Skip to main content

What it Means That They're Still "My Kids"

When I was teaching third grade, I told my students that they would always be "my kids." I didn't really think any of them would remember, but I'm so glad they did. I am hesitant to list the time I've gotten to spend with former students because it wounds like I'm bragging, but believe me, every single one of these interactions has been more of a gift for me than for them.

In the last few weeks, I have been able to help find a criminal lawyer for a former student (a wonderful woman is paying for it) and take his grandma (along with a dear friend) to get proof that she is the legal guardian of her granddaughter.

I was honored to give the keynote address for Faith Network of the East Bay's annual gala - talking about my experience teaching and all the wonderful work that Faith Network has done to support kids and teachers in Oakland.

I heard from a former student who's going to be a dad and asked me to knit a blanket for his baby daughter. He didn't have a dad and is very excited to be a dad to his daughter. He was so excited that he just sent me the sonogram in Facebook messenger, with a lot of exclamation points.

I had breakfast with another student who is a first generation college student and wasn't sure he would ever even graduate from high school. He told me, "I'm trying to have a steady diet of right decisions." He is thinking about being a teacher, saying that he doesn't like the idea of the low pay but that he loves working with children and that we really need more Black men in the classroom. He told me he doesn't like school because studying is hard, and then went on to tell me all about his anthropology and African American studies classes, his face lighting up as he explained everything he loved about the classes.

Today I had lunch with a former student who is now older than I was when I taught her. She is pregnant with her third child and is a wonderful mother. Her kids love learning and are super excited about their baby sister coming, telling their mom that they're going to read to her and teach her "her ABCs and how to clap." Every decision she makes is for the good of her children and it shows.

And finally, my Facebook memories showed me a college graduation that I was privileged to attend - a first generation college student who graduated from UCLA and was in my third grade class many years ago.

This week has been overwhelming in a good way. As a teacher, you don't get many monetary rewards. You don't always get to see any results from your work. This week, I have been able to see a flood of them.

I am not special when it comes to caring this much about students, and I think that is important to say that. I am the one who write about this, but there are teachers doing so much more. I know teachers who have had former students in their wedding and become godparents to former students. There are teachers who by groceries for their former students' families, who babysit, and who tutor kids for free in the summer. I know teachers who feed their students every day and some who take students' clothes home to mend. I know teachers who pray for their students every night.

I know many parents are already grateful to their children's teachers, but I have to say, you probably don't know everything the teachers do. We love your kids and we are so glad you share them with us.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Volunteers

I had some of the most overqualified volunteers ever in my third grade class.  This may have had something to do with the fact that I shamelessly begged my friends to help in any way possible.  I think there were a few friends who I asked to come as soon as I met them, before I was entirely sure of their names.  Some of my volunteers included: -Someone with an MFA helping kids read -a PhD candidate in chemical engineering from Stanford helping with math -a PhD candidate in civil engineering from Cal helping with math -several PhD candidates in engineering from Cal teaching about construction (several years in a row) and helping with a field trip -my extremely talented brother bringing his drums several times -a friend from Pixar who got us tours three different years, once when they were no longer giving tours - and came to the class to sign the kids' toys from Cars . -a physical therapist (who I think has a masters') who helped the kids with reading -many athlet...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Best Mistake

I recently wanted to get a pedicure (I promise this will be important) and was looking at nail salons nearby. I knew there was a place called Kim's Nails near my exercise class, so I quickly googled to see if I could make an appointment online (I hate calling on the phone) and it let me, so I made an appointment for a few days later and went on with my day. Later that day, I got a text confirming my appointment and I realized that I had made the appointment at the wrong Kim's Nails! I meant to make an appointment for the one in my city and I made one at a nail shop in the next city over (Kim's Nails is a common business name). Because I had already made the appointment and they had taken the time to text me, I figured I'd just go with it. OK, if you're still with me, this is where it gets exciting! A few hours after I got the confirmation text, the owner of Kim's Nails texted me again. the text just said, "Are you a teacher?" I didn't know why they...
1 comment
Read more

A New Prison, Part Two

  Second very long part of the prison visit report.   After we got all the paperwork filled out and went through the metal detector, we got visitation slips with the name of the inmate, and made our way over to the other building for visitation. This is not maximum security so thankfully you can just sit next to the inmates, and not be separated by glass or have to use a telephone to talk.    First, you get a gate unlocked and go into a holding pen that is of course in direct sunlight (or rain if it's that season) and surrounded by fences topped with razor wire. You wait there until the gate at the other end is unlocked. This holding pen was a little bigger and less claustrophobic than the other prison (I do not have any claustrophobia and I came very close to a panic attack once at the other place) and they opened the other gate more quickly. Then you walk, again in blazing sunlight (or rain) to the visitation building. This one was less of a walk than the other pri...
Post a Comment
Read more