The Formula for Success by Keytura

The Formula for Success by Keytura - March 2013 Scholarship Essay

Mr. Madden, my 7th grade Algebra teacher. Since I was in 2nd grade math had been a weak subject of mines. Understanding the material that was taught was not the issue, however applying the information in practice problems was the issue. When 7th grade began, Mr. Madden had us take a practice exam to see the skill level of the class. After the exam, we all met with him individual to discuss our results and see our problem areas. When it was my turn, my reaction to my results was not too pleasing. Mr. Madden could see my disappointment and tried to reassure me that it was just a test and nothing to be ashamed of.  A few weeks had passed and the class was assigned a group activity to work on a few practice problems. My group consisted of people, who at the time I felt were better than me in math. The intimidation had prevented me from even trying to participate in the activity; however my group members saw it as unwillingness to participate and told the teacher. Mr. Madden asked me to stay behind after class to discuss the matter. We sat and he simply asked me what happened. I told him I didn’t understand the material, but he thought otherwise. He then decided to test my knowledge. He wrote a problem on the board and asked me to solve it aloud. At first he stood in the room, but after a second he left. I thought he went to another teacher’s room, but I later found out that the just stood outside the door. I continued to solve the problem aloud with more confidence in my ability. When I finished he re-entered the room and said, “I thought you said you didn’t understand?” I laughed a little and then he sat me down and told me a few words of wisdom. He said you are a very intelligent young lady whether you know it or not. It is useless to allow fear and intimidation to stop you from achieving any goals. He continued by telling me to solve every problem as if I was the only person in the room. As I stood up to leave, he ended by telling me that the problem he asked me to solve was a problem that he puts on a test every year and only a handful of students has been able to get it right. From that moment on I took my teacher’s advice and saw a drastic change in my test scores not only in math but in all my subjects. I even began to love math and to this very day it is my favorite subject. It seems almost cliché that just a few words could turn my life around, but the words weren’t the motivation for me. It was the thought that somebody actually noticed my presence and wanted to help me. I felt like I was more than a student, but instead a person. Mr. Madden will always be my favorite teacher because of the love and dedication showed me.