The Curious Talent of Madam Esperanza!

Drifting like a Kite without a String:

Rebecca, a High School Senior, was having a hard time maintaining her grades. Her parents' divorce made her life more complicated, as she had to share time between two homes.

As a teenage girl, life was difficult enough, and now she felt like she didn't belong anywhere, not even in her own home. She often cried on the bus ride to school as she missed her old life when her parents were together and her Dad would drive her to school. She had become an angry and depressed teen. This terrible combination made it harder for her to focus and learn.

Rebecca was a talented writer who created fascinating fictional worlds and entertaining and inspiring characters. However, she had lost her spark of creativity and was merely going through the motions of life. Her dream of becoming a published writer seemed unattainable. Her immediate plans were to work at a local convenience store where her friend was working. She wanted to move out of her house and start living an independent adult life, and the idea of graduating High School was not a high priority. Her promising future to become a writer would now be uncertain without the right kind of guidance, encouragement, and further education.

Zombies and Backpacks:

Life at Royal Palm High School moved at a sluggish pace for students who lacked the drive to learn. Rebecca was one of these students who felt lonely and disconnected. A lack of motivation had taken hold over many students, who preferred to spend their days in mental isolation, even as their physical bodies walked around campus. Their minds were lost in indecision, uncertainty, and low self-esteem, feeling like the train of opportunity was leaving them behind. They felt tied up at the knees, unable to run after this train.

For these students, casual conversations with friends or teachers were rare, limited to mere "Hellos" and "Goodbyes." For many, the thought of actively participating in face-to-face conversations would paralyze them; instead, they would put in their earbuds and tune out their surroundings, finding solace in the sounds and images in their phones, which they kept creatively tucked inside their hoodies away from the teachers' eyes. The mundane imagery of everyday life outside their phone screens was insufficient to keep their attention.

They arrived in class feeling exhausted, and all they could think about was the sweet sound of the bell ringing at the end of the school day. Some did the bare minimum to avoid getting in trouble with their teachers. The first period was usually the most difficult, as the markings of their bedsheets were still visible on their faces. Yawning was a familiar sound throughout the day, but during the first period, it was particularly prevalent. With students struggling to stay awake, even the teacher couldn't escape the yawning bug.

Teachers knew that teaching early in the morning was like attempting to wake up zombies from their trance. Nevertheless, the other five periods were not much better. Teaching half-asleep students who lack interest in learning was a daily challenge. It took persistence and dedication to make a difference and help these students overcome their indifference toward their fast-approaching futures. However, with great effort and patience, teachers can sometimes break through the walls of apathy and awaken the young souls slumbering in disinterest.

The New Teacher!

During the morning announcement, which was almost a non-event for most students, as they would ensure that their earbuds were tightly on and volume at the highest level, mainly when the Principal spoke. On this particular day, the Principal made a special announcement: "Today, I am pleased to welcome our new teacher, Ms. Lespérance. She will be teaching French and will also be offering math tutoring after school. Please join me in welcoming Ms. Lespérance to our school."

Ms. Lespérance was born in a small town in Haiti and lived in several countries around the world. Her passion for teaching began as she tutored children from a young age. She was a brilliant woman, elegant and refined. She looked like she belonged in the pages of a fashion magazine. She was tall, with long black hair and beautiful dark skin that revealed her proud African ancestry. She was charismatic, with a sense of mystery that fascinated everyone she met.

Her true calling was to nurture and develop young minds. She felt a sense of accomplishment when she saw her students thriving and flourishing inside and outside school. Her Resume was filled with numerous awards and accolades from peers, superiors, and, most importantly, her former students.

Ms. Lespérance was a remarkable individual and could have easily been the Principal at any school; the other teachers were puzzled to see someone with such an impressive background choosing to work with the kids who were failing or had behavioral issues.

BabySteps - It All Begins with Trust:

"Welcome, students. I am your new French teacher. My name is Ms. Lespérance, but you can call me Ms. Le.

For our first exercise today, I would like you to put on the blindfold you see on your desk, stand up, and move to the music you hear."

Some students started giggling as expected, while others complained that they hadn't signed up for a dance class.

"I understand this may be different and unexpected, especially during the first period, but we are all wearing blindfolds, so nobody is watching you move."

The music began playing; Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off." Most students couldn't resist the beat and started dancing in place while laughing hysterically. They danced for about ten minutes; some students were peeking under the blindfold to see their fellow students dance; this was highly entertaining and unusual, especially for a first-period class where most students were always half asleep.

"We will now introduce ourselves, but you must keep the blindfold on. I will tap you on the shoulder when it's your turn. If you're uncomfortable with this, you can pretend you're talking to someone on your phone," said Ms. Le.

Each student took turns introducing themselves and sharing their favorite hobbies to break the ice; even though they knew each other's names, they hardly knew anything about each other. One of the students inquired about when they would start learning French. Ms. Le laughed and responded, "We cannot start learning until we have opened the doors of our minds. Let's focus on that first, and then we will begin our lessons."

There were very few formal lessons during the first three weeks of class. Instead, Ms. Le had the students engage in various activities, such as walking together in the hallway, watching inspiring movies about hope and resilience, writing short paragraphs about what they were grateful for that day, and sharing more about themselves, but now without the blindfold. At first, these were challenging activities as this group of students was deemed "A lost cause." They were the most difficult students in the senior class. They were all failing their grade, and visits to the Principal's office were the norm. 

