This story is what I wrote for my Creative Writing class, enjoy!
[It is 9 o’clock in the morning and the seemingly eager children have taken their seats moments after the raucous bell rang causing all manner of discomfort for the new class of 6th graders coming from Shadowood Elementary. After the students filled the empty desks by sitting in them, a booming yet dulcet voice was heard across the hallway, and as it grew closer, so did the footsteps that were walking on the ground. The footsteps were not regular shoes but rather black heels. Upon entering the room, it was made apparent to the students that the black heels were worn by a woman. This wasn’t just any female teacher though. This was Señora Rodriguez. She was a 35 year old teacher who was renowned for her academic expertise coupled with her dulcet voice that quelled hostile confrontations, her olive skin that glowed under the sunlight, her hair that was as black as the night sky, and a voluptuous physique that brought flowing tears of joy to the eyes of men who truly appreciated her inner and outer beauty. It was not hard to see why she was both the envy of young girls and ideal woman of the young boys in the classroom]
Señora Rodriguez – Hello, my seemingly eager students!
*She then noticed her students possessed as much enthusiasm as the zombies from the House of the Dead video game franchise.*
Señora Rodriguez – I said: HELLO STUDENTS!
*The booming of her voice was not hyperbole, ladies and gentlemen, as it woke all the students up immediately*
My name is Señora Rodriguez! As your esteemed teacher, I am going to inquire you all a few questions and you are going to answer them. “Inquire” means to ask, by the way. The purpose of my inquiries will let me know who you and the rest of your classmates are individually. Let us begin then.
[The first question starts to be asked]
Señora Rodriguez: First question is this, what was your favorite memory at Shadowood Elementary?
[The students then proceed by answering this question]
Pamela – That’s a simple question, really. *giggle* I hope that answer wasn’t rude. When I was in the 4th grade, we all went to St. Augustine and spent the night together all cozy and warm-like. We got to learn how much St. Augustine had a historical impact on Florida’s history considering that the Spaniards came here at one point. Juan Ponce de Leon assumed that was where the Fountain of Youth was.
Derek – For me, it was going to UNIKIDS. UNIKIDS was actually a program that taught me a lot about the diversity and cultures of other kids. I never knew that learning different cultures would be interesting until I participated in the UNIKIDS program at Shadowood. We thank God I live in a culturally diverse state. It would honestly be boring if Florida was a host to one culture.
Christopher – Well, if there was one positive memory I had of Shadowood Elementary, it would be the fact that I was part of a class that treated me well because my other classes, however, did not. Those classes had bullies who targeted me on account of my sensitive personality. That’s just bullies for you, I suppose *depressed sigh*. It’s not going to get any better from here since bullies just grow more intimidating each year. I mean, I have been cruelly bullied by both boys AND girls in Shadowood Elementary.
Randy – Yo, Chris. Those bullies that tormented you were raised by some real assholes and bitches, huh?
*Suddenly, the entire class gasped at Tim’s mention of the words “asshole” and “bitches” spoken in the same sentence given the middle school environment. Señora Rodriguez was in utter disbelief that she would hear these profane words on the first day of 6th grade. As not to invalidate Tim’s blunt honesty, she decided to respond with the firm but gentle approach*
Señora Rodriguez: While you are correct, Randy, I do not encourage the use of profanity within the classroom. It’s school policy that is written in the Code of Conduct. The rule applies to everyone meaning you all cannot be profane and neither can I.
Randy – I’m just saying, Senora Rodriguez. Bullies have been raising bullies since the dawn of civilization. What happens when you put them into positions of authority? They just get away with murder all the time and throw the good people under the bus who see right through them before everyone else does. And where does the bullying start? AT HOME! I am of the opinion that bullying stops here and now! It’s enough already! Sheesh!
*As Jasmine was about to respond, she blushed like a tomato before she could comment about Randy’s no-nonsense attitude towards the topic of bullying, giving Señora Rodriguez ample time to finish her soliloquy*
Señora Rodriguez: Oh, Tim. I can sense that you will grow into a strong and confident young man someday. With a little guidance into the right direction, you can affect real change that schools desperately need when it comes to bullying.
Tim: By my candidness, Señora Rodriguez, I am not afraid of anything. Should Chris be bullied by anyone outside of this classroom, I will be there to defend him because trust is one of the main ingredients of a real friendship. I’m done speaking now.
Jasmine – Right. *ahem* When I had my birthday party in my class in 1st grade, my house was filled with pink balloons, confetti, and colorful plastic silverware for the occasion. My parents hired a professional clown to entertain us and he was simply a magical man. He kept throwing pies in his face, making balloon animals, and juggling bats on a unicycle. I wish I could go back to 1st grade and relive that day.
