(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Education anomaly: How I got through lacking basic English competencies [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-09-25 This is my story. It tells the tale of how I advanced in the school setting sans my meeting basic English-language, grade-level competencies. It’s a story that I’ve been chomping at the bit to tell for years. Language is fundamental to learning. So, if true, how is it that I made it through?! A miracle it is that I got accepted at all into graduate school, and astonishing that I would choose to major in an academic study area that all throughout my academic upbringing, that is, up to, including and beyond entering post-secondary learning even, that I consistently underperformed in. Education. It, for me, was neither an area of strength nor my forte. I was determined to make it through, to complete my journey and become English-proficient. So, how did I do it? Being that my native tongue is, of course, English, why did I struggle so? I cannot tell you even to this day. Just know that I did. I couldn’t even grasp the simplest of English-building concepts. Concepts like what a verb, adverb, adjective, proper sentence structure, the sentence parts and its proper punctuation, what punctuation to use and where. In a paragraph or story, I had trouble identifying who or what the subject was, much less what the story was about upon my reading it. The last could be attributed to a deficiency in my ability to comprehend. I remember when I read that my thoughts would drift. I simply couldn’t focus. So, for me there was constant remediation. I attended summer-school session after summer-school session, mostly, I would guess, to little or no avail. I just didn’t get it. Despite the obvious deficiencies, incompetencies, I somehow managed to pass. I was never held back. What about spelling? The one thing, fortunately, I could do reasonably well. I also got the noun and the pronoun bit down pat. In looking back to my ninth-grade year, how I was allowed to take a foreign language, is beyond me. I took French and, for three years, in fact. For me, you can imagine what that was like. At least by the time I entered high school, I found what I thought was going to be my vocational calling. Electronics work. All of a sudden I had found a subject area that was interesting. But that pursuit also proved to be no walk in the park. College daze I also thought about what it would be like to go to college. But how would I swing that? Enter the ACT. I must have gotten a good enough score on the American College Test to community-college qualify. Though I was required to enroll in and pass remedial English structure and English composition classes as a condition upon my being allowed to attend community college “unconditionally,” so to speak. Amazingly, I pulled the whole two-year junior-college-education study thing off. Not with flying colors, mind you, but completed successfully was the first two of a four-and-a-half-year-long university academic-study program. I graduated with an AA degree in Electronics Technology. This curricular coursework articulated nicely with the second part. That took an additional two-and-half more years to complete, myself earning a BS (Bachelor of Science) degree in Electronics Engineering Technology. Eight years later after quitting a job, I returned to school to begin work on a post-graduate degree, my having earned a Master’s degree in, this time, of all things, Secondary Education, a requirement of which was to write a thesis. I gotta tell you: That part wasn’t easy and there were differences of opinion for a time among two of the thesis committee members in terms of thesis construction over what information would go where. But, everything eventually worked out to the mutual satisfaction of all concerned. Imagine that! Me, a person who at an earlier stage wasn’t able to tell the difference between a verb and an adjective, or focus enough to read through a paragraph or short essay and not lose concentration, was now competent and fully equipped to teach in a school setting. It’s amazing what can be achieved when putting one’s mind to it! Extra-curricular activity After all of that, and now long-retired from both part- and full-time teaching, I have taken up the mantle of, and have a penchant for, writing. Not only do I take the matter of this avocation of mine very seriously, I also go to tremendous lengths to ensure my writing meets my own exacting standards. I’m sure I have a greater appreciation than most for what I put down on paper or put up online. How can I help but not?! And like is so true about life, it’s the journey, not want comes after that matters most. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/25/2195312/-Education-anomaly-How-I-got-through-lacking-basic-English-competencies Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/