More Than Just The Facts by Jerra

More Than Just The Facts by Jerra - November 2015 Scholarship Essay

When thinking about all the types of classes and subjects I have learned throughout my life, I have looked into what type learning has affected my life the most.
Teachers now make lesson plans, spend hours putting book work together, or even construct worksheets built from other teachers off the internet. But little do they know, that through a student’s eyes the greatest lessons you will ever teach us, won’t be found in a book, or a worksheet. The lessons that stuck best with me were the ones that were applied to my own life.
When I was learning about the victims that were treated very poorly during the holocaust, it was like I could make connections with the people from a different time period. The way it was taught to me allowed me to make connections to these unfortunate people that I never even got to meet. That these people were so humble and so forgiving, even after being tortured, almost to death. I know that I will come across people and situations in my life that will frustrate me, but when I remember this life lesson I will remember the forgiveness of the holocaust victims. These people that seemed like strangers taught me lessons about life that I will never forget.
In my Financial Literacy class, my teacher taught us how to budget. I came from a family that lived off low salaries earned by my parents. I made a connection with this lesson because it was relatable. My advisor connected it to my life in an emotional manner. This small lesson that seems pointless at the moment could help me build a successful future family. It was a lesson I would use for the rest of my life.
From European history to financial literacy, these day to day life lessons are thoughts that we live with every day. They can be the determining factor to every living moment we have. I am grateful for these lessons and the people that taught me them. Anyone can teach a class, or get a point across, but there are very few people that can apply it to the lives of their audience.
During these crucial high school years of us trying to find our way can be a rocky road. When we come to hard times of lost dedication, we won’t remember the time we learned the quadratic formula, but remember our persistent math teacher that carried so much dedication within him that he wouldn’t even let us leave the room until we knew how to use the formula.
I am grateful for the teachings that I can use for the rest of my life, and the people that taught them.