A walk in someone else's shoes by Sumar

A walk in someone else's shoes by Sumar - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

I've been a student all my life and, now after a little under 20 years of schooling you can say that I've had my fair share of teachers. For all these years I've sat behind a wooden desk, absorbing the information that's been given to me. Never had I in all those years thought of what it's like to stand in front of students such as myself and conduct a classroom. However, in November of 2015 I did just that.
In the winter of 2015, I had the opportunity and privilege to teach a class of girls of various ages in a young youth program. I, and two other women taught the class. Over the course of three days we would spend our time planning and executing activities, each having a little lesson wrapped up in them. Some of those lessons included: building emotional awareness, team-working, and the importance of good habits.
Going into the experience I was a bit apprehensive. Although our team of teachers had planned the weekend to the very last detail, something told us that things weren't going to go as smoothly as we hoped--and smoothly they didn't. We had an incredibly diverse set of girls, with different needs and personalities. This made for an interesting teaching experience to say the least. Some girls followed instructions as they were given, and some needed more attention and help. Every day, for the following three days, from the morning to the evening, I had to navigate through a new set of unexpected challenges. Just those three days allowed me to understand and appreciate the effort that our teachers put in everyday, year after year. Being one of the teachers in the young youth program was an eye opening experience, one that I'll never forget.
Even though I was doing the teaching, I also learned something in those three days: I learned the importance of giving back. Those who have come before us invest their time and efforts to give to their community, so that one day we may do the same. It is this giving and taking that insures that our communities continue to grow and thrive. Thanks to those who have built the institutions I learn in today, I've been blessed with the privilege of an education and the ability to keep on pursuing one. I learn today so that one day I can hope to continue the legacy that those before me have upheld.