They say you can’t teach an old donkey new tricks. Believe it or not, I am 40 years old and up until two semesters ago, I didn’t know how to write. Ok, maybe I knew how to spell and make sentences, but to bring an essay to life, I never knew I was capable of creating such a complex, entertaining, masterpiece with sentences. I will never forget, Alexandria C Piland, my English 0950 teacher. The dreaded Essay Writing class that I procrastinated all year to take. It was spring semester, how could I ever forget, the same semester when the unthinkable in life happened, the same semester I lost my baby sister.
I can still remember like it was yesterday. It was 4:00 a.m. on January 8 2016, I was asleep, yet awake, I heard the phone ring, I tried …show more content…
The first essay I wrote was a whole bunch of heart broken feelings trying to fill up 2 pages of paper to get the assignment completed. I submitted my first essay, surprisingly I was given a passing grade. My teacher Miss. Piland, knew of the tragic loss that took place several weeks prior to school starting, so I assumed she wasn’t that hard on me while grading my essay. In the comment area she instructed me to read my essay out loud prior to submission, she stated I have the concept and format of a good essay down, just read it out loud, either to yourself or to someone else. I thought to myself, now why am I going to do that? Why do I want to read out loud what I already reread probably a thousand times, what did she think, she can’t teach an old donkey new tricks! I submitted my next essay assignment, again she tells me, read to someone or yourself the essay prior to submissions, in addition to the repetitive critic she added; “if you fail to follow instructions I will be forced to drop you from the class” and in big red letters REDUE.” WOW!” No sympathy grade here and anyway, how did she know I didn’t read it out loud? Curious and confused, I print out my essay so I can read it out loud, I was at ah; I couldn’t believe how bad it sounded. The way I write and the way I think it should be said on paper are completely different. I immediately went to my computer and re- typed my essay, this time while reading it out loud. I couldn’t believe it, what was once words on paper, was now a work of art. I resubmitted my essay. I waited almost a week, (which felt like eternity) for my new grade. I received a C it was the original grade, she again wrote, “read out loud your next essay prior to submission,” but this time she added, “see what happens when you aren’t so stubborn.
I can still remember like it was yesterday. It was 4:00 a.m. on January 8 2016, I was asleep, yet awake, I heard the phone ring, I tried …show more content…
The first essay I wrote was a whole bunch of heart broken feelings trying to fill up 2 pages of paper to get the assignment completed. I submitted my first essay, surprisingly I was given a passing grade. My teacher Miss. Piland, knew of the tragic loss that took place several weeks prior to school starting, so I assumed she wasn’t that hard on me while grading my essay. In the comment area she instructed me to read my essay out loud prior to submission, she stated I have the concept and format of a good essay down, just read it out loud, either to yourself or to someone else. I thought to myself, now why am I going to do that? Why do I want to read out loud what I already reread probably a thousand times, what did she think, she can’t teach an old donkey new tricks! I submitted my next essay assignment, again she tells me, read to someone or yourself the essay prior to submissions, in addition to the repetitive critic she added; “if you fail to follow instructions I will be forced to drop you from the class” and in big red letters REDUE.” WOW!” No sympathy grade here and anyway, how did she know I didn’t read it out loud? Curious and confused, I print out my essay so I can read it out loud, I was at ah; I couldn’t believe how bad it sounded. The way I write and the way I think it should be said on paper are completely different. I immediately went to my computer and re- typed my essay, this time while reading it out loud. I couldn’t believe it, what was once words on paper, was now a work of art. I resubmitted my essay. I waited almost a week, (which felt like eternity) for my new grade. I received a C it was the original grade, she again wrote, “read out loud your next essay prior to submission,” but this time she added, “see what happens when you aren’t so stubborn.