I started school (preschool) at age three. I was an outspoken, attention-grabbing child at that time. Elementary school was met with backlash from my classmates towards my dreams and how I acted. I started middle school (grades 6th-8th) painfully shy, never speaking. I was easily brought down and always daydreaming to escape my surroundings.
I was conscientious of my school work but never excelled in all areas. All of middle school years ended with genuine anxiety that I had not passed on to the next grade. I loved to learn but the classroom hierarchy made that difficult-so did my growing procrastination. I realized that the World wasn't how I painted it to be as a child and that I was a lot different than who I was for a long time.
When I started high school at age 14, I was learning how to be more outspoken (but still usually kept to myself). I actually liked high school a lot. People who had bullied me in middle school were now my friends and I understood then that people change and grow. Of course, I was still dealing with feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Almost everyday I wore a size 3XL hoodie to "hide" me. Looking back at it, I can't believe I hid beautiful me.
I had issues when it came to becoming friends with the wrong kind of people. I was often looked at has having their reputation despite not knowing them outside of a school setting and not partaking in whatever (illegal) activities they did. Guilty by association? Oh well.
Other than some social issues, a few mean teachers, high school wasn't too bad. However, once everything seemed okay, it quickly turned to Hell.
When I turned 15, nearing the end of 9th grade, I started having new medical issues. School was actually making me sick. It took almost an entire year to be believed and get a diagnosis. Turns out I am highly sensitive to artificial lighting-fluorescent lights- and they (immediately) trigger migraines. By the time I am diagnosed, I am halfway through 10th grade and progressing backwards. I no longer kept friendships, talked, slept, ate, or even tried to go to school most days. I felt trapped in my body and I was suffering. Despite that, what work I did do for school, was all A material. I had too much anxiety to let my school work suffer as well-and it didn't, for the most part.
It got to the point that I stopped going to school, one week before my sixteenth birthday. I broke everyone's heart that day. But I had had enough. I developed an anxiety disorder from it all. I begged to go to cyber school and made very convincing points (also, there weren't any other options). I wrote down all the information I could find about the school I wanted to enroll into, and it was set. I was out of school for a total of eight months before the next school year began.
I started 11th grade off extremely optimistic and elated. I was enrolled into Connections Academy, an accredited K-12, online, tuition free, public school. Instantly, I knew my work ethic had changed. I strived to be the best student I could be; even the best in my classes. I went from a setting where I prayed for a D so I could pass a class, to getting A's.
Allow me to break down the stigma towards online education:
Within my first few weeks, my work did not go unnoticed. I was selected to represent my school at the state capitol, through my American Government class. I was invited by one of our senators to participate in a program he created called, "Senator For a Day". I was a part of a mock congress. Experience of a lifetime! After that, my flame for academic success was ignited to a higher degree.
I woke up everyday truly excited to do my schoolwork. I became an overachiever, disappointed in myself if I got questions wrong. The reason is the best point I can possibly make. I became independent. If I failed, it was only one me. There was no one else to blame. I had to take the initiative to do my school work, study, and succeed. There was no one physically beside me, making sure I did it. I couldn't blame my teachers like I could in previous years. The teachers call/email everyday-never allowing a student to be ignored and left with questions unanswered. If a student failed, it was because they didn't do their work-they just didn't care. I felt in charge of my education. That is what fueled me.
When I graduated last year, there were several thousands of students enrolled in my state alone. Every year that number grows, proving that online education is a great alternative to a traditional schooling style.
How does this pertain to writing? Through the new schooling experience, I realized that my writing skills were evident to my teachers. Through my various discussions, essays, and assignments, my teachers commented on my creativity through writing and how well I wrote. Once it was known what kind of writing/work they could expect of me; I was critiqued harder. At the time I thought it was awful. I would turn in an essay that I thought was great and receive a lower mark than I expected. I would open up the PDF of what I turned in and the comments/marked errors would shock me. This is because they knew what I was capable of doing. I'm glad they did that; it made me a better and more conscientious writer.
