Elliot English Blog

  Prompt:  Write about a conversation that changed you. Response: During a sleepover with my best friend, we had a deep conversation about grief. We enjoy having deep conversations, but it was a particularly special moment that night. We watched a show/podcast called "The Midnight Gospel", episode 2, where it goes into the topic about grief and how pain can be turned into something meaningful and healing rather than just dwelling on it. The episode interviews someone who had to deal with a friend who died of brain cancer and how she managed to process that by sharing her love instead of her struggle. We were particularly thoughtful that night under certain circumstances, and what stood out to me personally was the quote, "Okay fine.". Even though it's very simple and seems like a meaningless thing, it stood out to me because it taught me how to accept grief or hardship by simply saying "okay fine". I've learned to be okay with difficult things by t...

  Prompt:  Write about something that you believed as a child. Response: Something I believed as a child was that if you stood by a window while it was storming outside, you would get struck by lightning. When I was a kid, my two sisters would tell me not to stand by the window while it was storming. When I asked them why they told me that I would get struck by lightning. Without any reason, I believed them and it stuck with me until I was around 10. It's something that is now funny to look back on.  Summary: In class we learned new vocabulary terms and defined them.  Reflection: I reflected on how I can expand my vocabulary. 

  Prompt:  Write about a fear you have overcome. Response: One fear I overcame was my fear of roaches. I don't have many fears but roaches are one of my biggest fears. I have always found them gross and invasive which irks me, and the fact that they can fly. I used to be so scared of roaches that I had to sleep in another room if I found one that I couldn't get rid of. One day, I had the courage to trap one under a cup and managed to catch it without getting scared to get near it. While my fear of roaches still stays, it has been something that I managed to become less scared of.  Summary : Today in class we identified different claims from a text.  Reflection : I reflected on how my college experience might be. 

  Prompt:  As you grow older and face new experiences, what issue or topic do you think you'll have to stand up and debate most often, whether with friends, family, or society?  Response: The topic that I have to stand for the most is the topic of human rights. It has been very relevant with the discrimination of Hispanic people where they are forced out of their homes and away from their families and recent lynchings that have been happening towards black people. Racism, along with other hate speech towards communities, has been on a rise from the influence of people who are platformed to spread that hate, along with recent laws being put into place. Nativism has been a reoccurring issue in history and I wouldn't be surprised if it happens again in the future. It is a topic that I often have to debate about almost daily, mostly towards MAGA supporters and right-leaning people.  Summary: We continued notes on the parts of writing an argumentative essay and what kind...

  Prompt:  Write about a truth you were afraid to accept. Response: I often worried about the dues and debt I would have to pay for when I go to college. The idea of spending the rest of my life owing money is off putting and seems very stressful to me. I was able to accept that this is just the truth of college and that's how life goes. I realized that many people have had to go through that experience and are doing okay even if they still owe money. It also encourages me to work harder. Summary:  We took notes over what components make a good argument.  Reflection:  I wondered what our argumentative essay will be about when we write one in this class. 

  Prompt:  Write about a time when you were judged unfairly. Response: Occasionally I've been judged by my appearance from people. There have been times where people have told me that they thought I was "mean" or "upset" because of my resting face. My resting face can look very neutral or un-amused to a lot of people. This can be considered unfair because they thought that before getting to know me. It's good to not judge a book by its cover. Summary:  We worked on a CommonLit assignment about fear. Reflection:  I reflected on what kind of fears I have personally that would protect me. 

  Prompt:  After viewing your classmates’ poem posters, select one presentation that caught your attention. Describe what you enjoyed about it or something new you learned from their work. Response: Kimora's poster stood out to me the most from all the poems. The structure of her poem was what caught my attention. She had the lines written in a pattern that helped emphasize words. It was unique and different from the other poems. I liked it because it made the poem more fun and because it was something new. I want to use this tactic in future poems.  Summary:  In class we presented our poem posters and learned the steps to writing and brainstorming.  Reflection:  I reflected on how I can help avoid writer's block. 

  Prompt:  Of today’s 15 vocabulary words, which three do you think you will use the most in your speaking and writing this semester? Explain why each word feels useful or powerful to you. Response: I think that I will be using the words aesthetic, agape, and amoral the most. I already use the word aestnhetic frequently so I am positive that I will use that word more. I think the word agape will be used more in replacement of the words "surprised" of "shocked". Lastly, I'll use amoral more when describing a bad person when I need to. The words are all more useful because they are more likely to be used in relavent topics.  Summary:  Today we explored and learned the definitions of new vocabulary.  Reflection:  I reflected on different words that I can use while speaking.

  Prompt:  In “The Interlopers” by Saki, Ulrich and Georg view each other as interlopers, outsiders intruding on their land and their lives. Think about a time when you felt like an interloper or when someone else felt out of place in your world. How did that situation affect relationships, emotions, or outcomes? Response: I once had an experience with someone who I thought was my friend but seemed off. I had a gut feeling that something wasn't right about them. I noticed that they were hanging around people that said negative things about me and that they came to me for information. It made it more difficult to trust people but in the end I decided to trust my gut and keep my distance. I learned to avoid people who try to get into your business without trying to get to know you.  Summary:  We took an assessment on CommonLit about the story "The Interlopers"  Reflection:  I reflected on how often CommonLit will be used in my classes. 

