Amelia's English Blog

Prompt Response:  Something I've done that was out of the norm was attending the Globe Academy from kindergarten to 8th grade. At Globe, I was in the immersion program and learned Spanish, as well as learning math and science in the language. When I got to high school, I would say that I felt embarrassed to have gone to a charter school instead of a public school like everyone else. I think others judged me for being nerdy and privileged. I was the one of only a few freshman in the AP Spanish test, and I had already gotten a 5 on the exam, so my experience at Globe definitely put me ahead of my peers. Summary: Today in class we took notes on a poem by Emily Dickinson and analyzed it. Reflection:  I practiced note-taking skills, poetry analysis, and discussions. Who are you?: I am a curious and creative introvert.

Prompt Response:  I would say that my political identity travels with me everywhere. I know people sometimes say to leave politics at out of a conversation, but these days political parties and candidates are so polarizing, that I think the side you align yourself with says a lot about you as a person. For that reason, I find it hard to ignore my political leaning as being part of who me and my family are, especially given the current political climate and the fact that we live in a majority republican corner of the country. Summary: Today in class we reviewed our stereotypes worksheet and read and analyzed the stereotypes presented in The Myth of the Latin Woman. Reflection:  I got more insight on why stereotypes are harmful and how some potentially good-humored comments can come across as offensive.

Prompt Response:  Growing up, my peers assumed that I am bad at math because I'm a girl. They expected me to commiserate with them about not understanding math and being nervous for a quiz, and most of the time I would go along with it. I didn't want to come off as overconfident or like I was bragging, so I would undersell my abilities in the subject. Now, I embrace my math abilities and peers know me to be good at it, so they come to me for help. Summary: Today in class we watched a presentation from our senior advisor and started a worksheet on stereotypes. Reflection:  I got out of my comfort zone by discussing stereotypes of different groups with my peers.  

Prompt Response:  I will never fully understand the concept of infinity or the concept of nothing. I am very interested in math and physics and the universe around us, but I will never be able to grasp the concept of how the universe began. I know it's believed that the universe began with the Big Bang, but I can't fathom how there could've been nothing before that. Also, we still don't know for sure if the universe is finite or infinite, and I don't think we can ever know for certain. I think that this is because the human brain is limited in what it can understand, and infinity is outside of the realm of our understanding. It's not that we can't think of it as a concept, but it's impossible to grapple with the reality of infinity in the real world.  Summary: Today in class we presented our cultural identity poems. Reflection:  I strengthened my public speaking skills and learned more about the culture of my classmates.

 

Prompt Response:  One thing I wish I had more of is time. I wish there was more time in the day to be able to balance my school work with my hobbies and passions. I always find myself listing off things I wish I could do more often like reading, sewing, drawing, hanging out with friends, cooking, baking, and spending time with family. When I do have free time, I'm so exhausted from school and day to day life that all I want to do is sit around and do nothing. And when I do have the energy, I overwhelm myself by multitasking, like eating lunch while drawing while listening to an audio book. I wish I had more time to fit all of these activities into my day while being able to give each the time and care they deserve. Summary: Today in class we finished working on our identity poems and posters. Reflection: I practiced my poetry writing and graphic design skills by working on my poster.

Prompt Response:  The most creative thing I have ever made was the gift I made my boyfriend for our one year anniversary. For each of the 12 months we had been together, I drew my favorite thing we did that month. Each drawing was composed of multiple layers, with elements like the background, foreground, and a drawing of us together on separate layers. I matched the details to pictures we had taken down to the clothes we were wearing and the buildings and landscapes in the background. It was the first time that I have really had to painstakingly plan out a drawing I was working on. I wanted it to be a good gift so I poured in much time and effort and I think that kind of passion is what really yields good results. Summary: Today in class we read and discussed the poem "A Korean Dream" and started writing our own cultural identity poems. Reflection:  I got practice analyzing poetry and using literary devices in my own poem.

