Running head: CONVERSATION PAPER

Conversation Paper #1
Lizzy Martinez
University of Redlands
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Conversation Paper

During my elementary years, my mother had the opportunity to homeschool my two

siblings and me I. Being homeschooled allowed me to develop a sense of independence and

accountability when it comes to schoolwork. I was able to work at my own pace and if I

struggled in a specific topic there was no rush to keep up with the class, instead, I was able to

take my time and dig into topics so that I was able to fully comprehend them. Later when I got

into middle school, I transitioned to a very small private school that was focused on students

working at their own pace. We would have a set number of pages that we had to do in our

workbooks every day and we were expected to grade the work ourselves than have our

supervisor sign the paper. This school was not a challenge to me, I was done with my work every

day before lunch and I found the content to be too easy. My parents were concerned and pulled

me out of this school after two years. However, there was no denying that this was a great school

to learn how to socialize without feeling overwhelmed.

I completed high school at a bigger private school, and I was challenged not only

academically but also socially. In my first semester at this new school, I struggled with my

academics tremendously. I was in a setting where I was being challenged but did not have the

luxury that I once had to take an extra few days to learn the concept being presented. I however

had amazing teachers who understood the importance of allowing students to voice learning

concerns in a group setting but also one on one. My teachers allowed me to have a voice in my

learning which has inspired me to become the best educator that I can be.

In college, I originally was on the track to get my degree in nursing and when I decided

that it was not my passion my professors, friends, and family all said “ya the classes are hard and

not for everyone”. After hearing those words over and over again I stuck with nursing for an
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extra semester and passed one of the hardest classes in nursing with an A. It was after this that I

knew that I was capable of doing so much more than I ever thought. The school did not come

naturally to me and what took my friends an hour to learn took me three hours. I have learned to

be a planner, organized, productive, and most important is that I have learned what type of

learner I am. Learning who I was as a student has been a journey that took a long time to

overcome and I want to be the person who helps show my students that they are not the problem.

As educators, we should make it known to our students that it is their job to try their best but it is

our job to learn how to teach in a way that is best for them.