That moment …
…when I realize that the kids I meet lined up on the stairs are actually glad to see me.
… when I watch their attention gradually shift to me, my words, my message and for a hot minute, they’re okay with that.
… when my 5th graders see themselves on video, talk about it and then go solve their team building challenge in a heartbeat.
… when I see that my kindergartners are all over the place, not following directions and having the time of their lives, and I stop them, but do so with a loving sort of roar and they get it.
… when I realize that what I have to say to them simply isn’t as important as what I will show them with my actions.
… when I realize that if I find the right words (like magic, secret, or game), Pre-K will listen a little more closely.
… when I turn my back and my kids are just fine doing their work.
… when I look at my plan on the board and toss it out the window because my students need something entirely different.
… when my 4 year old friend comes to give me a hug because he wanted to give me a hug.
… when I tell a first grader that my Tinkerbell tattoo is watching him and we reach a new understanding as a result.
… when I realize that my colleague and I have the same plan written up in separate locations without having discussed it beforehand; we are intuitively “on the same page.”
… when I realize that after 20 years of teaching, the statement “Everyone you meet knows something you don’t” is truer and more resonant than ever, especially in relation to my students.
… when I recognize that a day full of skipping, galloping, bear walks and cartwheels is more exhausting at 50 than it seemed to be at 35 and 40.
That moment is now. Good night.
edifiedlistener 
Love this! Each anecdote provides a window into who you are as an educator and human being. I like a lot of them, but this is my favorite:
-when I turn my back and my kids are just fine doing their work.
Does it get better than this? Knowing that they’re engaged on a level that exists above and beyond compliance. That you’ve sparked their curiosity and set the stage for them to transform themselves through the power of ideas, concepts, and language.
Here’s hoping that my colleagues and I are able to get on the same level of understanding as you and yours. Very inspiring post.
Thanks, Peter, for your thoughts. Sometimes we educators can get so caught up in all the things we believe “should” be happening that we may miss the multiple miracles that are happening right before our very eyes. Every class that I teach now I am genuinely astounded by the level of affection I feel for my students, challenging behaviors, and all. And what I’m finding is that affection, the appreciation of them as amazing individuals changes everything. It means I open myself to more of the work that matters: the relationships, connections and emotional engagement that can lead to deep learning on *both* sides of the undertaking we call education. I wish too for you and your colleagues to reach the kinds of understandings and supportive connections which serve your community of learners in the finest ways.