As a child, I struggled hard to hide my family life from friends and teachers. No one knew that I often came home to an empty refrigerator or did homework by candlelight. I often reflect on this when dealing with children. When a child misbehaves, I know that their behavior is a form of communication and it is up to me to decipher what they are really trying to say. It may be a cry for help in some way and far be it from me to ignore it by addressing only the superficial behavior. As a child, I desperately wanted to tell someone what was happening within the walls of my home, but no one asked or showed me the caring compassion I would need to open up about my experiences. I truly believe this is what led me to be a teacher and a leader. I needed to make my students' lives the best they could be. My goal at the beginning of each school year, if nothing else, was to make my children feel loved and safe. Students whose lives were similar to the one I experienced were especially close to my heart. Maybe I didn't know exactly what they were facing when they came home each night, but I wanted to make sure that their days were the best they could be and that they had someone who loved and cared about them and that nothing they said or did would could have done it. never change