4. Be open to surprises. Students will surprise you -- they will learn things you didn't
think they could learn, they will grow in ways you didn't expect. You might think that a particular
student will struggle later on (he's already been retained in second grade and he can't spell his own
name and clearly has a learning disability). Then ten years later you might find yourself at his high
school graduation hearing that he's been accepted to art college and there'll be tears ruining your
makeup and you didn't bring tissues and when he sees you he grins and gives you a huge hug and
says, "Ms. Aguilar, I'm so glad you came." You'll still be crying and telling him how proud you
are. It will truly be one of the most joyful days of your life. He was also in your classroom that
first year, when you thought you'd ruined them all. "You were really nice to me and you
encouraged me to draw," he says, and you beam.