You Won't Believe What This Student Said To Me

So if you don't know, I wanna be a teacher. If you don't know, I've been volunteering at an elementary school with my old teacher and we're really good friends. If you keep up to date with my blog posts and you recall this one post about a student of ours who was having family issues and shared his concern with us. He was saying how his parents might get divorced, but this same kid is also my teacher's favourite student in the class...he's hilarious, he's on the volleyball team, he's a goof, but he's a super nice, smart and polite kid. So I've been going pretty often lately cuz their volleyball season is wrapping up and I've been helping coach the team and ref some games for them. So today after practise, my teacher and I are chilling about to leave...the kid is chilling waiting in the halls. These kids are hella nice btw, like after every practise they're like thanks for practise, thanks for taking time out of your day and stuff, it's crazy. Any ways, so he's in the halls chilling, he's like thanks for practise and stuff. He goes thanks Rodmond...then he goes oh btw, Mr. Tham (they legit alternate calling me Rodmond and Mr. Tham LOL I don't mind)...."you're going to be a great teacher". Like wow, firstly I want you to know I'm not writing this out of arrogance...but pure speechlessness, thankfulness and appreciativeness. I've had a couple conversations with him where he asked like where and what I studied and what I wanted to do after, so he knew I wanted to be a teacher. But wow, he said that, I said thanks, I appreciate it, truly...he walked away. I stood there with my teacher for a good 5 minutes just kinda trying to take it in...like my heart felt joy, pure joy. A couple of days earlier, my teacher and I had a conversation cuz I told him I had sent in my application for teacher's college...he said Rodmond...I have no doubt you're going to  be a great teacher, I have no doubt you're going to be great at whatever you do...but teaching specifically...I know you'll be great at it. The kids will take so much out of what you have to teach them and you in turn will take so much out of this job as well. He started saying how I really care abut the students and I have an innate ability to help and encourage others (which I'll get to in another post) and I know which students may need a little more encouragement than others. But wow...today just hit me like a train...I got teary eyed in front of my teacher when the student left...it meant a lot to  me. My teacher's always said if you're in it for the money or for the benefits, this isn't the job for you...long hours with pay that some might see as unequal to the work you put in. But man...it's the intangibles and the things you can't measure that make this job so amazing...seeing the impact you have on a kid, seeing them smile and laugh because of something you said or did, even little things like marking makes me find so much joy in this job. I keep saying this but it becomes more true with every passing day...the more I volunteer...the more I'm realizing that this job is meant for me, that I'm meant for this job...and I don't mean that in a cocky way I  promise...I mean like...everything I like and enjoy doing...all the intangible qualities this job brings you. The kids man...the kids...they piss you off, they annoy you, but they're the reason why you're here, they bring you so much joy...their joy brings you so much joy. Being a teacher also makes you see the good in every student...well for me at least, some teachers are genuinely different in their own ways and styles. I've seen kids act out or speak out in class rudely, but I've seen those same kids be super polite and helpful. It's super cool talking to them on a personal and human level, not a teacher student level. Asking them what's wrong, why they're upset...and the biggest thing is hearing them be honest with you, trusting with you...damn man, I don't know what more I can say...this job, well for now...this experience...has been so amazing for me, this is just a glimpse into what could possibly be the rest of my life...and if it is, I'm super excited to start the journey.