Learning to Read and the Teacher that Changed My Life; or, An Ode to Mrs. Metcalf by Taylor

Learning to Read and the Teacher that Changed My Life; or, An Ode to Mrs. Metcalf by Taylor - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

I’ve been in school for as long as I can remember, however, this isn’t because my memory dropped off and only picked up when I was five or six. No, my earliest memories start with me in school because I’ve been in school longer than nearly every other person my age. I am seventeen years old, and I started school when I was three because my speech therapist recommended I listen to and observe others my own age to help develop my communication skills. I have yet to meet another friend or acquaintance that went to three years of preschool, and I certainly haven’t met someone my age or otherwise who went to school specifically for the purpose of learning how to talk. That being said, I’ve had the unique opportunity of meeting more teachers and educators than most, if not all, of my peers.

My education has done a lot for me, and because of it, I can solve trigonometry equations with ease, write a rhetorical analysis in under an hour, and tell anyone who’s willing to listen all about the historical Know-Nothing Party’s platform. All of these skills I value dearly; I love to be able to solve complicated problems, effectively communicate which methods an author used to explain their message, and teach others something about my country and its history, and I can credit my teachers with enabling me to be able to accomplish each of these skills. In spite of this, the most important lesson I have ever learned from a teacher had nothing to do with practicing a particular skill but instead had everything to do with changing my behavior and modifying my mindset.

I learned the most important lesson from an angel on Earth named Mrs. Metcalf. She is one of the strictest people I have ever met, yet she is also one of the most hardworking, kindhearted, and patient people I will ever have the pleasure of being able to know. She was my second grade teacher, and she was also the first teacher to make a lasting impact on my life and education.

As previously stated, I struggled with communication skills as a child. It was clear to me, my family, and my fellow students, but somehow, my teachers after preschool acted as if they were unaware. My verbal communication skills greatly benefitted from intensive speech therapy as well as exposure to kids my age while in preschool, so my first few teachers saw no need to intervene if I happened to struggle academically because, overall, I was making progress. Yet, in kindergarten and in first grade and in second grade, it was quite clear I needed help. Yes, I could speak like my friends, but I definitely couldn’t read like them. I was immediately placed in the “slow to learn” reading group, and I struggled. I could barely read four simple sentences in half an hour, but no one seemed to care. Mrs. Metcalf is the only teacher who took up the challenge of helping me.

Mrs. Metcalf pulled me aside one day, and she questioned me about my reading homework. She had asked about what I had read, how many pages it had been, and how long it took me. Embarrassed, I gave her less than satisfactory answers, but instead of letting the trend continued as others had before her, she set aside time to help me improve. She spent hours teaching me, and I will never be able to thank her enough for believing in me and my ability to succeed when no one else would. Mrs. Metcalf taught me how to read which soon spurred a love of reading and learning itself, but it wasn’t the only thing she taught me. By challenging me and accepting nothing less than tremendous progress, she taught me that I am and will always be more prepared and capable of success, regardless of the challenge, than I might initially suspect. Mrs. Metcalf taught me the most important lesson I have ever learned from a teacher, and that lesson was that the more I push myself, the more effort I put in to any task, the more likely I am to succeed thanks to my own abilities, character, and experience.