Blog # 8

Literacy narrative final draft


This semester I feel I have to work very hard as a teacher,
a mother and especially as a writer. My first essay I'm going to
write about "What's new about literacy narratives?" Truthfully
I have never had good experiences with writing, so I think it will
be very hard to relate to the topic, but I will do my best to get an
average grade.
I can't contemplate my career as a teacher without reflecting
on my years in school and experiences in my life. After my family
came to the United States, I made a resolution for myself to
continue studying the English language, American history and
culture. Adjustment to our new home was difficult at first, even
at this time I was able to talk, write and read only a little.
It's like starting your life all over again, and continue a new life
based on your experiences and successes. Dear reader, I want to
tell you one story that had happened to me. This was a good
lesson and I remember until this day.
It was the first day of winter break, senior year, I was so excited
for the freedom. There would be no school for almost two weeks.
However the beginning of winter break means report cards. My
grades were average except for one, English, which I did horribly.
I don't know what happened. The class is just too hard so I received
my first unacceptable F ( "2"- the lowest grade, at this time, in the
school system ).
I remember sitting in the living room waiting for the mail to arrive.
As soon as I heard the mailbox close I was at the door. The mailman
didn't even make it down the stairs before I saw it. My report card
was right on top. I had planned to take the report card and put it in
my room until the end of the vacation, but mom found every reason
imaginable to look through my room. I could never hide anything in
there. So I had to tell them but how? Thinking about mom in my room
gave me an idea. If I could go up in the attic and find one of their old
report cards with a bad grade on it I could avoid the long speech about
it ruining my future.
Upstairs was a disaster. I found box after box of old toys and
pictures but nothing I could use, until I went in the closet. There
I found all sorts of pictures and little kid projects. Then I came across
a smaller box that was filled with things of mix that my parents saved.
Feeling a little nostalgic I browsed through my old papers. It wasn't
until I got to this letter that I remembered why I was upstairs in the
first place.
It was in 4th grade when I started learning the English language
(I stopped my senior year). The class that I attended had thirty
students,divided into two groups.Half of the students took German
and the other half took English.I was in the part that studied English.
Mrs.Tamara, a teacher of the English class was extra exceptional
with all her rules and expectations. I appreciate all of her hard work
teaching, writing and reading comprehension to us. At this moment
I couldn't imagine how much reading and writing was important to
me. I couldn't picture myself going to the United States where my
grandparents lived.

Dear Dad,

Hey Dad did you notice something different? I am writing this
letter all by myself. That's right no, more letters from me in Mom's
handwriting. In fact, that is why it's been so long since I wrote you I
wanted to surprise you with a super good letter. Yeah I have been
really busy learning to read and write. What an adventure that was!
I always see you and Mom reading, so when Mrs. Tamara told us
that we were going to learn I was so excited.
Man, it was hard work, you guys make it look so easy, just stare
at a page for a minute and boom you're done. The only time Mom
has a confused face is when she opens the bills, that reading must be
really hard, I never want to have to read a bill. I had a trouble be-
cause there is like a billion words, and those silent K's and short a's
all those rules! Lots of time I know what a word means but seeing
it is much different then hearing it, so Mom helped me every time
I didn't know a word she told me to circle it, and we looked it up in
the dictionary. A dictionary is the best thing ever, it has every word
ever and it has pronunciations. That really helps with the words
that don't sound how their spelled. By that you can tell I am
not a very good speller, I mean why should it matter if you get it
and I get it what's the harm in dropping a few silent letters?
I finally got that reading thing down, I read every Bernstein Bear
book out there. Then I felt like I was back where I started when she
introduced writing. I was very eager to write so I could write you
letters and you know how I love to tell stories, Mom always says I
talk a mile a minute; I couldn't wait to write a mile a minute. First
Mrs. Tamara made us copy words that was a piece of cake, I know
how to write all 26 letters putting them together was easy, of
course my handwriting is not as neat as yours but she said "practice
makes perfect."
As soon we got done with writing words I thought that writing
would be just like talking but on the paper. Oh boy, I was wrong,
turns out there is sentence structure and parts to sentences!
At first it was confusing I just didn't understand verbs. If I can
eat food isn't food a verb because you can eat it? But its not it's the
subject. I learned so much I thought my head would explode
because my brain was so big, mom says it never happens but
I don't believe her.In fact, I measured and my head got a half
inch bigger.I'll keep measuring. Gotta go cant wait til you come
home.
Love Svitlana

After I read this letter I picked everything up and gave up
on my mission to expose my parents' bad report cards. I changed
my mind because reading that old letter reminded me of what
was really important. I realized how hard all those things seemed
so many years ago. I couldn't write a single sentence and now
I had complete an essay for the English class. I just have to want
to learn as much as I did in the past.
As a teacher today I'm learning that what I teach my little
ones is still relevant if the way I'm teaching it is engaging. My
focus is to bring out the true learner in my students. Because
within their lifetimes, their ability to learn will surpass their
need to know. I'm the most fortunate of all,who I am today.
Each day, parents entrust me with their greatest gift; their
children. As a teacher, I have a past that is rich in memory;
a present that is rewarding, adventurous fun and challenging
because I spend my days with the future.
So I decided to tell my parents the truth with no catches,
or excuses. If I told Mom and Dad I am going to do better in
a sincere apology they will believe me and not punish me for
my entire winter break.
It was inevitable my parents were going to get angry;
however in the end I felt better because I was no longer
frustrated with my English class or school in any matter.
Since I knew reading and writing were mandatory abilities,I
was determined to master those skills. Now I look at each
challenge and consider the accomplishment as a mandatory
part of my future.