“Earvin you need to be quiet and get your work done” said Mrs. Lee.
“Alright I am doing my work” I said. “That project you were supposed to turn in is due, and I bet you don’t even have it huh?”
“I did but I’m not finish yet” This was always the case for almost everything I did. Either that or I just flat out didn’t do it.

When I was in the sixth grade. I didn’t pay much attention in class. Maybe it was just me knowing it was my last year in elementary. I told everyone “I don’t need to do nothing; I’m almost out of here”. Little did I know, I was way over my head. Everyday at school it would be the same thing, Talking in class, and playing around. When it was almost time for promotion, my teacher Mrs. Lee was talking to my class, and she said “If you don’t get your acts together, those who have been slacking off this year, you will be stuck here next year”. Hearing that reality hit me like a rock.

Every little assignment I didn’t do rushed to my mind. It was always I’ll do in the morning or I’ll have it in by this day. In the end it never was there. I knew for a fact that my grades weren’t on a good level. That really got me scared, just the thought of me not graduating and getting out that school was really hard. Everyone was making these plans about what middle school they would go to. Something told me to hush, because I did not want to say one thing and wind up being right here in the same place.

After everything finally had gotten clear to me. I then realized I had to do something about this, and make a change. “Mrs. Lee…can I talk to you?” I said “Sure Earvin, what’s going on”, she said.
“Well I know I haven’t been the best student in class this past year, and I was wondering, is there a way I can make my grades up?”
She then replied with something that had really gotten to me and made me a better student. She said “Earvin, you can’t just go to school and not do anything and just expect to pass, with school and life nothing will just come to you. Like everyone else you have to work hard for it I know you have the potential to succeed There was times when I really saw you do what you had to do, but you go ahead a let you peers distract you.”

I felt extra guilty because I knew that everything was on me, everything was my fault. After a minute I thought all hope was gone until she told me “Your grades are not that bad, but if you work hard and do what you have to, there is a strong possibility that you will make it”. In the inside of my body my heart beating as if I had a set of drums on it. I wanted to smile, but I this was not a smiling matter; this would test the perseverance in me. She then said “Only Earvin can mess up this opportunity to catch up”.
I knew what I had to do. Everyday from then on was an education filled day. Finally when it was time to see who was going to graduate, the teacher called my name Mrs. Lee stood there at least forty, with her made up face, dangling earrings, and white blouse. She handed me a paper and then said “Congratulations Earvin, you passed”. I looked at the paper, looked up, tossed the paper in the air, jumped up and yelled “Oh man!” I guess second chances and a little hard work really do pay off…Only if you take it seriously the second time around.