With challenges of poverty as well as the pressure of high-stakes testing for children in poverty, school districts need to devote the resources necessary for ensuring teachers receive opportunities for ongoing, meaningful professional development. This article shares lessons important for all teachers--novice to expert--to consider as they develop and refine as professionals: (1) Kindness matters; (2) Put a face behind the data; and (3) Encourage cross-cultural understanding--and more importantly, friendship. These are important life lessons the author learned from a student throughout her 20-year career in education.