  Prompt:  It’s Homecoming Week! 🎉 What do you love most about being part of the Lakeside community? How do you show off your school spirit? What is your favorite Homecoming tradition or event? Response: My favorite part of Lakeside is being able to dress up for spirit week and other events. I'm not very fond of Lakeside in general but I do think that they do a good job when it comes to letting students dress up. It lets people get creative and it's fun. I personally enjoy dressing up too. The spirit week is my favorite part of the Homecoming tradition.  Summary:  In class we took a test over a poem about writers who create poetry.    Reflection:  I reflected on how I can study for a test on poetry, 

  Prompt:  Write about an adventure you would like to go on. Response: An adventure I would like to go on would be a camping trip with a bunch of friends. I would like to go camping in the mountains because I enjoy the mountains. I also think it would be fun to travel in a large van of some sort. I feel like there's a lot of things you could do in the mountains, so I wouldn't feel bored. It's something that's been on my bucket list for awhile.  Summary:  We analyzed and worked on a poem by Emily Dickinson. Reflection:  I reflected on what other poems Emily Dickinson worked on. 

  Prompt:  Which learning method do you enjoy the most? Class discussions, worksheet work, or hands-on actvities. Select one and tell why.  Response: I enjoy working on hands-on activities the most. It is easier for me to know what to do since I am more of a visual learner. I think that it also allows me to be more creative, in which my skills lay. I also prefer working alone because it helps me focus better. It's better if the activity is about creativity.  Summary:  In class we began working on our poem posters and finished writing our poems. Reflection:  I reflected on how I can add more literary devices in furture works. 

  Prompt:  Which aspect of creating a poem do you enjoy the most? Tell what it is and explain why.  Response: I enjoy trying to find things that rhyme. It helps me explore more vocabulary and ways I can be creative. It helps me learn how to rhyme quicker too. I also enjoy trying to find different themes to use. I think it's important to explore different topics and address them in a creative way. Summary:  In class we started writing our own poems. Reflection:  I wondered how I could sound more artistic and be more creative in my writing. 

  Prompt:  After reading Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem "Constantly Risking Absurdity," which explores the poet's daring craft, write about your most absurd personal experience. Describe a single, specific incident that felt ridiculously bold or foolish. Ensure your response is vivid, concise, and captures the essence of absurdity. Response: There was one shocking event that happened to me 2 to 3 years ago when I was at the mall. I was with 3 friends and we all decided to go to the mall together as a hangout. Midway while shopping, we were in a GameStop and we heard people screaming and running. Everyone panicked and thought there was a shooting, even the cashier looked scared. All of a sudden I heard a woman shout "She said no!". We asked what happened and a lady stopped and explained to us that a man proposed to a woman in the middle of the mall and she rejected him. Everybody was relieved and it's something crazy that I always look back at. Summary:  In...

  Prompt:  You are currently working on a soundtrack for selected Emily Dickinson poems. With that in mind, if asked to choose a song to describe your life right now, which song would you select and why? Response: If I had to choose a song to describe my life right now, it would be the song "Dog Goes Meow" by He Said She's Dead. I chose this song because I feel like I've distanced myself and haven't been hanging around anyone without realizing it since I'm naturally introverted. The lyric, "I look around me, everybody is gone" is why I thought this. This is also one of my favorite songs. That makes the song more personal to me.  Summary: In class, we took a test over poetry.  Reflection: I reflected on how I can analyze poetry better.

  Prompt:  If you were to compose a poem about one aspect of your life, which topic would it fall into and what would your overall life's message be? Response: If I were to compose a poem about an aspect of my life, it would be about staying true to myself. I would often have tough times where I felt sad and I learned that doing the things you love to do helps a lot. I knew that trying to be something you aren't only makes things harder for you. An important thing that I learned was that the point of living is to evolve. From then on, I tried to be the best version of myself and continue to find ways to develop more. Being creative and unique has gotten me this far today and I think it's an important message for people to learn.  Summary:  We finished analyzing poems from yesterday's work and listed 5 songs that relate to the poem. Reflection:  Today I reflected on how I can find songs about more topics I haven't heard of. 

  Prompt:  You’ve been in American Literature for 4.5 weeks now. How has the class been going for you so far? Response: The class has been easy so far for me personally. I feel like I have a good teacher and that the lessons aren't too advanced. The first few weeks have been easy but I wonder if it will get harder. I enjoyed drawing the heart assignment. I also enjoyed analyzing the text in poems as a whole class.  Summary:  In class we read a poem about how you shouldn't fear death and analyzed it. Reflection:  I reflected on how I can check what assignments I have done more often. 

  Prompt:  Describe one thing that makes you different from other people. Response: I am very open and free to express my creativity. My fashion and music taste are a big part of me that separates myself from a lot of people. I use my interest in early 2000s culture into my fashion and art. I am also into emo culture which is not popular. My looks are the most visually different from other people.  Summary:  In class we worked on our heart assignments that represent logic and emotions.  Reflection:  I reflected on how I can organize my drawings better and be more creative.