EQT Presentations #2

I prayed to my God for improved presentations today. I prayed with all my might that something would garner my interest and someone would have a good idea of what they were talking about. God was on vacation. There were some better presentations, yes, but the majority were average at best and it took everything I could muster to not bash my head in on my desk. I have yet to go yet, but I hope to do a much better job, or at least put a bit more passion in it. Though it would be painfully hilarious to complain only for me to give a horrible presentation!

EQT Presentations

It was that fated day, the day to sit through presentations and feign interest. Although I prefer this to a paper test, it is still immensely boring and difficult to stay awake! I hate to be such a complainer, but the presentations were quite mediocre, despite the few funny moments that got a chuckle from me. At least with the normal EQT I could possibly take a nap afterwards.

What Happened? Who Knows!

I had a splendid field trip today, and I was gone the entire day. Dissecting a squid at the Sea Lab was much more preferable to sitting in class contemplating the repercussions of sleeping at my desk! By the time I returned, it was time to go home and procrastinate on my assignments. The usual routine.

Assistance With The Assignment

With the EQT coming up, it was no surprise that the objective for today was to go over it. Thankfully, it will not be a multiple choice test, but rather a PowerPoint presentation. I know for a fact I will procrastinate on it, like I do on every project I receive, but it is still preferable to a test! My teacher gave a nudge in the right direction for a credible source, so I am ninety-five percent positive I will have little trouble with this. All I need to do is practice speaking correctly.

A Single Question

As the title explains, the day was mostly spent on one question. I am not complaining at all, since the question allowed me to have a reflection on myself, and a peaceful day. That was my day. That was it. Honestly, it was a great day after the more stressful previous days.

Multiple Choice Disasters

I would love to positively reflect on this day, but aside from the humorous moments that made me chuckle, I can not say I learned much today, at least not anything that would help me on multiple choice tests. Yet I somehow learned about car insurance, life insurance, and remembered the one man who gouged out his eyes in the bible. A fruitful day. I am still poor at choosing the best answer and I know it will reflect on future tests, especially the ACT coming up. Worried is an understatement for my current feeling.

Multiple Choice Failures

Do I find it amusing that today's lesson was entirely restructured due to low scores on a short multiple choice assignment? The answer is a bittersweet yes. I got one of the highest scores, but was ashamed to have only a C-. What good is a higher score than my classmates if it is not up to my personal standards, as well as my teacher's? I was glad we went over the assignment, though I am still underqualified in multiple choice. If only I could stay for tutoring, but I am always busy!

Choices That Just So Happen To Be Multiple

Today was a straightforward day, nothing too complex or taxing; I practiced with multiple choice today, trying to put forth elimination methods. Judging from results, I could still use some skills in that category, as well as experience in analyzing a poem. Multiple choice questions always were difficult for me, but I am not too beaten up about it, it is just something I have yet to polish up.

AP Stands For Answer The Prompt

My teacher would give applicable information when half of the class was not present. How do I feel about that? Why, I'm glad! Less students mean less obstructions! I was steadily taken through more do's and do not's of creating essays for the AP Exam, and I garnered a bit of confidence for myself. The essay that got an eight could likely be a level of standard I can match if I simply pace myself. Once I learn how to read the sources faster, I will be a force to be reckoned with. In writing.

Perspectives

My teacher was not here, so my class and I were kidnapped by another teacher. I was disgruntled at first, but after a little interactive lesson on perspectives in history, I was less dismayed and I also enjoyed it! Considering I never knew my teacher would be absent, it was a pleasant surprise.

Essay Prompts and a Thesis

It is back to the old grind of school, oh golly gee I sure am happy. I spent the day looking at a sample prompt regarding monuments , going over how to make a thesis statement, skimming through the sources, and understanding what is being asked of me. I still need assistance with the "topic, point, claims" or whatever it is called when making a thesis statement, but aside from that, the day was pleasant.

Essay Time

It was finally time to give a go at my first rhetorical analysis essay, and although I did not finish my concluding paragraph, I believe I did good for my first time. One thing I need to practice on is managing my time for sure, as well as adding embellishments only when necessary. Overall, I would still prefer the essay to a test.

Skeddadle

What ever could I say for today? I had to participate in an event orchestrated by my lovely organization, the National Honor Society, so I was not in class for more than twenty minutes. Well, I did enjoy wishing my teacher happy birthday, so that was something! I am glad I remembered.

