Letter to the editor

I WANTED FLY(...) and I did!

First of all, I would like to say that I really aprreciate most of your enterviews, they are really good. I consider that this newspaper trys to give a subjective point of view which has been one of the most relevant reason why I am a reader of this excellente newspaper. However the last report made me feel a little bit disppointed. As a Musician I appreciate every subjective expression and I strongly believe that your newspaper has done an excellenten job with all the issues that has tryed to develop but the last one did not achieve a subjective view.

On Monday, I read an article about adolescent period and how difficult deal with them is especially at school. The writer enphasized the fact that adolescents must be in charge of their failures at school. Clearly, this journalist firmly believes (and it was pretty clear throught his writing) that adolescents do not do their homework, pay attention, attend to classes, dress properly and so on. I disaprove all these comments, because there are many people who are responsable abou it, not just adolescents. Everyone knows that adolecent period is a very difficult process where students fight with any authority and look for their identity. If we focus our attention on school what was the purpose of the journalist, we must recognize that teachers must be in charge of this important issue. Educators cannot ignore this process and they should not give all the responsibility to learners. It seems that the writer considered what everyone says: students are lazy, they do not think in their future, they just want to go to parties and take drugs and so on. I do not shame the journalist about it, because our society has contributed to build this adolecent's image like the lazy ones.

I was one of this disruptive students. When I was in high school I was in the P class which meant that I was not good at in anything so I did not have good marks. I still remember how teachers called us " we were the remedial students" The ACL's class was the oposit. There were well-behave students with great potential. But it did not happen to us.

I was one of the tipical student who was always in the back of the room. I had an untypical style. I listened to punk rock and I wore torn blacksweatshirt. Every teacher judged me by my appearance "You can't judge a book by its cover" However one day everything changed. Mrs J. was my English teacher. She was in charge of P' students where I belonged (I guessed)

Despite my bad reputation, Mrs J was the only one who believed in my capabilities. I was accustomed to hear from my tecahers that I was able to do nothing. Something that comes to my mind is Mrs J' s words " I don´t think Danny's worthless" She sayed loud and clear in front of one of my classes. One of my tecahers told to Mrs' J "He is a short-timer"

One day, Mrs J. asked me if I was interested in being part of her other class, the ACL's one.She strongly believed that I had potential to be in that class. When I observed the class I was shocked! These students were completely different to us, they participated and gave their opinions. I felt that this was my place! Mrs J. told me : in this class we look at it, discuss, try hard and then "we fly" I was completely mesmerized by this class...

I wanted to fly and she encouraged me to !

I wanted to share my experience with all of you because I FLEW. I want you to reflect about this important issue. Are adolecents the only responsable of their failures? What have happened if Mrs J. would not have arrieved in mi ilfe? I would like to suggest that teachers are equally responsable of students' failures as they are. Do not give all the resposability to students, because teachers have to do with it as well. All of my teachers contributed to build up my low self-esteem and criticized my way of dress for example.

To conclude, I would like you to considere it as a contribution and see education as an issue which have to be developed with a good suport. About this topic, I had liked that the writer would have based his report in the two sides "teachers and students" This newspaper is one of the best, but I personally believe that readers are part of this success. Most of the times reader's opinions help to make it better. I hope that this writing will help to continue the unique subjective view that this newespaper have had always throught its lines.

By Danny Morton