However, in the end are the few words I must use that validate the deeper intent of my visual work.  I am yet to find a picture that can reflect the various tones in a feeling of love, appreciation, wander, or any other deeply personal experience, even if triggered by a visual stimuli. 

Over the years I have come to the conclusion for such unmet challenge is that is the viewer that fills the visuals with their own feelings as they enter their consciousness.  Hence pictures are like containers waiting for the viewer to fill them with meaning.  Therefore are the words that direct or influence the recipient to choose what to bring into the images.

Look above to these groups of people and what do you see?  A bunch of people smiling at a camera all wearing similar T-shirts who, apparently assuming by the title  are part of an ESL academy.

To bring into these images more of the viewer's contribution to these images some words must be included.

In a world were fear and stress for peace and survival appear to occupy more and more of our attention, there are, nevertheless some of those who still manage to put the future of our children above of all rest.  I am talking about Public School Teachers -- yes I intended to capitalize those words -- who day after day, year after year, class after class, heroically strive to better themselves to give their students a better opportunity for their future.  I witnessed true,  deep , and passionate desire in many of these wonderful people during the intense training at the academy to become the best teacher they can be.   I saw concern, hope, and tears of compassion for the suffering of the challenges that some sectors of our school student body endures every day across the schools of our country.

The various groups of humanity shown above in these images, are not just people, are not just teachers, are not just academies; they are the highest concentration of hope for the future of our school education system.  In a most honest, dedicated, and committed manner they have chosen of their own accord, to put themselves through one of the most powerful, yet demanding, learning programs available in the USA to make themselves capable to deal with the increasing classroom demands of our exploding ESL student sector. 

Twelve days of twelve hours each gemmed with information from the world's leading experts in the field of ESL education , and complemented with a rubric that will lead them through future projects to complete this journey, was their choice over a nice summer break so dearly earned and deserved.

Within the frames of the images above it is displayed a rare moment where the cream of the crop of the Arkansas Public School Teachers in the ESL field.  They all give so willingly of themselves in the hope of a better tomorrow for all of us.  To me, they are the silent heroes who go unseen and unrecognized in our everyday life.  They battle for the betterment of our own children's education and future while we -- most parents -- are too occupied at work to bring food and shelter to the family.  It is to them,  ESL teachers, to  whom  we can channel the hope of the immigrant families into great Americans of tomorrow.  The ESL teachers are among the best  spiritual enzymes of our multi-cultural society who transform hopes into possibility, dreams into reality, and dependence into dependability.

these are the teachers who put heart into their work, and their soul into their job and doing so bring great citizens into our communities.