Actress Tiffany Haddish has discussed how she struggled with reading until the age of 15. In an interview on The Jonathan Ross Show, she recalled some challenges during her school days.
She said despite recognizing basic words like “McDonald’s,” comprehension and writing were still difficult at the time. “I couldn’t write a story or anything…. I cheated a lot through school,” she noted.
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Thankfully, she said, her high school drama teacher was able to identify the challenge and provided the needed support.
“I had a drama teacher who figured it out, and she sat me down. She made me come to her classroom every day during lunch and she would make me read to her and she taught me techniques to help me read better,” she recalled.
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She hailed the teacher, Mrs. Grieb, for investing time and effort in her education. Other followers also praised the tutor for the effort.
“One teacher cared enough to figure her out and help. One teacher changed her life. Each of us has one teacher… remember? Thank them whenever you get the chance,” one person wrote.
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“Kudos to the dedicated teachers who make a difference in a young person’s life….“Shoutout to that teacher who peeped that she needed help and assisted her. Sometimes you just need someone to care,” another added.
In 2020, Haddish attributed her literacy challenges to deep-seated self-esteem issues, which worsened as a result of persistent negative remarks from family members.
“Because I thought I was stupid. Everybody would say to me, ‘You’re stupid, you’re stupid, you so stupid.’ At that time in my life, I took things literally,” she said at the time.
On Teachers’ Appreciation Day in 2024, she thanked Mrs. Grieb for the positive impact in her life, indicating that the instructor used materials like magazines and newspapers to improve her reading skills.
“I was very good at hiding and masking and pretending, and she figured out that I couldn’t do it very well…Basically by the end of the semester I was reading!” she recalled.
