Odyssey Personal Response

When I first found out that I was going to Odyssey, all I knew was what I had been told: Odyssey is a magnet school for gifted and talented students in 5th through 8th grade. And whenever someone asked me, “Where do you go to school?”, I would always automatically reply with that, because I knew it was the ‘right’ answer. That ‘right’ answer was the only response I knew how to give, as it was the only response I had ever been taught. Most importantly, I wasn’t allowed to question the ‘right’ answer, the sacred answer, the only answer. Every day, I would read the book, memorize the facts, and answer correctly when asked. Rinse and repeat. It worked well, too – on the elementary school grading system, I always got 3’s or 4’s on everything I turned …show more content…
They not only teach, they mentor and help us succeed. At most middle schools, all any teacher is ever concerned about is getting all of their students to pass so their evaluation won’t go down. This usually leads to the kids at the top of the class being neglected, and thus, they are constantly bored. But at Odyssey, those kids who were at the top of their classes in their old schools are challenged. No matter how frustrating a student can be, the teachers at Odyssey still push them. Whenever I was close to giving up, my teachers compelled me to continue, and I persevered. Here, assignments are harder, and grades can drop, but it’s worth it. Teachers fill our brains with new knowledge and understanding. Suddenly, learning is fun again, school is exciting again, and everything becomes an opportunity to grow and improve. Before Odyssey, I knew exactly what I was going to do in the future: ace tests, get into a good college, find a well-paying job, and live the rest of life in comfort. Now that I’ve gone on this journey, a new world of possibilities has opened up – over those four short years, I’ve wanted to be anything ranging from an author to a scientist, a teacher to a surgeon, a secretary to a