Lesson in Life

One important lesson I have learned that could help someone else is that education is the key to a good life.  I had a druggy mom and dad that did not go to school and so education was not important in my home. So when the people around you are not pushing you, it has to be on you to do it for yourself.  So it had to be on me to do it.

However, at 20 I had a baby and when the baby started school and I couldn’t help her with homework that made me feel bad. I needed to get some help for her. Because I could not read at that point, I realized how important it is to learn to read and went back to school. With so much going on in my life so that I could not keep going on every day the way I had been. I went to put in an application and had to ask someone to help me fill out the papers. The first time I asked someone to help I was so afraid that someone would find out my secret and talk about me.  

Don’t let the world around you come between you and your education. The big lesson I have learned in my life is education is the key having a good life.  Learning to read is the most important thing you can do for your life. Do not be afraid to ask someone for help if you need it. So, the best thing you can do is get your education. It is your life and you have to live it!

A Young Child Growing Up

As I was growing up there were eight of us in the house and my mother took care of us all by herself. I was the second child. When she took us to school, she stayed there the whole day volunteering in the school until it was time for us to get out.

When I was in second grade I stopped doing my school work, because I didn’t like going to school; so I would just sit there. I was not doing my class assignment work until my mother came to volunteer in my class. Then I would start doing it because I knew she was there. I learned when I was going to school that I didn’t know how to read or spell, so my mother used to have me to read books ever night for 30 min until I would understand what the words meant. I learned how to take my time.

            One thing I have learned is that I should have stayed in school when I was young, because I see that it was easier for me to learn when I was younger and my mom was there to help. When I was growing up I didn’t have to worry about my mother taking care of all eight of her children. She didn’t have to worry about finding a babysitter like I do now.  It’s going to be hard for people. You will have to pay more money for everything you want. Therefore, you should stay in school till you reach your goal. So that in the future you will have the things you need to live off of in life. So I will make it everything and the world to give my G.E.D. So once you start going to school, stick with it until you get your diploma or GED.

A Young Girl's Lesson

Annie, a little girl, the oldest of eleven children, lived in a house on Douglas and Homan in the city of Chicago with her family. She lived with her grandma, grandpa, mom, and her seven brothers, and four sisters. It was in a nice neighborhood with lots of churches and stores. The people in the neighborhood were very friendly. With her big family and nice neighbors, there was never a dull moment. As she began to get older going to school was getting harder, because Annie had to babysit her sisters and brothers. As time went by, her mom would get sick, and she had to tend to her sisters and brothers. She started to hang out with girls that were different than the way she was raised. They even dressed different than the way she did. Wanting to be accepted, by her peers, she started to hang out with them.

She felt like she was being too protected by her parents, so she left home and her mom was very angry! She looked to her friends as her second sisters and brothers then she started to like boys. She wanted to be accepted by her peers. That changed everything when she visited home to see her mama. There were lots of arguments. She turned to a boyfriend for comfort only to find out that he could not solve her problems. She ended up getting pregnant, first problem. Second problem was that she had to have baby’s pampers, milk and clothing. Her mother still needed help with Annie’s brothers and sisters. She still needed Annie’s help with dressing and feeding them, so Annie decided to go back home.

No matter what was going on, Annie’s mama said she understood that it was hard to go to school with helping her, but she that must still try to go. Her mother said that when she was a child her parents needed her to help by going to work in the field to pick cotton, so she did not have a chance to go to school. She wanted Annie to not to have a hard life like that, because she had to work in the fields, going to the white people’s houses to clean. Annie’s mother made her feel bad about having a baby so young. She said she needed Annie’s help sometimes, but never intended for her to stop going to school. By not listening, Annie found herself working, taking care of two children, and a home. When she finally realized what she was saying the damage was done, but what she said was still true. Now Annie had a chance to talk to other young girls who are at home with their moms and want to finish school.

Finally, she wanted young people to know that there are many things that can get in the way when trying to go school, but don’t stop trying to get a career in some field to support you. Mama influenced Annie to keep trying even though many people have told her she should give up. She now has enrolled in a Garfield Learning Center.  Influenced by her mother, with the help of many good teachers has made her feel better about her life. The staff at Family Start Learning Center has helped her with my reading, writing, and math.

The Right Thing to do

My name is Sheketa and I attend school at 10 S. Kedzie. I am going to school to get my GED diploma. I live across the street from my school. I have two teachers there. One of my teachers, who teaches math, is named Mr. Nathan. My other teacher’s name is Ms. Rachael; she’s my reading teacher. I have great classmates. One of my classmate’s name is Mr. Grandberry. Mr. Grandberry and I had a little altercation while answering a question Ms. Rachael had asked the classroom. He lives here in Chicago and is a great student. Things kind of got off on the wrong foot with us that day.

                Ms. Rachael decided to ask us questions about the book, The Kite Runner, we were reading in class. I was anxious to answer before she could call on someone else. I wanted to be the first to answer the question, so I yelled out the answer to the question. She replied and said, “no I want Mr. Grandberry to give me the answer”. I got mad and got out my chair and walked out of the classroom while mumbling mean words.

                When I left out the classroom, I went to sit in the office. I needed to go calm down from how angry I was. Ms. Rachael came in 5 minutes later and sat next to me. She asked me if I wanted to talk about what had happened. I replied, “no, not really.” Then she said, “Maybe you need some time to yourself to be alone”; I agreed. When she walked out to go back to the classroom, I realized deep down I really did want to talk. I had seen that she had cared. After I had a talk with Ms. Gwen (the lady in the office who always sat at the front desk) I felt a little better. I had learned that it’s always good to talk to someone about a situation that is bothering you. It helps you feel better. So, the next day, I came to school feeling much better. I couldn’t wait to see my teacher to apologize to her for how I reacted. When I saw Ms. Rachael, I apologized to her in front of the whole class. She said thank you Sheketa that was nice. Also, later that afternoon, my classmate Mr. Grandberry apologized to me. He said “he apologizes if he made me angry and that he wasn’t trying to make me feel bad”. I told him “thank you Grandberry, it’s ok.”

The most important lesson that I have learned that could help someone else is to always talk about your problems. This would help others if they are in a situation like this, if they are having problems with someone and need to talk about what happened. This was an important lesson that I have learned that can really help someone else.

Update! New writing coming soon!

Hello Readers,

We have a new batch of student writing that will be published this week. Students have been working on personal narratives on the topic, "what is a lesson that you learned that could help someone else." The students have completed at least 3 drafts of these narratives! I hope you enjoy.