A Lesson on Life outside the Classroom by Merritt

A Lesson on Life outside the Classroom by Merritt - August 2013 Scholarship Essay

By the time my class reached sixth grade, we had long strayed away from the unquestioning trust of the “little kids.” In sixth grade, after solving another endless worksheet of algebra problems such as x+8=15, we began to wonder if any of it really had a point. After all, we had been taught that letters did not belong in math, so why were they suddenly changing the rules? The many complaints from my fellow students left our teacher unable to convince us that we would ever use algebra in real life. In a strange turn of events, our lesson on math turned into a lesson on life, thus becoming the most interesting and most important lesson I ever learned in a classroom.
Hearing our complaints, the school’s one technology professional put aside his work on a broken computer and took over the lesson from our teacher. He said, “You guys are right. You will probably never use algebra again. But that isn’t what school is about. You don’t just go to school to learn how to read, write, and do math. You go to school to learn how to learn.” Then, it was recess, and his words were long forgotten by most of my classmates. But his words stuck with me because I already knew that they were important. Even in grade school I had always been the student to attempt perfection on all assignments, to do extra “homework” when it wasn’t needed, and to try to learn as much as my young mind would allow. But I never knew exactly why I needed to try so hard and sometimes even wondered if I should stop trying altogether if there was no purpose. However, because of Mr. Francisco, I now had a reason to continue doing my best in school. It wasn’t just to say I scored the highest on every test, or to get the best grades; I was learning how to learn.
Now in high school, I have completed Algebra II, two amazing Honors English classes, and AP Biology. And though I have learned logarithms, the secrets of Shakespeare, and the complete respiratory system of plants, I have not had a lesson that has stuck with me like Mr. Francisco’s. Unknowingly, Mr. Francisco rekindled a love of learning in a sixth grade student and has empowered me to try my hardest no matter how difficult or monotonous my classes get. He taught me that school serves a purpose beyond its initial appearance and that by doing well now, I prepare myself to do well in the future. Life will not always be conducted inside a school full of teachers, but learning how to learn will prepare me for the many lessons taught outside the classroom.