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.