Journal#1

To: Ms. Nargiza Matyakubova

Date: March 28, 2017

Subject: Formal Letter of Introduction on the Struggles of Writing

Dear Ms. Matayakubova,                                                                                

            Throughout my life, it has been a constant battle of people telling me I couldn't do something. I was constantly teased, inside and outside school, for my clumsiness ''stupidity'', and was frequently labeled as a "distraction'' by my teachers in my attempt to blend in. I would often misbehave in class and make fun of other students in order to get attention ,which frequently did not work for me because for most time nobody wanted to talk to me. As a result, I was always excluded from many learning activities that involved working with others in the classroom. Although I did not quite understand the specifics of my learning disability, my second grade teacher made it clear to me that I was different from a normal student. She would often call on me to answer questions that she knew that I did not know, so that she could have the other students in the class to make fun of me. Eventually, my mom became aware of this situation and confronted her immediately, and I was removed from this school. For the next three years, my mother worked tirelessly with schools and teachers to find the best learning environment that will accommodate my learning needs. She saw to it that I received an individual evaluation which found that I had a Language Processing Disorder. This learning disability made it difficult for me to gain meaning from spoken language or express my thoughts , especially in my writing. Although my mother found various avenues to find the expertise people who will help me overcome this disorder, I continued to struggle with learning until I got to PS. 189, Cornerstone Academy where I entered the public school system for the first time. As per my IEP, I receive general education classes, Special Education Teacher Support Services, and speech therapy, where I receive individualized language instruction that will help me to speak more clearly and express my thoughts and ideas. It was during this time that I was beginning to understand my strengths and weaknesses as a learner and writer. The services provided did not make an instant miracle. I realized that I had to work hard to overcome my limitations as a learner. At first, it took me some time to adjust to the social aspects of school, but by seventh grade, for the first time in my life, I felt smart and I had friends. I began to get good grades on tests and I was developing good study habits as a learner. By the end of my middle school learning experiences I felt like I could accomplish anything in life. When I got to High school, I realized that much more was required of me if I wanted to be successful. I knew that my learning disability will present a challenge to my learning experiences, but I knew I could not give up now. Thus, I took it upon myself to look for even more help in my writing from my English teacher and he taught me a lot of skills that allow me to improve myself as a writer. One of these skills were organization that taught me how to organize my thoughts fluidly and easier on paper, how to use transition words to go to one idea to another as well as, how to identify key terms or quotes in articles to better help back up my claims. As a result, of these skills that I learned in high school, I was able to become a better writer and realized my strength and weakness as a student.

            As I reflect on my learning experiences, I am very proud of who I have become as a learner and writer. The child that a second grade teacher did not believe could learn have defied the odds and overcome the obstacles. As I prepare myself for higher learning, I am more than determined to be successful. My main goal after college is to pursue studies to become a neuroscientist. My learning disability has made me become very curious about how the brain interacts with the body. I want to use this field of study to explore developmental delays or learning disorders in children. I think that it is very important for anyone who is diagnosed with a learning disability to understand why such disorder is possible and how this disorder can be treated to help one achieve academically and socially. I want to conduct clinical research pertaining to conditions of the nervous system and the brain and help to address early intervention techniques to overcome any learning disorder.