Amelia's English Blog

  Prompt Response:  A conversation that changed me was when my parents told me that my grandma passed away. It was during the pandemic and my grandma lived across the country, but I still regret not appreciating her more when she was still alive. The conversation changed me because it gave me a new perspective on the fragility of life and made me appreciate my loved ones more. My grandma's death led me to start sewing to keep her legacy alive, because she was very passionate about sewing. Summary: Today in class we continued reading Fences and started planning our posters. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension and analyzing skills.

Prompt Response:  When I was a child, I believed that any use of a calculator was cheating. I would see my older brother using his calculator in his more advanced math class and I insisted that he must be doing something wrong. At the time, I was learning basic addition and multiplication, so for me it would be cheating to type it into a calculator. However, I didn't understand that my brother was doing more advanced applications of the math and the multiplication was just one step in the process. So, for him using a calculator was the right way. Summary: Today in class we read scene 3 of Fences and discussed a poem about dreams. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension and poetry analysis skills.

Prompt Response:  Rose's role as a wife and mother reflects societal expectations of women because she wants to care for those around her. She is always offering to feed visitors to the house like Lyons and Gabriel, and it was generally expected of women to cook for their family and for guests. Her sense of duty impacts her relationship with Troy because he has come to expect certain things from her and is upset when she strays from her role as a caretaker and wife by speaking her mind. Summary: Today in class we discussed more about connotation and read Scene 3. Reflection:  I got better skills discussing in a group and a better understanding of the play.

Prompt Response:  Troy's frustration with the unfair job system made me think about how much the system has changed since the 1950s. Now, it would seem insane if a particular race wasn't allowed to drive trucks. Even though there is still systemic racism and pay gaps, we take for granted how for the most part anyone can strive for any job without barriers holding them back explicitly because of their race. If I were in Troy's position I would be just as frustrated but I would probably be too scared of losing my job entirely to go against my boss's orders. Summary: Today in class we finished Scene 1 of Fences and discussed characterization and connotation. Reflection:  I got a better understanding of the play and practiced analyzing characters and the connotations of words.

Prompt Response:   A truth I was afraid to accept was that I only have a limited time left with my grandparents and older relatives. As a child, it's hard to grasp that the people around you aren't going to be there forever.  But as I grew up and began to lose a few of my older relatives, I have been reminded that life is temporary and fragile. I never wanted to imagine living without them, but I had to accept that they wouldn't be around forever so I wouldn't take for granted the time I have with them now. Summary: Today in class we were introduced to the play Fences and began reading it. Reflection:  I got better skills reading out loud and understanding of play structure.                                                                   

Prompt Response:  A time I have been judged unfairly was when my teacher put a 58% in for a test. I was really confused with these results because I had studied very hard for the test and I had felt really confident in my answers. I tried to tell my friends and family this but I could tell they didn't really believe me, and thought I was just making excuses. However, I emailed my teacher to ask about the grade and it turned out that I got an 88, not a 58, and she had typed in the number wrong. Although my peers had no real reason to believe me, I still felt a sense of satisfaction that they had judged me incorrectly and I had proven them wrong. Summary: Today in class we completed the Common Lit assignment about what makes people do bad things. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension skills and question answering skills.

  Prompt Response:  If I were learning about Hispanic heritage, I would want to know about the historic traditions and whether they still are practiced today. I would want to know about the food and if the ingredients come from native plants in South America. I would want to listen to the music and learn about the instruments played in it. I would want to learn about the celebrations and whether they are practiced in all Hispanic communities. Summary: Today in class we took our common assessment, watched a short film and answered questions.  Reflection:  I got better test taking skills and a better understanding of immigrant families and their struggles.

Prompt Response:  One story that stood out to me was Orion's story about a family member who had reached out because she didn't feel safe to come out to her conservative family. I thought this story was very moving and emotional and Orion explained it really beautifully. It was a good story to explain how even though they were distant relatives and they didn't really know each other, they still felt connected on the issue and felt closer as family members. Summary: Today in class we finished presenting our Story Map projects. Reflection:  I got a better understanding of my classmate's stories and their culture. 

Prompt Response:  A time that I discovered a new perspective that changed how I viewed a group was in band class. I remember seeing all of the freshman and sophomores and scoffing and being annoyed that they were in my class. I thought that they were too immature and wouldn't be able to play any of our music well. However, this changed when I first heard them play solos in class. I realized that they actually were very talented, despite their sometimes annoying behavior. My single story for them made me underestimate their skills, but when I saw their abilities I gained more respect for them. Summary: Today in class we completed the Common Lit assignment about single stories. Reflection:  I gained better reading comprehension skills and better understanding of how stereotypes can shape your internal story about a group of people.

