Sam Fehl

UWRT 1101
My Personal Literacy Route
A literacy narrative is someones perspective of their literate experiences throughout their
lifetime. Reflecting on my personal literacy history and involvement, theres a large variety from
where everyone gains their knowledge that will keep them going forward from where they
started in life. Some ways that Ive become literate is through interactions with friends and
family, organizations, clubs, new schools, and more. These occurrences have made a huge impact
on me not only personally, but on my apprehension in literacy. I think that one of the most
important, and common, ways that people are literate is the ability to learn and speak a language
fluently throughout experiences.
Its very important to me to not only speak a language fluently, but to use these
communication skills to cope with others that may speak another language. One thing in my life
that impacted my ability to fluently speak English was growing up around people speaking this
way. Listening to my parents and brother speak the way they did as I was growing up, I learned
how to pronounce words in specific ways and say them the way they did. When I was younger,
my family would read childrens books to me every night before going to bed. Listening to the
way that they said words or sound effects made me want to better myself as a reader. All my life,
I was never a big reader and never really enjoyed it, but looking up to my brother and parents
helped motivate me to learn how. I feel that if I would have grown up in any other state, or even
born to a different family, the way that I communicate would not be nearly the same as it is.

Other interactions at preschool and attending multiple elementary schools improved my

grasping of literacy. Because I had to make new friends every time I moved schools, I learned
how to cope with people and speak confidently when reading or talking with them. Not only
going through the exposure to moving to multiple elementary and middle schools impacted me
personally, but the different teaching styles I went through changed my literate experience for
life. From learning literacy throughout my family to learning other literacy throughout the
world, Ive put these two together and discovered what exactly has made me personally literate. I
would say that my parents separating and my move to Union County changed me the most out of
all the things that have impacted my literacy.
I started my education in kindergarten at Lake Wyile Elementary School, up until the
point when my parents got divorced when I was eight years old. Thinking back on my first day
on fourth grade, I was completely terrified. Not only was my brother moved on from the
elementary days and now in middle school, but it was my first year at a whole new school. After
the separation over summer, I felt extremely overwhelmed with this whole new life I was about
to go through. I didnt have the things I had at my dads house in my new environment: my cat,
my childhood best friends, my entire family together, or Lake Wyile Elementary School. Not
only did I have to give up a lot of things that were close to my heart, but I just felt like I had to
start all over, and I wasnt ready to do this. However, my first day at Hemby Bridge Elementary
School changed this whole thought process.
I remember first day like it happened just last week. The things I saw, the people I met,
the things I felt and smelt; just everything that seemed to change my life how it is now. I was
wearing a long jean skirt that came down at least to my knees, what looked like a handmade

scratchy scarf around my neck, and of course, a suede brown jacket that just made the outfit
clash enough. None of the outfit matched, nor did it go well with the hot summer weather, but I
had picked it out by myself for my first day at a new start, and I was beyond excited to show it
off. All in one, I was feeling anxious nervous, and anxious excited, being in this new town
surrounded by a bunch of people I had never seen nor heard of. I was ready to take on the
hardest day of the year and get it out of the way. I wanted to make a ton of new friends and fit in
with the people in Union County.
Typically for school, I would take the bus to and from my house as transportation, but of
course it was my first day, so I made my mom drive me. Have a great first day sweetie! She
would say every year, but this time, things felt different. She dropped me off at the front of the
school, kissed me goodbye, and I was on my own. I tried to tell myself to make this day the best
it could be, but it was hard keeping the nerves in and just going with the flow of it. The last time
I did this, I was going into kindergarden and had my older brother by my side holding my hand.
This time, it was just me, and I was not ready for it. I took a deep breath and made my way to
the front doors. As I walked in, I remember seeing the main office on my left, and a smaller
classroom on my right. All through the halls, staff members and teachers stood against the walls
and greeted all the children walking by, Welcome back kids! I kept walking straight through
another set of double doors, and ended up in the giant library. This room was extremely dark,
with a gaudy dark blue color on the carpet, and as the rest of the school was cold, this room was
humid as could be. The ceilings looked like they were a mile high, and bookshelves surrounded
the whole room. To the front left end of the library, there were doors leading to another dark
room, which I eventually found to be the cafeteria. Looking back now, I can remember the smell

and taste of warm smiley face potatoes, and talking to Kyle Fitzgerald daily at lunch about South
Park. On the right side of the library, there were tables and computer access, the music room,
and another door that lead outside. This lead to the playground, soccer fields, and another
building which had the gym and art room inside. Walking through the library, I tried to find my
way out and to my classroom. It felt as if it was a maze trying to weave through the shelves and
bookcases, when all of a sudden I was stopped by someones hand on my shoulder.
I turned around to find a petite old lady with dark gray hair, a long purple dress, and
small reading glasses set on the tip of her nose. Are you lost? she asked me. I just gave her a
blank stare, in complete shock by her words, and pointed to my paper that had my assigned
classroom on it. She smiled sweetly at me, and guided me through the maze of a library, leading
me to another set of double doors. We walked through the doors, leading us under an archway
outside, and to another building. As we walked through the doors, I discovered that this building
was for classrooms third grade and up and that this would be my hallway. We walked down the
hall, and ended up three classrooms past the bathroom on the right, in Mrs. Cohens room. She
walked me inside the room, and immediately introduced me to another little girl named Bailee
Thomas, who was sitting next to my assigned desk. She was in a black tank top with a black and
white flowered skirt on, her blonde and pin straight. She had this huge smile of joy on her face,
as if she was expecting me. The old woman talked very highly of Bailee, and promised us that
we would become great friends. I took off my book bag, sat down in my desk, and thanked the
old woman for her help as she exited the room. Before Mrs. Cohen greeted us with her lesson,
Bailee and I started talking and suddenly became good friends, finding many things in common
with each other. My new friend had helped me learn my way around, learned the school creed,

meet a ton of friends, and played with me on the playground. This really isnt as bad as I
thought it would be, I thought to myself as I got more comfortable in this new environment. She
really helped me form into my comfort zone to meet new people at school and feel confident
with my surroundings.
Without the participation I had on my first day at Hemby Bridge Elementary School, my
experiences would have not nearly been the same then or throughout the rest of my time in
school. Had I not been nervous, or lost in the library, the old woman would have never found me
and guided me to my classroom. I look back and question if things would have gone differently.
If my parents would have never been divorced, would I have learned the things I did during my
first day at Hemby Bridge? I dont know if I would have met Bailee and matured the way I did
throughout our experience together in school. Although I didnt have my brother there, my
childhood best friends, or my whole family to come home and brag about my first day to, the
transition to a new school when I was eight years old went rather smoothly. The occurrences I
had at this new elementary school helped prepare me for my future in Union County, and also
gain a sense of knowledge for communication with strangers and making friends. Since I was
never really into reading or much of the subject of English, my interactions themselves are what
have shaped my knowledge. My literacy would not be nearly the same if things would have been
differently for me throughout my lifetime.