Most of us, if we're lucky, have had that one remarkable teacher—the one who nurtured us, pushed us, listened to us and taught us lessons that went beyond the boundaries of the classroom. This teacher took the time to notice what was unique about each student, so that they all knew, even those who felt like outcasts most of the time, that at least in this one class, in this one place, they were just as valuable as everyone else.

For students at West Haven High School in West Haven, CT, Elizabeth Warren, 32, is that teacher. When she talks enthusiastically about her kids, which she does often, she could just as well be referring to her two sons, 6-year-old Darren and 3-year-old Maxwell, as to one of her 125 high school freshmen. As a mom, she makes sure she spends time each day playing in the backyard with her boys or snuggling with them on the couch. And as a teacher, she listens, not just to her students' questions about literature but also to stories about their turbulent homes and their angst.I love Ms. Warren," says 16-year-old Precious Bryant, one of Elizabeth's students. "She's like a mother to me. I can tell her things I can't tell anyone else, and because of what she's done for me, I feel I'm a better person." West Haven High School is Elizabeth's alma mater, so she can easily relate to her students because she has walked the path they're traveling. She can especially identify with those who come from troubled homes, having come from one herself. "We have kids who have great families, but we also have a large population of kids who don't," says Elizabeth. "In high school, I felt a little lost. For me, the best part of being a teacher is getting close to my students and working with them so they can fig-ure out who they are earlier than I did.

"Raising herself

Elizabeth always knew she wanted to help people, but she didn't realize teaching would be the way until she entered college. In high school, she had other things on her mind. Her mother was only 17 when she had Elizabeth and her twin brother, Arthur. Raising them was a struggle. When Elizabeth and Arthur were 6 years old, she married a man Elizabeth describes as an abusive alcoholic, who made the home environment unbearable. "When I was in high school, I was smart," says Elizabeth, "but I didn't apply myself because we moved around a lot and there were other things that I was worried about."At 15, Elizabeth left home; her brother remained with her mother, who had moved to Maine. Though close to her mom today, Elizabeth still has difficulty talking about her troubled childhood and her mom's struggles. "My mother did the best she could," she says. "I try to teach my students to see that about people who might not have been there for them and to be very forgiving. My mother was a single mom and grew up in a broken home. She didn't make a lot of money, but she tried to support us in the best way she knew how." Newly independent, Elizabeth soon found herself essentially homeless. She moved in with her birthfather and stepmother, who lived in Connecticut. But once her stepmother decided she didn't want her there, Elizabeth spent her high school years living with friends from her cheerleading squad, bouncing from house to house and living out of a couple of bags. Despite her difficult circumstances, Elizabeth persevered. "Liz has always been so strong. You would never know that she basically raised herself," says Michelle Tafuto, one of the friends Elizabeth lived with in high school. "Liz has always had a huge heart. At an age when most girls are trying to figure themselves out, she was concerned about her mother and her brother. She always puts other people first."

A Whole New Life Once Elizabeth graduated and went on to Southern Connecticut State University, the stability that came with having a permanent residence—the college dormitory—allowed her to live, as she puts it, "a whole new life." She excelled aca-dem-ically and was also on the track and rugby teams. She thought she wanted to be a journalist. Then she took a literature class that changed her life. "I went to college trying to find out who I wanted to be," she says. "It took a great teacher, Corrine Blackmer, to help me find myself. She showed so much enthusiasm for her work that I wanted to do the same thing for other kids." Today, Elizabeth uses literature in much the same way Corrine Blackmer did—to teach kids about life. "Usually something will come up in the literature and I'll relate it to real-life experience," says Elizabeth. "Then I'll ask them if they've experienced something similar. I connect what we're studying to their lives and hope I'm teaching them something to help them in real life." Elizabeth discovered something other than her profession in college: her husband, David. They share a love of sports—David was also a college athlete—and married five years ago after a long friendship that blossomed into romance. Their bond is obvious, though taking care of Darren and Maxwell doesn't leave much time for them to spend as a couple. "Our idea of a big date is going to the mall!" Elizabeth says. "We're just taking time with our kids, and it's okay that we can't focus on ourselves because we know we'll get back to that eventually."

