A Valuable Photo

 

You have selected a photo of yours, which captured the moment you wrote on a blackboard with a chalk. Write an essay of about 250 words. The first paragraph should set the scene, e.g. when, where and why the photo was taken. The second paragraph should explain the meaning of the photo to you.

 

     The photo was taken when I was in Year 5. It shows that I was a little boy, no more than 130 cm tall and weighing nearly 30 kg. I was writing on a blackboard with a chalk in the classroom. The photo captured my back only but I recall my teacher and classmates were in the same classroom, giving me as much encouragement as possible as I was struggling to come up with the answer to a difficult math question. I did not know why the photo was taken at the time, but the photo later found its way into the school’s year book. I still keep my personal copy of the year book in my bookshelves.

 

     The photo means a lot to me even if it does not show my face. Indeed no one knows who the boy is in the photo. It often brings me fond memories of my school days, particularly of Mr. Wang, my math teacher in Year 5. I knew early in my life that math was not my strength. Up until Year 5, I failed almost every quiz, test and exam in the subject. This worried me a lot as I would not be able to go to a good high school if I did not do better in math. Therefore it came as a great relief when Mr. Wang became my math teacher. It was he who taught me how to overcome my fear of math. It was he who guided me to make steady progress. It was he who helped me excel in the subject in the final examination of Year 5. Whenever I see the photo again, I remember Mr Wang and just wish to express my gratitude to him again.