Prompt Response:  One question I have is if there is life in the universe besides humans on Earth. This has always been a fascinating idea to me because it seems impossible but also so obviously inevitable. It matters to me because I'm very interested in space and biology and the discovery of extraterrestrial life in my lifetime would be so exciting. Another question I have is what happens to us when we die. I'm not a religious person and a lot of my beliefs are founded in logic and science, but this question is important to me because I can't come up with a logical answer and I really can't imagine having no consciousness whatsoever. Summary: Today in class we read and analyzed the poem "I, Too" by Langston Hughes and started our worksheet analyzing the cultural aspects of the poem. Reflection:  I think I made good progress on my work sheet in class and it was good practice quoting and explaining textual evidence.

Prompt Response:  A time when I felt completely lost was my first day at Lakeside High School. I coordinated exactly where to meet my friends before the bell rang and I studied my maps and my schedule, but nothing could really prepare me for actually walking in the doors. Everyone seemed so big and the school felt like the most complicated building I had ever been in. Every hallway looked the same and I couldn't make sense of any of the maps on the walls. However, as time went on and I got help from friends and teachers, the hallways became familiar and I became more comfortable. Now, I have no trouble finding the best routes to my classes and helping out students younger than me who are as lost and confused as I was. Summary: Today in class we presented our cultural identity masks to the class. Reflection:  I learned a lot of details about other people's cultural identity and background that I would've otherwise never known. I also strengthened my public speaking skills.

Prompt Response:  One strength I have had has been keeping up with the workload and staying on track. I have been integrating the blog posts well into my schedule because I have this class 3rd period to read the prompt, 4th period gives me time to reflect and plan what I'm going to write, and then I start my 5th period with study hall and can submit my blog post then. One challenge I anticipate is participating in class discussions because it can be tricky for me to formulate my thoughts under pressure or on the fly. Summary: Today in class we finished our cultural identity masks and wrote our reflection papers.  Reflection:  I strengthened my writing skills and practiced putting my drawings into words with sufficient explanation.

Prompt Response:  Gender roles and patriarchy influence my identity because instead of feeling pressure to conform to these rules, I feel motivated to defy them. The gender roles in my family are reversed in a way because my mom has a traditional job and earns most of the money while my dad does most of the housework, cooking, and looked after me and my brother when we were younger. This upbringing gave me strong female role models and the belief that I can defy traditional patriarchal expectations for women to devote most of their lives to raising kids and men to have jobs and make money for the family. In addition, the growing popularity of women in STEM careers inspires me to study science or engineering in college, defying previously held expectations of women. Summary: Today in class we watched a short film about masks symbolizing identity and discussed it. We also went over the vocabulary words and began working on our own cultural identity masks. Reflection:  I got more...

Prompt Response:  A meaningful family tradition I have is hosting Thanksgiving at my house. My entire family as well as close family friends travel from far and wide to convene at my house for this one day. A big part of our Thanksgiving is that my dad cooks the main dish, and everyone else contributes by bringing their signature side dish. This contrasts with the cultural themes of expectations in "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid because instead of all the cooking responsibility falling on the women or just one woman, everyone, men and women, contributes to the cooking. Summary: In class today we took our yearbook photos and completed the questions for "Girl." Reflection:  I got better practice at analyzing texts and answering discussion questions.

Prompt Response:  In American culture, everyone around me seems to be expected to go to high school, graduate and go to college. When someone takes a path besides going to a 4 year university straight out of high school, it can seem a little unorthodox. These expectations shape my daily life because I focus myself a lot on my grades and college applications instead of life skills like preparing myself financially or making connections for future employment in the real world. My family and friends expect me to go to college, so that's the path I will take, even though I'm not sure if I would've chosen a different path if this expectation didn't exist. Summary:  Today in class, we read the short story "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid and discussed the story as well as cultural identity as a class. Reflection:  I learned from my peers about their own experiences with cultural identity and expectations. It helped me feel more connected to my classmates and better underst...