Amelia's English Blog

  Prompt Response:  If I had to write a poem of my life it would be about my childhood. I grew up spending a lot of time outside, hiking and camping. We also have a big garden in our front yard that my childhood very much revolved around. I remember coming home from school when I was little and eating strawberries warm from the sun. I also feel very satisfied getting to pick produce from the garden and cook and eat with it. Overall, I would write my poem about nature and it's role in my childhood.  Summary: Today in class we presented our Chapter 6 projects. Reflection:  I got better presentation and public speaking skills. 

Prompt Response:  When I am in a mood that I don't like, I always try to distract myself. Most of the time I will go for a walk in my neighborhood to calm down. Walking helps me reset my mood because I've walked around my neighborhood so much that it feels repetitive and familiar and helps me relax. I will also do things I enjoy like drawing or playing a video game. My mood can also really turn around if I cook and eat a favorite meal.  Summary: Today in class we read Chapter 8 of Wild and analyzed quotes. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension and analysis skills. 

  Prompt Response:  Something that I have outgrown but still miss is recess. I think recess is very important from young kids because it gives you free time to do whatever you want and get all your energy out. It gives your brain a break and gives you a chance to get exercise. I understand why there isn't recess anymore because more rigorous academics means less time for playing, but I still really miss it. I also think I was friends with way more people in elementary school because recess gave us more time to hang out with everyone all together.  Summary: Today in class we read Chapter 7 of Wild and answered discussion questions. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension and analysis skills.

Prompt Response:  I wish I could unhear my favorite Taylor Swift album so I could listen to it again for the first time. My favorite  album is evermore which came out at the end of 2020. It is very acoustic and doesn't have any of the pop elements that most people know Swift for. I wish I could unhear it, not because I don't like it, but because I want to experience with fresh ears. There is nothing like the rush of listening to a new album from your favorite artist, and I think it would be cool to have that experience again with my favorite album. Summary: Today in class we kept working on our Chapter 6 projects. Reflection:  I got better reading analysis and comprehension skills. 

Prompt Response:  A time when someone I know had to choose between fitting in and staying true to their identity was when my brother went to college and chose his major. He is passionate about music, and his initial major was musical engineering. He wanted to pursue his passion but felt like he needed to do something more professional and technical, with an engineering aspect to fit in. However, he didn't feel passionate about his major and ultimately decided to switch to a program where he can design his own major around music. Since switching, he has felt a lot more fulfilled in his major and is now staying true to his identity.  Summary: Today in class we started our group projects. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension and analysis skills.  

Prompt Response:  A moment when my body limited what I could do was when I had a really big math test and I got sick and had to miss it. I always hate missing school because I don't like falling behind, and I especially hate missing tests. There was a lot of anticipation leading up to this test and I was very anxious to get it over with, but the morning of the test I woke up and immediately felt sick. I ended up throwing up the whole morning and couldn't go into school. I was very upset and stressed about missing the test, but it taught me that even if you put all of your mental strength and fortitude into a goal, your body can still hold you back.    Summary:  Today in class we read part of Chapter 6 and answered discussion questions. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension and analysis skills.

  Prompt Response:  A time when I didn’t feel like myself was when I would get really anxious over the summer. I have always been a relatively anxious person, and I get nervous about normal day to day things like class presentations or my grades. However, over the summer I would get inexplicably nervous and down about nothing in particular. It was very confusing and in hindsight I would always feel silly for freaking out over absolutely nothing. Summary: Absent Reflection:  Absent

Prompt Response:  A place where I feel the most at peace is in the kitchen at my house. I feel peaceful there because I have so many memories of cooking with my dad and setting up an ice cream bar for my birthday and just spending time with my family. I cook a lot and I find a lot of comfort in cooking my own food and so my kitchen is one of my favorite rooms in my house. I really like the design of the room, with red walls, dark wood cabinets, with ornate carved trims. We have so many kitchen appliances passed down from family and my kitchen just seems so full of fun opportunity and potential. Summary: Today in class we discussed Chapter 2 and read and answered questions about Chapter 3.  Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension and analysis skills.

  Prompt Response:  A time when I had to rely on someone was when we had to do a group project in AP Biology. It was called a concept map and it consisted of linking around 60 vocab words together into one big web. I had done a large portion of the work myself but I couldn't finish it that night because I had a band concert. It felt very frustrating to rely on my group members because none of them had done any of the work thus far even though it was due the next day. I either had to do it all myself or put my trust in them that they would finish their parts at the last minute. Ultimately, I had to trust them and they ended up coming through and finishing the concept map.  Summary: Today in class we discussed chapter 1 of Wild. Reflection:  I got better discussion and reading comprehension skills. 

Prompt Response:  A time when I made a casual decision to do something was when I decided to take AP Physics. When I signed up at the end of my sophomore year, I wasn't really knowledgeable about what the course would entail. All of the things I imagined we would learn seemed pretty easy, even though I had heard the class had a reputation for its difficulty. The moment I really decided to follow through was when I got a bad grade on our first test and I knew that I would need to put in more effort than anticipated. The concepts I was imagining we would learn about, like calculating how high a ball will go or the forces on an object, were a lot more challenging in practice. However, I really applied myself and did all the practice assignments provided and I was able to succeed in the class.  Summary: Today in class we started reading the first chapter of Wild and worked on an assignment about the themes. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension skills and practice f...

  Prompt Response:  A moment when I had to step out of my comfort zone was when I had to make a speech in my AP Lang class. I have never really felt comfortable speaking in front of a group, especially when I have to read my own writing. The speech was a response to an FRQ prompt from the AP exam, even though it was only the first month of school. My speech was about the issues to be considered when making decisions about space exploration. I remember when I was speaking my voice was shaking a lot, especially towards the end and I had to take little breaks to keep my composure. I was very uncomfortable but it felt good to get it over with. Summary: Today in class we read the prologue of Wild and answered questions. Reflection:  I got better reading comprehension skills and practice connecting to a text.

Prompt Response:  I have been going to Cumberland Island every year with my family for many years and we always backpack in 3.5 miles to the Stafford camp ground and camp there. Everything we'll need, like tents, dehydrated foods, a saw, a pot, and other essentials, we have to carry on our backs, so our backpacks range from 20-30 pounds. I am a faster hiker than my mom, but slower than my dad and brother so I usually end up doing the hike alone. The trees and landscapes on Cumberland Island are very beautiful and the hike is always serene. It is mostly flat terrain so you can focus on the nature around you and although my backpack hurts my hips and I get really sweaty, it is always a relaxing trip that I look forward to.  Summary: Today in class we got an introduction to the memoir Wild by Cheryl Strayed.  Reflection:  I learned a lot about what it takes to be a thru-hiker and got a solid understanding of what the book will be about. 

  Prompt Response:  Over the break, I spent a lot of time with my family celebrating the holidays. I ate at a Chinese Restaurant with my grandma and my cousins, and also went to my other grandma's house on Christmas Eve. The day after Christmas, my family, myself, and one of my close friends went to Cumberland Island and backpacked to our campsite where we stayed for two nights. The hike in and out was 3.5 miles and we went on a 7 mile day hike for our full day. It was very fun to see the wildlife and spend time outdoors.  Summary: Today in class we wrote four personal SMART goals for the new year. Reflection:  I got better skills reflecting and creating specific goals. My four goals: 1.  The first goal I want to achieve this year is to get into Georgia Tech .  This goal is important because Tech is my dream school and can give me the education and opportunities I need to pursue engineering as a career.   I was defe rred  from the early action rou...