MY JOURNEY
Starting 6th grade, I knew little to no English making it really difficult for me to
help my teachers understand what I was trying to say. I used to try my best and at
times I thought I had perfected the English and was better than most ESL students
but my interactions with people said otherwise. I remember the second day of
school, I went to school early and was asked to wait in the cafeteria, but I couldn’t
understand a word my teacher was saying to me. She kept explaining to me that I
was not allowed near the classroom before homeroom started but I failed to
understand this simple sentence. At last, she finally gave up just before I was
literally “saved by the bell” for the homeroom. But I was so ashamed of myself for
making a fool out of myself right in the beginning of the year. I couldn’t stop
thinking about what my teacher, Mrs. Skalet must think of me.
Mrs. Skalet was the type of teacher who would make sure that you understood
everything before moving on, and she would never judge you for not being able
to understand the Eenglish language properly. She used to always look for unique
ways to teach us this new language and make sure that we never felt like we
didn’t belong. She made the learning space very comfortable and accepting of all
our differences. I was in her class for two years and those years were so
memorable for me.
Unlike Mrs. Skalet who was welcoming and non judgemental, my fellow
classmates were the exact opposite. I, along with some other ESL students, were
mocked for English not being our the second language and had the hardest time
trying to fit in. I was colored and was the stereotypical brown girl who didn’t
speak any Eenglish. I remember even being mocked by one of my teachers for
pronouncing the word ‘volleyball’ in a Pakistani accent. My teacher pointed my
accent out in front of the whole class and to her it wasn’t a big deal, but for me it
felt like the world was ending because I had to stand in front of the whole class
and be humiliated while the whole class laughed. Although her intentions weren’t
to hurt me or make fun of me, to me it felt like I was jjsxnjskjsks up to my
stereotypical expectations.
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unclearly to me here.Fast fForward to 9th grade, I was starting high school as a confident person who
left behind all the negativity and was ready for a new start. At this point in my life,
I was educated enough to be able to speak enough English to communicate
properly and fit in. At this point in my journey, I was trying my hardest to learn
the language that would help me communicate with others for the rest of my life.
I used to read plenty of books and was familiar with many educational channels
on Youtube. I was proud of myself and wanted to expand this knowledge. So
instead of taking the Urdu regents, I chose to learn a new language and take the
Spanish regents instead. It was a very proud moment and although I was a bit
scared, I was really excited to learn another new language.
I took Spanish for about four years and although these four years didn’t make me
fluent in Spanish, I got a chance to explore a new language and feel pride in
having tried something new. When it came time to take the regents, I wanted to
back down and take the Urdu regents instead. This was the time that I didn’t feel
so confident in myself and felt like I couldn’t make it if I took the Spanish regent. I
knew that I had spent 4 years learning this language and I shouldn’t back down
but taking the Urdu regent seemed so much easier than taking a regent in a
language that was still foreign to me.
I shared my concerns with my Sspanish teacher, Mrs. Intravia, who kept trying to
help me understand that the regent is not as difficult as I think and kept telling me
that everything will be alright. When I insisted on taking the Urdu regent even
after our talk she said, “ I can’t force you into taking the Spanish regents but just
think! Why did you want to take the Spanish regent in the first place?”. I thought
for a while and although Ii was scared, I decided to challenge myself and take the
Spanish regent. Some time later, I had ACED the regent and felt so proud of
myself.
My mother used to be a housewife and although she didn’t go out too much she
wanted to learn English for the times she does go outside to get groceries. She
would try reading all kinds of children’s books and although she didn’t understand
everything she was reading she kept trying. During the summer I started to help
her out and spent the whole summer reading with her and translating the book. I
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Formatted: Highlightwould give a new word to learn everyday and slowly she started picking up the
language. I remember my dad once said “There are many people wishing to be in
your place, I was one of those kids and although I immigrated to America I didn’t
have as many opportunities as you do. Don’t take them for granted, and be
grateful for what you have” and watching her I felt so blessed to have gotten a
real education and to have earned english along with so many others. I wanted
her to have the same thing, so instead of teaching her myself I signed up for ESL
classes for my mother. Over time she not only learned the English language but
she also started working as a helper in school buses. I was so blessed to not only
have learned the language myself but to also have shared my knowledge with
others. Although I’ve had my ups and downs with the English language, I feel
proud to have learned it and will keep expanding on this knowledge with time.
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