A child’s journey into adulthood requires the ability to ebb and flow. It requires the ability to be flexible and firm at different parts of their journey. It also requires that the teachers around and in front of them are aware enough to grant grace and hold them accountable in ways that are nurturing, constructive, and insightful -hence ebb and flow must be the context by which we teach them. Dr. Ebony Green believes, however, that teachers (literally and figuratively) can shape and mold students. It was, in fact, a teacher who first cultivated the belief within her that she was enough and that she lacked nothing. That very sentiment would unleash a fire within her to become who she is. She believes that all stakeholders in education must realize that granting grace and instilling in children the belief that they lack nothing shapes and molds them to become scholars and, ultimately, leaders in the world. Dr. Ebony Green, an Equity fellow in the Racial Equity Leadership Network, is a pioneer in creating systemic equitable outcomes for underrepresented students. During her eleven years as a special education teacher in the South Bronx, she opened a tutoring company specializing in one-to-one tutoring for students with exceptional needs. Dr. Green leads the Division of Equity and Access in Newburgh Schools and was instrumental in developing an Equity Report Card and a district Fair Student Funding Formula. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx