Working with kids gives you an opportunity to understand them a bit more, without raising them yourself. The roller coaster ride every day of children who don't listen, those that want to cling to you for a while or the emotional drop off that makes up the day with over a dozen kids and two adults. There are several categories that you place a child in, from the teacher's pet to the one that doesn't listen, and sometimes, they belong in more than one over the day.

1. Oldest

While not always the best behaved, the oldest several usually understand the answers to the questions they ask and have more diverse conversations than the younger kids.

2. Youngest

The youngest kids in my class are 4, but even the difference of a few months is not always obvious. Sometimes the rules are harder to follow or remember and there is less talking between them.

3. Assistant Teacher

The ones who are trying to help you sometimes cross the line when they tell other kids to follow the rules, which they may or may not be following at the moment.

4. Diva

The one who knows what she wants and will do anything to try and get her way, even if that means breaking the rules. From trying to keep the teacher's attention to doing her own hair, she's very uniquely herself.

5. Helper/Cleaner

The ones who want to help you clean up meals and snacks, or is usually really helpful when cleaning up toys. You can count on them to do their best to help you out.

6. Hypochondriac

Every time they're hurt, there's a huge reaction, quite a bit of crying, and worrying about whatever is wrong being worse than it is. Not a lot of these can be found, and those who are usually grow out of it eventually.

7. Comedian

The class clown, they can always make most of the class laugh, and sometimes even the teachers have to hold back laughter.

8. Selectively Deaf

It's been tested by teachers. They may not listen to you when you tell them it's "time to clean up", but all of them will immediately pay attention at the question, "Does anyone want a cookie?", and then deny their lack of listening to the first comment.

9. Clingy

Whether the nap was too long or they decided that you were the one they wanted to play with, some kids can be as clingy as an attention seeking cat.

10. Troublemaker

Usually, they spend most of the day not listening to the first, second, or third time you've told them to do something.

11. Still Potty Training

Whether they are still trying to get nights worked out or they keep have accidents, there are some kids who just haven't quite got it figured out.

12. Artist

They can draw. Either very well or very often but they love to be artistic or do the crafts that the teachers come up with.

No matter the categories that they may be in, the kids will always surprise you. They can change from day to day or even after a nap, but they will always be "my" kids as long as I teach them.