A Teacher’s Collection of Cuteness (A.K.A. Why I am a Teacher, Part II)

I have taught children and adults, of different ages and I’ve discovered that preschool is the age I love the most.

Case in point:

1.    I was supervising the children as they did their morning jobs. Sam, a sweet little boy, was happily narrating anecdotes of what happened at home while he was doing his jobs.

“Pauline, can you help me, please?” Hilda, another student asked, as she was trying to lift her heavy backpack from the other side of the room to hang it on the hook. I immediately went to help her.

“Pauline, don’t leave me! I love you!” Sam cried out dramatically. I felt like I was on the scene of Days of our Lives or How the World Turns.

2.    There was a time when all the girls in our classroom were all interested in Frozen, and they would engage in dramatic play always being Elsa. They loved requesting “Let It Go” in the afternoon as their wake up song, or while they were waiting for their after school classes to start. On one occasion, we teased them and said, “We’re sorry, but Disney cancelled ‘Let It Go’ so we can’t play it anymore.” They looked at us incredulously and with narrowed eyes. Suspicious was the word that emanated from their stares. The teachers giggled and started to play the song. The girls giggled and rolled their eyes at us and said, “I knew you’re kidding!” and they started to dance and belt out the song at the top of their lungs. The teachers threw their hands in defeat. Elsa- 1, Teachers- 0.

3.    We were curious as to why they only liked the first Frozen movie, and not Frozen II. We played “Into the Unknown”, which was the theme song from the second movie. The girls’ eyes widened, and they said, “Yes, I know this, too!”

If you also know this song, then you would know the part where Elsa vocalizes. This got stuck in the students’ heads, and so when we walked back to school from the park, they would start to do this vocalization. The teachers felt like they were walking with a pack of wolves howling.

4.    I remember a very sunny and friendly boy in my class named Josh. One day, he was playing on the balcony as he waited to be picked up. Every time someone walked past the school, he would say, “Hello!” or “Hi!” His sunny personality was so infectious that the people couldn’t help but smile and wave back at him.

5.    “Pauline, I have a question for you!” Harry* excitedly told me one day. “How do bees go to school?” he asked me. I started to think of a logical, scientific explanation to it when Harry told me, “On the school buzzzzz!” which made me throw back my head in a loud guffaw.

6.    During Valentine’s Day, Sam told me, “I have something to tell you!” and he went:

“I,” he pointed to himself.

“Love,” he made a heart shape with his hands.

“You,” he pointed to me.

“AWWWWW!” I gushed, and we both gave each other a big hug.

7.    I remember a student from long ago, aged 3, who was telling us all about how fun their vacation had been over the New Year. “And then mommy drink a lot of wine!” Ronald said, and he started walking around the room in a wobbly way, finishing off with a dramatic plop on the floor.

8.    I had a friend who I worked with in the classroom. She was patiently waiting for the children to wash their hands.

“What happened?” I asked her as she was holding her hand out.

“Well, I touched something and…. I don’t know what it is,” she said. We burst out laughing. In the classroom, if you accidentally touch something wet, usually we have no idea what it is (or where it came from) so you MUST wash your hands. It’s one of the golden rules in the classroom!

9.    Sometimes, the drama unfolds between friends inside a classroom filled with 2- 3 years old children. This happened during circle time when we were talking about what’s something nice we can say about our friends.

“Lana is nice,” Helen told the class. She was seated between Lana and Rose. Rose crossed her arms in front of her and looked at Helen with furrowed eyebrows.

“Rose is cute!” Lana said when it was her turn. Rose’s eyebrows relaxed into a sweet smile for Lana. The three of them hugged each other and all was well with the world again. :D

I hope you enjoyed reading these funny anecdotes as much as I had fun reminiscing and writing about them!

Names have been changed for privacy purposes.