The Test.

Once upon a time, there was… me. Furthermore, I really, really hated math. Every one in my school knew this, and they made fun of me for this. “Anti-math man,” they would yell. “What’s the square root of 25? Ha-ha! Every one knows you don’t know!” This kept going endlessly on and on until the year was nearing its end. That’s when I decided to prove them wrong. I borrowed a math textbook from my math teacher, Mrs. Flynn, and decided to study for the upcoming test. I read the book from cover to cover, bored out of my wits, but still pressing on, determined to pass. I reviewed many of the things more than five times. I reviewed the simple addition, along with the torturous equations and inequalities. The vast formulas and the humiliating square roots. I was sure I was going to pass. It was going to be easy, I thought.

The day of the test finally arrived. The test wasn’t a biggie, but it’d prove everyone wrong. I walked up to Mrs. Flynn, who you might call the oddest math teacher, if not person, in the world. She whirled around to enclose me in her penetrating gaze, and spoke, in a high, fairy-like voice:

“Who are you, and what is your business here, outlander?”

“I’m me, and I’d like to do that ‘magical fairyland’ test of yours.” I declared, trying to make a joke.

“Your request shall be arranged, o learned one,” she replied, rolling the r in arrange as loudly as possible.

She then handed me the paper as a servant would hand the queen a diamond necklace. I found a seat and began filling out the answers. “Show your work,” it said. I’ll show them work! They’ll see! I tackled the test one problem at a time, writing as much as possible, to prove them my abilities.

“We must speak at once” she called me to the office the next day. I instantly knew this was going to be about my good grade on the test. “My friend,” she said, almost whispering, “this will not do.” She then showed me the graded test that I worked so hard on. I had gotten 37% correct. I wanted to spit and stomp. This paper was probably going to get into the wrong person’s hands in the end, I knew. I would be pelted with insults until the rest of my life. I had studied so hard! But what was missing?

I thought over and over how I studied in my tiny cell of a room, then finally, it clicked. I had not bothered to memorize anything! I just read it all, while thinking about my favourite computer game, trying to ignore the boredom this book was creating. So that’s what was missing – patience. I studied the book, but it didn’t go into my head! I laughed aloud, this time, I would not fail. Then I thought of something else. When I did that test, I was totally not determined to do it. I just did it to get it over with. Now, I was armed for absolute victory. The finals were in my hands. I could do this. Yes.

I finished with a well-deserved “A-,” like many others, and most of my other classmates stopped bullying me about square roots. I am now an ordinary student, who is just as interested in math, as computer games, and with the star tests coming up, there definitely should be no problem, while I have my memorization, and determination ready to go. “I’ll pass.” I thought, “Sure I will.”

This paper was made in dedication to our beloved (real) mathematics teacher, Mrs. Marley, for her outstanding effort as a teacher, and to help me with Portfolio day. I thank Mrs. Marley greatly for the lessons in math that have taught me many things, including square roots. This year in Junior High Pre-Algebra 1 has been the most fun Math year that I’ve had since I can remember. I thank Mrs. Marley again, and end this paper to be finalized from a rough draft to a finished report.