#5 - It Takes a Village with Jaime Moreno

What would it take to call a teacher dad? When a student has no one to turn to or confide in, sometimes the surrogate parent they really need can come in the form of a teacher. Jaime Moreno takes the loss of his father and his experiences with great childhood coaches to shape his approach to teaching and his life. Jaime loves his students and respects them enough to treat them like he treats his own children: without pulling any punches. He extends his classroom beyond the walls of the school and opens his very home up to the nurturing spirit of teaching. With five foreign exchange daughters, his family feels they have found their mission. It has reshaped his marriage, his family, and his life. As Jaime says, "The reality is... I'm dad."

"If I can get a village of people to help me out and it raises an amazing child, who am I to argue with that village?

"Kids can read people better than adults can." 

"They don't want fluff. They want authenticity."

"If they feel like you're checking a box, they're not going to do anything for you."

"When a kid has no one they need someone, and sometimes the people that are the 'someone's' are the people in that building that they go to every day."

"A great mentor/teacher can have good meaningful conversations and that's what kids want."

"The more that you can grow a kid beyond what is in their general vicinity in the sense of their town or their neighborhood; if you can get them outside of that and experience more things, the better off the human being that you're cultivating."