For 2 years, while teaching Kindergarten, I had an adorable little teaching assistant named Ms. Elvia. She was a sweet grandmother type from Mexico City with beautiful skin, and her head came up to my shoulders. She barely spoke any English, just the basics to communicate with the kids. My favorite moment was when when she tried telling the kids to paint the picture "Yellow" and it would come out "Jello." The small group of 5 year olds would look at her completely bewildered as they looked for Jello on thier tables.
Each morning Ms. Elvia would come in at 8:30 and give me a big hug. How many co-workers do you have that hug you each morning? Ms. Elvia knew when I would become stressed out after Thursday morning reading sessions (there's only so many times you can say, "Let's sound it out" beofre your brain turns to mush, especially with the kids that aren't the sharpest tool in the shed, if you know what I mean.). She'd calmly whisper in broken English, "Go take a walk Miss Chris. They did good job. We be fine." That was my cue to go visit with the owners or just walk around the school.
Each quarter I would do statistics to determine which student was progressing with thier letters, sounds, and reading overall. I would share my findings with Ms. Elvia about a student that once was struggling but now was comprehending. She throw her arms up in the air and say, "That's great! You doing such good job." She was my own personal cheerleader!
When I started to lose weight and began drinking as much water as I could hold in me, Ms. Elvia's morning hugs became accompanied with 2 bottles of water, everyday! She'd just bring them in without me asking or expecting them. When I started to lose the weight and tell her that I had lost 2 pounds here or 4 pounds there, she'd throw here arms up in the air again. "You doing great job!" I miss Ms. Elvia. I wish I had her in my life right now. I wish she would come to my house every morning with a bottle of water. I wish she's see some task Wyatt could do and throw her arms in the air and say "You doing a great job!"
3 comments:
gr8 job on the blog couture!!!! ;)
What a cute experience. We could all use a Ms. Elvia in our lives :) Best of luck.... and yes you are doing a great job!
Thanks for sharing your experience. I miss Ms. Elvia, too. However, I have two Ms. Elvias in my life and one would be you. You are always boosting me up when I need it and don't hesitate to tell it like it is. You always know what I need. I do want to tell you that I don't always comment on your pages, but I do read them weekly to keep up with your life. You are a great mother, wife, and friend. You are my idol. I realized this the other day when I brought out a book to read to my class and they asked if it was Ms. Chris' book. I guess I talk about you a lot. Feel good about yourself and if you ever need a boost, look at your son. He is a great kid and a reflection of you. Love you!
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