A Fight to Success

I'm an Intervention Specialist which is a fancy name for special education teacher.  During the past ten years, I have worked in elementary schools and the middle school.  During my last tour of duty at the middle school, I had the pleasure of teaching between 10 to 13 students.  I had ten of those students for both their seventh and eighth grade years.  One of them was an inspiration for not only me but for my other students.  I was told that when he was in kindergarten no one could understand him because of a severe speech impediment.  By the time I had him in the seventh and eighth grades, you would never known he had any speech issues.  In fact, he "graduated" from speech during his eighth grade year.  At the end of his eighth grade year, he gave a speech to the entire eighth grade class at their recognition.  Since he did so well, he was invited to give the same speech the next day.  I kept a copy of the speech and found where I had kept it tonight.  I've decided to post it on my blog as a reminder to me and as an inspiration to all.

Yes, I'm a fighter.  I first learned how to fight and fight back when my mom used to wear me out with a belt.  Man those were some good times, not when it happened, but as I think it about it now.  Yes, I'm a fighter but not with my fist but with my brains and my strength to do the very best that I can get somewhere in life.  To myself I'm a fighter because I fought to raise my grades.  I decided to not let anybody bring me down.  I took those hard hits of obstacles that I could not overcome.  Listen to my story.

Round 1, I was hanging with the wrong people.  Man, I also learned that a friend can turn their back against you.  Those were hits that could have knocked me down but I had brains so it didn't faze me.  Even though you think you have people you can trust you can only truly trust yourself.  Don't hang with the wrong type of people.  When it comes down to trouble, you may thought they had your back but in the end you will realize that your life is in your own hands.

Round 2, if you look at yourself as a failure, you will stay a failure.  If you look at yourself as a leader, you will definitely be a leader!  I have put myself down a lot of times and was in need of a shoulder to lean on but I was strong and heavy on trying to do better which made me a hardcore fighter with fast hands and the ability to do right and to learn from my mistakes.  But remember, my fists were my brain.

Round 3, It's getting to the end.  I dodged the hits of joking.  I dodged the hits of disrespect and I dodged the hits of fighting but not the hits of trying to learn.  Tests started getting hard and fighting the letter grade F started to worry me.  Tupac once said there will be changes.  I don't have the power to change the world but I can change myself, which indeed I did.  Everyday a winner says he's a winner.   Everyday a failure who doesn't try to do good in life stays one.  Here at T---- Middle, I hope you consider yourself a winner.  A fighter will never say losing feels good.  You've got to keep your head up and stay on top of your game!!!  I know I'm a winner.  The question is are you?