The influence of teachers on the lives of their students can be valued to many. This is true in literature as well as in life. Two passages that express this idea are the essay, from Barrio Boy, by Ernesto Gallarzo and the poem, "Tornado Drill", by David Martin.

According to passage one, students of every nationality have been influenced by their teachers, in the essay, from Barrio Boy, by Ernesto Gallarzo. Miss Hopely and her teachers helped the students to "become good Americans" by celebrating their traditions. This establishes that this teacher is making an effort to help her students unify with each other. This is ironic because in lines 5 through 8 the narrator initially viewed Miss Hopley with an attitude of suspicion, then towards the end of the passage the mood changes into relief. An example of this was when the narrator said "It was easy for me...