Douglass and Resilience – Odalys

“The
 plan
 which
 I
 adopted,
 and
 the
 one
 by
 which
 I
 was
 most
 successful,
 was
 that
 of
 making
 friends
 of 
all
 the 
little 
white 
boys 
whom 
I 
met
 in
 the
 street. 
As 
many 
of 
these
 as 
I
 could, 
I 
converted 
into 
teachers. 
With 
their 
kindly 
aid, 
obtained
 at 
different 
times 
and 
in
 different
 places,
 I
 finally
 succeeded
 in
 learning
 to
 read. 
When
 I
 was
 sent
 to
 errands,
 I
 always 
took
 my 
book 
with 
me, 
and 
by 
doing 
one 
part 
of 
my 
errand
 quickly, 
I 
found 
time
 to 
get 
a 
lesson 
before 
my 
return. I 
used 
also
 to
 carry 
bread 
with 
me, 
enough
 of 
which 
was
 always 
in 
the 
house, 
and
 to
 which 
I 
was 
always 
welcome;
 for 
I
 was 
much 
better 
off 
in 
this
 regard
 than 
many 
of
 the
 poor 
white 
children
 in
 our 
neighborhood. 
This 
bread
 I 
used
 to
 bestow
 upon 
the
 hungry 
little 
urchins, 
who, 
in 
return,
 would 
give 
me
 that 
more 
valuable
 bread
 of
 knowledge.” (Pgh.4).  

Part A — In the beginning of the quote, the best plan Douglas had to learn how to read and write was by making friends with the little white boys he met in the streets. Secondly, as many that interacted with him, he turned them into his tutors. With their nice gesture he obtained at separate times and locations, he eventually succeeded in learning to read. When Douglas was ordered to run errands, he made sure to never leave his book behind, by completing parts of his errands quickly, he was able to learn a lesson on his way back to his mistress’s house. Moreover, Douglas always carried bread to which the access to was never a problem unlike the poor white children from his neighborhood had. With the bread he presented to the hungry young children, he in return received knowledge from them such as learning how to read. 

Part B — That is to say, in my educational journey I’ve faced challenges since a young age. I quickly noticed that my way of learning was not common like others. From 1^st grade I was able to tell how quickly my classmates would learn the spelling and definition of words rapidly, along with pronunciation. I saw it took more for me to comprehend and complete. While English not being my first language may be a factor, it took a lot for me to be able to learn how to solve a simple equation or learn the difference between adjective and noun. Teachers had to always go further and find a separate way to teach me. It was not long into my education I was diagnosed with a “learning disability” by professionals at my school after a couple of tasks told for me to complete under a time limit. While this did not affect my intelligence nor motivation, it made me feel distinct. It would take me longer to complete tasks unlike my classmates, and it still does. In the events that we have encountered in the past 2 years and having to evolve and adjust to doing everything virtually. I have learned that virtual learning is not the best way for me to learn. 

Throughout time, I came to intellect and accept that it is something common within people and there is nothing to feel embarrassed about. With the help of others, I took it upon myself to find the best strategy for me to learn. After so many years, I found that I am a visual learner. I must visualize things and see them taught in person and explained in detail along with being compared to other things for me to understand the objective. Examples for me are big and I need them to understand a task. Furthermore, I often need to write things down, talk to myself, reread, repeat, or draw out things so I can comprehend the task and retain it. I have used this strategy for many years but first I had to accept that it takes longer for me to complete things which is why organization is key for a person with a learning disorder. I am self-aware that I need more time, so I must plan out my time and complete things ahead of time so I can take my time or go out my way to seek help or tutoring. I always aim to give my best so when I set myself to learn something the stubborn in me would find a way. This hardship has never stopped me from wanting to learn and try new things, which is what makes me who I am today.