1

Compelling Why Part One

Elsie Kish
Faculty of Education, University of Regina
ELNG 310
Amy Empringham
September 23, 2021
 2

Reflecting on my childhood, I can confidently say that the people in my life and my

experiences with literacy were huge guiding factors towards my relationship with literacy today.

My earliest memories as a child include reading with my parents every night before bed and

being encouraged to write in a booklet afterward to document my learnings. Despite many

children not being fond of these practices while so young, I honestly loved it. I believe my

passion for literacy stemmed from these habits. I started to leisurely write in journals shortly

after and I continue to do as an adult. Throughout my childhood, I picked up on literacy concepts

quickly and developed a strong reading and writing foundation. These aspects of my youth

assisted me through elementary school, into adulthood, and built a healthy relationship with

literacy from a young age.

Although I have enjoyed literacy my whole life, I realized the importance and value of

being taught quality language arts lessons in middle school. From grade seven to eleven, I had a

teacher that put very minimal effort into her teachings, lessons, and feedback. Initially, I quite

enjoyed having this teacher because it was a breeze; most of our classes were spent reading

articles and responding to prompts about the text, her grading was easy, and feedback was

minimal. Who would complain about a high average in English? Not a middle year’s student

who was an overachiever! In grade eleven it dawned on me that my good grades did not

represent my true literacy abilities. Even though I had impressive marks in language arts, I did

not have the slightest clue about how to write an essay. This realization hit me because I was

enrolled in English 100 for the following semester. I wrote my first essay shortly after this

realization and it was returned with a ninety-nine percent grade. Meanwhile, I found more

spelling errors and wordy sentences than my teacher noted in the corrections and comments. It
 3

was safe to say that I was worried and no longer yearned for good grades, but rather quality

education that would prepare me for university and ultimately my future.

Grade eleven into grade twelve was a transitional year for me. I realized the importance

of quality literacy education for students of all ages and the value of constructive criticism. I

thankfully received a new high school English teacher and a great professor for my English 100

course. Both improved my abilities and confidence in my writing tremendously in my short time

with them. I thank each of them for not only preparing me for university classes but also

inspiring me to pursue an education degree to ensure all my future students receive the literacy

education that they deserve.

While I was on my journey with literacy throughout my life, I was always grateful that

my parents were very involved in my educational journey and that with clear instruction I was

able to pick up quickly. Reflecting on this now as a future teacher puts into perspective that not

all students have the same learning journey. I was blessed to catch on quickly, yet I still felt

discouraged and lost when I was not receiving guidance and instruction to perform the best I

could. After this conclusion, I especially have passion for the students that needed more direction

and practice to work towards their goals and desired outcomes. When the tools being provided

do not adapt to each student's specific learning styles and needs, it causes more educational

hurdles and leads to additional stress. Most students do not enjoy school once it begins to be

stressful, therefore as a future teacher I need to create a safe space where everyone can learn and

engage with content they love.

To conclude, my journey drives me as a literacy instructor. As educators and parents, we

want students to travel down a path where they feel excited and empowered to improve their

literacy in a way that is enjoyable to them rather than feeling like they need to. I plan to do this
 4

by having students dig deep with their creativity and incorporate authentic and engaged reading

and writing every day. This will allow students to learn content that they are interested in and

write about their thoughts and ideas. There is a quote that I closely align myself with while

sharing these stories: “education is the most powerful tool in which we can use to change the

world” (McCarthy, 2015). Education was powerful in my journey; in my transitional grade

twelve year I was inspired to become an educator which changed my world. I am also hoping

that by deciding to become a teacher with strong literacy beliefs, I may not be able to change the

world, but rather the worlds of my students by providing quality literacy education. I will teach

lessons I am confident and proud of and further give my students the tools needed to ensure that

all are provided with the education that they deserve.

 5

References

McCarthy, J. (2015, July 17). 17 memorable quotes from Nelson Mandela to inspire you. Global

Citizen. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/17-

inspiring-quotes-from-nelson-mandela/.