Literary Arts Magazine Spring 2016 | Page 27

My Teacher Sheryl Sherwin By Salwa Salih ESL 6  At the beginning of the fall semester 2015 at Carlos Rosario School we had an orientation. Our school president, Ms. Allison Kokkoros, who is an outstanding speaker (I wish I could speak English like her), said "Excellent is not an accident." It's a short sentence, but it's beautiful and has a big meaning. I love it and keep it in my mind. When I started level 6, I noticed why Ms. Kokkoros said that sentence. She is excellent and my English teacher, Sheryl Sherwin, is not an accident. In my life I have had several good teachers of all different types, but Sheryl is genuine, knows the art of teaching and I think God created her to be a teacher. Her method is convincing, inspiring and she makes her lessons interesting. She treats us as equal with kindness and fairness. She praises the good work done by us and if a student does a mistake, she isn't harsh to him, but nicely makes him realize it. She never sets a wrong example before us because she has high moral character, is a true friend and sincere guide to the student. She is respected by all her students because she always tries to hold the attention and interest of them. She speaks quietly, clearly and controls us very much. She does not sit motionless before us, but she always moves, laughs and she has the sense of humor for she loves saying to us “break this little coconut” and she knows how to break it and make it smooth, fluffy and ready to receive her daily lesson. Every student has something valuable inside him. Because she is keen, open minded, she knows how to discover the treasure hidden inside each one and makes them confident, encourages them to solve their problems and prove them clever. She is also creative and wants us to be happy, for this she keeps us busy because she is always busy and hard working inside and outside the classroom like a honeybee all the time feeding us with pure, good information. She pushes us to speak English together and turn off all other languages. I know even when I'm gone from Carlos Rosario School, Sheryl Sherwin will forever be part of my life as a teacher as well as a friend. Why Is It important To Speak English? By Cruz Chajchalac Poz  I'm from Guatemala, I came to the United States in 2004. I started working hard ever since, but there was a problem, I couldn't speak English. It was hard for me to find a job and also it was hard for me to communicate with American people and people from another country/culture. For those who migrate to the United States looking for a better life and don't make the decision to go to school to learn English, they are completely wrong.  Living in the United States without speaking the language is so hard. Speaking English is very important because it's the official language of the country. Speaking English opens doors for you, to find a better job, make more money and make it easy for you to adapt to different cultures. Speaking English brings you many opportunities to discover your skills. Speaking English helps you to communicate with American People.  Speaking English makes it easy for you to travel around the country, also around the world. As you can see, the importance to speak English helps you to get a better life. Two years ago I made a decision to study English and now I'm at Sonia Gutierrez Campus. It's my first semester and my English is getting better. I'm happy and proud of myself because I can communicate with people. In Our Own Words 2016 23