What could be better?

I love children as much as the next guy, but I had never seen them in a school setting until working at Grout Elementary these past two years, only baby sitting, or summer camps. It is a completely different environment. They come alive, and make you feel invigorated in a way that no 9-5 cubicle job could ever satisfy. Even when I was doing work I loved in a free clinic, or other non-profit work, there was still the dreadful paperwork and data entry that made each day kind of an eye-on-the-clock experience. At school, there is no time for that! Each kid needs you at every moment to be here now. To give your full attention and effort. And the kids keep you awake with their energy, and their moods--no day is the same, and it is the best kind of inconsistency. I find I enjoyed their company more than adults, but the adults I worked with were all (though sometimes we had VERY different methods which caused some friction) working towards the same goal, solving these problems facing our children. And the problems were and are very real. And the solutions can be very visible, tangible even, which offers a tremendous amount of satisfaction. I'd say the best part about teaching is it satisfies so many different ambitions of mine. We're serving others. Every day counts. You're doing something to better the world at large, and the world as we know it within our small communities, and within each individual, you work with brilliant, creative and stubborn people, and are challenged by conflict everyday, but the battles are WORTH it. It's the greatest job I can think of. But I want a raise.