Prompt Response:  I remember I had a friend growing up that would always call me chubby. She would comment on the extra fat on my face and would pinch my cheeks and arms. I remember pretending to laugh along with her but being really hurt by her words on the inside. I never really took any actions besides ignoring her. I don't think my response helped resolve the situation because, if anything, it encouraged her to say more things like that in order to get a reaction out of me.  Summary: Today in class we read, analyzed and discussed themes of the poem "Incident." Reflection:  I got a better understanding of offensive words and the effects they can have.

Prompt Response:  I like that many people at Lakeside participate in spirit week with outlandish outfits and aren't afraid of what people think. Even though I don't feel as creative as some people, I still try to show my school spirit by dressing on theme for the different days. My favorite homecoming tradition is the pep rally because the shortened classes make everything feel more exciting and the pep rally is always a lot of fun. Summary: Today in class we started presenting our Story Maps. Reflection:  I learned more about my classmates background and culture.

Prompt Response:  I don't think the pressures of gender role expectations excuse Edna's decision to pursue an affair outside of her marriage, but her actions are understandable given the circumstances and overall did lead to an overall benefit in her life. Morally, it was wrong of her to have an affair outside of her marriage. However, she did need a change in her life because the pressures of motherhood were unfulfilling. It was the affair and the summer vacation that opened her eyes to her true identity and broadened her view of herself as more than a mother, and this development was beneficial for her even if the route she took was morally wrong.  Summary: Today in class we completed discussion questions for 'I don't want a wife" and we read The Awakening and answered questions. Reflection:  I improved my reading comprehension skills and ability to answer discussion questions.

Prompt Response:   I like hands-on activities the most because they give you a chance to apply the skills and topics you learn to real world, tangible purposes. I think it allows you to get a more well rounded understanding of the topic and prove that you know what you're talking about. It also gives you a chance to broaden the scope of the issue and practice problem solving skills that might not come up in other learning methods. Summary: Today in class we discussed our "Why I Want a Husband" lists and talked about the discussion questions for I Want a Wife Reflection:  I got better discussion skills and understanding of gender expectations.

Prompt Response:  A gender expectation imposed by my culture is the pressure on women to be beautiful and conform to certain body standards, like being skinny. The women in my life are very critical of their own bodies and go on diets because they don't like the way they look. Having observed this behavior since I was a young girl impacted me and the way I see my own body. I would say that I have grown more comfortable in my own skin, but American beauty standards can be very suffocating and still cause me to be insecure to this day. Summary: Today in class we read "I Want a Wife" and created our own "I Want A Husband" lists. Reflection:  I got a better understanding of gender norms and the expectations for men and women in families and marriages.

Prompt Response:   I think Atlanta has played a big role in my life. I was exposed to so much art, culture, and diversity which I think was beneficial and inspirational for me when I was young and impressionable. My parents used to take me to the belt line all the time to bike when I was a kid, and it's a luxury living in a city that puts such a big emphasis on green spaces. I think I would like to move somewhere cooler and with less traffic, but if I were to stay in Atlanta my whole life I would be content. I would stay in Atlanta for the arts and culture and for all my family that lives here. Summary: Today in class we worked on our plan for our story map. Reflection: I practiced recalling stories from my childhood and answering prompts.

Prompt Response:  A time when I challenged my parents expectations was when I got into a magnet program at a more advanced school in 5th grade but I insisted on staying at my own school. I remember my parents being super excited when I got into the program, because I would be following in the footsteps of my older brother who had already been at that school for a few years. I knew I should've been proud, but I resented the fact that I had gotten in because I knew it would mean leaving my friends behind. My parents and I had a conversation about it, and we came to the conclusion, despite their encouragement, that I would remain at my original school. I don't regret the decision even though my parents still look back and consider what would be different if I had gone to that school instead. Summary: Today in class we read and discussed the excerpt Two Kinds by Amy Tan. Reflection:  I got better analysis skills and practiced relating others experiences to my own.

Prompt Response:  After four and a half weeks in the class, I think Multicultural Literature is going relatively well. I am doing well keeping up with daily blog posts, in-class assignments and homework. I still struggle during class presentations but I expect that to get easier as the year progresses. I am excited for the excerpts we're going to read in the future. Summary: Today in class, we reviewed the vocabulary and started working on our vocabulary assignment. Reflection:  I improved my familiarity with the words and stayed on task to get most of the assignment completed.