Geometry

Throughout primary school and middle school I had always been good with getting my schoolwork done and never had a problem passing assignments. That could have been because we rarely got homework and always did essays in class. But when I moved up to high school, I had a rude awakening. All of a sudden things were changing. The school was all new to me, big hallways, new teachers, and older kids. My classes were spread all around the school and had a mix of kids from different grades. I thought to myself on the first day, “Teachers weren’t going to write essays with us during class? There’s math homework? We can’t use notes on tests?? They didn’t prepare us at all for these changes! I’m never going to make it!” Somehow, I did manage to make it, but it wasn’t always easy.

The first class I ever struggled in was geometry with Mr. Prideux. He reminded me a lot of my own dad, which made me feel like I had a connection with him. We bonded over topics such as politics, values and life in general. But Mr. Prideux was not the type of teacher that was going to baby high schoolers and I think that’s what we needed, even if it’s not always what we wanted him to do. I would never want to struggle in any class, but since I was bound to eventually I’m glad it was with him.

I was a math class above most of my class as a freshman so I was in a math class with kids from each grade. Some kids were literally adults in the same class as freshmen me. I was intimidated. We got an assignment in October to make a presentation about angels we see in our every day lives, but we never got class time to work on it. I had never had an assignment like that where I had to make my own time to do it, not just do it in class. That part of high school was hard to get used to. I struggled focusing at my own house so during school was the only time I did homework. So December parent teacher conferences came around and I had barely even started my project. At the conference he told my mom I hadn’t turned in a project that was due in October which was also news to me because I didn’t understand yet that we were expected to do assignments outside of class. My mom was, to say the very least, not happy.

That grounding did not end my struggling in geometry though. There was also a test we took that got the best of me. It is the only test I have had a take 3 times. I had also never had to study for a test in middle school. But after I failed the second time, studying quickly became a regular part of my pre-testing routine.

After failed attempt number 2 I didn’t know what to do. I felt like it was made specifically so I couldn’t pass it and the system was rigged against me. I was stressed and upset, but Mr. Prideux came to my rescue. He came to my study hall with my test in-hand and we sat down and he went through each problem I got wrong and explained why. I was overwhelmed and broke out in tears. I told him that I just didn’t understand why I couldn’t pass and asked for help. I told him I needed more to learn then just class time and asked if I could stay after school some days and spend some of my study halls with him. Since I asked him, he was going to help me how ever he could so I would learn the material and pass. As our bond progressed, we got to know each other better and he grabbed the spot of my favorite teacher.

If I had never asked for extra help I might not be the student I am today. Since asking Mr. Prideux for help I’ve stayed after school with different teachers countless times. If I don’t understand something I quickly realize it and try to get help to understand it as soon as possible instead of stressing out about it and trying to figure it all out on my own. I hope in college I’m lucky enough to have teachers like the ones at oak hill.

Photo on Foter.com