All Grown Up...

Otherwise known as... The Power of a Kindergarten Teacher

Just a short, sweet little story today.  I've had a busy evening doing not much of anything... luxuriating in a respite of peace before my Big Trip to Boston.  Today I enjoyed teaching the AVID 1 classes at My Small Town High School.  I taught freshmen how to compute their grade point average, with the idea that having this skill will help keep them on track throughout their high school career.

One can only hope.

And pray.

When I returned to my office after the last class, I grabbed my key and walked to the washroom.  Once outside the door, and had walked down the portable ramp, I was stopped in my tracks.  Standing before me was one of the incredible moms from the year I taught kindergarten... 11 years ago.  This particular mother is also a substitute teacher;  she has followed my career in the three elementary schools and now singular high school where I have worked.  Every so often we bump into each other, and catch up, and she tells me about her daughter, E., who was my student.  Eleven years ago she was quiet, smart, and had the biggest eyes, with a blonde pageboy haircut. 

Almost immediately, I noticed this tall young woman standing just off from the group.  The pageboy cut was gone, replaced by a blonde pixie, but there was no mistaking the person before me.  It's you. E.!  Look at you, you're all grown up! 

She dissolved into tears, and we hugged, fiercely. 

E., stop crying!  It's okay!

I'm just so happy that I'm seeing my kindergarten teacher!  I never thought I'd see you today!

That is the power of a kindergarten teacher.  I loved my kids, and they loved me.  Once in a great while, I even was called Mom. I taught them how to write their names, and simple words.  We listened to Vuelve by Ricky Martin every day at nap time.  Every morning we sang about the Days of the Week, and the Months of the Year, and we counted to 100 using popsicle sticks.  It was the best year of my teaching career.  They started out knowing so little, and could do so many things, and had grown so very much during that year, in many, many ways.

E. is now a full-time virtual school student.  I told her to call me, and she could come in and we would have lunch one day soon.  She is a really, really neat kid-- with a grade point average that will take her anywhere she wants to go.  Today she was meeting her volunteer mentor at My Small Town High School, and I happened to walk by.  It was so great to see my former kindergartener... all grown up.  And beautiful.