My junior year, my Spanish teacher was Señor Ochoa. He was
probably the best Spanish teacher in all 5 years of middle/high school Spanish.
He was energetic and friendly, and just a good teacher all around.
One day he told us his wife was expecting their first child,
and that it was a girl. We were all super excited! I, always looking out for
opportunities to earn some money, went to him one day after class and told him
that if he ever needed a babysitter I would be happy to take care of the baby.
I had no idea that it would turn into an actual job, but it did. A few
days/weeks later, Señor Ochoa asked me if I would babysit after school on a
regular basis until he got home. I don’t remember all the logistics, but I
think I rode the bus to his apartment (Oak Park, where I ended up living years
later after college), and his wife went to work and left the baby with me. Then
when Mr. Ochoa got home he either drove me home or my parents picked me up, I
don’t recall.
I thought it was really awesome and kind of weird that I got
to babysit like that for a teacher.
*On a side note, my friend Janae also had Mr. Ochoa, and he
was so impressed by her as a person that he and his wife named their baby girl
after her. They actually named her Yanet, which was pronounced just like Janae,
but with a Y sound in place of the J. Pretty cool honor, to have your teacher name
his baby after you!
