Homeroom Teacher Became ‘Mom’ to her Second-Grade Pupil!
An Arkansas homeroom teacher opened her heart and her home to her pupil to offer her a forever home. Six years on from first meeting her daughter, Mary, she shares her heartwarming story with People.
Compassionate second grade teacher, Lexi McClelland, forged a deep connection with Mary, aged seven, one that led to her and her husband eventually providing the child with a permanent, loving home.
The Birth of an Unbreakable Bond
Today, McClelland believes, with hindsight, that her eventual adoption of her former pupil, Mary, was destiny, according to TODAY . “It felt like God led it… like she was meant to be in my life,” she told TODAY.
But back in 2020, when a young Mary joined her second-grade class, this caring teacher was simply impressed by the outgoing girl’s entertaining entrance to the class.
Back then, as the blog My Positive Outlooks details, Mary first came into the classroom of this 24-year-old teacher at Elm Tree Elementary in Bentonville, Arkansas, singing her own name to the tune of actor and wrestler John Cena’s World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) theme. The girl was bursting with energy and joy, her voice filling the room.
McClelland went on to discover that this standout student was curious about the world around her, and an intelligent readaholic. She was also captivated by her charge’s personality, obvious fertile imagination, and sheer creativity. Mary, for instance, dreamed up a trolley that would be suspended from the ceiling to bring books to and from each student’s desk! She also came up with the idea of giving a presentation to her classmates on saving sea turtles.
On Mary’s part, while some of her early memories of her teacher-turned-mom are blurry, she reports an almost instant feeling of trust: “It doesn’t really matter how old you are. You can still feel loved by someone that you just met, “ Mary shares with People.
It is not lost on many in their community that their relationship echoes the profound student-teacher connection between the bookish prodigy, Matilda Wormwood, and her kindred spirit, Miss Honey in Roald Dahl’s classic story, Matilda. These are characters that the now mother and daughter both adore.
Mary had Endured Multiple Foster Homes
Beyond Mary’s sunny disposition, however, was a heartbreaking reality.
The child’s early years were characterized by instability, marked by parental neglect, and her parents’ substance abuse.
By the time she joined Elm Tree Elementary, Mary was navigating her fourth foster family. She explains that these homes took in a range of settings, from rural families to city households surrounded by crowds of people.
As McClelland’s relationship with Mary developed, and she learnt more about the girl’s challenging upbringing, she often spoke to her husband, Max, about doing more for the exuberant and bright child.
A Lasting Connection
McClelland felt comforted by news that Mary was set to be adopted by another family, tinged with some unexpected sadness. On hearing that a planned adoption had fallen through, and that she would be able to take Mary in via a “kinship placement” while she sought official foster care licensing, however, Mary’s now ex-teacher rushed to apply.
Because her former teacher was already a trusted adult in Mary’s life, things moved swiftly.
In September 2021, Mary arrived at the McClellands’ house, and felt at home straight away. She quickly bonded with her future father too over their shared sense of humor.
Mary herself tells People about her feelings on arrival: “I’m moving in with the teacher? That’s cool,” she thought.
One simple moment stays with McClelland. One night, Mary mentioned that she liked the way the house smelled. To her mother, this moment signified more than comfort. It showed that after moving through multiple homes, Mary was finally in a place where she could settle.
Just a few months later, on Christmas Eve, the couple invited Mary to join their family. Poignantly, they surprised her with a special note. It was handwritten in a book about a bunny that finds its forever home. They confess that it took a delighted Mary a few moments to process their suggestion, before saying yes with a tight hug! Soon afterwards, she began calling them “Mom” and “Dad.”
Just a few months later, in April 2022, the family officially adopted Mary in an emotional courthouse ceremony surrounded by family and well wishers. As her father, Max McClelland, tells People, “There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.”
Today, Mary has a baby brother, Murphy. Reflecting on her parents’ experience with him, raising him when they cared for her long after the newborn stage was behind her, she wonders how they cope, before concluding that everyone learns from each other.
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McClelland has outlined the value in adopting an older child to My Positive Outlook: “When you adopt an older child, you’re meeting someone who already has their own personality and their own story… . They’ve lived a life before you. Getting to know them while you’re raising them is such a beautiful thing.”
