Beautiful Innocence

This summer I am participating in a summer writing workshop for teachers... You can follow the prompts at Katemessner.com or #TeachersWrite. I do not have the ability to share the writing prompts or inspiration behind them - but, please check out the authors that are providing this in-service for teachers -- FREE! (Purchase a book or two from them!) I'm not sure what I will be writing about -- going to let the prompts sink in and bubble up from with-in. Follow if you like, leave comments if you wish. Almost 3 years ago, I was a 3rd grade teacher... new to the grade level (I had previously taught 4th and 5th) and eager to begin a new year with a class of 29 babies. (They were so little!) I remember going through registration and meeting Aliahna Lemmon for the very first time. She was a tiny spitfire of a little girl whom her mom was warning me about... she has anger issues, she broke my rib when she was mad at me, be careful with her... all a bit odd for someone so tiny. I remember the sweet twinkle in her eye and knew that we were going to be ok. I would not have issues with this beautiful little girl. The school year started and I began noticing deficiencies in Ali's work. Writing was a struggle for her. Her number sense was not grounded. Reading was difficult. I began spending more time with her in small groups and looking for resources to help. She was not afraid of hard work. She never got frustrated. She always persevered and gave me the BEST of what she had, with a smile. She was recommended for a speech/ hearing evaluation by mom and soon Ali was wearing hearing aids and glasses. (I still have her batteries in my desk drawer.) Aliahna had two sisters in Kindergarten at our school. Anytime we were in the hallway and her sisters would pass by, she would always ask permission to step out of line to hug them. She absolutely adored her little sisters. She was very protective of them on the playground, always mothering them. Beauty is a strange thing, one can find beauty in the most unusual places: sunsets, birds chirping, the love of another... For me, I found beauty in her eyes, in her spirit, and in the way she loved her sisters. She had a beautiful innocence.