Category: Unit 1 (Page 3 of 22)

    My alarm went off at 6:50am. I woke up and went to eat breakfast with my parents and my older brother. Later I had to go get dressed into my navy blue polo shirt and khaki pants uniform. After getting everything I needed for school I finally got my backpack and left for school. Some days I would walk with my mom to school or she would drive me to school. But today we walked because we had enough time before school started. Also my middle school wasn’t far, it’s about 10 minutes away from home. Later in the course of walking to school my mom and I regretted it because it was really hot outside that day. Which we should have figured because it was the beginning season of summer. Once we got to school my mom would give me 10 dollars for lunch then we would say bye to each other. Then I would walk up a small hill of my school’s entrance and enter school. After passing my school’s security, I would go directly to the cafeteria. Where I would meet my friends and talk for a little. 

    Later when it was time to go to our first class we would be dismissed from the cafeteria directly go to our classes. In between my 5 period class a teacher would come into my art class and would ask my art teacher for me. Which at first it was a bit confusing why I was being pulled out of my class. Once I left the room with the teacher she explained to me that she was a speech teacher and the reason why she pulled me out of my class was because I was enrolled to take speech classes. When I asked why I was in speech the reason was because at my home my parents mainly speak Spanish. Which makes English not my first language, said the teacher. Although that didn’t seem right, because I didn’t know anything in Spanish neither did I speak it. The only language I knew was English. I only spoke English at home and my brother would actually be my translator to my parents. I felt a little discriminated against, I was put into a speech class just because my parents are hispanic and mainly speak spanish and not English at home. Doesn’t allow them to assume that I didn’t know or understand English. They shouldn’t have based my English language knowledge off of my family and what they speak or where they’re from.

    In that period of time I didn’t really enjoy it so much because it would make me feel different from everyone else. Being pulled out of my regular classes to get into speech class. Being separated from my other classmates would make me feel so self conscious about myself. Where I would doubt about how I’m not smart enough. Being taught English language as if I didn’t know or understand English. I was being taught basic English words and how to pronounce them as if I didn’t speak English. In the speech classroom I noticed there were other students also there. Everyone in the classroom was people from different countries that recently entered the school. Which actually needed help to learn how to speak and understand the English language . Other students there were like me put into that class because in their homes there’s another language spoken instead of English. Then I realized the point and purpose of this speech class. It was meant to help students individually for those whose first language isn’t English.

    However I didn’t agree on how they chose which students had to attend speech class. It is actually not fair and discriminating against those that shouldn’t be in it. I see how people from other countries that don’t speak English at all can actually see it as very helpful and it is. Although other students like me didn’t see it the same way. Well for me in particular because I was born in the United States and raised in New York. I was raised with the English language not the Spanish language. Which makes it unfair that just because they knew that at my home spanish is spoken more than English.  Which seemed discriminating for me because they’re putting me in a class that teaches me English just because my parents don’t speak English at home. Which shouldn’t mean anything to them because I’m attending school. My knowledge and whether I understand the English language is not based on what my parents speak. But based on my hard work and accomplishments in school. 

    I’m agree that sometimes it’s hard to understand the English language.  But I’m a kid that is also learning with my other classmates at school. Throughout the course I will obviously make mistakes. Not all kids learn in the same past as others. Which is normal I’m learning more and more about the English language. In the process I will develop more and more my English language and techniques that will make me better in reading and writing skills. I didn’t see the need to put me to the side and treat me differently as if I didn’t know anything at all of the English language compared to my other classmates. I started to get embarrassed every time my speech teacher would come into my class and call me out to leave. Having to leave my regular class to go to another that I shouldn’t be in. This would  make it seem as if my other classmates were smarter than me. Which is what they create with having these separate classrooms from regular classrooms. I wasn’t being treated as equal as my other classmates. When I should be because I don’t see a difference in what is or not spoken at my home. The only thing that should matter is that I’m attending school. Throughout school I will keep growing and strengthening my English language. If along the way I’m struggling then I think my teachers should help me along the way. But not separate me from my regular classes and make me feel less than others.

It was the middle of the first semester of junior year. A cold and windy day. There was no college now classes, so I was excited to leave school earlier than usual. Unfortunately, I had to stay regardless because I had a meeting with a teacher, who was also my National Honor Society advisor.

I was sitting in front of her desk, staring out the window, watching kids walk to their bus stops. The cold wind calmly blew in my face. I wanted to leave badly, but I knew that sitting through this meeting would put everything to rest.

The teacher sits down on her squeaky chair and lets out a deep breath. “Do you understand why you’re here.” I shook my head in confusion. “Your classmate wrote me a letter and told me that you always stare at her with malicious intent. She said that every time she looked up, she saw you angrily staring at her.”

The teacher gave me a chance to explain my side. I told her, “My face naturally has a “cold” demeanor; if she felt that I was staring at her, which I wasn’t, that’s her problem. I’m not going to change my natural expression for someone who clearly doesn’t like me.” But she responded to me as if it was my problem. “As a National Honor Society student, you shouldn’t be getting into altercations; if she is causing you trouble, you need to ignore her.”

This response left me puzzled, because I knew that I just told her that I don’t stare at her, which also means that I ignore her. Did she not listen to anything I just said? She kept talking and talking, and everything that she was saying went through one ear and out the other, until I heard her say false accusations like: I influenced my friends to do things that they didn’t want to do and I was controlling. This was completely false, and I hated that my character was being questioned. Then again I wasn’t surprised because this teacher was showing clear favoritism towards her student. As a teacher, she had to investigate to see if it was true, but either way, her faith was in her student.

