JenniferMorales

MartiSchwartz
ELA10E
5/1/14
EighthGradeChaos

Weallpiledintoawarmwhiteclassroomwhereallthewallshadnocharacterthey
recreatedthemeaningofbeingabandoned:alossofhopeandtrust.Ilookedaroundatall
theblankfacesthatwatchedtheteachersstandinginfrontoftheclassroom.
Wearesadtoinformyouwehavefoundabetterjob,thisisbetterforus.Ihopeyou
understand,saidthemathteacheronbehalfofalltheotherteachersleavingus.
Whatishappening?Iaskedmyself.Whatarewegoingtodoifwehaveno
teachers?Justhangoutinclassroomsallday?Ifeltabandonedlikethewallsthatwere
surroundingme.Isatinthebackoftheclassroomindisbelief,Ilookedaroundreactions
rangedfromjoyousfacestofrownsofconcern.
Weekswentbytheteacherswerenowwithnewstudentsthattheyhadrescuedby
givingthemagoodeducation,whilewewereleftoutonadesertedisland,disoriented.
Studentsstartedtobecomearrogant,disrespectfulstudents.Iwasahardheadedteen.I
wouldgotoclasstoseeadifferentsubstitutegettingtorturedbythehorrificwordsthat
studentswouldyellatthemjusttoshowofftotheirfriends.Aftergettingyelledat,the
substitutewouldgiveoutaneightpagepackettodoforthehour.
Afterfourhoursofpacketworkanddaydreamingabouttheroaringoldschoolbelltofinally
tellmetogohome,schoolseemeduninteresting.
Students,includingmyself,didntwanttoacceptnewteachers.Wereceivedamath
andscienceteacherwhomwehatedbecausewehadspentsomuchtimealoneafterour
originalteachersquitthatwedidntevenwanttoseeateacher.Promptlyaftermynew
scienceteachercouldntstandusanymoreanddecidedtoquit.
YOUALLARECRAZY!shescreeched.Theclassturnedsilentinamatterof
seconds.Shestormedoffthatwasthelasttimeweeversawher.
BythesemesterIcouldsmellthestressofgraduating.Wakingupatsixinthe
morningtocreditrecoverywassuchadrag.Iwasspendinghoursdoingwork,justtocatch
up.AlthoughIknewitwasatremendousamountofwork,mymindsetchangedIknewthis
wastheonlywaytogetawayfromallthischaos.IrealizedtobesuccessfulIhavetotake
careofmyambitionsbynotworryingaboutwhatothersthinkofme,orwhereIstandinmy
sociallifebecauseattheendofthedayIonlyhavemyselftocounton.
Amonthlater,onlastdayofschoolIfeltthemostexcitedoutofeveryone.Ihada
phonecallfromBlackstonesayingIwasaccepted.Mybestfriendswerentgoingtolive
theBlackstoneexperiencewithme.IknewthatthiswasforthebestbecauseIfeltlikeI
couldneverbemyselfwiththem.
IhopeonedayIcantellmystorytotheyoungerstudentsandshowthemwhatlife
canbringthem.Despitehowmanypeoplegiveuponthem,theyshouldnevergiveupon
themselvesevenwhentheyfeellikethereisnoreasontokeepworkingtowardstheir
dreams.IlearnedthattherewillbedarktimesinlifewhereIcanonlyrelyonmyself,butto
overcomeitIwillhavetoworkhardandgiveitmyall.InordertobesuccessfullyhappyI
needtohaveperseverance.