One of the worst
experiences of my life was when I got into a car accident driving to my first
day of student teaching last year. I student taught at an elementary school in
Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The school was approximately
twenty minutes from my apartment in Providence, Rhode Island. When I was about
ten blocks from the school, my 2002 Toyota Camry was struck on the passenger
side by a tow truck backing out of a side street. The impact forced my car head on into oncoming traffic. The air bags deployed, and I sat stunned in my now
totaled car. Luckily, I was not hurt other than a few bruises. The driver of
the car I hit head on was also not injured.
I was nervous to begin student teaching, and this accident tripled the nervousness I initially felt when I left my apartment
that morning. My first thought when I realized what had happened was that I was
going to be late for my first day. That was not the first impression I wanted
to make on my cooperating teacher or my new students. I immediately called the
school and hastily explained that I had been in an accident and would try to
get to the school as quickly as possible. The police and firemen arrived at the
scene of the accident, and the tow truck driver, the driver of the car I hit,
and I explained our respective stories to the police. The manager of the towing
company of the tow truck that had
struck my car came to scene and offered to tow my totaled car to his
garage. I insisted that he also drive me to the elementary school since I
was now late for my first day of teaching. I hopped in his truck and arrived at
the school a half hour late.
Although this was one of my worst experiences, I feel that it was also a
growing experience. I could have collapsed
at the scene of the accident and went back to my apartment. Instead, I made the
best of a bad situation and made it to my first day of student teaching. I
believe that this was a good decision because meeting my students and beginning
to work with them helped to distract me from the shock I felt after the
accident. Continuing with my day in as normal a fashion as possible allowed me
to stay calm and think rationally
about the terrible accident I had just experienced. I was also fortunate that
my father drove all the way from Long Island to pick me up in Pawtucket and
deal with the towing company. This accident was a learning experience, but it
is not an experience I would wish anyone else to have on their first day of
student teaching.
Vocabulary
approximately (adverb)- not
exact
impact
(noun)-
force of one object hitting another
deployed (verb)- to
release
tripled
(verb)-
to increase or make greater
tow
truck
(noun)- a truck used to pick up damaged vehicles
collapsed (verb)- to
break down, fall apart
rationally (adverb)-
having reason or good sense
Vocabulary
Exercise
Please fill in the blank with the
appropriate vocabulary word.
The table
________________________ when the large dog jumped on it.
When the tree branch fell on my
car, a ________________________ came to take it to the repair shop.
Sabrina’s parents will come home
at ________________________ ten o’clock.
The extension on the house
__________________ its size.
You should
_________________________ consider your choices when deciding which college to
attend.
The _____________________ when
the lightning struck the tree was loud and very bright.
The parachute
_____________________ when the sky divers were close to the ground.
Grammar
Point
A proper noun is a noun that is
an actual name, such as of a person, place, or organization. The first letter
of a proper noun is capitalized, such as in Pawtucket.
Practice identifying proper
nouns:
http://www.softschools.com/quizzes/grammar/proper_noun/quiz223.html
