Elliot English Blog

 

  Prompt:  Write about something you’ve outgrown but still miss. Response: Something that I've outgrown but still miss was having Kona Ice trucks come to school. Back in elementary school through 6th grade, I remember having Kona Ice trucks come and visit our school to sell snow cones. They would typically come to our school during events like field day. Whenever they came around, it was a big deal among students. I loved the snow cones and thinking back on it, it was very nostalgic and memorable for me.  Summary: We worked on an assignment about a poem from Langston Hughes. Reflection: I reflected on the different civil liberties used today. 

  Prompt:  As the first semester comes to an end, take time to reflect on your learning and growth in this course. In a well-developed response, explain what you enjoyed most about the class, identify the project or assignment you found most engaging, and discuss which aspect of the course you connected with the most (such as poetry, fiction, writing, or discussion). Finally, reflect on one area where you feel you need additional support or improvement as we move into the spring semester. Response: Throughout the semester, I felt like I've done a good job at keeping up with my assignments compared to my sophomore year. I also have improved in my writing and language this year as well. In this class, I enjoyed being able to have open discussions with the class with topics that offer different interpretations. This allowed me to see the different perspectives of my classmates and I think it helps the class connect better. My favorite project so far has been my final poetry poste...

Prompt:  Many holidays center around traditions. Describe one tradition that is important to you or your family and explain why it still matters (or why it no longer does). Response: One tradition that my family has is to visit family during the holidays. Usually during holidays, we go and visit my step grandma in North Carolina. Occasionally, when we aren't travelling, we'll have my oldest sister over and have a small gathering instead. There have been times that we've had family over at our house, but the majority of the time we are travelling. I think this is an important tradition because it keeps the family connected and allows us to catch up with others. Summary:  In class we worked on our blog posts for this week.  Reflection:  I thought about what I'll be doing when I visit family for Christmas. 

  Prompt:  How have the holidays changed as you have grown older? Compare your experiences of the holidays during childhood with how you experience them now, focusing on shifts in perspective, responsibilities, or emotional meaning. Response: I feel like the importance of holidays has lessened for me over the years. As a kid, holidays were more exciting and it felt more lively. As I grew older, I found there are less things to look forward to. Most holidays, such as Easter, me and my family don't celebrate anymore because I am older now. Although, I think that the core values of family has still remained the same. Summary: In class we learned new vocabulary from lesson 6. Reflection:  I thought about how I can memorize these words. 

  Prompt:  Write about something that you can't stop thinking about.  Response: Something that I think about frequently is my plans for the future. My main goal is to become a herpetologist, someone who studies reptiles and amphibians. I wonder what other career I would take if that doesn't end up working out. I worry about how hard it will be to find a job due to economic uncertainty and the use of AI taking jobs. The future worries me a lot, but I think that working in the nature conservancy field will help me do well.  Summary: We went to the library to plan our schedules for next year. Reflection: I reflected on what classes I want to take my senior year.

  Prompt:  Write about the best gift you have received. Response: One of the best gifts I was given was when I had my pet Flow. A few years ago, on Christmas, I wanted another pet gecko. My mom surprised me with another pet leopard gecko. She put him in a small bag and left it at the door for me to open up and find, saying it was from Santa. I only realize now that I'm much older, it was her that did it. At the time I had a pet leopard gecko named Geico, which is why I decided to name him Flow after the commercial. It made me incredibly happy that night. Summary: We reviewed new vocabulary for lesson 5. Reflection: I thought about how to study the vocabulary for Friday. 

  Prompt:   After watching the short film Identity, write a blog post reflecting on how the masks in the film represent the pressure to fit in and the struggle to discover who you really are. Choose one moment from the film that stood out to you and explain why. Then, connect the film’s message to Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too” and to the mask you are creating in class. What part of your identity do you want your mask to reveal? Response: The masks represent personal identities in the film. The main character has a mask that looks different from the other masks, showing that she stands out from the crowd. The poster showing what is considered beauty also gives pressure to fit in for the main character because her mask doesn't match up to those standards. The scene where they are all sitting in class stood out to me because it showed those who were different and those who were the same. Both the film and Langston Hughe's poem both share ideas of self expression and pride i...

  Prompt:  In “I, Too,” the speaker expresses pride in his identity and his rightful place in America. Reflect on your own life: What aspect of your cultural identity are you most proud of, and why? Reflection: I am proud to have southern hospitality. I grew up in the south and from this learned southern hospitality. It's something I'm proud to have because it's welcoming to other people and it teaches you to have good manners in social interactions. Some examples of this would be calling people "ma'am" or "sir" and offering food to others. It helps bring out the good in people and creates a sense of community.  Summary: Today we read a poem called "I, Too" and drew a mask that revolved around our identities.  Reflection: I wondered where and how far out my family goes historically. 

  Prompt:  In “We Real Cool,” the speakers make choices that seem exciting, bold, and rebellious, even though those choices lead to consequences. Write about a moment in your own life when you followed what looked cool or fun, only to realize afterwards that it wasn’t the smart or responsible path. What influenced your decision, and how did your perspective change later? Response: There was a time I decided to sneak out to hangout with an old friend of mine. She texted me that her and her older friend were in the neighborhood and that I should join them. I agreed to this and without telling my parents, I just walked out of the house and met up with her. She picked me up and we managed to drive until we got onto the highway. My step mother texted me and that's when I got busted and had to go home. I didn't put any effort into sneaking out and it wasn't a well thought out plan. My old friend was an influence and currently we aren't friends anymore because she did a lot of...

  Prompt:  Discuss something meaningful or memorable you experienced over the break, or reflect on what you felt most thankful for during that time. Response: During Thanksgiving, I wanted to make mac n cheese for dinner. We held a small Thanksgiving dinner with my oldest sister. Baked mac n cheese is one of my favorite dishes so I wanted to include that into the dinner. I was very proud with how it turned out and I even used sourdough bread as the breading on top. That dish was the most memorable thing because it was really good and it's a recipe that I'll make again. My family liked it as well. Summary: In class we reviewed new vocabulary.  Reflection: I reflected on how I can memorize all of the vocab we learned.