The Turning Point by ashley

The Turning Point by ashley - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Most people have a reality check experience in middle school, high school, or maybe college. It happened to me during the second week of fourth grade. I had fallen asleep in class, when my teacher, Mrs Casey, came and sat right next to me. She leaned over and gently woke me up. I had a rude awakening as the whole class began to laugh. I was asked to stay after class. I felt a thousand eyes burning on me, causing my ears to go red. Thankfully the bell for recess rang, not a few moments after.

Since we were mostly nine and ten, most of us had; short term memory, short attention span, and an inexplicable inability to worry about what the future held for us. We would not learn to worry about the future for another couple years. Nobody was talking about how I had fallen asleep when we returned from recess. Although I knew that I was still in some sort of trouble as my teacher's gaze bore deep into my soul. (or so it felt). It was not like I was a terrible student or anything. I payed attention most of the time, did well on tests, and participated. Just every now then I could not keep my eyes open when my teacher wanted to discuss topics that I had decided were not very important. Learning how to solve fractions was just not on my top priority list that day.

After school I waited till all of the other fourth graders shuffled out of the classroom to go over and speak with my teacher. I was hoping this conversation would not take too long since it was around about afternoon snack time. My mother would also be worrying about me if I took too long. She might even come in and talk to the teacher. I would not be having any of that happening. I was also told (by elder students in middle school whom I looked up) that Mrs. Casey could be very mean and unfair. My palms started to sweat and I felt my stomach drop in a nauseating anxiety filled sort of way. As stomachs feel when one is about to be scolded by their mother for eating two sticks of butter. (that's another story for a later time).

My teacher asked my to take a seat. Then she asked me, "Now Ashley, how would you feel if someone fell asleep when you were talking?" I was absolutely blown away. Obviously, I was wrong to assume that I would just be given a slap on the wrist or a stern warning. We would be having a serious talk.

During that forty-five minute talk I learned one major life lesson that would help me not only in school but just in general for the rest of my life. It was simply that teachers are people too. They are not mysterious entities who are only alive during school hours. They have families, go to the grocery store, and you even might see a teacher at the movies once in a while. I realized that if someone fell asleep while I was discussing something I felt was of importance, I would be offended to point of disgust. Mrs.Casey was the first teacher who taught me that people just want to be listened too. People want to feel heard. Even if they are talking about fractions or something else rather dreary in your opinion she told me the right thing to do was to sit up straight and make eye contact.

This information has truly helped me in life. If I can put myself in somebody else's shoes and ask myself "How would I feel, if this was happening to me?" , then I gain a better understanding of the person I am speaking with. As I got older and started dealing with many teachers in one day knowing, they were normal people with feelings just like students, benefited me beyond compare to anything else. In all classes I learned the best way to ask for help at appropriate times. I tried my best not to ever fall asleep, whine, complain, yell, swear, or talk back. Not because I was particularly well raised, or I had an interest in manners, but because Mrs Casey taught me in the second week of fourth grade to treat others how you old like to be treated