Teacher "Mom"

Did you ever have that embarrassing moment in school when you would accidentally call your teacher "mom"? It's mortifying, but I'm sure it's happened to a lot more people than you'd imagine. I even went so far as to call my mom by my teacher's name on accident a few times.

It makes sense, however, you spend a great deal of time around both figures in your life, you eventually get a little confused right?

Last week we went on field trips with our students. I accompanied the first graders on their trip to make soap dishes out of clay at a nearby culture center. Afterwards, we headed to a park close to the center to enjoy our picnic lunch and the gorgeous weather.

As the trip finished and we loaded all the students onto the bus, one of my students lingered behind to grab my hand and walk with me.

"Teacher, you are like mom," my student said.

"Why do you say that?" I replied.

"Because you love me like mom. And I don't have mom, so you are like mom."

What do you say in a moment like that? This little girl barely sees her parents, lives with her grandparents, and her mom lives in a completely different city. I couldn't imagine what it must be like for her at home, but I can understand where she is coming from.

To see the world through child's eyes again…