Getting Myself Back

A Story of Being Understood as an Individual

Learning can become difficult when you feel that nobody understands how you learn or what you need.

This learner reflects on arriving at EMBS with very little confidence and what changed when people took the time to get to know them.

“Here, I feel like I'm getting myself back.”

My Story

My experience of school was mixed. Some teachers I got along with and others I really struggled with.

I have learning difficulties and sometimes needed things explained differently or needed more time. I could understand something quickly in one lesson and really struggle in another.

But sometimes I felt teachers expected me to learn in the same way as everybody else.

I would say that I didn't understand, but I didn't always feel listened to.

I was also told quite a lot that I was going to fail. Eventually, when you hear that enough, you start believing it.

When I was younger, I had a really high temper. Having a mentor who sat alongside me made a big difference because she understood me. I stayed in lessons more and didn't lose my temper as often.

Looking back, I think one of the biggest things missing was simple:

Some people didn't take the time to get to know me.

There were other difficult experiences too. I went through a serious incident involving another student. When I eventually told someone, the school took action and I was given support afterwards. Having someone I could talk to helped me keep going.

But by the time I left school, my confidence was really low. I felt like I had lost part of myself.

I was extremely shy when I first visited EMBS. When someone started asking me questions, I actually hid behind my mum.

I'm not that person anymore.

Here, I feel that people have taken the time to understand me, how I learn, how I communicate and even what I look like when I'm having a bad day.

If something is wrong, I feel I can talk to someone without immediately being judged.

That doesn't mean everything is perfect.

Sometimes I clash with teachers. Sometimes we disagree. But something I've learned here is that having a disagreement doesn't have to destroy the relationship. Something can happen one day and we can start again the next.

I remember doing an art activity once. At first I thought, “This isn't really my thing.”

Then I was told just to draw whatever was in my head.

I did.

Afterwards I felt different, fresh, almost like I could do anything.

When I compare myself with the person who first walked through the door, there has been a big change.

At school I felt like I was losing myself.

Here, I feel like I'm getting myself back.