Silas King

ENG 111

Professor Williams

3 October 2023

My Educational Journey

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” (Aristotle). This

quote from the Greek philosopher Aristotle really puts in perspective that our hearts play a big

role in school and can affect our learning. What is the point of training the mind when our heart

is at its limits? Education can be so stressful to the point where kids don't even want to learn or

go to school anymore. There have been times where school does so much for me and I feel like

I'm growing in my education but also growing as a person. On the other hand, I feel like more

times I am just tired of always worrying about getting all my work done and stressing about

keeping up with all the due dates. Education can be a double edged sword, it can grow the mind,

but it can hurt the heart.

I have always been a good student and was okay with going to school and getting my

work done. Then during my seventh grade year, Covid hit. Covid was a really hard time for me

because I lost my Grandpa and I started to feel like school was pointless. I really started to fall

behind on my assignments, not because I couldn’t do them but because I didn't feel like doing

them. I started to tell myself that school wasn’t important and I didn’t have a sense of success or

reward for making good grades all my life. I felt like the moment I messed up or the moment I

don’t get an A, it was the end of the world. I didn’t feel like there was anything for getting that
A. All my friends around me would get praised and get some sort of reward for getting a A while

it was just expected from me. I just didn’t see the point of making good grades.

My year coming out of Covid (8th grade year) I had this amazing math teacher named

Mr. Hilburn. We were half online half in person that year and this teacher really motivated me

back to my old self. Mr. Hilburn taught me so much and was constantly checking in on me so I

wouldn’t fall behind. He recognized what I was capable of and held me at that standard. Teachers

like this make school so much better because without Mr. Hilburn I wouldn’t be where I am

today without him. He still checks in with me every now and then and it just reminds me that

there are teachers that care about me and want me to succeed in life.

I started to enjoy school again and I felt like I was growing in my education and growing

as a person. My freshman year went great and I felt like nothing could get any better. I had

teachers that were very supportive and friendly. These teachers made me want to learn and come

to school. My ninth grade english teacher, Mrs. Riley was so caring she truly felt like a family

member to me. She wasn’t just friendly but also a great teacher. She really taught me how to read

and decipher text which I was never really good at. I’ve always struggled with analyzing text but

she helped me with that a lot.

My sophomore year felt like the hardest year of my life. This year really showed me

teachers can truly make a difference. The difference between having a great year and a terrible

year. My Biology teacher was possibly the worst teacher I could ever have. Biology is a class

that can be very interactive and enjoyable, however, this class was the polar opposite. This

teacher would pass out papers she found online then would sit behind her desk the rest of the

class. In a silent room all because she was biased and didn’t like us. We found out the classes

before us didn’t have assigned seats, and they were allowed to talk. This teacher would
constantly yell at us and get mad at us over the smallest things. It can sound crazy to say one

class can ruin your day but this class really did. She would treat some kids like they were the best

then treat the rest of us like trash. She even brought it out on my grades. She gave me a terrible

quarter grade because she said I never came and made up a test when I did. I had never been so

annoyed and hated school this much.

During all this I had a teacher in my corner the whole time, my highschool band teacher

Mr. Perry. I’ve never had a teacher who cared for me as much as he does. I never liked his class,

I would even say it's probably my least favorite class but I’ve learned more from, and have

grown as a person because of him.

School has always been a roller coaster, a lot of ups and downs come with school.

Without my education I wouldn’t know nearly anything as I do now, but I’ve also had so many

battles through my school years but with them, I’ve grown and learned so much. I might’ve been

hurting then but I really wouldn’t be who I am without those battles. Some teachers have hurt

me, but why focus on that when I have teachers who expect great things from me and have

helped me be a better person and taught me a school subject.

I really learned to appreciate my teachers more. I have realized that teachers really do

care and expect good things from me. I’ve learned that my road to where I am now might’ve not

been the smoothest ride, but those battles really helped me. I learned that school is important and

making those A’s are important. Writing this essay has made me realize that I really should be

more grateful for the education I’ve received and the people I have met along the way. I'm truly

thankful for the schools I have been in and everyone who has helped me through it.