Reese's Puffs, Reese's Puffs --- Eat 'em up 250x

My teacher was absent so I busied myself with today's homework, leaving me with more leisure time at home. One could tell that any time my teacher is absent, the title will feature a play on his name. Who will stop me, Mr. Reese's, the absent teacher? The absence brought forth a productive day -- for my other classes. I sure hope he is not sick though, then I will feel bad!

Peer Review

I was a bit surprised to enter class and get dragged into an essay. Well, not so much that part than the bit where I had to review my classmates' essay. It was... educational reading their writing style and offering criticism. I enjoyed hearing my own critique and taking in advice to better my grammar, syntax, skill in making claims, and actually answering a prompt. I would love to do another peer review in the future and see how far I can get!

Essay Techniques

The class went over an example prompt for the AP Exam, or ACT, and I would say I have a bit more confidence in it. Not in writing it, that is a leap, but in deciding what to write about based on my advantages in the sources, not personal opinion. I still need help on rhetorical analysis, a lot of help in fact, but I just have to lodge it in my "If I don't get it now I have failed and am not an AP student" brain that it takes time.

A Chill Day

As the title says, today was a chill, mild day. The juniors that paid their absurd fee were on a field trip, and the remaining ones stayed behind. I personally did not mind, I despise missing class, but that does not mean I was displeased with doing a question game. The day was not the most memorable, but that in itself is a good thing for me.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Nicholas Carr, the author of "Is Google Making Us Stupid?", planted this question in my head; I was unmoved and obstinate at first. "Oh great," I thought. "Another old geezer whining about technology and forcing their view on the world." However, Carr struck some points that hit close to home about struggling to immerse myself in long texts, despite previously being able to do so in earlier youth. I always wondered what happened to me, perhaps this was the cause! In elementary, I was the "gifted" student, the creme of the crop, the nerd that would rather read twelth grade level work than play. Now, it takes me begging myself to read a single chapter of a book. Carr's statements, as well as counterclaims regarding the belief that the internet promotes productive minds, was incredibly insightful and prompted me to rethink my reading strategies.

Pronoun Case Errors

Before I entered the class, I had no idea what a case was in the context of pronouns. Now, I have a general idea, but still struggle a bit. Progress! The concept of object and subject identification is a bit difficult to me, and so is choosing the right pronoun without going with "it sounds right" all of the time. That belief there got me a few wrong answers on my assignment; I am at least glad I learned not to go with that assertion, which is more impactful than my minor failure.

Do's and Don'ts of Rhetorical Analysis

I was gladdened to receive examples of previous rhetorical analyses, as it provided me of a small crash course without the crashing. Yet. There was a good variety, with essays with a score of three to a score of eight, showing me some good techniques to employ. I have had low confidence in general about the subject because of my unfamiliarity towards it, so the exposure was a good little push in the less self-deprecating side. It was certainly a bit amusing to read the first essay, which was... wanting in many areas, to see the best way to get a three or lower on the AP exam's essay portion; the essay itself felt like the writer pulled random ideas from thin air out of panic from the time limit, or something similar. At least the essay that scored an eight did not use "I feel" and "I believe" within their text. With those sentiments in mind, I feel better about my prospects. For now!

Tone and Mood

My rather somber disposition left many confused as to why my behaviour was altered. Was it due to the draining life of school? The lack of validation? My severe, mentally damaging view of failure? Yikes, this is a dour topic! I wonder how the reader felt about that, which is what I was practicing. If one could appropriately assume by the title, I was given the honour of learning about tone and mood. I have a general understanding, I suppose, but I could definitely use some assistance regarding tone; it does not seem to be different to mood at all, which affects my perception of it. The definition of tone seems too... simple, and I cannot wrap my head around it. I hope Tuesday bears better fruit. Not sour ones, though, those are not desirable.

Important Parts of a Written Piece

Anyone can write a speech, story, or essay, even my estranged uncle from Morocco, but it takes a certain tact to make it stick. There are certain elements to consider, which is what I learned today, such as rhetorical elements, appeals, and structure. An example of the rhetorical elements would be exigence, which is a term I finally have a grip on after a prolonged period of tearing out my hair. Structure would be syntax, which I also finally understand. I get the feeling this will all accumulate to aid my jab at a rhetorical analysis, and I just hope I will not utterly fail and shame my family name. Again. It is apparently uncouth to devour a can of whipped cream.

