Kindness can go a long way

As the last day of school before Christmas break is nearing, the students in Mrs. Santana’s English class are hurriedly turning in work so that the whole class can watch the film “2012.” For two weeks now, there have been murmurs and whispers about how the world is going to end on December 21 (the last day of school) because the Mayans predicted it so. They’ve been begging Mrs. Santana to watch the film, and she has agreed to allow them to watch it just as long as they all turn in their essays. As a Special Education Assistant, my job is to make sure Mrs. Santana is complying with the modifications stated in each student’s IEP and that the students in turn are succeeding in their general education courses. I am also completing my practicum hours with Mrs. Santana so that I can gain a credential as an English teacher. This just means that I have to work twice as hard in Mrs. Santana’s class, and I’ve tried very hard to be the best teacher and paraprofessional as I can be. And I thought everything I did in class went by unnoticed until I read Liliana Hernandez’ paper. Liliana is an IEP student who has mild retardation and who needs extra attention. She has opened up to me and confessed that she lives in a shelter with her mom and nine-year-old brother. Despite the various difficulties she encounters in life, she is extremely energetic and bright. She does, however; find it difficult to focus and to organize her thoughts into a written paper. The class was instructed to write an essay describing three characteristics that a true leader needs to have, to introduce a person who they believe has those qualities, and to support their claims with examples. I was touched when I read that Liliana argued that she believes I am a true leader because I am responsible, respectful, and hardworking. She values those characteristics in leaders because they are trustworthy traits. I was very grateful for the fact that she notices how much I help with both special ed. Students and the rest of the class, and how I give students help even when they don’t ask for it. She thinks that means I’m responsible. She said I am a kind teacher who is always smiling and being nice to students and other teachers and that she is very happy when she sees me (I just about cried at this point). She also wrote about how I’m hardworking because I do two jobs in the class, and because I help her even when I’m supposed to be eating during my lunch break and don’t send her away. I was touched when she finished her essay by saying that she is grateful for a leader like me. Liliana’s paper is filled with grammatical and spelling errors, but I don’t care. To me it was the most beautiful paper I’ve ever read because she allowed me to see myself through her eyes. And as I read her paper I was so proud of myself and didn’t seem to mind the stress of finals, because all this work is worth it if it means having the pleasure of working with all the Lilianas out there J She really made me like myself, and that’s supposed to be my job, not hers J