Learning the Alphabet, Colors, and an Important Life Lesson by Victoria

Learning the Alphabet, Colors, and an Important Life Lesson by Victoria - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

It is no big secret that, during the entirety of a student’s existence within the realm of school, much of that time is spent subscribing to alleged “lessons” meant to instruct. Remove the idea of a structured lesson, and the concept of a school is suddenly devoid of meaning— however, such an equation applies only to the conventional lesson. The type of lecture wrought with exercises in note-taking, or, if the teacher is particularly adept, student participation. While pertinent to organized academia, these lessons are not nearly as valuable as the ones regarding the experience we must all go through: life.
The most important lesson I learned from a teacher came to me neither in the form of a speech in middle school, nor in the form of text on a PowerPoint presentation in high school. It was demonstrated through a simple action: my kindergarten teacher proposed that I skip first grade. The bold gesture was taken into thorough consideration by my parents, who were understandably nervous at the thought of their child skirting around an entire year’s worth of content, especially at such a young age. A strong portion of convincing on the teacher’s behalf was vital to the ultimate decision, but in the end, I did pass directly from kindergarten to second grade. Although I was too young to understand the implications of the motion at the time of occurrence, I am now old enough to appreciate the strong belief that my kindergarten teacher had in me. It would have been so much easier to let the opportunity pass her by—to allow me to continue the chronological sequence of grades as was expected—but in lieu of that, she saw potential in my tiny, six-year-old brain.

Ever since that fateful year, I have looked back upon the decision in times of doubt, academic or otherwise; it renews my courage to accomplish my goals, whether that means preparing for college and the future or preparing for a band concert or marching parade, or any other such excursion. If I had the ability to do something of that caliber at age six, the same brand of dedication to learning that I must have presented in kindergarten will follow me for life. From that one event, I derived more than one soupçon of advice— not every valuable lesson follows the assumed monotony of a boring lecture. Not all wise teachings must come at a later age, especially because they can be lost within the stressful flurry that high school often presents. Finally, I consistently bear in mind that the salient advice of instructors presents itself in strange, often unseen manners. Even after ten years, I have yet to learn a lesson as beneficial as this.