Lessons that inner city kids have taught me.

Hamilton

Some of my students are raised by single parents, step-parents, or grandparents who either live off welfare cheques or struggle to make ends’ meet to avoid government assistance. About half of them live in Hamilton community housing. All of their parents are immigrants who came to Canada in search of a better life, wanting their children to pursue an education higher than their own.

So when the odds of succeeding are stacked up against them, one may ask, what’s the silver lining here? Well for one, I get to witness first-hand when students flourish and excel academically and socially. I get to be an added voice during child-parental conflicts or student-teacher strife. I get to celebrate little victories and grieve hardships and setbacks all the time.

Standing alongside one of Hamilton’s most under-served communities has been a privilege for me because it has given me a real opportunity to see how the bottom majority in our city lives. Their unique personalities, stories and genuine struggles have helped shape and confirm my values and have made me think differently about personal disappointments and challenges. I am more thankful for the upbringing I had, and feel more responsible to bridge the growing gap in the city between the haves and have-nots.
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