In my marine biology class we had an assignment to write a narrative as a scientist on an expedition. This is what I turned in:
HMS Challenger
We set sail today, marking the day of, December 21st, 1872 of great importance to us and our loved ones. Saying goodbye to my sweet Molly and our beautiful children filled my eyes with a stinging sensation I am foreign to but acquainted with. As we sailed away from Portsmouth in the fine land of England I couldn’t help but think about being a child and watching the same ships that I occupy now sail by and think about my children watching me set sail on one in the present time.
The weather matched our wariness of the path ahead. My family couldn’t see me off and had to watch through the windows of the tavern across the street where we had our last moments together to survive the downpour. The wind held the rain against us making it hard to maneuver with good sight. However, I am filled with excitement knowing what this is all for. It is my duty to conduct the Buchanan Water Sampler. What a genius contraption it is. I am due to begin in a few moments. I must bid my faithful writing journal goodbye for a few hours.
What a treacherous task it was to collect samples while the sea roars omens of bad weather. Despite, I was able to collect several organisms to study. I collected Euplectella subearea, a deep-sea glass sponge. I also surveyed Hemiaster phillipi, which is an urchin. Overall, the first day was filled with strenuous work and I look forward to what lies ahead as all paths will eventually lead home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the first few days of life at sea I came to an understanding with the world. As I continue to surface organisms to study them, I have come to know what my job is as a scientist and my role as a human being. I am one in this world of plenty, yet I am significant. I gain knowledge of the unknown so that generations to come have the gift of knowing what coexists with them on this planet. When the day comes I leave behind my legacy, my children. They will discover things after me and their children, and their children’s children. This is life, the art of discovery. We are all scientists, everyday. That is my greatest discovery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are in the Bermuda at this point in the voyage; it is May 7th, 1873. The rain is nonstop today but I shall not let that dampen my beloved day off with the shipmates. I joined a small band my bunkmates started. I am playing the trumpet, a skill I learned years prior from my own father. I wish to teach my son the same upon my return home. We played for about an hour in a half before meal time in the early afternoon hours. We had a hearty meal that consisted of cavitch, pellow, sea venison, plumb pudding, and biscuits. It makes me miss my dear Molly and her cooking fiercely.
Being away, especially on a ship, for an extended period of time has been costly for my spirit. I find myself in need of a simple embrace from my love in England. I miss the solid ground and tire of the caressing sway of the waves around me that threaten our lives with the slightest of storm in the horizon. The data I collect on a regular basis for the good of science is worth the temporary distance between my family and me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is now August of, 1875; time has been flying but not flying fast enough. We are in the Hawaiian Islands and the weather is better than usual. After encountering terrible conditions time and time again it is a great relief to not have to worry about the weather for a moment, however, that aside I do have a bigger issue on my mind, Scurvy. We have lost many to this already and the outcome is wary. I obtained Scurvy from lack of fruits in my diet. I am extremely weak and the doctor is telling me that he is going to be giving me lemon and orange juices. He is telling me I am going to be fine but my body suggests otherwise for now. I went a long time without being diagnosed.
It has been a few days now since the doctor first started to treat me with the juices and I am gaining strength back. I couldn’t be more pleased. I should soon be able to join the rest and continue to scope the ocean floor for new discoveries. This journey is not over yet and neither is my personal journey. I, Reese J. Thompson, bid you a farewell, my faithful journal.
Obviously the grammar is atrocious, but my teacher was not expecting to be as entertained and impressed by the creativity of one of her students as she was. She told me that I have a real talent. I earned extra points ;) From that day on, I opened my eyes to the idea that I could actually make writing my life. Why not? I enjoy it immensely. She really changed my life that day.
So much good came out of enrolling into cyber school. My last year of high school I was a straight A student! It showed me that I could succeed if I tried hard enough. I received the encouragement and education I needed. I was no longer in the presence of mocking peers, but in a place of acceptance and growth.
School choice is about knowing what is best for you (or your child). Everyone learns differently and at different paces. I highly encourage everyone to consider alternatives.
Happy Writing,
Katie
I was conscientious of my school work but never excelled in all areas. All of middle school years ended with genuine anxiety that I had not passed on to the next grade. I loved to learn but the classroom hierarchy made that difficult-so did my growing procrastination. I realized that the World wasn't how I painted it to be as a child and that I was a lot different than who I was for a long time.
