Bullying In The Middle School: A Short Story

“Kenneth I don’t care if you don’t understand, your’e holding up the class. We're moving on”. Unfortunately, this is what I heard every day in math class. I sat back in my chair, holding back tears. The urge to cry wasn't because I was being bullied, but because I was being bullied by someone that I looked up to so highly.Prior to this, I had never been bullied in my entire school career. Yet, the fact that my first time was by a teacher destroyed me. I sat quietly in my chair counting down every second until the class ended.

Back in middle school, I was the type of student that could excel in every subject except math. By that I don’t mean I was bad at math; I was atrocious. Everyday while the other students sat in math class together, I

embarrassingly had to endure a one-on-one lass with a teach specifically assigned to students that struggled.It got to the point where I had my own one-on-one math class. Shortly after this, I was diagnosed with Dyscalculia, which is a specific learning disability that affects a person’s ability to understand numbers and learn math facts. After being rejected from a prep school because of my math scores, I couldn’t let the road end there; I couldn’t let my middle school teacher’s patronizing words determine my future. I was determined to raise them, so for that entire summer I received math tutoring and by the end of the year my math scores were high enough that I was easily accepted into the school. Sometime around my sophomore year, I decided I wanted to follow in my father's steps and go into business. Therefore, math would have to be my strong point; so mastering mathematics became my goal. I doubled up on math classes so I could at some point take calculus, which was something I was told would never happen. Now, entering my senior year, I’m taking calculus and statistics.
Another disadvantage that I overcame in life was public speaking. Prior to being in the debate club, I was a shy individual whose nightmare was speaking in front of large crowds, however; by the end of my first season it became my passion. After training with my teacher and winning X number of debates, I was My new found confidence inspired me to run for student council. This required me to stand in front of the whole school, including all the faculty, and give a speech. Even though I didn’t win the candidacy, I was proud of myself for overcoming one of my fears. Not only has debate helped me to be a better speaker, but it also strengthened my teamwork skills. In debate class, which I co-founded and established at the end of my sophomore year, my teammates and I work together to research topics, and write arguments. This is a skill that I can apply in all life situations, especially college scenarios where I’ll have to collaborate to find solutions to problems, or complete projects. The last notable skill that debate has instilled in me is the ability to think critically on the spot. With these skills I’m able to see flaws in arguments, solve problems systematically, and construct and evaluate arguments without hesitation. With these skills, not only will I be able to prosper academically, but I’ll also be able to bring problem solving tactics that would better your college. Unfortunately, I’m not the type of individual that has been blessed with impeccable mathematical skills, but with all the hard work and dedication that I’ve put in, I’ve been able to overcome these disadvantages. I have many talents that define me as an individual, but the hard work I put in to overcome the obstacles in my life speaks both to my character and my commitment.