This entry I am going to talk about another perennial of the garden besides the cone flower. But first of all, why are they called perennials when they bloom every year and annuals don’t…like shouldn't annuals bloom every year? They annually bloom, haha.
Ok, meet Stella. I taught Stella a couple of years ago. She is now in second grade and flourishing. Every day she drops and picks up her brother from my classroom; he is an amazing young boy so maybe in a couple of years I’ll be writing about him too. She is another why–my daisy why. Back story before I talk about Stella.
Kindergarten graduation for Stella with Mrs. Griebel, myself, Magdalena and Profe Ana
A few years ago kindergarten classes were located with 1st-4th grade classes. 5th grade was across the street with preschool. Then the administration decided that it would be better and more appealing to families if we moved the kindergarten across the street and had a kinder center (preschool and kindergarten). This move and transition was extremely hard for me (I mentioned it in my first entry). I loved being a part of the community–seeing my past students every day, seeing my co-workers who some of them were my best friends and feeling a part of something big. This also was during COVID where teaching was different. We wore masks, we were teaching remotely some of the time, we had half the size of classrooms, it was just hard. But last year and this year I truly have felt the isolation. COVID is not much of a thing anymore so we were back to normal teaching. So fast forward to this year, 2023/24 school year. I am at the kinder center and have a student who has a sibling I had a couple of years ago…Stella. Oh Stella (I asked her parents if I could use her real name and they said yes).
Every day Stella drops her brother off at kindergarten; well most days unless she decides to jump in the line to head right away across the street. When she does drop her brother off, Stella talks to me. Like really talks to me. Our conversations are all in Spanish and it’s amazing. She is another why–my daisy why. I planted that seed a couple of years ago and every year she blossoms even more. She asks how I am, she asks if I am going to Florida soon, she talks to me about school, her family and of course she asks how her brother is doing (this one makes me laugh because if I say something he needs to work on she says his name just like how a parent would say it), she truly asks about me. Co-workers often say it looks like I am having a conversation with another adult and that is exactly how it is. Stella has not only blossomed with her Spanish and obviously with her social interaction skills but also her academics. It has been fun to see her grow to become a tall, beautiful daisy.
So why does this second grader care so much about me? Because I care about her so much. I care about all my students sooo much. They are my children. People often ask do you have kids? I respond and say I have 20 (or however many I have that school year). They are my why’s. My past students. My daisies. I have a past student who now attends college where I went (Gusties will shine tonight, Gusties will shine). I have a past student who stopped driving and yelled out of his car Srta. Becky cómo estás? I have past students who now work at LILA in the before and after school program. I have a past student who was a para in my classroom.
Thank you Stella. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. You truly are going to do something great in this crazy world–along with all of my other past students! You all are my why’s. My daisies.
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