THE GED REPORT
THE INSIDE STORY AND EXPERIENCES FROM A STUDENT!
It has been around 30 years since I have been in High School so I really did not know what to think as I headed back in search of my GED. Could I handle the teachers work? How would I relate to the other students? Could I even do the work that was expected of me?
So many different things were going through my head and I will admit it made me seriously thinking about not going at all. I knew that really was not an option for me. Over the years, dealing with school systems with my own kids my biggest fear was what kind of educational help was I going to get. Everyone probably knows the story about how poor the educational system is in the United States. Well, I was about to find out about that first hand.
This is my story and my account of what I went through on the process to getting my GED and what I learned along the way. It was not what I expected or what I read about or even heard. The truths you read in this report may give you a completely new perspective on what our education system is really about. Now enough talking about me let us get to my story.
On my quest to my GED, my first stop was a six-week course called Success Unlimited. I thought why I couldn’t just take the test, so I can get out of this school. I was not fond of the schooling, but decided I would give Success Unlimited by best shot and learned all I could. My teacher was Miss Stacy and I heard many things about her. I will admit my first impressions were she is going to be a tough woman and work us to the bone.
Well, the opposite was true. I found a woman who was straightforward and helpful at every turn. She was there not to ream us for past mistakes, but to help us on our journey. That was a big sigh of relief for many students in our class. I was amazed how the classes started out big, but students just kept dropping out or not showing up.
I learned a lot in Miss Stacy's class about being prepared for taking the GED and other things such as budgeting. Her class was very well thought out and I did learn a lot in it. Yes, a lot of it was a refresher course, but that was okay. Miss Stacey taught me a lot in the six weeks I was in her class. The lessons I learned from her I will take with me the rest of my life. Everything I learned I try to pass onto to others as Miss Stacey would want it that way.
CHAPTER 2- Taking Real GED Classes-Miss Dorothy
After finishing Miss Stacey's class, I headed to real GED classes, which I was a little apprehensive about. The first order of business was to take a pre-test so I could see what help I needed. I was a little worried about the pre-test, as I did not know how well I would do at it. I was taken to Miss Carmen's class as she gave all the pre-tests. She seemed nice, but those are the kind you have to watch out for. I thought she could have a mean streak in her, but she was very cordial and nice to me.
I took the tests and to my shock, I passed them and could have taken the GED test, but taking some classes really was my best option. I was given Social Studies and Science with Miss Dorothy. English with Miss Jeanie, and Geometry with Miss Carmen. The first day of classes, I was scared, as I did not know what to expect from any of the teachers. I knew there would be a mixture of students and there was which in reality is a good thing. The first person on my schedule was Miss Dorothy for Science and Social Studies. I will admit when I first met Miss Dorothy I did not know how to take her.
She seemed relaxed, but you could see that when she needed to put her foot down she would without a problem. In her class, I have learned a lot about taking tests along with other life lessons. You just cannot learn those things in other places. She is helpful and always will talk to every student in the room. That is something that tells you a lot about the kind of person Miss Dorothy happens to be.
Miss Dorothy is a caring woman and one who wants to see you succeed. If I had someone like her in high school, I would never have quit. You always want to try to do your best for her. That is because she makes such a lasting impression on you.
Chapter 3- Miss Jeanie
Miss Jeanie is a teacher that also was hard to read at first. She had a reputation in the school as a tough, but fair-minded teacher. When I first met her, I could see where people got that impression about her. Her class was great and I did learn many things in her class as well. She made the class interesting and her writing exercises were some of my favorite things to do.
Each day you always knew Miss Jeanie had something exciting planned for you. No matter if it was writing an essay to worksheets. She could make the day go quicker and was always a joy to talk to in and out of class. I did not get to stay in her class long as I was moved to another class as I learned all I could from her. Even though I did have limited time with Miss Jeanie, I took a lot from what she taught me in the brief time we were together.
Chapter 4-Miss Carmen
Probably out of all the teachers I had to deal with Miss Carmen was the most interesting. She was very helpful, and did not mind answering questions. Very seldom would you see her lose her cool with a student. Now sometime s a student could get her upset, but she hid it very well. I learn a lot of Geometry from Miss Carmen and it has been a joy to be in her class.
She is another teacher that wants the best for every student. The one thing about Miss Carmen I really like is she expects you to work and no free rides in her class. In a sense that is the way it should be anyways. If you want to learn math this is the woman to teach you. She has vast knowledge in many subjects and I have taken a lot from her teachings.
Chapter 5-My Perceptions of Everything
The truth of the matter is the perception of our educational system is really flawed. As you can see from above Miss Stacy, Miss Jeanie, Miss Dorothy, and Miss Carmen are excellent teachers and go beyond the call of duty to help their students. There is nothing wrong with the educational system in America.
What is wrong is with the students? The bottom line is many are just plain lazy and expect a free ride. It just does not work that way. If every student takes advantage of all these teachers knowledge and put it to good use, all you can do is succeed. What you accomplish in life comes from what you are willing to do. These teachers give you the tools you need and help you along the way. They cannot do the work for you that is up to the student.
Let us put the blame where it should lie in the student’s hands and not the teachers. A teacher can only teach, but it is up to the student to take what is available to them and make the most of it. If they do, they will be successful plain and simple. I would like to thank Miss Dorothy, Miss Carmen, Miss Jeanie, and Miss Stacey for all the help they have given me towards getting my GED.
SPECIAL NOTE: Even though I never had Miss Sandy as my teacher she also does wonderful things with her students as well. Everyone loves her and when students love a teacher it shows you how much of an impact she has made in their lives.
