Being Smart Enough
My whole life has been about proving myself. Born with dyslexia I never really cared much about what other people thought about me until I realized that I was different. I only knew I was different when one day papers from my backpack were thrown out the window of the school bus. Along with the throwing of the paper came the taunts, "you're stupid. You go to the stupid classes." The bus driver made me flag girl of the bus so I could sit behind her and read a book and never be bothered again.
It was then though that it dawned on me. The classes I went to as a child in elementary school weren't special in positive terms. I left the normal classroom every day away from the "normal" kids and went to my special (ed) classes.
If you were smart enough in the public school system in deep south MS you got to take a field trip every month to the high school for a program called IDEAS. I'm sure that stands for something really cool, but I can't remember. I can't remember, mainly because I was never allowed to take part in IDEAS.
In fifth grade, my fifth grade teacher (I do remember her name for many reasons, most of which are not favorable) pulled my mother aside and told her, "We think Josie's smart enough to take part in IDEAS now." As in, she has stayed in "normal" classes for a year now and functions quite "normally." My mother gave her THE look and replied, "Don't bother, we're putting her in Catholic school." My mother wasn't very keen on the public school's system of "normal" and "special" (as in not really special, just kind of stupid). In the Catholic school that I went to there were small classes and teachers worked harder not labeling students. I wasn't the stupid kid anymore. I was actually Bob's little sister. He did great things with his time there.
Just one more hurdle for me to jump. This time, armed with a confidence my mom passed along to me, I just put on my running shoes.
posted by THEonlyGOALIE @ 9:37 AM
2 Comments:
The degree from Loyola and the paragraph about your public school teacher make it out like Catholic education is somehow enlightened.
Is that the point?
Hey thanks dillyberto... I wrote this half awake and half asleep and I don't think I really got the correct message out. Your comment is about to promote a revision.
I'm not sure that Catholic education is enlightened... I, myself, attend the Methodist church and so the religious aspect of Catholic education isn't really what I was getting at. I did enjoy being able to talk about God openly at school, though I don't think that is why it was good for me.
I went to public school in Pascagoula, MS. I began my education in Kingwood, TX. I think just based on that alone, my mother saw how much the public school was lacking in MS. It was not the teachers' fault, it was the educational system statewide. The teacher I mentioned was just a product of that system.
By putting me in Catholic school my grade level was never larger than 30 and by the time I graduated it was only 16. Any given class could be 4 people large. This gave me the advantage to ask as many questions as I needed and teachers were ALWAYS available after school.
I was able to play soccer, take part in YMCA's Youth Legislature, YMCA's Model United Nations, the Gulf Coast Leadership program, Mock Trials, Z-Club (sister club to Zonta International), be class president, be the president of the Senior Science club, be in the junior honor society as well as the honor society in high school.... etc.
The only way I was able to have such amazing experiences was attending a smaller school, which happened to be a Catholic school.
Then with Loyola, I was also able to play soccer and be on the dance team, attend classes that only had 4 to 5 students, get coffee with professors... Things I would not have been able to do attending a state school (because I am not the best soccer player... they probably wouldn't even let me be a walk on).
Anyway, I need to revamp my point.
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