I get to work with adults a lot, which is great.  It’s nice to talk with other educators about what they do and to see the fantastic things that they are capable of. And sometimes I hear from them that what I’ve done is good.  That’s a boost to the spirits.

I also get to work some with college students, who are adult-ish.  It can be humbling and exhausting to work alongside a 20 year old. And sometimes they tell me they enjoyed a class or appreciated something about the work we did.  And that is very gratifying.

And sometimes, when I’m really lucky, I get to work with kids.  I get to struggle with materials, manage chaos, deal with behavior, etc. but we make stuff.  And sometimes, just sometimes, a kid tells me that they like something that I did.  When I hear that, I know I did something right.  Kids are honest critics and enthusiastic fans, and the standards by which they judge your work are their own.  I once showed a class of kindergarteners how to draw a face.  I didn’t think much of what I was doing, but they applauded.  It took days for my head to come down again to normal size.

If you haven’t done so lately, go make stuff with a kid.  It’s worth it.