Shannon – When I became friends with my BFF, Danielle, we were completely inseparable and still are. To this day, we show our loyalty by wearing BFF necklaces. I have my half and Danielle has the other half around her neck.
Brandon – When I was in Ms. Lopez’s 3rd grade class. She was an amazing teacher who had a strong impact on me. When I was feeling bummed about my position in the class simply because I wasn’t doing well in comparison to the other kids, she helped me every step of the way when it came to some questions. I did not understand them and that was why I needed assistance. I hope to have the same assistance here.
Danielle – It was meeting new friends for me. Shadowood was where I became BFFs with Shannon. As you can see by my half of the BFF necklace, I do not intend to be apart from her. It’s just like what she said: We are inseparable.
Daniel – When I came to the school in 2nd grade. I had actually moved down here from upstate New York after the 1st grade because my parents found that Florida had a refreshing climate compared to New York. I mean, it is cold up there all year. Also, I love my parents
Timothy – When I first saw the school, I said “Wow, this is a very big school.” In my perspective, Shadowood seemed grand in size, but I bet when I get older that it’s not going to seem that way anymore.
Doris – When we went to St. Augustine in the 4th grade. I enjoyed spending the trip with some of my loyal companions and we shared memories that would last forever.
Sean – Sea World. Apart from the attractions, I was amazed by how much aquatic life was at the park. That goes to show that SeaWorld never loses its touch.
Coriena – When I first came to this school in the 4th grade and I had met so many people. Out of the many people there were, I only made a few friends who understood me better than most and I was lucky to be with them.
Nicholas – When I went on the St. Augustine trip like some of the other students here. I just loved the idea of going to a historical landmark that was crucial to Florida’s history at a significant point in time.
Rachelle – When I first walked in Ms. Moss’s class, my best friends were Christine and Maria. I would spend time with them outside of the classroom. Even after we did not have Ms. Moss anymore, my friends and I kept contact with one another.
Dylan – St. Augustine. I remember how beautiful the sunrise was once the pitch black darkness went away. It was like watching a painting unfold in front of you.
Andre – When I met my friend Dan Skinner. I remember when people got his last name wrong by calling him, “Dan Skinny”, and Dan had to correct people by saying his last was Skinner. It was just amusing to witness in elementary school.
Sara – Playing pin in aftercare. Aftercare was the best because you basically got to unwind after a long day of schoolwork. Schools should have aftercare more often.
James – When I met Rodrigo Romeo and we became friends. I realized we became friends because we loved playing soccer together and we would watch televised soccer due to our mutual Latin heritages.
Kamilliah – When I went to St. Augustine in 4th grade. It was a wonderful experience that I will always reminisce upon when I think about the moments I had with my friends.
Alejandro – When I went to Sea World with my family. I had never gone to SeaWorld until that point, and when I did, it was a breathtaking experience like no other. My favorite part of that day was seeing Shamu the orca whale entertaining the guests.
Andre – I would say in 1st grade when I met my friend Rupert. Rupert was the one person I considered a friend since he treated me with respect unlike some of the kids back then.
Rayshawn – When I went to St. Augustine with some of the people in this very classroom. You could say I was one of the class clowns. I hope to live up to that reputation here in middle school.
[Señora Rodriguez then proceeded by saying the following words below]
Señora Rodriguez – They were all fantastic responses, everyone! Here is my second question to you all: What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you at Shadowood is?
[The students then proceed by answering this next question]
Pamela – When my Kindergarten teacher dressed like Ms. Viola Swamp. Ms. Viola Swamp was an evil woman who hated kids to her absolute core. But I know you won’t be anything like her, Señora Rodriguez.
*The rest of the students laughed in accordance*
Derek – When somebody blew a big bubble and it popped in his face. You should have seen it. The guy literally acted like as if that giant bubble made him blind even though it made him cry like a baby. I’ll just sit down now.
Christopher – Playing soccer. A boy tried to steal the ball and I fell over his feet but I still managed to score. There’s a word for this. I believe it’s called, “serendipity”. Yeah, that’s the word. I don’t know how I did it. All I knew was that my team needed one more goal to surpass the other team’s score, and lo and behold, the ball that was almost stolen from me managed to enter the other team’s goal while my face was in the grass for a few moments thinking about whether my team lost or not.