Candy, Pliers, Perfume, and Some Whipped Cream

Today was the joyous occasion of another vocabulary quiz, to which I was required to bring objects to represent a word this time. My words were brevity, bucolic, and carnal, and I had a great deal of fun explaining why I chose the objects with dramatic demonstrations done with aplomb. Could it have gone better? Yes! I stole some whipped cream! Ah, I mean borrowed. The victim will get it back. Maybe.

Rhetorical Analysis 2: Electric Boogaloo

The majority of the day was spent sifting through Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech, and golly, it was rife with rhetorical strategies. No wonder the speech was so moving! I have a somewhat better grasp of the analysis, and had a surge of joy each time I identified a strategy in the text. I have a dream that I will eventually understand how to properly write a rhetoric analysis, as I am sure I will constantly let an explanation of the prompt slip through.

Rhetorical Analysis

This is a subject that I can already tell will have some difficulty to master, if I even can. I often have trouble with analyzing texts in general, so to do only the rhetoric used may prove challenging, but I believe I will have time to fully understand the concept. The class watched--then after noticing we could not understand her we instead read-- the eulogy for Ronald Reagan by the Prime Minister of Great Britain at the time and briefly went over an analysis. Thankfully, my teacher showed us an example, so comprehension may not be as far as I believe.

Poems and Poems and Poems and-

Hmm, I wonder what I did today? Oh, yes, I read a poem! It was actually interesting too, but unfortunately, I do not remember the author. I know it used an extensive metaphor and compared the poet to that of an acrobat. The imagery was honestly great and I could understand the point the author was trying to make! After reading the poem and answering analysis questions, I had to present the poem I composed yesterday. Except I was not there yesterday, so I desperately made one last minute to avoid a fat zero in the grade book. Surprisingly, it was not so bad despite it being made in thirty minutes or so! Would my readers like to gaze upon it? No? Well, too bad:

Fly, you little butterfly
You useless little thing
Nothing but a scrap of dust
You care not to swing
The wings are dull, the legs are frail
Can easily lull the child to wail
Why must you fly, why won't you die?
A trivial lie, the butterfly
Hark!
Your wings, the dull wings
Have been ensnared in life's web
It pulls, it pulls
Until you can fly no more
No more flying, you little butterfly
For the web has caught you forevermore!

Abstract concepts are my favourite, yes indeed.

404

I got an early dismissal, so I will learn whatever lesson there was in spirit.

Reading to Write

I enjoyed the first few minutes of class; I say that because there was a celebration for honour roll children, and I took the opportunity to skedaddle as soon as 11th graders were called. Hooray for me! Anywho, the class went over the book 50 Essays, where I read an essay by Stephen King. Truly an iconic writer! I did not get to read the entire essay, but the gist of it involved the art of reading to improve writing. As the man more or less stated, it is difficult to write an impressive work without first reading an impressive work, and vice versa with avoiding bad prose. It was informative with a bit of humour, my favourite way to receive info. Now time to eat some generic pizza as my reward at this celebration. Hooray. 

Vocabulary Videos

I received new vocabulary words last week and was instructed to find clips that corresponded with the words this time. It was a bit more difficult this time around; PowerPoint certainly did not help, and I had to do rocket science to figure out how to manipulate a large file to my teacher with the few methods I have on my phone. In the end, thankfully, I managed, and was able to give my presentation without complications! My clips were purposely chosen to weird my class out, because that is what I derive joy from.

History Assessment

Because my teacher was not here today, I went to the neighboring classroom where my sub would be. I surely did not expect to hear the teacher say, "Take out a piece of paper and number it one to fifty-five," the moment she walked in, but here I am. It was an assessment to see where the class was so far, since a good portion, if not everyone, will take her next semester. Well, I got a harsh suckerpunch of a reminder about my disgraceful naivety of history. Was I even taught history? If I was, I sure did not retain anything, that assessment was as easy to me as it is to find a reason to get out of bed in the mornings. That is excruciatingly difficult. I hope to eventually learn these topics next semester, so hopefully I will not be an embarrassment to humanity.

Quiz

The duration of time was spent on a rhetorical device quiz; I expected questions and matching, not writing an essay on a prompt I could care less about and had no opinion for. Welp, I had to make one in that second. It was an inquiry on whether college football players should be paid. As I mentioned, I did not care, and my inexperience on the topic probably reflected in my writing. On the bright side, there was enough time left that I am currently writing this entry in class. On the bad side, I wrote as I thought, so I probably wrote nonsense.

