"And, That Is Why I Do This"

[ProfessorGAC]

Had a wonderful substitute moment on Friday. Actually, four. I'm subbing 8th grade science for 4 days at the school 4 blocks from my house. (How convenient is that?)
First, one 8th grade girl asks if I'm going to be there Monday. I say yes. She announces to the class I'm coming back next week. Whole class responds positively.
Second, one boy asks me why I just don't become a permanent teacher. I told him he doesn't understand how retirement works! He understood it was done humorously.
Third and best:
Last period, girl tells me she's not getting this one question. Says she's no good at this. I coach her to the right answer & told her "See, you're better at this than you think."
A few minutes later, she asks for help again. I do the same. She gets it right. This time I said "I told you you were better at this than you think!". Her reply was "Only because you're so good at explaining it."
Finally, I had a boy in 7th hour say "I learned more about science in the last 2 days, than I learned all semester."
I don't need the money. I'm there to help.
These moments were quite validating because this is why I do it.