Jasmine – When the P.E. ball hit me in the head. I know P.E. requires that you be physically active, but getting your head hit should be included as a warning. Anyways, it was a game of volleyball between the boys’ team and the girls’ team. The good news was that the girls’ team were winning. The bad news though was thought one of the boys was hit the volleyball so well that it managed to knock my lights out. I ended up seeing stars. All the other girls were concerned about my health while the boys just stood there in shock hoping they didn’t kill a precious girl they may have had a crush on. Rest assured, there were no serious injuries. I just was feeling dizzy and nothing more. I know that it wasn’t intentional, and because of that, I can look back at it as a funny moment.
Shannon – When Pamela kept falling because of her untied shoes. At some point, Pamela did figure out that by tying her shoes that she wouldn’t keep falling constantly. But when she did use to fall, it was like watching someone ready to fall in slow-motion. I felt bad for the girl. I did not want to say anything because I feared that comments would have hurt her feelings as she genuinely did not know how to tie her shoes at first.
Brandon – When I came to school with my shirt on backwards. Usually, I would always wear my shirt the way it is supposed to be worn: Logos on the front and nothing on the back. One day, however, I arrived in school without the knowledge that I had my shirt on backwards. It finally took one of my friends to tell me, “Brandon, my dude. Are you okay? You have your shirt on backwards”, to which I replied with, “That’s ridiculous, man. I never have my- oh, you’re right. Thanks, man”. That was the start of an acquaintanceship.
Danielle – When Kristen tripped me, and right when I was on the ground, she tripped over my shoe. How this happened was that Kristen tripped me while we were playing in the sandbox when I was not noticing her. Next thing I know, my head was in the sand. When I attempted to get back up, I fell right back down because Danielle just loved tripping me over in the sandbox again much to her amusement.
Daniel – When my friend, Nick, fell in the wet mud. Originally, this mud in the beginning of the year. When it began to rain sometime last month, my friend Nick arrived on his bicycle to my house. On the way there, his front tire deflated on him and flew right into the puddle of mud. Before I pulled him out, I laughed under my breath because of how the mud looked on his My Little Pony raincoat that belonged to his sister since he did not have any raincoats himself. It was pure gold, hehehe.
Timothy – I fell out of my chair when I wasn’t looking. It was one of the days after I had been given tons of schoolwork to complete and I was feeling restless. Seriously, why pile on the schoolwork, people? It doesn’t make any sense! When I came home to sit down in my chair, it had been a few minutes until I fell down to the floor without noticing I did. My parents came and got the Ziploc bag of ice cubes to keep the swelling on my head down. I felt better the next day.
Doris – That I tripped and fell in the dirt. Unlike Nick, I didn’t come riding on a bicycle in the rain. The dirt I fell in was not even wet. It was a hot summer day where I rode my bicycle on the sidewalks. Some minutes passed, and without my awareness, I fell into the dry dirt which left me with small swellings on my face that were instantly cured by anti-swelling creams.
Sean – Going to sit down and missing the chair. This happened when I returned home after school though. I was ready to play me some Mario Kart 64 with some friends. Right as I was about to sit down, gravity did the rest by letting me to the floor because my chair was not there like it was always was in my room. It turned out that my chair was borrowed by my older brother as he needed for one of his college essays.
Coriena – In 4th grade, I was at P.E. and then someone made me laugh enough to spit the water on my friend. It happened like this: Me and the rest of the girls were talking with each other about which of the boys they assumed I like. I was also drinking from a water bottle at this time. When they started getting warmer to the boy I liked, I laughed so hard that the water I spat out landed on one of my friends. To this day, she never makes me forget it.
Nicholas – When I was drinking milk and someone made me laugh so hard that I spat it out on my friend. The flavor of the milk was chocolate. On the other side of the gymnasium, me and my boys were talking about which girl they thought I had a crush on since I was the quiet one of the group. When one of my friends said Coriena’s name, I laughed so much I spat the milk out on my friends.
Rachelle – When I tripped and fell in front of my friends. It was afterschool and we were intending to have my first sleepover. I was completely excited to have it, and when I rushed down the stairs, I tripped on the last step because I had forgotten to tie one of my shoes. One my friends had opened the door and got to see me fall right in front of them. It sure was a funny way to begin a sleepover.
Dylan – When I fell out of my chair after watching a hilarious video on Youtube that came from the How It Should Have Ended Series. The video I watched was about how Spider-Man 3 should have ended. It was the video that got me interested into watching the rest of the videos.
Andre – When the art teacher dropped all the paint on the floor. On that day, we were going to learn how to paint with the brushes. She already brought the cans of paint with her, but because she was happy to paint with the amount of colors there were, the art teacher suddenly dropped all the paint on the floor because one of my friends tapped her leg. Let’s just say she didn’t expect it to happen.
