“I just love kids!”

This is the response I get most when interviewing potential teachers, and it is an honest one. But what do those of us in early care and education really mean, when we say this? Are we affirming our desire to help children grow to their true potential? Or, are we claiming that we love the way it feels to play, teach, and explore alongside a child? Perhaps it is a bit of both. 

I agree with Donna King when she says, “I have long believed that, if I truly love something, I must be willing to let that thing take hold of my heart and change me.”