An Irrigated Desert by Alexis

An Irrigated Desert by Alexis - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

Christian author, C.S. Lewis, once said, “The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” Students can have a variety of “deserts” whether it is a lack of desire to learn, hatred toward a subject, or difficulty grasping concepts. My “desert” was a disdain for reading; however, with the inspiration of my AP Language teacher, I rekindled my love for reading again.

My hatred toward reading developed in third grade because of one reason: Accelerated Reader Tests. I loved reading when I initially learned. In first grade, the school had a program called Parade of Readers. All of the students were given chains that would hang outside of the classroom. For each book a student read, they would get one chain link added. The winner at the end of the six weeks would receive a prize. Coming from a competitive family, I was determined to win, but I fell short, coming in second place with two-hundred and six books read, which excluded the phonics books. Second grade flew by with no problems reading. In third grade, it was mandatory that we take a certain number of Accelerated Reader Tests (AR Tests) because they constituted our reading grade on the report card. At first, I did not mind, but my frustration grew as the year progressed. When I read the books, I would grasp larger ideas such as the overall disposition of a character, meaning of the story, and important events throughout the book. Except, these concepts were not asked on the test. Instead, the test questions consisted of minute details such as a character’s specific quotation, the color of a dress, or a specific day of the week an event happened; however, I found the other information to be more pertinent. As a result, I would miss three and four questions on a test, because I could not recall what I called, the “inessential information” in the story. My reading grade dropped, and I became belligerent about reading, which was when my hatred toward reading began.

My disdain for reading was only “irrigated” by my AP Language teacher, Mrs. Walker, in eleventh grade. Between third grade and my junior year, I continued to read, but only what was required. I did not love it as I once had, but I managed to complete assignments and receive A’s with giving only the minimum effort. In my sophomore year, I was notified that I was accepted into the AP Language class, but I was apprehensive about the work in the class since it was advanced and required much reading. However, my competitive spirit came out again, and I was determined to excel. The first day of class Mrs. Walker made it clear what her expectations were, and it was nothing short of personal excellence from her students. At first, I was intimidated by her knowledge and authority. Yet, at the same time, I was in awe of her intellect and craved to know what separated hers from mine. Shortly after the our first introduction, I realized that besides her wisdom gained by extensive education and age, it was because she was well read. I am certain she had read every book in her classroom library. She would often ask us if we had read certain pieces and discuss them with us. If we had not, she would have us read them as an assignment or read it as a class and then discuss it. However, this is not what made her a great teacher. She taught me how to analyze literature. While most teachers are required to do this task, she presented it in a unique way: a puzzle to uncover and decode. Since I became math focused over the years, I loved this idea. It spoke my language. I started reading more than what was required so I could excel in her class and on the exam. After her class was over, I began to read for fun again. I would read for extra credit. I read to obtain more knowledge, so I could better strive for excellence.

Mrs. Walker fulfilled her job description. More importantly, she revived a lost love of reading for me. She “irrigated” my “desert” rather than “cutting down jungles.” She gave me the tools to succeed beyond her class instead of giving me the tools to only succeed in her class.