This document summarizes the experiences and lessons learned by a second year middle school ESL teacher. It describes her initial preconceptions about teaching, which did not consider that teachers can and will make mistakes. It then details her experiences teaching two Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE), and how she engaged them by drawing on their life experiences. The teacher also discusses a lesson analyzing paintings that did not go well at first, but which she was able to redesign successfully. The key lessons highlighted are that teachers should properly assess student skill levels before new lessons, and it is okay to acknowledge and learn from mistakes.