Frankenstein

What a wonderful day I have had today! Instead of hours of boredom, I embarked on a field trip to watch a play of the old classic, Frankenstein. It was enjoyable watching the portrayal, and even more so to be with my friends outside of school. That includes you, Mr. Rease. The play as a whole was a memorable experience, especially how much I wanted to whack Victor on his balding head. After the play, I went to Steak n' Shake, which was my first visit. Although the shake was good, the meal was admittedly disappointing - the burger was lackluster, the fries were overwhelmingly thin, and the sprite tasted more like carbonated oil. Still, the laughs I had in the restaurant with my pals outweigh it. Mostly. I returned to school in time and had a leisurely bit of chilling in class. Oh, yeah, and Mr. Rease put on a wig. Truly an enlightening moment, my eyes were opened to greatness.

Vocabulary..?

As today was 90s themed and there was a 90s party that I paid for, I did not stay long to see exactly what we did. I actually bought my ticket late, so I was in class for ten or so minutes before I ran out quicker than a certain blue hedgehog once an announcement was made. Of course, I was morose over leaving class and my friends, but it did not last long once I was chilling in the bleachers. If the class watched a movie after I left, I will be calling the authorities.

Vocabulary and Similes

Today, I had fun with vocabulary! To be honest, I have always had an affinity for vocabulary, I do not know why. Maybe because I just like to learn new words and utilize them? Who knows. Anywho, the class was assigned a little quiz that required me to pick four vocabulary words and familiarize myself enough with them to define them. Posters were harmed in the making of the assignment. After putting the pictures on the poster, I had to give an oral definition of each word and explain how the pictures correlated with my words. It was truly fun watching everyone's presentation, especially one student named Jada. Afterwards, it was time for more rhetoric (hooray) and we delved into simile. Like hyperbole, I was not too excited because simile is the John or Bob of rhetoric, but I learned something new about that as well! I never knew the word "so" could be used correctly for simile, "like" or "as" has been ingrained in my head enough. Hopefully I get to learn more devices, I enjoy them!

Brainstorming

I was surprised that we veered off the track of rhetoric and onto brainstorming. The ordeal was an interactive little shindig, where the class collectively thought about health implications and determined if it was fair or not if employers were more strict on unhealthy people. Specifically the obese and smokers in this case. That was the class' assignment, I enjoyed it, no reason to stress.

Rhetoricals and Proce- Procati- Procatalepis

I already had a general idea of what a rhetorical question was, so I was not too excited to write notes on it, but just like hyperbole, there were secrets within. The fact that it is a key tool in an essay was beyond me, as well as the fact that it can be overused. The answer is implied with these questions, and can either drive your point home or lose the reader's trust. It is also a cousin to hypophora, which is growing a family tree at this point. Next is Poliomyelitis- Sorry, procatalepis. This beautiful device, which is also related to hypophora, deals specifically with objections, often without stating the question. It has the pretense of knowing what the reader is thinking and offering an objection to any counters ahead of time, which is why it is useful in argumentatives. I happen to like it, I sure love objecting things.

Whatever Will I Do Without My Rease's Pieces

What I did without them was some remaining work of other classes, then I took a nap. 

Litotes, Antithesis, and Hypophora: Devices With Ridiculous Pronunciations

After pulling from the bag of rhetoric devices, I left with three new terms that I actually have never heard of! Well actually, I have heard of antithesis before, but thought it meant a thesis that negated something, or an evil thesis. I had my reasons. Anywho, enough of what I thought, here is what I learned! From what I have garnered, litotes are basically understatements, but with a word choice that says the opposite of what is referred to. For example, if I say, "My dog is not the most ferocious creature," I am saying that she is very docile. I sure hope that makes sense, because I am still learning. Antithesis, which is not a malicious thesis, is the device used to bring out a contrast of ideas. The sentence, "Light is to purity as dark is to tainted," contrasts light and dark with each other, along with purity and tainted together. Lastly, I got to hypophora, and was surprised to know I use this device quite often, especially in this blog! What is hypophora. It is the act of asking a question, then later answering said question. It serves to inform and include the reader, and is typically used in speeches. Overall, hypophora was my favourite, while litotes were not, only because I need assistance. Rhetoric devices are actually pretty fun, though that may stem from my general liking of Language.

