Educators Recognized for Their Devotion

Some reached for vibrant crayons to make original creations. Others saw three equally sized rectangles side by side and immediately thought of Mexico's or France's flags, reaching for the appropriate crayons.

"How come you can't do Peru?" Merritt asked Miguel Figueroa, 8. "What's the problem with Peru?"

Two of its segments are red, and the assignment called for using different colors, Merritt said, answering his own question.

"And 'cause it has a goat," Miguel added.

"No, it's not a goat, it's a llama," Merritt corrected softly. Both laughed.

In a class whose diversity crosses the globe, it is not unusual that a math lesson turns into a geography lesson. When Merritt approached another 8-year-old boy's desk, the student explained what Bangladesh's flag looks like. Another said "bonjour" to Merritt and started listing the colors of France's flag.

The children's families come from "Peru, Egypt, Ethiopia, Bolivia, Bangladesh and Thailand," Merritt said.

"How do you know all the countries," 8-year-old Ritavash Chowdhury asked, an awed expression across his face.

"'Cause I know you guys," Merritt answered.