Six hours, five days a week
I am surrounded with
Sticky fingers covered with glue
Shrieking voices that echo across the playground
Contagious, tireless energy in the air

Each day without fail
I come home with
Glitter in my hair, crayons in my pocket
and tired feet, screaming for relief.

Some say I’m crazy
“It’s not worth the minimum wage”
But I smile and think of
the wide grins on their faces
the pure innocence in their laughter
the light bulb that brightens
 When they learn something new

There are rough days
Where nothing goes right;
The milk gets spilt
Hair is pulled
Where all I hear is
“Sally won’t share!” and
“I don’t wanna do that!”

But even after all that
I wouldn’t trade it for the world
I know that if I
Can change one child’s life
By giving them happy memories
And sending them positive messages
I am richer than
any billionaire on the planet.