Learning has been always a need in my life. Before starting my preparation as a literacy coach I used to think that learning to read and write happened during our first school years, I mean kindergarten and first grade. I did not know that these processes begin even before you start talking or even walking. My mom, and my aunt Nelly were some of my first literacy teachers. But even before they started to teach me how to read and write, I was highly enriched by oral processes that used to happen in my family on a daily basis. Being raised and growing in an extended family has been a fantastic adventure where language and knowledge played an important role that helped me in developing my personal and professional profile.
When I was just a kid I learned to read and write so easily. I remember those days in my early childhood life when I used to listen to adults’ conversations. I have been always a little curious and smart. I feel fortunate because I had great teachers that taught me the foundations for reading and writing, and I could use my learning to be admired for everybody in my family. I was like a mechanic attraction. Not only I was too young to be so smart, but because I used to touch and broke into pieces every single item I was curious about.
My kindergarten teacher, a lady that I will never forget, taught me pre-reading and pre-writing skills. She taught me how to grab a pencil, how to turn the pages in a notebook, how to draw lines, circles and all kinds of shapes; she also did great by teaching me how to socialize with other kids. However, that was a never a problem for me. I was never a shy kid, and I did, and still love to have friends. I remember when my kindergarten teacher had a little dog, and during our recess time she used to prompt his pet to show us different tricks he could do. Kindergarten was really an amazing experience for me!
When I entered first grade, I think I had very solid foundations in reading and writing. My first grade teacher focused on the alphabet, the sounds of the letters and its combinations, spelling and a little of grammar. I remember that by the end of first grade I was able to read a whole text. The first story I could read by myself was “El Renacuajo Paseador”, from Rafael Pombo, a very well know children literature’s writer from Colombia, my country. “El Renacuajo Paseador”, translated as “The walker tadpole” is a short story. The character is a tadpole that did not listen to his mom and preferred to listen to his friends. What happened at the end was shocking for me at that time, but I did learned a valuable lesson: always listen to your parents.
Second grade was a good year for me. I was still very successful in reading. However, writing was still a little difficult, specially when I had to write my own stories. In second grade I stared developing and deepen on the socialization skills needed in order to function well in school. My second grade was also a great teacher. She was so compassionate with her kids, very caring and lovely.
In third grade I faced my first challenge. I was so happy with the teacher I had. She was even more caring, and lovely than any other teacher before. Besides, she was the pretties teacher ever. In my country, the school year started by the month of September, and ends in June. However, my happiness and my good academic performance was interrupted when my mom decided to move to another town. I entered a new school to continue in third grade, but that situation was really frustrating for me. I felt like if I was starting again. I did not know anybody in the classroom, the kids were so mean to me, and my teacher was simply annoying. That was when I became a rebel.
My first teachers in these grades have been extremely essential in my life. Since I have memory, my life in school was a wonderful experience. That is why I extremely support elementary teachers. They have a double role in education that teachers in other levels don,t have to worry that much. Thanks to my first years teachers I learned that being in this field is more than delivering instruction. I feel fortunate because my teachers were there for me. They used to give me extra time for teaching me about everything. I became a teacher because I had great teachers. They inspired me to be who I am today.