When I started high school at age 14, I was learning how to be more outspoken (but still usually kept to myself). I actually liked high school a lot. People who had bullied me in middle school were now my friends and I understood then that people change and grow. Of course, I was still dealing with feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Almost everyday I wore a size 3XL hoodie to "hide" me. Looking back at it, I can't believe I hid beautiful me.
I had issues when it came to becoming friends with the wrong kind of people. I was often looked at has having their reputation despite not knowing them outside of a school setting and not partaking in whatever (illegal) activities they did. Guilty by association? Oh well.
Other than some social issues, a few mean teachers, high school wasn't too bad. However, once everything seemed okay, it quickly turned to Hell.
When I turned 15, nearing the end of 9th grade, I started having new medical issues. School was actually making me sick. It took almost an entire year to be believed and get a diagnosis. Turns out I am highly sensitive to artificial lighting-fluorescent lights- and they (immediately) trigger migraines. By the time I am diagnosed, I am halfway through 10th grade and progressing backwards. I no longer kept friendships, talked, slept, ate, or even tried to go to school most days. I felt trapped in my body and I was suffering. Despite that, what work I did do for school, was all A material. I had too much anxiety to let my school work suffer as well-and it didn't, for the most part.
It got to the point that I stopped going to school, one week before my sixteenth birthday. I broke everyone's heart that day. But I had had enough. I developed an anxiety disorder from it all. I begged to go to cyber school and made very convincing points (also, there weren't any other options). I wrote down all the information I could find about the school I wanted to enroll into, and it was set. I was out of school for a total of eight months before the next school year began.
I started 11th grade off extremely optimistic and elated. I was enrolled into Connections Academy, an accredited K-12, online, tuition free, public school. Instantly, I knew my work ethic had changed. I strived to be the best student I could be; even the best in my classes. I went from a setting where I prayed for a D so I could pass a class, to getting A's.
Allow me to break down the stigma towards online education:
- My online classes were taught by teachers whom never made me feel like I wasn't getting the help I needed. They worked with me to make sure I was living up to my potential and always explained things further to make sure I understood how to do an assignment.
- I had scheduled classes where I would be in a specialized chat room with my teacher and the other students. Everything was interactive.
- The courses were just like any other course at any other school. I say they were even more in depth and more challenging. I knew exactly how a class was taught at my previous school and my new school did dwell deeper into topics, learning more.
- It was very social. Every student had the opportunity to go on three field trips per month. (I personally never did take advantage of that). Several clubs were available to join in; I joined two.
- Textbooks, computer, printer, and materials were all provided-for free!
- I had more opportunities through online education! Academically and personally.
Within my first few weeks, my work did not go unnoticed. I was selected to represent my school at the state capitol, through my American Government class. I was invited by one of our senators to participate in a program he created called, "Senator For a Day". I was a part of a mock congress. Experience of a lifetime! After that, my flame for academic success was ignited to a higher degree.
I woke up everyday truly excited to do my schoolwork. I became an overachiever, disappointed in myself if I got questions wrong. The reason is the best point I can possibly make. I became independent. If I failed, it was only one me. There was no one else to blame. I had to take the initiative to do my school work, study, and succeed. There was no one physically beside me, making sure I did it. I couldn't blame my teachers like I could in previous years. The teachers call/email everyday-never allowing a student to be ignored and left with questions unanswered. If a student failed, it was because they didn't do their work-they just didn't care. I felt in charge of my education. That is what fueled me.
When I graduated last year, there were several thousands of students enrolled in my state alone. Every year that number grows, proving that online education is a great alternative to a traditional schooling style.
How does this pertain to writing? Through the new schooling experience, I realized that my writing skills were evident to my teachers. Through my various discussions, essays, and assignments, my teachers commented on my creativity through writing and how well I wrote. Once it was known what kind of writing/work they could expect of me; I was critiqued harder. At the time I thought it was awful. I would turn in an essay that I thought was great and receive a lower mark than I expected. I would open up the PDF of what I turned in and the comments/marked errors would shock me. This is because they knew what I was capable of doing. I'm glad they did that; it made me a better and more conscientious writer.
