Grimes School students learn about good choices, writing in essay project

Eighth-graders at Grimes School learned a valuable lesson about making good choices as well as how to write effectively in a final essay project about a book by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in which he compared his life and that of an incarcerated man with the same name.

English teacher Michele O’Flaherty’s students read “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates,” the governor’s 2010 book.

The other Wes Moore “is a drug dealer, a robber, a murderer,” wrote the politician, whose early life was marred by poor academic performance and legal troubles before his mother sent him to a military academy.

“I am a Rhodes scholar, a White House Fellow, a former Army officer,” he wrote.

Ms. O’Flaherty said she chose the book as part of Black History Month to both teach her students the importance of making good choices in life and to prepare them for high school writing.

“I wanted to show them how their choices can impact their lives for good as well as for bad,” she said. “But I also wanted to teach them about good writing and how to make good arguments.”

She said she was so impressed with the children’s essays that she shared them with Principal Dr. Severin Cornelius, who was similarly impressed.

In his essay, student Kelvin Burton made compelling arguments and wrote that “the memoir showed that the decisions we make shape our path in life. 

“The other Wes Moore decided to walk down the wrong path. He sold drugs, committed robberies, and was involved in the killing of an off-duty officer. Now he is serving a life sentence because of his decisions,” Kelvin wrote.

“Wes Moore took a better path in life and is now the first Black governor of Maryland. This shows that the decisions we make shape our path in life,” he added.

In class Monday, the student said that “every decision has a consequence. Think before you do something.”

Kelvin added that the assignment, with its college format, also prepared him for high school and beyond.

Another student, aspiring visual artist Teray Hodges, also said that reading the book and writing the essay prepared him for “making good life decisions.”

In his essay, Teray wrote about the importance of education in a person’s life.

“The other Wes Moore dropped out of high school, and he struggled to get a decent job. If the other Wes Moore had listened to his aunt, and stayed in school, he would not be where he is today,” he wrote.

“This is why getting an education is important because if the other Wes Moore had taken education seriously, he would not have had to live a life of crime,” Teray added.

Deislyn Hernández, an English as a New Language student, also used the exercise as an opportunity to hone her language skills by using a translation iPad for instruction and writing.

“I could tell that she has a commanding level of literacy in her native language (Spanish). This will help her greatly as she develops her proficiency in English,” Ms. O’Flaherty said.

To read a few essays, click here for Kelvin's, click here for Teray's, click here for Christina's and click here for Deislyn's.