Amelia's English Blog

  Prompt Response:  My favorite word right now is one that we learned in class today, lugubrious. I had never heard it before but think that it sounds kind of silly and is fun to say. I hope to incorporate the word lugubrious into my vernacular. Whenever something is sad or not going my way I will remark on how lugubrious it is and everyone will be impressed with my vocabulary. Up until today I was never using the word lugubrious but now I will use it frequently. Summary: Today in class we went over our poetry explications and made a comic strip with vocabulary words. Reflection:  I got better poetry analysis skills and a stronger vocabulary.

  Prompt Response:  Something that we accept today that might be viewed as wrong in the future is the use of artificial intelligence. Today, there is some backlash over whether AI should be used, due to environmental concerns, concerns about it stealing the work of artists and writers, and overall concerns about it's societal impact. However, the technology is so new on the scene that there are limited regulations put on its use and its use is encouraged in many workplaces. AI chat bots like ChatGPT and Google's AI overview features are used on such a wide scale. However, I think it's possible that as time progresses and more research is done, the use of AI will be regulated and not seen as advisable, due to the risks it poses to our society. Summary: Today in class we completed the Common Lit assignment on child labor. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension and analysis skills.

  Prompt Response:  A time when I have noticed someone being treated unfairly was when my elementary school teacher had a daughter in our class and treated her and her friends differently. It's not that she would treat the rest of us poorly, she just had favorites that she went easy on due to their more personal relationships. This can relate to the poems we read because the children who worked in the chimney sweeps were there because they happened to be born into a less fortunate family, like how the kids in my class just happened to be friends with their teacher's daughter. Sometimes injustice and suffering is ignored because things play out the way they do partially due to chance, and the lucky ones don't feel obligated to help the unlucky. Summary: Today in class we read poems about child chimney sweeps and worked on the worksheet analyzing one of the poems. Reflection:  I got better teamwork skills and poetry analysis skills.

Prompt Response:  A time when I couldn't stop laughing was when me and my boyfriend were on the way back from our trip to the beach and we were watching a movie in the car. In the movie, the main character was struggling to swim in the ocean and I don't know why I did it but I accidentally spit on myself. I was already very tired, and watching her swimming made me think I was swimming myself, and so I spit out the imaginary ocean water. My boyfriend thought it was the funniest thing in the world and couldn't stop laughing for about 10 minutes. I couldn't help but laugh as well, even though it was pretty embarrassing. Summary: Today in class we completed and submitted our One Pagers on a poem comparison. Reflection:  I got better skills putting my ideas into a format with visuals that can fit on a single page.

Prompt Response:  A time when something has been both positive and a challenge was when I took AP Calculus. I felt proud being one of a few juniors in a senior class and I found a lot of satisfaction in the content. However, I also felt a lot of pressure to prove myself. I was simultaneously excited to be in the class and fearful that my teacher would think I didn't deserve to be. This shows how an experience can be both exciting and nerve wracking depending on how you look at the situation. Summary: Today in class we read the poems "The Lamb" and "The Tyger" and started working on our one pagers. Reflection:  I got better poetry analysis skills and practice putting information into a one page format. 

  Prompt: I was born in January of 2008 during a snow storm. I have been told that the timing worked out perfectly because my mom, dad, and brother made it to the hospital just in time right before the snow started. My mom has told me stories of how she was sitting in the hospital bed waiting to give birth and watching my dad and brother who was 4 years old at the time play in the snow outside. I think the actual birth went well except I came out a little jaundiced and I had to be put on a light table for a little. Overall, I think this story is kind of beautiful given how rare snow is in Georgia and how perfect the timing worked out.  Summary:  Today in class we read the poems Infant Sorrow and Infant Joy by William Blake. Reflection: I got better poetry analysis skills and critical thinking skills.

Prompt Response: Over the break, my family and I along with my boyfriend took a trip to the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama. We stayed at a hotel for three nights with a very good continental breakfast every morning. At the beach, we spent a lot of time swimming in the ocean with all of the fish and enjoying the sun and the sand. On the way back from our trip, we stopped at a military base in Alabama and toured a submarine and a battleship. The rest of the week, I worked a lot on a new quilt that I have started making. Overall, I had a restful and fun week off.

Prompt Response:  When I have a lot going on I enjoy my day by finding small things that don't take a lot of time that add some spice and variety to my life. For example, if I have a lot of homework to do, I will make myself a fun drink like an iced coffee to help motivate me. In addition, I like to listen to music or podcasts while I'm getting ready for school to put me in a good mood. Finally, I always try to make time to hang out with my loved ones because talking to someone you love will always make your day better. Summary: Today in class we took the Fences assessment.  Reflection:  I gained a lot of skills from reading Fences, including public speaking skills by reading out loud to the class, reading comprehension and analysis skills from class discussions, and character analysis and presentations skills from our characterization posters.

Prompt Response:  A time when someone's words had a lasting impact on me was when my friend in elementary school would call me chubby. I knew she probably didn't mean to offend me, but I internalized her words and they stuck with me for a long time. The loaded comment contributed to my insecurities and poor body image growing up, even though she didn't have bad intentions. I think any insult you hear as a child is likely to have a lasting impact on your self-esteem and view of yourself as you grow up. Summary: Today in class we presented our characterization posters for Fences. Reflection:   I got better presentation skills and analysis skills.

Prompt Response:  A moment when I had to step out of my comfort zone was when I returned to school after the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike other students, I really liked virtual school and I was able to keep up with my school work and avoid the many stressful and awkward social situations that come with middle school. However, the return to school after the pandemic was a hard transition for me. It was overwhelming to be around people again, but it also helped me grow socially. I know that discomfort pushed me to grow a lot as a person.  Summary:   Today in class we finished our characterization posters. Reflection:   I got better posting making skills and character analysis skills.

Prompt Response:  When I was growing up, I had a reoccurring dream that I was in the backseat of a speeding car and no one was in the driver's seat. In other versions, one of my parents was driving and then they would jump out and leave me in the car. I think this dream could represent my fear of not being able to control my life or my fear of people leaving me in helpless situations. Summary: Today in class we finished Fences and we continued working on our character posters. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension skills and poster making skills.

Prompt Response:  I have always been curious about space. I love learning about space because it is so different from learning about anything else. There is a lot we know and can infer using laws of physics and chemistry, but there is so many questions surrounding outer space that could be answered at any moment, or could be a mystery forever. I think there is so many possibilities for worlds and life that exist in the universe. Learning about space really puts things into perspective and makes me feel small, which can be both comforting and stressful. Summary: Today in class we continued working on our characterization posters. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension and practice organizing our points into poster form.

Prompt Response:  If my close friend was cheating on their partner I would definitely tell them to confess, and if they wouldn't, then I would tell them myself. No matter how loyal I am to the friend, like Bono's loyalty to Troy, I would recognize their betrayal as a personal issue that stems beyond just their relationship. I would not be able to see my friend the same way, and I would want to tell the truth even if it meant losing a friendship. This might affect everyone involved negatively in the short term, but everyone would grow from it and be better off because of it; both the friend who cheated, who had to learn their actions have consequences, and the partner that got cheated on who could stop wasting their time with someone who isn't loyal to them. Summary: Today in class we continued reading Fences and began working on our character posters. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension skills and practice using textual evidence.