Lisela and I have had quite the journey since the first day of school in September. Her many behavioral problems were disruptive and in all honesty drove me crazy. I found myself having to discipline her again and again - but much to my dismay, there was no change. One day, after witnessing the environment in which she lives, I realized the behavioral problems were occurring because I didn't truly KNOW where she came from. She acts out for attention but what she needs is love. Since that realization in October, I understand how important it is to hold her, to tell her how much I love her, how much God loves her and how beautiful she is. And because she is showered with positive attention, she doesn't need to act out negatively.
Needless to say, today she is an entirely different student in the classroom. Some would say we are BFFs. Now, I wouldn't say she is an angel...I mean, look at her face...
She is always up to something. But that's why I love her. She's mischievous, she never stops talking and that intelligent little brain of hers has picked up on my apparently over-used English phrase, "Oh my gosh"...and yes, she says it with a valley girl accent. Her impression was so hysterical that I taught her to say "Profe Kim is my homegirl" for my own amusement. But in reality, Lisela is my homegirl.