Sara – In 3rd grade, I spilled milk all over my shorts and everybody thought I wet my pants. I was crying over the ordeal because I felt terrible. Looking back at it though, it was just milk. I mean, milk could be cleaned anytime with some paper towels. Luckily, I had my family help me get through that ordeal at the time.
James – When at aftercare, my shorts ripped and I had to wait to get picked up to go home. It was bad or at least I thought it was. I did not want my shorts to rip themselves in front of everyone over at aftercare. But since it happened, I waited to get picked up and go home so I can change my shorts. Needless to say, it was funny looking back at it.
Kamilliah – When I had P.E. and the ball hit my head. My girl, Jasmine, knows the pain well. I was on the same girls’ team that she was, and I never would have guessed in my wildest dreams that my head could be hit by the volleyball. My story differs from hers a bit. I was on the same team but I rarely got hit in the head until that one day before the last day of class. We were playing another game of volleyball against the boys as usual. From the corner of my right eye, I could see this nerdy guy sitting by himself and I saw that he liked me as he would send me notes whenever we were in the same classes. He drew a heart in his notebook with my name and his name in it. Because I wanted to get a better view of it, the volleyball knocked my lights out as well. I was seeing nothing but blackness until I opened my eyes and saw that it was the nerdy guy making sure I was okay. I will never forget that day either.
Alejandro – When I fell in the restroom. Seriously, it happened when I was in Shadowood of all places. I can remember trying to leave the restroom, and as I did, l slipped onto what was trail of water in the restroom. I was crying so much that my parents came and picked me up. Fortunately, I did not have any injuries, but wow have I learned to be more careful of wet floors.
Andre – When I was running in the lunchroom, I slipped and fell. Everyone started laughing at me. So, I got up and continued to run like I did before, but making sure I was not slipping and falling like an accident-prone dude.
Rayshawn – When I tripped over my backpack, I fell into the garbage can. It was on a Saturday morning. I was helping my parents take out the trash we had remaining in the house. Because I had forgotten about where I placed my backpack, it was in the kitchen because I tripped over it and I fell right into the garbage can in the garage. Fortunately, my dad came and pulled me out of the garbage bin. I took a shower afterwards and everything was fine.
[Senora Rodriguez proceeds by saying these following words]
Senora Rodriguez – Excellent responses, everyone! Here is the third question: What is the one thing that you have learned at Shadowood Elementary that will help yourself succeed in middle school?
[The students then proceed by answering this next question]
Pamela – I learned how to always take pride in my work. In my definition, pride just means doing the best you can do with the resources you are given to complete your work in a reasonable amount of time.
Derek – Algebra. I simply loved putting the numbers in equations and figuring out what the answers were. They were like riddles to solve and I had tutors that made Algebra fun for me to learn!
Christopher – Fractions. Some people do not like fractions but I do. You just basically break fractions down by calculator or simply writing it down.
Jasmine – When I grow up, I will have to work hard and get a good education to get what I want. Apart from me needing to work hard, I want to provide for my family because of how much I love them and getting a good education would help achieve that goal.
Shannon – G. R. A. D. E. (Means Gang Resistance and Drug Education). I learned about not joining gangs and taking drugs just because someone tells me that it is cool when it’s not. It has the similar effect as D.A.R.E. but leans more towards what happens if you decide to join a gang and why you should not do that.
Brandon – How to act in middle school. Because in elementary school, teachers have told me that they would miss me once I went to middle school, that I realized I was beginning a new chapter in my life which is where I am now.
Danielle – Algebra. I loved crunching numbers down to their smallest decimals.
Daniel – G.R.A.D.E.I also learned that should one of my friends end a joining a gang that I should notify his parents first and then the police can be notified later.
Timothy – G.R.A.D.E., I learned a lot of stuff to do and not to do when it comes to handling dangerous situations involving gangs and such. For example, I can always call anonymously to the police if the situation truly gets out of hand.
Doris – How to take notes in order to keep up with the class. I have a knack for writing and taking notes was no problem for me. Nevertheless, I was glad to have learned how to take notes in the first place.
Sean – Multiplication. I loved increasing the numbers when I would multiply them by 5s, 10s, 15s, 20s.
Coriena – To never give up and have pride. Persistence is key and never giving up when there are problems to face is a sign of real pride.
Nicholas – G.R.A.D.E. It has taught me that I should stop my friend from joining a gang before it is too late.
Rachelle – To try my best in everything. By everything, I mean skills I have yet to master but I am going to so that I can lead a fulfilling and happy life once I accomplish everything.
Dylan – How to write cursive. I was taught to write a different way I had not before until then. Now, I am able to write in cursive when I am asked to write an essay and my Language Arts Professor loves it.
