Personal

In the 4th or 5th Grade, my teacher made me promise her that I’d never become a teacher when I grew up. Her request wasn’t made out of malice — it wasn’t until High School when I had any teachers who simply didn’t like me, a couple justifiably so — but based on her own experience and out of concern for my future mental well-being. I can’t remember her name, and I don’t remember her specific reasons, but I do recall her as one of a handful of influential elementary school teachers who took a personal interest in me and my education.

When Salomé went into Teaching Fellows almost two years ago, I was initially a little jealous because there was a part of me that always wanted to be a teacher someday, despite my innocent promise years ago. Today, seeing what she’s gone through, how successful she’s been at it and, more importantly, how much she loves doing it, I realize I’d probably be a terrible teacher and, whatever her reasons, my old teacher was right.

When it comes to Isaac and India, I am generally the more patient of the two of us — partly because I don’t spend most of my day around a bunch of kids five days a week, and partly because I’ve always had a higher threshold for stress (to the point where I’ve been accused of everything over the years from being aloof to being a pothead) — but when it comes to homework, especially as Isaac’s 2nd grade workload becomes more time-consuming and more difficult for him, Salomé takes the lead and handles things much, much better than I do.

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