I love to crack jokes about the line "Do it for the kids," but deep down, it's so true. I started working with kids when I was only thirteen years old myself through a summer camp program, and I kept doing that every year through college. I earned my Girl Scout Gold Award by doing a guest teacher reading/writing program with a first grade class when I was a senior in high school. Looking at that track record, it's no wonder I decided to pursue teaching in college.After working as a middle school teacher, I decided to take a break from the classroom, planning to work as a substitute teacher while I pursued my Master's degree. The downside: The pandemic tidily interrupted that plan, and I found myself out of work for five months. The upside: The time away from the classroom completely reaffirmed my love of teaching. I was simply itching to get back to the classroom. When I started working as a high school English teacher in 2021, I knew I had found the role that was the perfect fit for me. I groan, complain, roll my eyes, and love my job every day.