school subjects
5:29 p.m. x 2003-09-24
What were your best and wrost subjects in elementary school? Middle School? High School?
In elementary school I was really good in spelling and reading. In reading, the results of my standardized tests said I was the second best reader in the state in second grade. I hated math and didn't really get interested in social studies unless I wanted to learn about something. Looking back on it, I'd neglect to turn in homework, even when I had done it, and just blew stuff off in general if it wasn't something that interested me. When I got to be creative and pick out what I wanted to work on, I got really good grades. I stand by my belief that school systems should take this into consideration when developing lesson plans.
In middle school I did awesome in English, and in reading. I don't know why I was sent to reading class in the seventh grade. I had good grades in the subject and didn't need any help but I was made to take the class, which was for people that had trouble with it. I don't mean to sound boastful but I wonder if I was there to give the other kids something to work toward. I was reading 400 words per minute, after all. It just doesn't make sense to keep me in reading when it's designed to help those students that are falling behind the required reading level.
Anyway, I left English class in the eigth grade with a 125%. Back then I knew the difference between "its" and "it's", even! Amazing how we forget, huh?
In high school, it varied. It depended on the teacher, mostly, but also which friends I had. I was in honors english but always got d's. Thankfully, there was a thing they did with the gpa if you were in honors classes, so it looked like I was getting c's if you were to look at my record.
Freshman year, I failed one semester of algebra, so I had to take it again the following year. That year I got straight A's.
Also, my finals for Freshman year, I got 2 A's, 2 B's, and 2 C's, and this was with one eye closed from an infection, due to some blue eyeliner that I had put on wrong. (Girls, don't put eyeliner above your eyelashes in the lip of your eye. It's bad for you.)
I was very smart but I wish now that I had used it to it's full potential instead of blowing it all off. I still love to learn stuff, but just like when I was little, it has to be stuff I want to learn. (Remember when I did a report because I felt like it, last year?) I don't do good in a structured school setting where I'm told what to learn. My brain doesn't like it. Never has and never will.
The good thing is, I understand that so it gives me more understanding when my kids are sluffing off on school work.
The bad thing is, because I didn't recognize my own potential, I let myself be bullied and quit school and no amount of GED's will ever replace the feeling there is when you miss two years of what's supposed to be fun with friends, books, and teachers (good or bad).