ABSTRACT
Most people who go into teaching do so for hopeful, even noble, reasons. Unfortunately, given the context in which they may find themselves when they begin teaching, especially if they teach in under resourced schools in marginalized communities, their enthusiasm sometimes dissipates or even disappears. Apathy and cynicism may follow. Yet, these negative attitudes get in the way of student learning. This chapter, originally written for a book on educators' changing ideas and values, recounts the author's own journey as a beginning teacher and, later, teacher educator, and describes how she was able to maintain her sense of hope "in spite of it all'. The Bilingual School was a place where language and culture were not only made visible but were also affirmed and celebrated. Parents were an essential part of the Bilingual School. They took part in hiring new teachers and in setting the overall climate of inclusion and advocacy in the school.
