Two different worlds between languages.
During My educational journey that first started during second grade year. I was in a school called HLA (Hebrew Language Academy) that mostly pushed forward how to speak Hebrew and general education as well. I was in the school for at least two years until 5th grade, during those two years in that school. I was a student that was quiet didn’t want to speak my mind out because I cared what other people would say or react, but I assume the teacher Ms H saw a different perspective, that I had problems speaking english because when ever I would speak my grammar would be a little different but for me I didn’t see any problem.Â
I remember on a Monday morning one of the teacher Ms H called my name, “ Marc would come here to test your reading level, you could choose any book from the class library and I choose a book called ( A Planet Full Of Plastic) that sparked my eyes, while I was reading the teacher had a paper and a pen in her hand checking for any incorrections, While I was reading the book I didn’t care what was happening in the book, I was more focused on what score the teacher gave me, when I finished half of the book she said I did well, which I didn’t believe her something on her face said otherwise.
Weeks past by and Parent teacher conference was coming around the corner. I was trying to act my best so the teacher didn’t say anything that would make my mother disappointed. During the afternoon around 2 oclock pm, Parent teacher conferences had started, everyone parents was standing on line waiting for their meeting, I still remember my heart racing wondering what the teacher would say, It was myself and my mother turn up on line, so I guess you know how I felt, heart racing goosebumps coimg up my arms, my parent and I sat down infront of the teacher and
my parent stared talking to my teachers saying “ how is Marc doing in your class,
the teacher Ms H responded by saying, well Marc is a okay student but, he has been strugling on certin things in class, so he might have to repeat a grade, and be in a program called (ENL) English as a New language, because of his reading level”. And I guess when they told me that I will be held back or be in a type of program I didn’t understand as well, I thought all students will have to be in the same process that I will be in but I was definitely wrong.
My mother didn’t want me to be in that program because english wasn’t a foreign language to me, when I was younger I would speak here there of Haitian creole which is my parents tongue but not much because english is what I understand and spoke more often. The school year was over in my mind I thought I would be going to a higher grade which was third grade. So I was excited knowing that I will be in a class with different classmates and doing new activities, but sadly I was wrong.
I was with a certain amount of students that I seen from the class from last year, I thought it was just a conwidence, but then when It came to lunch and being in the cafeteria, I seen the classmates that I had class with last year sitting in seats that where for the higher classes, which I wasn’t and I thought it was strange so I got up to greeted them and ask them why I’m sitting in the same area with them.
And I remember that they said, “ you got held back” and all of the students from the lunch table started laughing at me I don’t know how they knew but something tell me the teacher told them. I felt extremily sad, all through out 2 second grade to 8th grade middle school, I was always pulled out of class for speech or taking a test for a language that I was born speaking.
I was annoyed once I started 8th grade because there was certain days. I just wanted to be in class, I spoke to the speech instructor on how to get out because the instructure knew that there was no need to be in that program.
The instructor told me “The only way was to take a test to see how well I am”, I didn’t see any point of taking the test because my english has always been good. But I had to talk to myself and say if I don’t want to be apart of that program I have to take the test. I took the test with a high score, But it didn’t matter to me about the score at all. I just wanted to make sure that I was out of the program for good and I was.
I would meet students that were the same culture during elementary through highschool, they knew that I could speak Haitian creole so they would speak to me in creole. But instead of me speaking back in a different language, I was nervous to speak to them in the language. I learned, because I always thought that if one of the supervisors of the school would hear me speak creole they would keep me longer in that program. I didn’t want to be in.
But after a while I learned that culture and learning a new language is very special. Because not much people could speak a different language, or interested to learn a new language. Because it could be difficult, once I heard that, I had a moment to myself and I said “I shouldn’t hide a language that I learned how to speak”, so then I started to speak to students that spoke Creole. And I didn’t care if a supervisor, or teacher was close by.
Ever since I was in second grade up to my freshman year of high school I was embarrassed. To tell people that I got held back, whenever they ask me why I was in a certain grade at this certain age. But after a while of thinking I realize that it doesn’t matter.
Because other people has fail also, but it’s what you do when you fail. Will you just stay there in that failure spot, or your going to push and work harder. To show people that you are not a failure you’re a warrior. That you will push your limits. If you ever got held back or had to be in a program that you know that you wasn’t supposed to be in. Don’t let that stop you or slow you down to pursue your education.