Andre – Learning to build my confidence after not having any in elementary school. Especially because I was the considered the outcast as I could not fit in school anywhere. Now that I am in middle school, I know that is going to change for me and I hope it does.
Sara – Multiplication. What I found simple about learning to multiply was doing it by 2s, 4s ,6s, 8s, and moreover.
James – To not get nervous at tests that are important and not important. Because in life, there are certain exams which are important. In that case, you need to have some water and compose yourself before the test begins. As for tests that are not important, I would not worry about them unless someone officially told me otherwise.
Kamilliah – G.R.A.D.E. It helped me to understand more about gangs and drugs and to stay away from them considering the amount of violent and illegal activity they are involved with.
Alejandro – To try your best in all of your work. Because effort is one of the key elements into receiving a great education provided that you have educators who care about the amount of effort you put into your work.
Andre – To respect my teacher. Because teachers should receive more respect from us than they are actually given. We should never bring them down to our level because it would be a waste of time to do so.
Rayshawn – G.R.A.D.E. I plan to join this program someday and prevent more people from joining gangs before it is too late.
[Senora Rodriguez proceeds by saying these next words]
Senora Rodriguez – Terrific, everyone! Here is the last question: What do you want to be when you grow up?
[The students then proceed by answering this fourth and final question]
Pamela – A veterinarian that takes care of animals. I own three cats that I happen to treat like my family members, and it is because of them, that I want to take care of other people’s animals for a living.
Derek – A cop. I want to serve and protect the people from harm’s way. Lord knows people are in harm’s way most of the time and that’s why I will be there to defend them.
Christopher – A professional football player. I have big dreams of becoming part of the NFL and make loads of money.
Jasmine – A doctor to help other people and their needs. The world needs more compassion and doctors can provide that compassion. I know I have the ability to as well.
Shannon – An astronaut who can travel beyond the atmosphere and visit the planets. I want to know if there are aliens living on them!
Brandon – A cop who will lay his life on the line for innocent families of the U.S.A. and for the state I live in.
Danielle – A movie star who will win numerous awards for being in epic films and having excellent acting skills.
Daniel – A football player who wants to make into the big leagues someday when I am given the opportunity.
Timothy – A veterinarian because I find animals easier to take care of since I have more of an attachment to my dogs at my home.
Doris – An actress who wants to be a voice actress so I can do voiceover work for characters from animated films and shows.
Sean – A basketball player who wants to play alongside Lebron James.
Coriena – A lawyer so I can defend people in court against the people that are prosecuting them. .
Nicholas – A retired millionaire after I own a company that will make billions of dollars in the long run.
Rachelle – A pediatrician so I can assist people in receiving the nutrients they truly need them.
Dylan – A professional singer where I can go on music tours, sell concerts, and retire with enough money in the bank
Andre – A mutual fund manager where I will be the overseer of the funds the family wants me to protect.
Sara – An archaeologist who wants to dig up the fossils of the past so we can appreciate them more in the present and the ongoing future.
James – A police officer or an engineer or a concierge desk person. Just anyone of those professions would be fine to have as long as they are available at my disposal.
Kamilliah – An actress, but if that doesn’t work out, I would want to be a lawyer. Whenever Plan A doesn’t work, have a Plan B.
Alejandro – A famous swimmer that will be worthy enough to join the Olympics in the future alongside skilled swimmers.
Andre – A football player that wants to play for the big leagues upstate.
Rayshawn – A basketball player. I can see myself living in a rich house with loads of money and me dominating every game in the NBA.
Randy – An animator. I want to work over at South Park Studios someday. It would be amazing to work with Matt Stone and Trey Parker personally.
[Senora Rodriguez proceeds by saying these next words]
Senora Rodriguez – Phenomenal! Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. I had the opportunity to learn many details about who you are. What I can say is that while it is acceptable to make mistakes, it is up to us to correct them so we can become better human beings. As a matter of fact, you already are better human beings, because every day we express how unique we are as people. In addition, going into the next step in your life can be quite the scary transition. As long as you have both your friends and families support, you will be fine and I am not exaggerating when I say that. It is also great to have goals and ambitions that carry you further in your daily life. Follow this simple quote every day to keep yourself motivated in every part of your life, “Reach for the moon, even if you’ll miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Even if you may not reach your current dream job, I highly believe that you can do anything that you put your mind into because you will be successful no matter what!”
Now let’s start of this school year with a bang! What do you all say?
[Students then finished the conversation by saying these final words]
All Students – Yes, Senora Rodriguez! Let’s do this!