Bagels or Froot Loops With their busy schedules, it's no wonder Elizabeth and David can't find much time to spend alone. School starts at 7:20 a.m., so Elizabeth has to be out the door promptly at 6:30. Getting every-one up and ready is no easy feat. "Some days I have Maxwell clinging to my leg because he doesn't want to get dressed or wants me to carry him around," says Elizabeth. Breakfast is quick—bagels or Froot Loops in a bag—and David helps the boys brush their teeth, then heads out to his job as a child services worker at the Department of Children and Family Services. Maxwell's day-care center opens at 7:00 a.m., so Elizabeth has to drop him off almost as soon as the doors open to make it to school on time. "It's pretty hectic. If I don't have the kids' clothes together, or if I'm not organized, it's trouble. Of course, even when I do, I rarely get to do things like blow-dry my hair!" she says.Elizabeth's respite from the morning madness is the one day each week that David has off. "David will help some mornings when he sees that I'm overwhelmed, but on the day that he's off, he does everything. I can actually go and get coffee before school."Elizabeth is also the track coach, so from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. she's running with her girls. After picking up Maxwell, she gets home around 6:00 p.m. All but two days of the week, Darren has soccer or baseball, and the whole family goes to watch him play. David generally prepares dinner, then he and Elizabeth go through the dinner-bath-bedtime routine before Elizabeth settles in to grade papers—or, on days she's especially tired, relax in front of the TV.

Gotta Run Like most working moms, Elizabeth spends a lot of time tending to others, but she makes it a point to carve out time for herself—to run. "I can sometimes do it in the morning or between the 1:45 and 2:30 practices at school, or sometimes once I'm home I ask David to watch the kids and I'm off," she says. She's training to run the New York City Marathon in November and is working up to logging 70 miles each week, so she runs mini races every other weekend. "I like the competition," says Elizabeth. "I like the fact that running keeps me in shape and that it's kind of mindless, so that I can forget everything I have to do and focus on running. When you teach, work is always on your mind: what you need to do and prepare."To get everything done and still have time to run, Elizabeth tries to keep her home organized. She usually does daily loads of laundry (between Darren's sports uniforms and her own running gear, there's lots to do!) and makes sure every-thing is in its place. "I feel like if everything is in order, I can keep my sanity, and I'm happy," she says. Elizabeth also spends time outside of school with her other kids—her students. "When Liz was teaching school in Bridgeport, Connecticut, she was always spending her own money to do things with the kids—hanging out with them on weekends or having pizza with them," says David. She has developed close relationships with the girls on the track team, and though that bond can sometimes be an irritant—Precious complains that Ms. Warren calls her mother to report when she hasn't done her schoolwork or is acting up—the students recognize that Elizabeth's love and concern for them are unique."Some teachers act like they care when they don't," says Precious. "But Ms. Warren has been there for me, and without her help I would probably be suspended right now. She stayed after school to help me get my math grades up, and that's not even what she teaches. How many teachers would do that?"Elizabeth likes to connect with each student. "Some of them are really quiet and others are really outgoing, so I try to cater to all personalities and not forget anybody," she says. She has developed particularly strong bonds with the students struggling with personal problems, like Dan, whose mother and father died due to drug abuse. "Dan got into some trouble, and I've tried to help him because I want him to make it," says Elizabeth. "He's a loner, but during my free periods, he'll come and chat about what he's doing outside of school. I have quite a few students who have problems, and some are probably not going to get away from the trouble they're in. But there are a few you can reach. They're ready to choose a path. I'm just trying to nudge them along the right one."Of course, making time for everyone is tricky, and Elizabeth says that though she might seem to have it together, she doesn't always feel that way. "As a mom, wife, teacher, coach and runner, it's not always easy to do everything," she says. "But when students come back and tell me that something I said changed them in a positive way, I know what I'm doing is special."

Spotlight on Elizabeth