Will I Ever Make It?

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My second grade teacher was Miss Smith. I think she caught on to my anger issues during math class. I was exceptionally good at math; but more importantly, I was starting to act like the little jerk that hurt my feelings before. Miss Smith was not going to have that kind of negativity in her classroom, she stated, “You should not be as common as dirt in my classroom!” I was terrified that the teacher was kicking me out of school when she told me that. She was referring me to a “Creative Release Class” to help me with my anger issues. I found out Miss Smith was right, it helped a lot.

After I received the approval for my referral, Miss Smith told me every time I felt angry or sad it was because I was struggling to keep up with my English class. I asked her to excuse me to see my counselor and continue my work there, with a one on one approach. Nevertheless, before I knew it, I was reading second grade stories and books. I also participated in the schools “Readers Rewards Program.” I continued to do well in school with the help of my counselors, until my family and I moved again.

I guess I did all right though the fourth and fifth grade, or at least able to get myself through it. I started having problems again in junior high and high school. I ended up dropping out of college after my first year because the reading got increasingly complicated, and I really could not understand what I was reading. I finally went back to school and graduated just after my nineteenth birthday. I still struggle with my ability to focus and comprehend, and I think that it amplifies my lack of self-confidence in my writing. I truly hope that this class can help me find a path to begin conquering these issues, so that I can move on and become more confident in myself as a person.

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