Rhetoric

After my somewhat refreshing three day weekend, I am back to the old grind and ready to suffer learn more in this brand new quarter! Today, I was able to get deeper into rhetoric and learn about two different devices - hyperbole and understatement, the new devices available for order today. Well, they are not new, and are used every day! I had a general understanding of the two, but was pleased to delve deeper and also understand why writer's use them, as well as experienced ways to use them correctly. It was harder than I thought it would be to create over-exaggerated and overly simplified sentences with the topics given to me, so that is evidence that I could stand to practice more. I really want to understand understatement more, as I love some good satire in my life.

The Art of Listening

I never expected myself to have a lesson on listening, but it seems this class is full of surprises! I learned about the key differences between hearing and listening, bad listening habits, obstacles that deter listening, and why listening makes things easier in life. When I was presented with all the bad habits of listening, I felt pretty called out. Pretending to pay attention? Already forming a mental response? Being easily distracted? Winner winner, chicken dinner, I am responsible for all of those things. I want to try better listening habits and see how well my understanding of everything improves!

Mistake Corrections, Mostly

Through the magical process of elimination, I was able to understand (slightly) why I got certain answers wrong on the EQT, and most were due to my own folly of overthinking. Mr. Rease put us in the groups chosen for us before, Patriots and such, to collectively discuss and eliminate certain answer choice. Some explanations I understood, others I did not, and the class was unable to get through the entire EQT, as expected. Who knows what questions I got wrong and why? Tune in next time for the next episode, because even I do not know.

EQTs

I took the EQT for this class today, and I am not satisfied with the results. Sure, I passed, but I could have done better.

EQT Essay

With the horrendous thing that is the EQT here at last, I went to 4th block first today and began the first inkling of it all - the essay. Honestly, it was not bad, the only problem was the time limit! Writing usually comes easy to me when I am not in a class environment; unfortunately, I was in a class environment. Well, it does not matter since I finished the essay, and my darling, beloved teacher gave the class more time in case they did not finish. It looks like someone is invited to my wedding! The essay lasted the entirety of class, so that was also nice. Hmm, the essay itself was not very troublesome, maybe this will teach me not to stress over everything? Ahah, no.

EQTs and Poems

Well, less "EQT" and more "writing section of the EQT', but it is still there in essence. The beginning of class was spent looking over past essays to get a good grasp of what to do and what not to do in the writing. As always, I am stressing despite how easy the task seems. I am just perpetually stressed. Afterwards, I was able to read a poem by Robert Frost depicting the whimsical joys of childhood and how the narrator longs to return to it. How? Well, climbing trees apparently works. Then I was introduced to a... shorter poem. When I first saw it, I burst out laughing because it was so small! One, maybe two lines! That was when I was introduced to imagery poems, or something along that line, and understood the short length. In the end, it perfectly achieved a sense of an image! I am supposed to create my own tonight, and I already have an unwilling subject! Heheheh.

EQT Review

For the most part, the class was told the primary components of the EQT, such as identifying claims and evidence, providing an argument, and the prompts for a future essay. The class began with an assignment where the class received an image involving a wife and a dead husband, and had to guess what happened using evidence. Long story short, I am sure the wife did the crime, she must do the time. Watching the O.J Simpson trial took up the rest of class, where we learned that a good argument can turn a verdict in one's favour despite counterclaims. It was an easy day, thankfully.

The Final Presentation

Today was the day for the final oral report for Wild, which I am glad about since I am tired of that book. Though that is my own fault since I have not been reading lately due to my other classes competing on who can give me the most work to do. So far, Biology is winning. Sorry, Mr. Rease. After the presentation, I learned about the units that will be on the EQT and the prompts of the eventual essay for Wild. It is hard to think EQTs are only next week, what on earth have I been doing?

My Interactive Oral Report

Today marked the sacred day it was time for my group to present our oral report of chapter 15 for Wild. Am I upset that one of my esteemed partners did not arrive? Yes. Was I peeved that the other partner who came clearly had no idea what was going on? Oh, absolutely. But in the end, things still went well and I received an A along with my friend who also did more than the barest bare minimum. That was good, considering I had to pick up the slack for the slackers and get up early in the morning to type, then print over twenty-eight copies. This is why I despise group projects.

Kahoot!