“Do you have anything to say about this?” Her voice snapped me out of my deep thoughts. At the time, I didn’t care for explaining myself, I just wanted to go home, “She’s spreading rumours.”

“Do you want to explain why?” She asks me. I shook my head, “No not today, I really have to get home.”

She nods her head and allows me to leave. I gathered my belongings and left the classroom. Waiting outside was my ex-friend and her group of friends. As I walked by her, I knew she felt like she had achieved something. I couldn’t help but to feel angry.

During the weekend, I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened. I was annoyed and frustrated. I hated the fact that there was unnecessary drama because of stupid rumors. I wanted to do something about it, I needed to do something about it.

I went on my phone and emailed my teacher,

“Hello. I was thinking about the meeting we had and at the end you asked if I had anything else to say. I said I didn’t, but after discovering things that could potentially risk my spot in the National Honor Society, I want to have another meeting with you. I made a presentation to clear up any misunderstandings. This is my way of ending this situation once and for all. My character is constantly being questioned- I am being portrayed to be something I am not. I would like to have my friends present at this meeting, mainly because they play a huge role in this. If this is ok with you, please let me know.”

She responds to me and tells me that she has no problem with scheduling another day to have a meeting.

After sorting out the details, the day finally arrived. The powerpoint was displayed on the smartboard and it was time to explain my “case”. The presentation included everything from freshman to junior year. It had every screenshot that we could find where she harassed us and lied to us. I also included  consented recordings of other students who she spread those rumors to. It was petty on my part but, it felt pretty good to release everything that I’ve been holding in.

After seeing all the overwhelming amount of evidence, the teacher finally believed me. She hated the fact that her favorite student lied with ease and that she was targeting me due to jealousy and hate. She apologized to me and said that she would talk to her as soon as possible. “I never want another situation like this to happen again.”

I don’t have such an awful perception on education let alone how I’m educated, but there are so many things off about the education system which left me with a lot of questions. Forgot to emphasize, “stupid questions.” When I was in high school in my sophomore year of geometry, I really questioned why I needed to know the proof of a triangle because it’s not gonna help me prove a crime there’s no correlation to that. But if I were to start from the very beginning, I have a late birthday which made me so sad because I was the younger kids in the classroom and such a disadvantage in the school environment. I was envious of “older” kids because they had early birthdays so they seemed to be learning fine, but for me there had to be some sort of guidance or help. Surely enough, I barely could understand a book in first grade and failed to write about it too. Second grade was a turning point which changed how I was learning before and how to move forward in institution. I repeated the grade… the bullying wasn’t nice at the time and the mockery of students who are a year younger than me wasn’t great either, but I sucked in my breath and moved forward. After third grade it was a time to transfer schools. An “academy” seemed like a righteous word to describe the school kind of reminds me of a “prep school” where students had to where specific school uniforms instead of simple dress code.

High school was kind of a hell for me, the way I wanted to start anew and not reminisce any memories of elementary or middle school the learning seemed to be more extensive and had to tackle new heights of education. I started to develop test anxiety, it was so bad that I looked at every test like a monster was about to eat me alive. I felt really incapable of learning as my mind went braindead everyday. Sometimes I didn’t have the energy to wake up in the morning and repeat the never ending of cycle of failing. Then came around that one class I took in sophomore year which was Computer Applications II which was a class that taught me the fundamentals of Microsoft Powerpoint and Microsoft Excel. I knew of those applications but really understand those applications in depth, really changed my perspective in learning other than academics. I continued to do business classes, getting the feel of it all. A momentous occasion came at the end of junior year, I signed up for the business program. I applied for it, interviewed for it, and got accepted to it. I was really excited about something and I haven’t felt that way in a while.

Senior year made me feel like a “king.” I didn’t really do much but delved into my school work and college apps. Virtual Enterprise (business program) started to bloom like a flower and I was really invested in it. I truly feel as though the world was looking up at me because senior year of high school seemed to be a breeze. Quickly like a bee I was stung with SAT’s that creeped my test anxiety again. I was able to get a decent score on them, but it bothered me that most colleges require a “good” or “perfect” SAT to determine the next four years of my life. For me it sounds messed up, because why should one exam of hard questions be the pivot of college? I already suck at tests, so I get more tests thrown at me? Must be nice being smart, if I shouldn’t degrade myself by calling me dumb at least I’m mediocre to score 4 digits on my SAT’s. Since I wasn’t in a lot of classes I decided to devote myself in after school activities also known as more classes. I chose the College Now: Political Science class to help me understand the fundamentals of criminal justice law.

I wasn’t one of those kids who have a “fixed dream” because I didn’t know who I wanted to be when I grow up. All I need to start my dream was education. As much as the education system is flawed, I went through with it because without it I would be unreliable in a lot of places. For example, if I got a job and without having any social cue’s at school how am I supposed to connect with folks in the “real world?” I know that in this era of social media and the constant development of technology school can be “useless.” But, that aside I learn a lot of things without education being in a category of school, whereas social media and Google telling me about real world problems that ancient textbooks can’t teach me about because all of that text occurs in the past. Overall, education is relevant for me and I need it to continue moving forward in institution and life.

Reviewer’s Memo:

I wrote this because I want you to understand my journey of how education began for me. I hope it would turn on that light switch of yours in your head and let your mind wander in a lot of questions and thoughts as to want I proposed to you. What I want you to take away from this piece is me reflecting on how education makes me agitated due to my test anxiety but focusing on education in aspects other than academics. What I feel about this project right now is that it’s in the making of a work I will be happy of later when I make edits and revisions to it. Do you think my piece works? Have I touched on a lot of points that seem to connect together? By any means does my essay give a theme rather two? Does my paper have a motifs? If this were your essay, what would you do next? I would like to have your feedback.