May 2011 - Jefferson County Public Schools

Flashing Back
Greter Sierra
Learning a new language is like a baby learning how to talk. Imagine this baby being
twelve years old. Not understanding anyone made me feel frustrated. It was not easy hearing
voices and not being able to interpret what each word meant. Life became even worse when I
got to Middle School. As I flash back, I see myself sitting in my English class. To me it felt like
being in prison. I remember hearing words that sounded alike, but had different meanings. How
could I possibly learn that? Many times, giving up felt like the best option. I was so
disappointed, to the point that I regretted coming to the United States. Fortunately, my life made
a 180 degree turn when I met my greatest influence.
She was Mrs. McGrath, my ESL teacher in middle school. Her words of encouragement
made me feel confident and secure. I felt a strong connection with her as she told me her story
which was similar to mine. She could understand the struggle of not understanding anyone. She
showed me the path of accomplishment by helping me improve my reading and writing. She
said that it was the most important thing in the English language. It was her way of teaching
that caught my attention.
I loved the way she broke lessons down to make them seem easier. Never in the world
had I imagined having to write portfolios. I learned onomatopoeia, personification, simile,
metaphors, and other important writing techniques. Then I realized that I was not only learning
English, but I was learning the right way of writing. She told us to live life in a snapshot when
writing, if you describe in details what you’re writing, then your piece will be successful. She
was surprised with my improvement and the way I applied my knowledge to every story. I
wasn’t the best writer, but I finally understood the importance of grammar and punctuation.
Thinking in Spanish and writing in English, she believed, was the best method for producing a
better writing piece.
One of the most important things that I learned in her class was to always try to push
myself a little harder when it came to reading. I was very embarrassed when we had to read out
laud. When it was almost my time, I would make any excuse to get out of class. Mrs. McGrath
introduced me to books about Junnie B. Jones. She told me that it was going to be challenging
for me, but that I would enjoy the story of a girl who also struggled in some way. I could have
never imagined the wonderful words used to describe a moment in a story. At first I read just to
get a grade, but she showed me that if I picture myself in the story, I would enjoy reading
forever.
The more I read, I noticed that my writing improved. Learning new words from difficult
books can really help a writer improve writing. As I travel back in time to see myself in middle
school, I can really say that I have improved tremendously. Thanks to the help of just one
person, I was able to improve my reading and writing. I will never forget the person that pushed
me to success. Now that I’m a senior in High School, I believe that I have knowledge enough to
complete any reading or writing task, but I know that there is still more to learn.