Walking a mile in someone else's shoes...

Today was one of those days. This is my third year teaching at a lower income school and it is something that I know I am meant to do. Working with poverty kids has taught me a lot and has made me have to step back sometimes and re-evaluate what is really important in life. My first year teaching I wanted to do everything that I could to help my students outside of school and I quickly learned that though I might try forever, I can't change poverty situations. I had a conference today with a newly-single mom. She is newly single because her husband was recently arrested and is in holding waiting to be sent back to Mexico. I won't go into a lot of details, but she is doing whatever she can to keep her two wonderful children in our school system. One of her students has a learning disability and she knows she won't make it in schools in Mexcio. As I listened to this mother's story today I realized just how much what I do on a daily basis impacts children. It is so easy to get caught up in the daily routines of teaching...lesson plans, duties, discipline, grading papers and more papers, the list goes on and on. I was remined today that what I am doing, what all teachers are doing, is changing the lives of children. Today is a day that I am proud to be a teacher.