Teachers who inspire leave a stirring impression on their students that can last a lifetime.
Among the ones who stand out is Lakeisha Brown, a black American teacher in the U.S. capital who turns her kindergarten classroom into a fun place where children can dance and get smart at the same time.
Lakeisha has been teaching for over four years at the Lafayette Elementary School in Northwest D.C.
On February 27, 2019, she was named Washington D.C. Teacher of the Year by the District of Colombia State Board of Education.
The award hailed her teaching method that she describes as "out of the box."
It starts with a meeting on the floor mat in the middle of the classroom, and on to a weather report done by the kids.
It also includes reading and dancing sessions where the kids are free to express themselves.
She says, "My students do the teaching rather than me doing it," .
"You will see them leading the classroom, asking questions to each other.
"Some of the children who are shy and reserved don't have their voices heard.
"So I [start] selecting them just to make sure that they are also coming out of their shell as well."
She adds, "I allow the classroom to flow in the eyes of my student and now in my adult eyes.
"They have so much energy and talent."
CHARACTER FORMED BY ADVERSITY
Lakeisha had a dismal childhood, a nine-year-old looking after her mother who was dying of AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a sexually-transmitted disease that many people consider taboo up to now.
in her interview by Caroline Patrickis of U.S. news channel ABC7, Lakeisha narrates the terrible experiences that motivated her to be the teacher that she is now.
She tells ABC7, "I grew up in a household where my mom was dying of AIDS.
"People who were your friends were no longer allowed to be your friends and we became that family."
In school, Lakeisha was looked down upon—both by her classmates and her teachers.
She continues, "They counted me out. They didn't put a lot of focus on African Americans, and that we could go to college or push us to take AP classes,"
"I was teased, and I was bullied, and I struggled."
Sadly, her teachers were just as harsh.
She recounts, "Being up the night before and taking care of a sick parent, my teachers were always mad that I was late.
"They didn't take the time to give me a moment."
When her mom passed away, Lakeisha became a homeless waif using her mom's car as shelter.
But she had in her the seed of a woman of character she would grow up to be, the determination to triumph over adversity.
PHOTO: Screenshot from DC EdFund on Youtube
I COUNT, YOU COUNT
This Lakeisha believes, that the world deserves people who see and nurture the good in others.
She says, "I told myself I want to be a teacher that counts every child who thinks that everyone can make it.
"A girl from a small town who had a really rough upbringing could possibly win too.
"I didn't count myself out. It's a moment that I will never forget."
She relates in a video posted by DC Public Education Fund uploaded on their YouTube channel on February 12, 2019, "When I was younger, I decided that I wanted to be a teacher.
"Because I didn't want the other kids to feel the same way that I felt growing up and that I was gonna be a teacher who puts students first, and just to make sure that my students know that they are loved."
And her young students at the Lafayette Elementary School love her, too, and eager to spend time with her in school.
"I like coming in to see Ms. Brown. She lets us have fun, but she keeps getting our brains smarter." says Emily, one of her students.
"I like that she inspires you to never give up," adds her student Bella.