Children are Gods Gift to the World

I am not quite sure what it is... but when I have that special connection with a child, whether it is one I have taught or not I get really attached and fall in love... Tyshawn is one of those children. I taught him last year and saying goodbye to him at his Preschool graduation was really hard! I caught my self actually tear up a little bit and had to suck those tears right back in because we had to sing the ABC rap song! His mom told me that I needed to come see him this summer and we exchanged phone numbers.... I had been thinking about him a lot recently and finally called his mom. She said, Ms. Todddddddddd I am so glad you called Tyshawn asks where you are EVERY morning! Right then I thought to my self, "Unbelievable how I have had such an impact on one child, even through the discipline that I had to utilize at some points, it really shows you how much of the little things that you do for them they remember the most."

I went to go see him Last week, and I was a little early so I called his mother to tell her I was there. She was on the phone and said that they just went to the store but they were coming up around the corner. Meanwhile I could hear Tyshawn in the background saying, "Ms. Toddddddddd, DON'T LEAVE IM COMING, IM COMING IM COMING!" He is hilarious. I spent an hour or so with him, he showed me his house and his toys and his kitchen and he danced for me, he hugged and kissed me and danced some more. I have never seen such a LIT UP child before in my life.

I am so thankful for Tyshawn, and the bond that we have together. I am thankful that he has inspired me to not give up on my teaching career, event though it has been a slow and steady road to get to where I actually want to be. I am thankful for Giraffes, because Tyshawn LOVES Giraffes. I always knew that you have to have a bond with a student, and actually establish that before you can teach them and they can learn, but Tyshawn is a true, real example of this and I love him even more for that. So hear is to Tyshawn and impacting my life when he has no idea!

This last picture was taken at school when he was getting ready to go home one afternoon. Every morning, literally, every morning when I got him out of the car, he would give me my kiss and I would carry him inside even though he's clearly capable of walking I just had to get my Tyshawn love in, what can I say. At least he was still in preschool, because I would have had to nip that one in the bud if we were in Kindergarten :)