Life Story
I was one of those kids who did not go to daycare or even preschool. I socialized mainly with cousins and a few friends of the family, and was shy in the company of those I did not know. Once I did embark on my first day of school, not surprising, I was nervous and slightly out of my comfort zone. Kindergarten was fine because it was only a half day and I made a connection with another girl who seemed equally shy and nervous. Then came grade 1, my friend had moved and so I bolted. Yes, I physically pushed through the school doors and had to be caught by my dad. Funny now, not so funny then. I did become more comfortable, less shy and made friends easily. However, I did face other challenges such as difficulty keeping up with the curriculum. School didn’t come easy to me and I was absent for many days, even weeks due to being constantly sick. Once my tonsils were removed at the age of 10, my immunity along with my attendance improved. However, I still struggled in school, I just seemed to take longer to understand concepts. Thankfully, my grade 5 teacher went above and beyond for all students and myself included. She left the biggest mark on me and has influenced my views on education today. She identified that I had a learning disability called working memory and implemented a plan to help. She spent time outside of the classroom helping me and involved my parents as well. This type of teacher shows how much of an impact they can have on a student. Looking back, I see how lucky I was to have the support of family and teachers to ensure I received the best education possible. My challenges that I had faced seem so small now that I have read about the adversity so many had faced that were out of their control. Researching and learning about the Indian Residential Schools, for example, really resonated how they had to face terrible injustices and without a support system in place. I hope to become a teacher that can have a positive impact on the students as my Grade 5 teacher had on me.