Spelling Bee Controversy

A line of students wrapped around the desks. Why are the other students even trying on this? This is so easy, why would they be worried? I cockily thought to myself while walking towards the line. I did not think that it would matter where I stood in line, so I smugly took my place behind everyone else. I was going to qualify for the spelling bee anyways. One year before, I had qualified for the Big Springs Spelling Bee, and finished in the top 6, the highest placing for a fourth grader. Among my peers, I was widely regarded as the smartest fifth grader. I had skipped the second grade and had been involved in R.E.A.C.H., the gifted and talented program at my school, since kindergarten, the only student in our grade to do so. Considering the other achievements I had already completed, qualifying for the spelling bee would have been a minor accomplishment. Several days before the spelling bee, our teacher, Mrs. Ayers, had notified us that every student would participate in a mock spelling bee until there were two students left, and those two students would represent our class in the Big Springs Spelling Bee. When the day of the spelling bee came, I was not nervous at all. Mrs. Ayers began the spelling bee, whistling to get …show more content…
Defeated, I turned around and walked back to my seat. When I looked up, I met the gaze of my classmates who had spelled their words correctly, and saw surprise in their eyes. I heard my name being whispered, and in shame, I dug my nose into the nearest book I could reach, so I did not have to listen to the rest of the spelling bee. I felt bad for myself at first, but those emotions would then turn to anger. I was not angry because Mrs. Ayers did not give me another chance, I was angry because I was given an easy word to spell, and I misspelled it. If I had tried harder, I would’ve still been in that