2 parents

Had a parent night at work tonight. Traduce toda la reunion a Espanol por los padres mientras Tagalong (my sissy) led the meeting. Had a great turnout - probably 75 parents out of 200 in a poor minority area.

And after, I was thinking how much of an impact I can have, and how great it is.

One parent, the sweetest lady, she has 2 great kids, she's very traditional Mexican woman. I had her son last year and he caught the lazy bug, but I did give him an excellence award for being very responsible and always was willing to improve. He came in and gave me a huge thank you. I didn't really know his mom last year. I saw my roll sheets this year and noticed the last name, but thought nothing because it is a common hispanic last name. The first week I got an email the mom called, spoke to her on the phone, and she told me I had her son last year. She praised me highly for motivating her son in her limited English, but she tried, and was great. She always was so joyful and dressed in her best. Her daughter wears 2 hearing aids and often misses information, so I've talked to mom many mornings this year when I'm on duty asking about what we are doing in the class and making sure her daughter is doing ok. She is always so sweet and respectful and loves how I'm so approachable. She brightens my day. She always speaks so respectfully and shakes my hand, and it is just sweet. It makes me want to do a good job because I want her daughter to be successful. And her daughter is just as sweet and respectful. It just dawned on me, like 5 minutes after I published this blog that tonight she was speaking Spanish to me this evening. Sissy told me after the meeting Danny's mom didn't know I spoke Spanish, and I chuckled thinking of another Danny that she has that I had last year. Nope, It was this lady, and she was telling me how amazed and glad she is I am her daughters teacher because of that.

One other parent is a great grandparent raising her great grandkids still remembers me, asks about me, and calls me at work just to talk and ask if I'm keeping tabs on her greatgrandson. I don't have him this year, Sissy does, but whenever something is going on I chat with her. Her respect and praise makes it worth it.

And that's why I love the program I teach, and the lives I impact.