Literacy Narrative final

Danielle Silva

14 February 2011

WRT 104-27

M MacKnight

Literacy Narrative

            Senior year of high school is always thought of as the best year.  Ever since entering high school, I could not wait to become a senior.  It’s the year where one can finally relax and simply worry of what college they will be attending or what they will be exploring for the rest of their life.  For most high school students, senior year was a walk in the park.  However, for me, it was the most challenging year of all.  The classes that I had chosen for my senior year were not strenuous; it was simply the high school that I attended which made the year stressful.  In Rhode Island each public high school has specific graduation requirements.  One of the graduation requirements at my high school, Narragansett High School, was a senior project.  Senior project consisted of a presentation of one’s project, a portfolio, and a research paper.  It seemed as though senior project was a breeze for me except when it came down to writing the research paper.

            The very first day of my senior year every student in the senior class was assigned a senior research project.  Choosing a topic was difficult at first, however once I figured my topic out my project became more of a fun activity than an arduous assignment.  After thinking long and hard for a few days, the decision was made that I would run a half marathon for my senior project.  Relieved to have finally chosen a project, lurking in the back of my mind was the fact that I would have to write an eight to twelve page research paper on a topic which would be related to running.  Thinking about the paper made my palms sweat and head ache.  The next few weeks in school I researched topics that would work well with my project.  As I sat in front of one of many computers in my schools uncomfortably hot and muggy library, which did not help my situation, frustration came over me as I could not choose a topic that I knew I could write a well written paper on.  After staring at my computers screen and getting distracted by the millions and millions of shelves of books, finally, my school librarian, Mrs. Good, noticed my aggravation and she decided to sit down to the left of me and talk to me about the stress of my project that I was dealing with.  She grabbed a piece of computer paper from the printer and snatched the red pen that was stuck in her hair to help me come up with a list of topics for my paper.  After coming up with a short but good list, she helped me to make my final decision so I could finally get rolling on my paper.  After discussing topics with Mrs. Good, I felt so confident that my paper was going to be awesome and make my senior year a little less stressful than it already was.

            The next month of my senior year was completely dedicated to my senior research paper.  When my school librarian helped to come up with a topic, it was finally decided that my paper topic would be how nutrition enhances the performance of a long distant runner.  Not only did I think this would be an interesting topic to write about, I knew it would also benefit me because I would be running a half marathon.  Before writing my paper, I was to complete note cards that would map out the outline of my paper.  On each four by six note card was information from my research that had to do with my topic and an explanation of each fact. Every time I was forced to write these dreadful note cards, it made me cringe.  Hearing the word “note card” instantly gave me a headache.  However, knowing I had these note cards that I knew would delineate my entire paper left me feeling confident also.  The moment I finally reached the requirement for the note cards, excitement came over me because I knew I would never have to write another horrendous note card again and I was finally ready to get started on my paper. “Research paper” was another word which instantly gave me a headache.  However, as much as I despised writing papers, I tried to be enthusiastic about this one because it was a factor which would decide whether I would graduate or not.  Each day I would find time during and after school to type my paper, whether it be writing my paper in my schools hot, dull library or finding time at home where I would get distracted by the bright pink walls and long curtains in my bedroom.  Either way, all I was thinking about was reaching the deadline for when the paper was due and not so much what I should have been worried about.  In reality, I should have been concerned with the content that was going into this paper which would decide if I would graduate high school or not.

            Finally, December 1, 2010 rolled around and it was time to turn in my ten page research paper and never have to think about it ever again.  Being a National Honor Society student, reaching proficiency on this paper was not an issue that crossed my mind.  Little did I know, I should have been a bit more cautious and apprehensive about the material going into this.  A week later, in my senior English class, my paper was handed back to me.  My English class was a room that always brought happiness into my school day which obtained bright lights and always smelled of my teacher, Ms. Burns’, coco butter lotion.  However, happiness would not be a word to describe the setting this time.  All I could look at was the big red mark on the top of the paper that read, “not proficient”.  My palms began to sweat and I became red and hot in the face as my eyes were glued to the horrid words.  Questions raced through my mind at the speed of light.  Was this a mistake? How could I have not met proficiency? What did I do wrong?  After I had calmed myself down a bit I decided I would go talk to my English teacher after class.  Nervous, I awaited as every student is my class exited the room.  I slowly crept to Ms. Burns’ desk where she was neatly jotting down words into her agenda. With my paper in hand, I asked her about the ugly red mark.  She confirmed that the paper was indeed not proficient.  Quickly, I rushed out of the classroom and into the empty hallway.  I was tempted to run back into my English teacher’s room crying and begging for her to change the grade.  After sulking about my un-proficient paper for a day, I realized I needed to take action.  I had never been one to look over my papers, re-read them, make corrections, fix them, and then hand them in.  However, I had a bad feeling this was going to have to take place.  That day after school I sat myself down, segregated from noise and distractions, in front of my paper at my schools library, stared at the first page of the paper for a while, and thought I was never going to pass this.  Again, my helpful and courteous school librarian, Mrs. Good, noticed my frustration.  Even though she is always telling the students she has a busy schedule and not much time for help, she knew I needed her help.  She knew I was a well-rounded student who had come across a stump in my path.  Being so thankful I decided that since Mrs. Good was going to put in all this effort for me, I needed to give 100 percent back.  From that day on out, every day after school, no matter how much I dreaded it, Mrs. Good would tell me to make the corrections in the paper that I thought needed to be done and then she would make hers.  After this, I would open my research paper on the computer and make those corrections, print the paper out, and repeat the correction process until there was not one little, tiny, stupid red mark on my paper.

Reading the words “proficient” on my senior project research paper was one of the most proud moments of my senior year.  Not only was I proud because I had actually and finally reached proficiency, but I was also proud of how far I had come.  This paper made me realize the effort I am capable of and I am capable of producing something wonderful because I now understand what it takes to get to proficiency.  Writing this paper truly changed the way I go about writing papers in the present and how I will write them in the future.  Still, I may not be the greatest writer there is, however, I now know that if I keep working at it, I can eventually produce a writing piece that will be proficient and one that will leave me feeling proud.