In my marine biology class we had an assignment to write a narrative as a scientist on an expedition. This is what I turned in:
HMS Challenger
We set sail today, marking the day of, December 21st, 1872 of great importance to us and our loved ones. Saying goodbye to my sweet Molly and our beautiful children filled my eyes with a stinging sensation I am foreign to but acquainted with. As we sailed away from Portsmouth in the fine land of England I couldn’t help but think about being a child and watching the same ships that I occupy now sail by and think about my children watching me set sail on one in the present time.
The weather matched our wariness of the path ahead. My family couldn’t see me off and had to watch through the windows of the tavern across the street where we had our last moments together to survive the downpour. The wind held the rain against us making it hard to maneuver with good sight. However, I am filled with excitement knowing what this is all for. It is my duty to conduct the Buchanan Water Sampler. What a genius contraption it is. I am due to begin in a few moments. I must bid my faithful writing journal goodbye for a few hours.
What a treacherous task it was to collect samples while the sea roars omens of bad weather. Despite, I was able to collect several organisms to study. I collected Euplectella subearea, a deep-sea glass sponge. I also surveyed Hemiaster phillipi, which is an urchin. Overall, the first day was filled with strenuous work and I look forward to what lies ahead as all paths will eventually lead home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the first few days of life at sea I came to an understanding with the world. As I continue to surface organisms to study them, I have come to know what my job is as a scientist and my role as a human being. I am one in this world of plenty, yet I am significant. I gain knowledge of the unknown so that generations to come have the gift of knowing what coexists with them on this planet. When the day comes I leave behind my legacy, my children. They will discover things after me and their children, and their children’s children. This is life, the art of discovery. We are all scientists, everyday. That is my greatest discovery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are in the Bermuda at this point in the voyage; it is May 7th, 1873. The rain is nonstop today but I shall not let that dampen my beloved day off with the shipmates. I joined a small band my bunkmates started. I am playing the trumpet, a skill I learned years prior from my own father. I wish to teach my son the same upon my return home. We played for about an hour in a half before meal time in the early afternoon hours. We had a hearty meal that consisted of cavitch, pellow, sea venison, plumb pudding, and biscuits. It makes me miss my dear Molly and her cooking fiercely.
Being away, especially on a ship, for an extended period of time has been costly for my spirit. I find myself in need of a simple embrace from my love in England. I miss the solid ground and tire of the caressing sway of the waves around me that threaten our lives with the slightest of storm in the horizon. The data I collect on a regular basis for the good of science is worth the temporary distance between my family and me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is now August of, 1875; time has been flying but not flying fast enough. We are in the Hawaiian Islands and the weather is better than usual. After encountering terrible conditions time and time again it is a great relief to not have to worry about the weather for a moment, however, that aside I do have a bigger issue on my mind, Scurvy. We have lost many to this already and the outcome is wary. I obtained Scurvy from lack of fruits in my diet. I am extremely weak and the doctor is telling me that he is going to be giving me lemon and orange juices. He is telling me I am going to be fine but my body suggests otherwise for now. I went a long time without being diagnosed.
It has been a few days now since the doctor first started to treat me with the juices and I am gaining strength back. I couldn’t be more pleased. I should soon be able to join the rest and continue to scope the ocean floor for new discoveries. This journey is not over yet and neither is my personal journey. I, Reese J. Thompson, bid you a farewell, my faithful journal.
Obviously the grammar is atrocious, but my teacher was not expecting to be as entertained and impressed by the creativity of one of her students as she was. She told me that I have a real talent. I earned extra points ;) From that day on, I opened my eyes to the idea that I could actually make writing my life. Why not? I enjoy it immensely. She really changed my life that day.
So much good came out of enrolling into cyber school. My last year of high school I was a straight A student! It showed me that I could succeed if I tried hard enough. I received the encouragement and education I needed. I was no longer in the presence of mocking peers, but in a place of acceptance and growth.
School choice is about knowing what is best for you (or your child). Everyone learns differently and at different paces. I highly encourage everyone to consider alternatives.
Happy Writing,
Katie