The English Revolution by Josiah

The English Revolution by Josiah - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

Without question, the single most influential teacher I ever had was Mrs. Holmes, for sixth grade English. She was tiny, barely five feet tall, and yet she could keep a classroom quiet on the last day of school. I never quite figured out how she did it. In any case, by the time I had reached sixth grade, I had decided that English class was useless. I thought I knew how to write. I could speak perfectly well. I had been reading Alexandre Dumas since I was in third grade. What other possible use could I have for this class?

Naturally, I was quickly disillusioned. I'll admit, the first month or two of school, I hated Mrs. Holmes. She was the first teacher who had ever pointed out exactly what was wrong with my writing style, something that offended me deeply. I also learn that "Ouija" is pronounced "wie-jie" because French words never sound like they look. She also taught me the difference between an abridged and an unabridged book, while pointing out, much to my chagrin, that I had been reading abridged books.

Most people reading this probably are thinking how awful it must have been in that class. Yet by the end of the first quarter, it had become my favorite class. Well, my second favorite. English will never surpass Algebra, try though it might. The point is this. I started getting better. Mrs. Holmes took my mind and opened it to the possibilities of language. She took my least favorite subject and turned it into one of my favorite classes of all-time. She changed my mind on education forever. Because of her, I will never again assume I know everything in a subject. Because of her, I will never disregard a class as useless out of hand. Because of her, I will strive to keep learning, for the rest of my life.