

You won’t find this K teacher in heels EVER. Kindergarten teachers do squats every day. They bend down to get to a child’s level. Back up. Down again. See…. squats! We need stretchy attire.

 9. We can break out in a random song, and the kids love it.

No seriously, they look at me like I am Lady Gaga. If I just happen to sing a popular song that plays on the radio, they stare in amazement and say,” Mrs. Barton, how do YOU know that song?”

10. We get to dance too.

Ever hear of Go Noodle? Well, if you are a kindergarten teacher you have. Milkshake and Peanut Butter in a Cup are songs that I get jiggy with every day. It’s great exercise, and the kids love that we dance with them.

11. Kindergartners are easily motivated.

A smelly sticker or one single skittle is all it takes to get a kindergarten student to sit up straight and listen. They experience everything at such a high level of joy and excitement.

12. Growth is amazing.

Kindergarten students learn to read, write, and interact with other humans. Being a kindergarten teacher allows us to play a big part in milestones that will shape the people they become later in life. That’s huge.

13. Kindergartners build our self-esteem.

Significant other didn’t notice your fancy new haircut? No worries. The little people got you. Covering mouth (or mask) with hand, “You loookkk  soo booootifull!!!!!!!

14. We laugh every day.

If parents knew the things their kids were telling us about them, they would homeschool for sure. Kindergartners haven’t developed their filters yet, and this is why we love them so very much.

15. Youth is contagious.

People (not many, but a few) ask me how I stay so young? The secret is to surround oneself with the innocent, positive energy and love that only comes from teaching kindergarten.

Honestly, who else has a job like this? We are the luckiest people in the world. Did I miss anything? Let us know in the #teacherlife community!