Finally free

Tears of joy and amazement flooded down my face as I laughed with the unbelievable news that was on the screen. I passed the middle grade English 5-9 exam! Hours of hard work, practice tests, note taking and writing essays came through as the burden of this exam was lifted off my shoulder.

  This test score represents more than the fact that I am highly qualified to teach English, but that my disability truly has no hold on me anymore. I am not one to hate anything however I hate tests...I even hate proctoring tests.

This was the first state test that I have taken the first time and passed as well as the first test I have taken without any of my accommodations. The fact that I did not use my extended time, which is double the time of the test, is huge!

I have major processing issues when it comes to reading questions and finding out the true meaning of what the question is asking me. I tend to second guess myself and have a mini debate on what answer is truly correct...as you can tell answering one question can take awhile.

Knowing that I was taking this test without accommodations caused me to worry even more. I figured out that I needed to answer 28 questions in thirty minutes in order to finish the 80 question test on time. During my first practice test I answered only 12 questions in thirty minutes...cause for concern indeed!

I kept on plugging along studying until my brain hurt and thinking positive thoughts the whole way through. I just kept saying to myself that my disability had no control of my potential and I was going to determine my own greatness and not my label. I feel that by passing this test I have regained a part of me that my disability always held captive. I am no longer dragged down by fear of failure that loomed in the distance. I have finally been set free!