Angels Around Me

I never believed that there Angels around me. I knew since my childhood that if I want to get something I have to work hard to be able my dream came true.
When I came to the USA in 1995 my relatives told me that I won’t be able to work in Public School without License. What is License? How to get it? I had no idea.
One of my cousins advised me to go to Shorefront Y  to ask for a job. So I came to Shorefront and met a man, who was the director of ESL Program. We talked for a while and he asked me to teach students to see if he would hire me.
I saw his warm and kind eyes and felt as if he sent me his energy. Of course, I knew my teaching was strange and weird to him. But… he didn’t say a single negative word and gave me part time job in his department.
I can’t explain why and how I felt his support. He became my Angel. I didn’t see him very often but I felt his support. And I, who is very shy by nature, was not afraid to come to him for help. Sometimes my questions were strange if not to say stupid, but Larry (or Larrichka, as I called him by myself) listened to me very attentively, helped me and supported me. He has never ever said “it’s wrong or you’re wrong”. I only heard words “you’re great but I would try to do this or that way” and after such words I was ready to move the world.
I wanted to get American Education and entered Brooklyn College. I studied only on Saturdays. Every Monday Larrichka asked me about my classes. When my very first day in college was a disaster, when I couldn’t understand what my teacher was talking about and so I made up my mind to drop out  college, again my Boss-Friend-Teacher came to me and talked as if I was a first grader, who was afraid of going to school. I still today remember his words “Please, go to college once more time and if you still don’t understand the teacher then we’ll think what else we could do to keep you there!”
Larrichka not only asked me about college, he was always eager to help me, change my schedule so I would be able to study.
So in 2002 I became State Certified Teacher only thanks to Larrichka’s help and support.
And now, after 22 years of teaching at Shorefront Y, I realized how funny my first lesson looked like.
There were a lot of examples when my Boss-Friend-Teacher took part in my life. But as for me, I saw a kind, caring person, friend but never ever a Boss.
I became a real American teacher with MSED degree in education and Literacy Center Nomination Award Nominee only because Larrichka believed in me and understood my soul and heart.
Without Angel Larrichka I wouldn’t be me.
We don’t see angels around us. They are invisible. But we feel them!
One of Angels in my American life appeared around me 22 years ago. He came to monitor our program. When he came to my class, at first I had feeling that it was the end of my teaching carrier. But I met a handsome young man with a smile on his kind face. He irradiated kindness and warmth. He spent almost 40 minutes in my class. It took place in 1996, a year after I arrived in the USA and 8 months since I’ve started to teach at Shorefront Y.
I felt his support. He didn’t tell me anything bad. He didn’t tell me that my way of teaching was funny. He only said, “Come to my workshops, if you like. You’ll meet with other ESL teachers. We share our findings and new methods and strategies.” It was you, Nick. And I still vividly remember that day as if it was only yesterday.
And I became a participant of your workshops. At the beginning I was afraid even to participate in dialogues and discussions. I felt my English was not a real one. It was very poor English.  After the first several workshops I realized how strange I looked in class. My methods and strategies were not appropriate for adult ESL students. But you didn’t even show it on your face.
Since that time I have been doing my best to implement what you taught us at the workshops in my classes.
I realized I needed more education and entered Brooklyn College. And at the same time I tried not to miss any of the workshops. I should say, though I got my MSED but you gave me much more. And I’m and always will be very thankful to you, Nick.
You nominated me to the Literacy Center Nomination Award! I got this “Oscar” (for me it is “Oscar”!!!).
I have been a participant of your workshops for …22 years. I have never ever felt bored or tired. Your workshops are real super first class shows for ESL teachers. I have never ever left the workshop without any new ideas or findings.