My Literacy Narrative
Mrs. Johnson
Moving to America in middle school, I thought I was the man, coming from a different continent, speaking multiple languages, and being more athletically gifted, I had the misconception that I was more advanced than my peers. With that mindset I just floated during school, not really giving my best effort, and not absorbing the information I should have, despite having good grades and contributing when need to, I lacked the motivation to challenge myself and give my best efforts. I had the tools required to become a great student, but watching my peers mediocracy I naturally sank down to their level. I enjoyed school and my peers, yet school didn’t really have a meaning or a purpose in my life, I would do what it took to get good grades but lacked the purpose and meaning of why exactly I was doing this in my life.
My English teacher Mrs. Johnson realized that I was a bright young boy full of potential, she also realized I never really gave my full efforts and did what was necessary to get by. Being best friends with Ryan Johnson, Mrs. Johnson’s youngest son, I was always around Johnson’s residence. Mrs. Johnson would always watch us play outside, take us out laser tagging and all sorts of activities, I was always fearless, outgoing, and would always have a questions, yet in school I was bored and felt as if I was wasting time doing activities that did not correlate to my day to day life. Towards the middle of my sixth grade school year, Mrs. Johnson pulled me aside in the middle of recess, thinking I was in trouble my heart sank and my thoughts started racing, what did I do now. She pulled me in the guidance office and instead of her yelling at me her tone seemed sad and disappointed, not knowing why she began ranting about my differences and my capabilities. As she continued on ranting about my potential, all I could think about was missing my favorite part of the school day which was recess. Half-heartedly engaging in the conversation Mrs. Johnson told me something that caught my attention and knocked me off guard, “you’re not special, you have tremendous potential, and if you don’t use it you’ll lose it”. Caught by surprise I didn’t know what to think, but Mrs. Johnson kept on ranting, she mentioned: “in life the harder you work the luckier you get, and nothing in this world is guaranteed”. Knowing my basketball aspirations and my dream to play in the NBA, she said in order for you to do what you love, you have to put yourself in that position and you can only do that by doing the little things and doing them the right way.
At a young age used to being celebrated, this conversation was different than what I expected, especially from my best friends mother who happened to be my English teacher. Feeling the heavy emotion in her tone, I realized that she cared for me, not only because she was my teacher but because she wanted me to become the best version of myself. Even though the conversation at the time didn’t make much sense throughout the week it kept replaying over and over in my mind. She made me question myself and the decisions and life I chose to live, even though I was young she forced me to take a good look in the mirror, and taught me to begin developing positive lifelong habits. Just because I was a hotshot in middle school didn’t mean everything would be handed to me on a silver platter.
Considering her conversation I decided to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone, joining the poetry team, and getting involved in the school theater. I began to learn that there are always opportunities to seek, and that experiences are lifelong teachers both positive and negative. Mrs. Johnson ignited a fire within me that was hungry for knowledge and self-development, I realized your biggest opposition was your brain and your mindsets, and manipulating your mental processes to work with you was the first step to a successful life. Seeking experiences I decided to join the theater and poetry club, unorthodox of my everyday choices I promised myself to try something new, it was now a “Me vs Myself” mindset, determined to be better the next day than I was previously.
With a shift in perspective the following weeks after Mrs. Johnson’s conversation, I realized I was more in tune with my surroundings and actions. On my mission to construct myself I realized that education and learning is a constant process, and gaining knowledge can happen at any time, might be a conversation with your friend, or even a summer vacation you took with your family. Having an open mind and welcoming and evaluating diverse perspectives and possibilities is a crucial mindset for a successful life. Recalling my life prior to Mrs. Johnson’s conversation, I was arrogant and judgemental, I was polite and kind, yet selfish. With a shift in mindset and a different thought process I became more understanding, realizing no one is the same and we all come from different backgrounds, I became more accepting and understanding. For instance, I used to think of the theater kids as “uncool” or “geeks”, little did I know they were the most understanding and free-spirited individuals some of whom are friends with me till this day.
As humans from the day we are born we begin to grow and mature. Schools are institutions to help us learn, but learning doesn’t end there. To live a connected and in tune life, one must be a lifelong learner, one can learn about themselves, the people around them and the world we operate in. Significant personal growth can occur at the most spontaneous of moments, who would have thought the most transformative experience in my middle school life would come from my mediocrity and lack of effort in school. Experiences both positive and negative are critical learning experiences to construct a successful life, it’s all a matter of having an open mind and applying your teachings to your everyday life. Just because you’re in a comfortable situation in your life doesn’t mean you can’t better yourself and the situation. because once you stop learning you start dying.
