Personal Narrative: My Interview With A Mentor

A first-grade teacher and recent graduate from college participated in an interview with the author. The interview questions concentrated on the curriculum utilized in the classroom in conjunction with the achievement screening instruments employed within Allen Independent School District (AISD) to determine the placement of students. In conclusion, the author deliberates on the curriculum and achievement tests practiced in the classroom and proposes a recommendation that offers a more suitable match between the curriculum and assessments.

College is a place where students learn more than a particular subject. A student has a chance to learn more about himself or herself, as well as others by discovering their strengths and weaknesses, thinking critically, and communicating effectively. A few weeks after starting my first term, I found out that I am one-fourth of the way to my degree with 29 credits that transferred from colleges in Arizona. It is now time for a plan of

I don’t recall having a hard time learning how to read. It was one of those things that just came easily to me for some reason. For the most part I enjoyed reading as well. The only time I didn’t enjoy reading was when I didn’t understand a certain word or a certain phrase. One of the strongest memories I have from learning to read was when I was unable to pronounce the word “the”.

In my school and community, we have found that there is a large setback with the incoming freshmen and their ability to adapt to the new atmosphere and changes of high school. They either have social problems, home life problems, or high school is just a huge change for them. Six years ago, my school created a program hoping to solve that problem, the mentor/leadership program, which is open to juniors and seniors. I applied, and was accepted into this program my junior year. In the mentor program you meet with a freshmen every week and discuss some of the challenges they are facing while adjusting to high school. You are also able to discuss personal problems during your session as well, like home life or self confidence struggles. When you first enter the program, you go through an eight week training period. The training includes confidentiality, building rapport, how to get a connection, and digging deeper into questions to get to know your freshmen. Throughout the year, your freshmen, or mentee, becomes a lot closer to you, and you build such

It was the last inning in our all-star game, and we were losing 10 to 8. Our team had 2 outs and we couldn’t get the third. Our pitcher was doing bad, throwing all balls, while all of us in the field were tired, ready to fall asleep at any moment. There goes another walk. They score again. Great! I was thinking. At this point in the game I thought for sure that I would die right there in center field. However, baseball is baseball and things can change rather rapidly.

Recently our class got a chance for an exclusive interview with our writing teacher, Mr. Ezzard. In the interview we asked a series of important questions, mostly geared towards his past experiences and life choices. We were able to get a better understanding of him with the answers we received.

My body cried like a newborn babe, afraid in an unfamiliar place. Immediately, my fresh eyes were greeted by waves of black hair, friendly smiles, and the Japanese language. I had arrived in Japan. I did not know the language or the customs, but I dove right into the dark pool. I was determined not to let the unknown drown me. Those feelings of my first moments in Japan will be forever cherished in my memories. I will cherish the embarrassing moment I handed the cashier cash instead of placing it in the cash tray and the first time I rode the train. It felt like riding a roller coaster and the first time someone spoke to me in Japanese and I could not understand what he/she had said. Everything made me feel like I was in an entire different dimension. Paying with cash and riding the train now seem mundane, and hearing Japanese being spoken everywhere, but only because it had become part of my life. The train systems no longer seemed impossible and ordering food became a breeze. What I learned from Japan from daily life tasks to communication with the locals helped me mature and made me gain a better sense of self identity. In one year, I experienced life and learned more about myself than I ever could in ten years. It gave me a new sense of purpose academically. Without that experience, I would have

I had an opportunity to interview this wonderful individual name, Stephanie M. Alejandro. She is from Puerto Ricco, she moved here about a year and 4 months ago. In Puerto Ricco, she studied Mass Communication, which led her to begin her career in the film industry. Ms. Alejandro is currently a full-time professional staff member at the University of South Florida, the manager of the Center for Student Involvement office located on the second floor of the Marshall Student Center building. I chose to interview her because I have heard a lot about what they do and it was fascinated. I could not believe CSI were the ones In charge of all those free activities that are constantly happening almost every week at the school. It was indeed a pleasure to have finally meant Ms. Alejandra, and having the opportunity to interview her.

On Monday, both Mr. Levine and our paralegal were gone, so it was just my on-site mentor, her husband (who was recruited to help out), and me in the office. For a large portion of the day, I was on the computer and answering phone calls. The phones weren 't too crazy, thankfully. My main purpose for being there was to help my on-site mentor as much as possible. I don 't know how to do even half of what the paralegal does, but I knew enough to help with standard office stuff, like scanning papers and drafting subpoenas to be sent out (mostly for personal injury cases, but for family law cases as well).

Lani: I was helping for someone’s project for COMM 245; I was in the video lab, in the studio. I was on campus and decided to contact everyone I knew who comes to the school. I remember I sent out a snap saying guys I think there is a shooting, be careful and then I started sending out individual texts to people making sure they were okay, like hey are you good? Stay out of an area. I didn’t know how many people were getting shot. I just knew it’s not good and that we have to be careful. At first, the campus was like we are unsure, just be careful, and then it took some time till I finally got an email that said stay on campus and were held there for about two hours, I just kept recording.

Why are there no lines? Why are there no goals? Why were the benches not moved? Just some of the things that went wrong on 9/12/15. That is the day my soccer team won 8-0 at our first home soccer game. The tensions were high and we were stressed no lines or goals. We had to move the benches all while trying to get prepared for the game. Coach Troy was running late as usual coach Nick was late for the first time and we were trying to warm up without him and get a handle on what to do about the field.

I was raised with Christian values in mind, and attended a Methodist school. I was raised in the Christian faith yet I find myself, as with some of my friends who were raised in the same conditions, we seem to be growing farther away from our upbringing as we age. I find myself simply not understanding as time goes by, a complete polar opposite from the song ‘Farther Along’. One of my hopes in attending PBA is to try and find answers and a reason to try and reconnect myself. I believe PBA, from what I’ve read, has a very friendly understanding environment. One where you sit down and go into depths about faith, instead of blindly following it because it was your parent’s

“Set,” Bang! The gun goes off and I quickly shoot ahead of the rest of the field. My strides long and quick as I sprint for the track. I can’t hear anyone behind me, I must be a good 10 meters in front of everyone else. I run around the track and continue to sprint across the field back to the crowd of parents, friends, and girls soccer players who were forced to attend this last cross country meet of the season. As I continue to approach the group, my mind and body turn numb, Everyone is cheering for me, and I realize that I’ll never experience this again. I’m practically floating through the course, still no other runners are near me. That was the way it would stay, all the way through the 3.1 miles as I crossed the finish line in first place, capturing my team’s second league championship and undefeated season.

On October ninth, I visited Sally Linfield’s Art class at Oakridge Middle School, here in Collier County, Florida. The school is well decorated with many of the student’s artwork displayed at the entrance and along the paths to the classes. The school has a nice atmosphere and was built with a large courtyard with foliage in the center for an open air setting. It had a feeling of tranquility, although the students were moving from class to class.

It was a cold November morning in the valley of Cowan, when I fired my first shot. It was a smooth and clean feeling after I pulled the trigger. I than saw the deer hunker as the slug hit its side, and it began to run away from us. Dad, knowing I had made a good shot, still decided to jump out of the blind window to end the animals suffering. Unfortunately, when his foot caught, it was all over from then. Once, I was inside the blind and the next I was in the cold crisp air. I then saw Dad on the ground cursing himself for jumping through the window.