For 14 years, I worked for one piece of paper. I have worked hard and have done everything in my power to keep it that way. But there have been bumps and hills and many twist in the road. One of those twists is having a learning disability called dyslexia. I also have had a hard time reading and writing as well as spelling (thank you autocorrect). I have learned to work with and around my disability but yet it is still an uphill battle for me every day.
My teachers have worked with me and have helped me work my way up to this point now. There are two types of teachers in this world: ones who care and the ones who really care. I have had both types of teachers. Now you’re going to ask “What are the differences in the teachers?” Here’s what’s different:
The ones who care will try to help you in class and after class, but they don’t talk to you about it all the time and don’t try to make you stay after school.
The teachers who really care are the ones who will fill your paper up with red marks and have you see them after class. They remind you to come in before and after school to get the help you need in class. They help you understand that some parts of your assignment you did were wrong. And when you when you don’t feel like your writing was good enough, they step in and give you confidence. Those teachers go the extra mile to help you out and teach you the right ways to do a math problem or write a paper or even to read better; even one teacher may want you to be so good that they help you pay for some stuff if you’re having a hard time.
As freshman year turns into senior year, school starts to become boring (not saying it wasn’t already). The fire you once had for learning new things starts to go out. You just have to make the fire again and no matter what comes your way you have to keep that part of learning in you.
My fire was going to college and showing my nieces that you don’t have to get a job right after high school and take care of your family. Sometimes you need to put yourself first and your family second. No matter how hard life is or how much it throws at you, you keep going, you make it out of that town or that city or that house, keep going and don’t ever give up.
A great man once said,
“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times… If one remembers to turn on the light.”
–Albus Dumbledore
It’s weird yes, but he’s right.
In the end, high school is just like any other school. So hold on tight to your dreams and work hard to get to them. Go along for the ride because you’re going to have fun. Don’t worry about the ups and the downs that come along your path, it’s just part of life.
You’ll make it through it all right.