Alex Diaz

English 125

Sarah Hughes

4/15/19

Narrative-Based Argument Rough Draft

The class that has taught me the most about learning was in theory a class I could learn

nothing from. During my senior year of highschool I enrolled in English Language Development

(ELD for short), a class tailored for students whose primary language is not English and need

help comprehending the language. I signed up to be a Peer Tutor for this class since I am

proficient in Spanish and English, allowing me to help the Hispanic students who accounted for

the vast majority of the class. While I write about my time as a Peer Tutor my thoughts don’t

rush to how my Spanish improved or how I added another activity to my college application.

Instead I reflect on the lesson I learned; how effort, passion, and the right teaching can make all

the difference for students.

From the first moment I stepped foot inside room 182 I could tell it was unlike any other

high school class I had ever been in. Draped across the east wall of the classroom was a map of

the world where pins were staked into each country and a piece of yarn lead you to the student

born there. Guatemala, Brasil, Korea, China, Russia, Mexico, Ecuador, India, the list of countries

that students called home went on and on. Although I could hardly make out the words students

were saying in their native tongues; Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, and Korean I could still hear

the excitement ringing through their voices. Excitement I had never seen from these students

before.

Prior to becoming a Peer Tutor I had seen a handful of these students in my classes or the
cafeteria, each one seemingly as shy as the next. But they weren’t shy, just nervous. Coming

from another country and only knowing some of the language is a tough position to be in

especially considering the social pressures of high school. But once these students stepped foot

inside Room 182 that all changed. The reason for this change was due to environment the

professor, Sra. Mccrea, had created. She understood the difficulty these students faced and

strived to create a learning environment in which students felt comfortable learning and

expressing themselves. By encouraging students to promote their unique heritages students were

no longer preoccupied with thoughts of how they would fit in, now their minds were cleared

from outside thoughts and were able to focus solely on their work. Secondly, this was the only

place offered by the school where these students were able to receive help comprehending the

English language. During freshman year at Redwood High School it is a requirement in English

class to read Romeo and Juliet and produce a project which is your final for the class. I vividly

remember getting headache after headache trying to read this play because the language was

beyond confusing to me. Now imagine trying to read Romeo and Juliet while still trying to learn

English. It’s impossible. Giving students access to teachers and tutors whose purpose was to help

these students with their comprehension of the language made all the difference.

One thing I noticed almost right away about the ELD class was that all of the students in

the class were extremely close friends. Having a class full of friends proved to be difficult at

times, especially at the beginning of class when it was nearly impossible to start since students

would stop joking around with each other. However, surprising to myself, this was another

beneficial aspect of the environment created by Room 182. Since there were more students in the

ELD class than your average Redwood High School class and these students needed more help

than your average student it was a constant fight to get help from an instructor. As the students
were friends with one another when someone could not get assistance from an instructor there

was no hesitation for them to turn towards another student for help. Many of the older students

had already taken the classes younger students were enrolled in so they were both willing and

prepared to help. The assistance older students give the younger ones is not something that ends

once graduation time comes. A prime example of this is Xenia, a teacher’s assistant to Sra.

Mccrea. Xenia was an English Language Development student herself during her four years at

Redwood High School. After she graduated from Redwood she began to study at College of

Marin while also continuing to be a part of the ELD as a part time teacher. The guidance she

received while being an ELD student was so impactful to her that she felt an obligation to come

back and aid those who were in the same position she was in not too long ago. Xenia is a

testament to the role ELD plays in these student’s lives and the community it has created.

As the year progressed my relationship with these students transitioned from one in

which I initially felt like an outsider as the only caucasian person in the class to a place where I

considered everyone in the class a friend of mine. The relationship we shared transcended the

work I would help with. I joined a night time soccer league with 6 students in the class. We went

to a San Francisco Giants game as a field trip. I drove 2 students to and from school since they

lived close by. However, the more I got to know these students the more I realized the

importance this class played in these students lives. Elmer was an 18 year old freshman who

moved to California earlier that year from Guatemala with no prior knowledge of how to speak

English. He worked two jobs, construction and a tenant at a gas station to help pay for his

apartment he lived in with his uncle. The time he spent in ELD class was essentially the only

time he had to finish his school work and develop his English. Oliver and his sister Saidy who

were both juniors spent countless classes working on applications for college scholarships as the
only way they were financially able to go to college was if they received a scholarship or

financial aid. Diego, a senior, was not only who was preoccupied with juggling college and his

job also had to focus on taking care of his grandma who was sick during the course of the year.

Without the guidance and service that ELD and its staff provided to these students they would be

in a far worse situation. It was when I fully comprehended the gravity ELD had that I became

aware to why students worked so hard during the class and where the passion and energy each

student brang day in and day out came from.

It was this same passion, the same drive behind each student which produced outstanding

results. Elmer who had started the year off with a base math level which only encompassed

addition and subtraction finished the year passing pre-algebra. Geovana, a senior from Brazil,

was accepted into a dentistry program in her hometown. Oliver started this year getting multiple

scholarships which is allowing him to attend Berkeley Community College and plans to transfer

to University of California Berkeley. Every student met or exceeded the academic goals that had

been set for them at the beginning of the year. This academic success was not only recognized by

the school district who allocated more resources towards the program but was also recognized

throughout the Bay Area. In October of this year Debbie Mccrea was named Bay Area teacher of

the week for the progress she continued to make as head of the English Language Development

program.

My time as Peer Tutor taught me lessons I would have never imagined to have learned.

Every day I walked through the of Room 182 I was reminded of the influence that teachers and

an opportunity like ELD creates in the lives of students needing extra support. By creating an

additional support community for these students their were able to thrive academically and make

strides towards their end goals of learning the language and attaining the education they needed.