My teacher inspires me when…I see Mrs. Ortega, the ESL teacher at Clement Elementary School in Autryville, teaching and preaching in the classroom and reaching out to the Latino community outside the school. Mrs. Ortega has helped bring two communities that were so far apart, closer enough to be engaged in the school conversation. Mrs. Ortega’s holistic views and eclectic pedagogy has inspired her teacher assistant to study to become a future ESL teacher. Mrs. Ortega stays after school way into the evening hours, reading, preparing, perfectioning her instruction; syncing iPods, iPads, updating her website, answering e-mails, doing translations, interpreting in endless and wordy IEP meetings. The ESL teacher inspires me when I see all I have to learn to be like her.