In my mind one student came up, Lisbeth.
Lisbeth was a student in my second, first grade class. She was a beautiful, kind, and energetic girl who always had compassion for those around her. I will never forget when I first met her on registration. She was my first child to run in the room and was way ahead of her parents. Her smile lit up the classroom and my heart from her first "Hi!" I loved teaching Lisbeth as she had such an enthusiasm for learning.
I learned over time that Lisbeth was a perfectionist and I often had to encourage her to try her best, but to also know we can't strive to be perfect. I worked with her that year to understand you don't have to do everything perfectly, that she was wonderful just as she was and that no score defined her. I taught her how to do positive self talk and often I could tell she was doing just that. Over the year she learned to be proud of her personal best and her anxiety subsided helping her become stronger.
My husband Mike, later taught her in 4th grade. He appreciated Lisbeth's humor and her persisting spirit. The kid always gave her best and she was always herself no matter what. Mike later played a huge role as he helped her family through a tough medical diagnosis. Lisbeth's mother was concerned she should quit her job and home school Lisbeth. Both Mike and I reached out to her mother in person explaining how much Lisbeth loved school and to please reconsider. Her mother with more encouragement from Mike decided to give it the rest of the year. Luckily her teachers were able to show the family that school was the place Lisbeth truly shined.
Over the years Mike and I attended many of her birthday parties and were honored to attend her 5th grade graduation celebration. The family always treated us like royalty, letting us know that being a teacher in their child's life mattered.
I decided I would attend Lisbeth's graduation. I found out which high school she attended and her graduation date. I had 3 weeks to try to get in touch with her family. I started researching and I was able to find her brother and Lisbeth's old social media page.
In one of her pictures she had the name star I had given her that first grade year, this little star motivated me to keep trying. I looked for emails and phone numbers, but I could't find anything.
After a few weeks, I started to lose hope, so I resorted to pray. "Lord if it is at all possible to see Lisbeth on her graduation day, I would be grateful, but if not please let her know she is loved by Mike and I in some way."
On her graduation day, Today, May 25th I decided it was not in the cards. I was disappointed, but I knew it did not mean I failed, I had loved her, prayed for her, and supported her in many ways and I would have to believe that would be enough.
Then at 8:30 in the morning TODAY, Lisbeth's mother reached out to me in a text. She sent a picture of the high schools graduation. She let me know she appreciated Mike and I and the love we gave her daughter. That Lisbeth loved us and still talked about us.
I am not a crier, but as her graduation pictures started coming in, I bawled like a baby, the tears poured down. Is this the little girl I taught, now a beautiful young woman.
I let the family know how thankful I was to receive their message and how I had been desperately trying to reach out to one of them. I asked if there was anyway we could see her today or this weekend as we had letters we had both written her. The next text made me cry more as she responded,
I called Mike and he immediately left small group and we responded to her parents that we were headed down to her graduation.
We all quickly walked toward the entrance of graduation. It was packed. I knew if I had just come to find her in the crowd without her mother's text we would never be able to find her. I let them know we were under a tent and a few minutes later I could see them walking towards us. I quickly took my girls hands and met them. Lisbeth did not know we were there as her parents made it a surprise. She looked just as she did when she was a little girl, but this time she was a beautiful young lady.
We both looked at each other and had huge smiles, both with a few tears in our eyes. I got to talk to her and tell her how proud I am. She is headed to The University of Alabama and will be Bama bound. Mike and I always knew she continued to work hard after elementary school.
As we left her mother and I hugged. Her mother told me, "I am not sure what happened, but a week ago, Lisbeth said I really miss Mr. and Mrs. Stanton, they were very special to me." I told her thank you for listening to the prompt and reaching out to me.
Being a teacher is a wonderful job and it's one I cherish, but if you are a teacher you know there are times it is tough...tougher than tough. And to be honest at times it can feel thankless. There can be moments that you ask yourself, is what I am doing really matter, do I make a real difference....not just in a day, but in the lives of these children who one day become adults.
Then there are moments like Today, miraculous moments where you truly see you mattered.
You mattered to a family and you mattered to a student. I could not be more grateful for this moment.
I have been blessed and I will never forget it. Mike and I will be printing this picture for our future classrooms.
Why? Because the picture of all of us shows Mike and I teamed up and made a difference in the life of a child. We will look back on that picture many times in the coming years because there will be those days where we need to see the bigger picture.
Life in the classroom can be made up of many small moments. These moments can often seem mundane and routined, but throughout the days, weeks, months, and years those small moments become a bigger picture.
What we do in those small daily moments matter for the big picture. When we are in them we don't always see the impact, but years later we might get the chance to look back and finally see it. See the little girl become a strong woman who shines her light out.
Today Mike and I took a small part in her journey and for me that moment, that journey, is priceless.
Educators and Parents keep up the fight in those small moments because you will make a difference in the bigger picture more than you will ever know.
To My Lisbeth:
You have a heart of gold! Keep shining that light for all to see. How bright the world is with you in it. I love you and I will always be here cheering you on! -Mrs. Stanton
Alana Stanton is a kindergarten and technology specials teacher at Mulberry Elementary in Gwinnett County, Georgia. She has taught several grades over her 14 year career including K-3 literacy special, first grade, second grade, and kindergarten. Alana believes that relationships always come first in the classroom and the classroom should be a place where students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. She currently writes for her blog, More Than A Lesson where she shares the stories of her classroom and her heart.
Twitter: @stantonalana
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