Ever since my mom, Donna Ellison, started teaching in the middle school here at Stratford Academy, my life has been different.

Having her nearby results in some very good things and some very bad things.

Mom was a tutor and long-term substitute before being hired full-time in 2014, when I was in the fifth grade.

The next year, my mom taught sixth-grade English, and I was in her class.

It was always different for me because when anything went wrong, my mom was always a classroom away.

Some good things of having her at Stratford, is sometimes, I tend to forget my homework. We do not have a working printer, so before class, I will be able to run over to her classroom and print it out before that class begins.

It is also very nice when you become sick at school. Being sick is never fun, but when I feel bad, I can go to her during her planing period and sit down for a little while.

When she taught me, our relationship was a little bit of a love/hate relationship. I am not the best English student in the entire world, so I did make some mistakes in that class. Sometimes, I would not be so happy about the grade I got, but she couldn’t do anything about it.

My mom knew that even though I was her daughter, she couldn’t do anything about my grade. I also knew that no matter how frustrated I was with this class, neither of us could do anything about it.

In the end, I really did love having my mom as a teacher. It may not have been so good in the moment, but I couldn’t have asked for another English teacher that year.

Along with having my mom as my teacher in sixth grade, she is also the JV cheer coach. Having my mom there has been one of my favorite experiences this year.

I love getting to spend time with her at practice after, as I am now in high school, I do not get to see her as much. Her being at all of the games and practices make me and my mom both very happy.

Over all, having my mom here all day may seen like it would be no fun, I love having my mom here at Stratford Academy.