Abby Connolly
“What’s up? I can’t read, but that’s alright,” says TikTok user Oliver James (@oliverspeaks1) at the start of one of his videos.
Aren’t you intrigued as to how this man got here? Stick around to find out!
Oliver James is a TikTok creator and motivational speaker who is documenting his journey of teaching himself to read better as an adult.
Tons of TikTok users have followed him to support his journey as he builds his reading comprehension skills. This past October, he made a series of videos to explain exactly why he never properly learned how to read.
In one of his videos, Oliver explains that he was in a special education program when he went to elementary school as a kid. It took Oliver years to realize that the education he received caused a lot more harm than good.
“I started to think deep, and I realized that when I was younger, I was abused,” says Oliver.
Oliver recalls that the instructors at his school used to lay their hands on the kids. He explains that whenever he went to school, he wasn’t thinking about learning but instead thought about ways to get kicked out, so he could avoid the abuse.
Tons of people flocked to his comment section on TikTok, sharing words of support. Many of them are teachers who are determined never to let their students feel the way Oliver did as a kid.
“I’m sorry adults hurt and abused you,” commented one user. “It was wrong. You deserved better. Thank you for speaking on it. Congratulations on being a reader.”
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