While I was teaching at the Foundation, Iris introduced me to two lovely women who wanted English classes for their children, and so Daniel, Helena and Paula joined the list of students and young people who, over the years still hold a special place in my heart. 
The list have increased over the years, students who have become friends, young people who have called me to help them with their English and who have subsequently laid a claim to my heart. We´ve studied together, laughed together and even cried together... (Eva and her young son, Iván).  
I guess I owe my success as a teacher to the love and friendship I´ve built with my students and their families. We´ve succeeded because my heart is in my teaching and I consider my students´ good grades as a personal achievement, a trophy.
Simply put, I love my students and I love teaching. 
Two years later, by a stroke of luck and armed with a recommendation from Andy, an Association affliated with the Oficial School of Languages invited me to teach conversation classes to upper intermediate and advanced students during its summer courses, it was another milestone for me and I was over the moon. Things seemed to be getting better but I also knew it meant more hard work, so that I don´t let the people who believed in me down.
Yeah, sometimes, I´m that responsible... come on, I have my moments, just like the rest of us... I guess.
I met some beautiful people and I had my first "troublesome" student. Monica was a woman in her early 50s... and she was trouble. Big trouble! She wouldn´t participate in most of the activities, she had a hard time connecting with the rest of the group. In our "Getting to know you" class, she just had this really annoying smile on her face the whole time, like she knew something I didn´t, and hardly spoke at all. After the first week and several failed attempts to get her to open up and be active in class, I decided to ignore her the best I could... well, to tell the truth, I remembered the word, "empathy", and I concluded it may not be so rosy being fifty something, I mean with menopause and all...
I chanelled my energy to giving the 2 groups asigned to me the best I could, and at the end of the course, recommendations and accolades were pouring in. And yes, you´re right, Monica helped keep my feet on the ground with her criticisms, and she was surprised I took it so well. She had no idea!