hmmmmm, this is a hard question. I honestly can't define ONE student who changed me. I can recall a lot of students and their impact on me; some students' stories are sad, some are inspirational, some students make you laugh, some make you cry, some make you "want to spit," as my grandma would say. So, where to start?
My first year teaching there was Greg. I will never forget Greg. I can picture exactly what he looks like to this day. He did leave an impact on me. He was my first "behavior problem," but goodness he was also adorable and sweet. He was always in trouble. Greg said curse words that I had never even utterred and made it very clear that he learned them from home. Greg was smart, but he didn't always reach his potential as his impulsiveness got in the way. He was a challenge to my naive, "gonna change the world," younger self. I will never forget the day he was sitting in my room; it was just him and me as he was having a consequence. He and I were both working on separate tasks. The room was pretty quiet when out of the blue he said, "I love you." My heart melted. I'm tearing up thinking about it. It was one of those moments that freeze in your memory. From Greg, I learned that I could be stern, I could say no, I could expect good behavior, and the kids would appreciate. They would love me because they knew I cared. This interaction with Greg helped me not only be a better teacher, but a better mom when the time came, and ultimately a better person.
Greg is just one of the students who have changed me. I have specific memories of many students who have left an imprint on my life for different reasons. My heart is fuller, stronger, softer due to the little people who have touched my life the last twenty-five years.
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