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The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Janice Givens
Teacher of the Month
By Crystal Patriarche
Janice Givens is the mother of two little boys, 19-month-old Jonathon and 6-month-old Thomas. Her boys are very close in age and are very special to her. Givens adopted Jonathon when she thought she was facing infertility, a diagnosis that hits some six million Americans of reproductive age, according to the American Infertility Association.
But after Givens had adopted Jonathon, she found out she was pregnant. "I never believed that infertility was a blessing until we had Thomas," she says. "If we had gotten pregnant with Thomas first, we would never have gotten Jonathon through adoption. We feel so blessed to have Jonathon as our son! It is funny how things work out."
Not only is Givens the mother of these two precious boys, she is also a teacher dedicated to helping her students thrive. She juggles both motherhood and teaching, managing to help her journalism students at W.P. Davidson High School in Mobile, Ala., create the school's yearbook and newspaper. She also teaches 10th grade English and Latin.
Before Givens was blessed with her two sons, she says she desperately wanted children but faced the possibility of infertility. Many students would ask if she had kids and when she would answer no, they would want to know why. She says that being honest is the best reply when students ask personal questions because they just want to get to know their teachers better.
"My students seemed to understand better than some adults," she says. "They were encouraging and would often say, 'We are Mrs. Givens' kids.' They were that! We eventually adopted Jonathon and then had Thomas. My students were very supportive during both events."