Ms. Le's class would always start with a ten-minute session of blindfolded dancing, a popular activity that other teachers began to follow. Ms. Le would ask the students to close their eyes and visualize themselves doing what they aspire to be in the future. They were asked to imagine themselves ten years into the future and visualize success in their desired career path. This was the most demanding activity of all. Most students couldn't see their future and felt stuck in the school hallways like aimless ghosts.

However, this group of misfits started feeling more comfortable expressing themselves and interacting with their peers. Little by little, they were no longer intimidated or uncomfortable with the extended gaze of others. They learned how to engage in simple discussions and enjoy each other's company without realizing it.

But there was still the issue of low morale and bad grades among these students, including Rebecca. These students had been struggling for many years due to fear and insecurity holding them back. Ms. Le knew that to turn things around, she needed the assistance of "Madam Esperanza," her secret weapon.

Meeting Madam Esperanza!

Ms. Lespérance had a unique ability that her mother passed down to her. She belonged to a long line of clairvoyants who had the power to see the future of a person by merely touching their hands. She could also show individuals their future by asking them to place their hands on a crystal ball that had been gifted to her by her grandmother, a famous psychic from Haiti.

Ms. Le kept this gift secret, never wanting anyone to think she would use it for her benefit, but she felt compelled to use it to inspire students struggling with their self-worth and sense of direction. As a result, she created "Madam Esperanza," an ingenious and comical character, to camouflage her powers but still be able to use them to help students see the future ahead of them.

She introduced Madam Esperanza to her students in a casual and uneventful way. Students didn't think much of it, as they were used to her unique ways of teaching. She informed them that each student would have a private session with "Madam Esperanza" to discuss their future aspirations and dreams. These sessions would serve as a type of career counseling to help them verbalize their aspirations. She would dress up as a Fortune Teller to make the sessions entertaining and bring her crystal ball to help them focus. The Principal was informed and agreed to this peculiar method.

The First Session:

During the first session with Madam Esperanza, the teens were extremely excited to meet this unique character. They had great teachers at the school but never encountered anyone like Ms. Le before, willing to go to great lengths to connect with her students, even if it meant doing something completely unconventional.

Each student was called into a classroom now transformed into a mystical and spiritual place. The main table was adorned with candles, and the scent of incense permeated the room. Madam Esperanza welcomed the students with a handshake as they entered the room. The students didn't realize that this was her way of connecting with their souls, uncovering their past and the future they held hidden within their young hearts, a future they couldn't see under the many layers of insecurity and doubt.

Rebecca was the first to enter the room; she saw Ms. Le dressed as a fortune teller, which made her giggle. When Madam Esperanza held Rebecca's hand, she had a vision of her childhood. Rebecca had been a happy little girl with big dreams of becoming a writer. However, her bright light faded after her parent's difficult divorce, and her dreams became less clear. Eventually, she stopped dreaming and was drifting like a boat without a sail.

Madam Esperanza saw that Rebecca's future looked bleak if she continued on this path. She saw beautiful Rebecca working day and night, bagging groceries at the local supermarket, and never again picking up a notepad to write her stories.

Madam Esperanza instructed Rebecca to place her hands on the crystal ball. She then asked her to close her eyes and imagine her desired future. Ms. Lespérance knew that revealing the bleak future she faced would only demotivate her even more. Instead, she showed her the potential future she could achieve if she altered her present actions.

Rebecca followed the instructions, and as soon as she touched the crystal ball, she traveled ten years into the future. She saw herself as an acclaimed writer, traveling the world and promoting her books; this vision felt real and fantastic. Tears ran down her freckled face as she was overwhelmed by the experience. She opened her eyes and exclaimed, "Oh wow, that was incredible; it felt so real!"

"Absolutely, it's real! Now, close your eyes and place your hands back on the crystal ball. This time, you'll witness yourself taking action towards achieving your dreams." Rebecca closed her eyes and visualized herself always arriving on time to school, never missing a day, and submitting her homework on time. She also saw herself volunteering at the local library, reading to young children to inspire a love for books in them. In this vision, she showed respect and kindness to her parents and teachers, knowing that it was the right thing to do. She saw herself working with her friends at the supermarket, but only as a part-time job while pursuing her college degree. This exciting future was entirely within reach; all she had to do was follow the path and take action towards her dreams.

After their session with Madam Esperanza, the teens were thrilled and bewildered. She explained to them that the visions they experienced were created by their own consciousness, revealing their full potential and what was possible with a little bit of hard work and dedication. However, she never mentioned that her magical powers also influenced these visions.

Show Them the Way!

Ms. Lespérance's class graduated with top honors. With the help of some magic and creativity, she showed them their future and took the time to inspire and mentor them. She also volunteered to tutor them after class,

She showed them how to write their first Resume, even if they had never worked before, and conducted practice interviews to prepare them for future job hunting. Also, she encouraged other teachers to conduct parent workshops to help them navigate the confusing college enrollment process and ensure the kids continue their education.

Ultimately, the success of the students at the Royal Palm High School was no magic trick; it was all hard work, determination, and love from dedicated teachers who truly cared. 

Every day, all around the world, teachers make a positive impact on children's lives through hard work and commitment; these are their magical powers.

Let's show our appreciation for these extraordinary individuals!

For my dear friend Carolina, the best teacher I know!