It is nearly impossible for many of us to imagine a motherhood without teachers. Each year they welcome our babies – both big and small – into their folds and nurture their hearts and minds. They take our teary-eyed kindergartener who needs an extra hand zipping up their jacket. They take our rapidly growing sixth grader who’s armed with a fresh, new attitude. And they take our confident twelfth grader battling a severe case of senioritis. With classrooms full of 20 or 30 kids just like ours, teachers know firsthand the unique traits of each stage and grade, and they can remind us what’s extra special about a particular age in a way that is sometimes hard to see with our own kids.

We reached out to our listener community and asked our seasoned cadre of teachers to share what they love about the specific age of their students in the grades they teach. Here’s what they had to say:

Little Kids

Preschool & Kindergarten

I teach 2 and 3 year old toddlers, and I love listening to them as their language explodes! As they gradually warm up to me and feel comfortable enough to sit on my lap or hold my hand, it makes my heart melt!
-Stacy

My favorite thing about kindergarteners is the excitement about learning and being with their friends!
-Kelly

I love kindergarteners’ delight with jokes and silliness when adults are willing to engage on their level. My favorite thing to see is that moment when they realize they can read!
-Amy

First & Second Graders

One of my favorite things about first graders is how they are always so excited to learn. Their capacity to learn is pretty amazing. I love how they think about the world and how naturally curious they are. First graders are super fun!
-Amber

Second graders are so enthusiastic about learning! They are still little and sweet but beginning to understand things at a deeper level. I love seeing them learn to persevere and how proud they are when they master something they had to work for.
-Laura

Bigger Kids

Third & Fourth Graders

Third grade is the golden age of childhood. Third graders are independent, curious, creative, and funny. They are caring friends, get into the latest fads, and still love to play.
-Kate

I taught 1st-5th grade Spanish for 10 years. My favorite grade was always 3rd grade because they’re still young enough to get excited about simple games/activities, but they’re more independent with things like tying shoes, putting on band-aids, etc. And they still haven’t hit the age of being too cool for school! 
-Lauren

Third graders are the bridge from little kids to big kids. They start the year more reliant on help and then by the end of the year they are so independent. They get sarcasm and start to use it – their attempts are hilarious and adorable. You can level with them because they understand that you are a human too. They are kind hearted and sweet but are starting to get big kid sass in the funniest way. Also they change from learning to read to reading for understanding and it’s amazing to see and exciting to see them dig deeper into the meaning behind books.
-Melissa

Fourth grade is the perfect in between of little kid and big kid. I love that they are independent on things like wiping their nose or tying their shoes, and they can work independently. I also love that they still have enough little kid in them that they love their teacher and get excited about things.
-Josie

The grade fours are always my favorite. They are enthusiastic about learning French, still enjoy school and get attached to their teachers, while being more independent. They can manage technology and read directions without too much hand holding.
-Laura

I’ve taught 4th grade for the last 7 years. My favorite thing about 4th graders is they like to explore different topics, ask thought provoking questions, and still want to please the teacher.
-Kappy

Fifth & Sixth Graders

I love grade 5 because for the first time I see the signs of more mature, critical thinking. They start branching out and not automatically agreeing with the teacher without thought. I love that we are able to dissect books together and look at explicit strategies to become strong writers, too. Plus, they are still at the age where they eagerly say hello to me in the hall or on supervision even though I’ve literally just seen them in the classroom 2 minutes ago.
-Tanya

Fifth graders start to look at the world critically and form complex connections. I especially love teaching reading to this age group. With this age group, every time I explore a novel they teach me something new because they are really ready to engage with deep issues and character analysis. It brings me so much joy to see them discovering themselves in text or discovering that reading is a lot more than just decoding sounds and memorizing plot points. The ALL TIME best is when a student gives me a book recommendation.
-Mairin

I love 6th graders because even as they navigate the social pressures of becoming young adults (and make a ton of mistakes along the way), at key moments you see their deep kindness and care for each other come through, and you know they’re going to be wonderful adults some day.
-Jenna

I love teaching 6th graders because they’re still young enough to want to please the teacher but old and wise enough to laugh at my jokes.
-Colleen

Teenagers

Seventh & Eighth Graders

Seventh graders are fiercely loyal to both their peers and their teachers. Teaching 7th grade is where I felt most able to be myself – I could joke around with them. Academics could really soar with heated debates about ethics – 7th graders can give their opinions and don’t automatically sway to what their peers or teachers think. The challenge of teaching 7th graders was always rewarding.
-Tanya

I love seventh and eighth graders because I get to know them as people, not just kids. There’s often embarrassment and tough emotions that come with having communication disorders in this age range and getting them to talk through those feelings is healing, revealing, and motivating. I also love how they’re able to express their own opinions at this age and even have valid input on their educational/therapeutic plans. Sometimes the easiest way to write goals for the kiddos in these grades is to just ask them!
-Brooke

I LOVE 8th graders. They are young at heart and, when given the chance, will slip back into being a kid. Nearly all of my 120 students would turn every assignment to earn an hour making candy houses. On the flip side they are forming their own opinions, developing logic and practicing discussion skills. They are SO capable and fun.
-Sara

Eighth graders are my favorite. They are thoughtful and sarcastic. They are not always the most ostentatious with their love, but I get SO many sweet notes and drawings from my 8th graders.
-Paige

After teaching 8th graders, I found that the kids at this age stop thinking about themselves alone and start to see themselves as part of a community. If an 8th grader gets in trouble, the whole class watches to make sure they are treated respectfully and given another chance to do better. It is a beautiful thing to watch even if it means that maybe authority figures don’t have as much sway as they did in the younger grades.
-Lisa

Ninth Through Twelfth Graders

I love the big kids! 9th graders are so amazing because they are still young enough that they yearn to please teachers but old enough where you can really push and challenge them to do things independently.
-Ashley J.

Tenth graders are awesome because I feel like that’s when they really come into their own identity. Sophomores really hit the stride of high school.
-Ashley J.

I love that juniors can handle more adult work and content, and they have a serious commitment to doing their best. Also, juniors and especially seniors do NOT really care about pleasing teachers at all—which makes teaching them a fun challenge! You really have to acknowledge and respect their maturity and their desire for autonomy.
-Tayleigh

Eleventh graders are so fun because they really start becoming little adults. It’s when they start working part time jobs, driving, and thinking about college and careers. My 11th graders were always really great at taking freshmen and sophomores under their wings and teaching them the ropes of high school.
-Ashley J.

The thing I love about 12th graders is they are launching adults and, in many ways, act that way. BUT they still act like children sometimes and will do things for stickers, candy, novelty erasers, just like the littles. They are the best!
-Jill

I teach seniors, and I love watching the college decisions come in and mentoring them through that process. Many of them act like they are ready to go off, but in reality they will open up at some point and ask me questions about being on their own because they are truly nervous! I also love learning about them—some of them are really very talented or have interesting interests!
-Kyria

Seniors are fun—all year—because they’re so adult. After the stress of standardized tests and academic demands and college decisions of the junior year, seniors just have this new sense of calm—like, “I’ve got this. I can handle anything.” I just love, love, love teenagers!
-Tayleigh