I had my first student today teaching ESL. She is a lovely 27-year-old woman from Syria who has two beautiful children. When I arrived at her home she greeted me with orange juice in a wine glass and a huge smile. Her darling 2-year-old daughter ran through the house while her son cried for attention. I know it sounds very loud but it was like music. She got her son and he immediately stopped crying. We then started our English lesson. As I began to teach for a split second I flashed back to a my second grade teacher who advised me my brain was a waste. She discouraged me…