The Daughter I Never Had

Kate-Lynn's story is truly inspirational and it is the first story by a teacher. It unfolds the sense of family and closeness that could be created as a teacher. As a teacher, you may never know how just a few words that you say could positively impact their lives forever.



" I have been a teacher for about twenty three years. Many children have passed through my hands with both positive and negative outcomes. However, four years ago, I had the greatest experience that I have ever had during my years of teaching. On my first day in a new school, I was met with the usual resentment that comes with the loss of a favored teacher and the introduction of a new one. Owing to the fact that I was not as young and stylish as their previous teacher I was not ver welcomed. For the first week the children barely paid much attention to me. It was like teaching teddy bears. They just looked at me and hardly ever responded to anything that I said.

Anyway to cut a long story short (I tend to get too caught up with my own stories) there was this particular girl in the class who just did not seem to fit in the sense that she was not really being resentful but she appeared to be in her own world all the time and she always looked as if she wanted to cry. Concerned, I asked her to stay back for a few minutes after school. i enquired as to the reason for her distance in thougt butshe maintained that everything was fine. A few days later I gathered from another studentclearly looking for mischief that the girl lived in a tailer park, her mother was a drunk and drug addict and she had been sexually molested on prrevious occasions by the men that frequented their trailer. Also, I learnt that she worked at a fast food restaurant in order to put herself through school.

My persistence eventually led ****** to finally confess that eveything was true and that she was contemplating suicide.My first innitiative was to contact the wellfare department who thankfully dealth with the issue in due timing by placing her in a foster home. However, i felt a connection between us that urged me to adopt her. She is so intelligent and mannerly and hardworking that she fit the description of the child that I always imagined but could never get. I eventually adopted her and made her my daughter. She even carries my surname. Today, she is at law school persuing a degree in Civil Law and she is a straight A student. I am so proud of her and thankful that I met her for she made up abundantly for the daughter I never had and never will be able to get."

Being a mother is more than just doing the basic provision of necesities. Whether bilogical or non- biological, your child needs your support metally and immotionally and if you let them down then they will trust no one to be on their side.

Such a sad story with a beautiful ending or continuance  I should say. As teachers, we sometimes do not even realise the difference that just showing our concern can make in a child's life. There are signs that we miss and opportunities that we neglect to take. We may believe that it is the job of the parent but we must bear in mind that sometimes there is no support at home and the students depend on us for nurturing. So as you go about your career as a teacher, look for signs of a child that is crying out for help and please do not ignore that call.

A caring smile and persistent concern is all that it takes.