I am glad to say that because of Pre-ACT shenanigans, the time in 4th block was cut considerably short. Aside from a single quick write, the class played Kahoot together in teams that Mr. Rease thought of. Because of my A in the class, I was able to be captain of one of the teams- the Patriots! Yes, them. The Kahoot game served to earn the first points in the teams, and I am proud to say that I single-handedly led my team to victory! No question was wrong, fools! Honestly, I was surprised; another team, the Bears, would have caught up if one member did not got an answer wrong. Heheheh.

Homeroom

Since the 10th graders were doing their demographics (I believe), the other grade groups went to their homeroom instead of 4th block. Not that I am complaining.

Interactive Oral Report #3

Friday marked the third group presentation, but before that nonsense, Mr. Rease bestowed upon us the honour to play Kahoot! The game was about his life, and considering I do not stalk my teacher, I was not able to win. It was rigged, rigged I say! Still, it was a pleasant surprise and I had a fun time. After that, it was time for the presentation, though it was not as interactive as the previous ones. I assume the class was simply tired or did not care much for that particular chapter. I was tired.

Interactive Oral Report #2

With another day comes another oral report by another group. Like yesterday, it was fun because I had a chance to interact with the class and hear what my peers had to say without the threat of being cut off by Mr. Rease. Most of the time. Today's chapter was not as eventful as the previous one, but it was still pleasing to have a neat time and not have to do a lot of work understand the book more with the critical thinking questions.

First Interactive Oral Report

The day arrived for the first group in the oral project, and things were not a complete train wreck! This group was mostly organized, and the presentation was fun for all participants, including critical thinking questions about the book Wild and about oneself. It was definitely a great chance to laugh at discuss the opinions of both chapter eleven and the personal reflections. Wednesday's presentation gave me hope for my group now that I have some standards and a guide to look upon; to fail this group project is something that is simply inconceivable because of how easy it is to do the work and talk to the class. I am grateful the class is comprised of people I have known since ninth grade or higher, as I would definitely struggle talking to random classmates!

Reading

There was no huge assignment, thankfully, because most of class was spent reading in the groups and delegating roles. The first few minutes of class, however, there was a prompt to do before we read; it required me to state when I knew it was over, which is a vague enough prompt for anyone to do. It could be something deep like one's childhood, or the day one knew it would be the last day of existence for that quarter pounder in the fridge. In my answer, I discussed something personal and positive, which is a feat since I am often negative. Baby steps. After that tidbit, I spent the rest of class blissfully reading, scolding a certain group member for their shenanigans, and wondering how on earth everything will turn out.

Group Project

I was both elated and horrified to know the moment I stepped into class that there would be a group assignment at play. To have my most valued friend in the group with me is relieving, but I never liked group projects, especially those that extend for days. There is always one who slacks, one who is absent, the grade is equally shared, I have no liking of group projects. However, Mr. Rease gave his pledge that it will be fun, so I will take his word! The assignment revolves around an interactive oral report where each group is assigned a chapter from Wild and must give a summary, among other things. Am I lucky that the chapter I received is the one where the protagonist has explicit intercourse? I... wish I knew. I only hope things go well and I can have great fun with the class!

A Day Gone, A Day Loved

Well, since I had to attend a choir performance today, I did not attend class today and received no assignment. I know only that there was a quiz to take on chapter nine of Wild, which I intend to make up next week. To attend the performance was certainly a nice treat to end my Friday with, I only have a small level of regret -- despite the fact I technically had no choice to go, but one could see why I would regret missing class outside of the pleasure of being away.

Wild Dreams

In the beginning of class, the topic of discussion was about dreams, which took me by surprise, but I was still eager to participate. The assignment revolved around defining the American Dream, then saying what my dream is, which is the simple desire to be happy in life. I have no true need for wealth or fancy cars, a shred of serotonin is all I need! After watching two interviews by Oprah Winfrey to Cheryl Strayed, which I enjoyed as Cheryl delved deeper into the meanings in her story Wild, the class transitioned to discussing both chapters seven and eight of the aforementioned book. It soon became apparent why I was told to begin with dreams, as the book implies, and Cheryl herself states in her speech not to let dreams ruin one's life. How could a dream ruin a life? Well, one could lose individuality or the reality of life chasing idealistic fantasies; that is what I interpreted from the video I watched and the book. The day was certainly insightful and smooth.

Connection To The Roots

Today's endeavor was definitely unexpected as the class veered from the subject of discussion since last week to analyzing poetry by Langston Hughes. I was able to read "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", and I admired the use of first person to encapsulate the entirety of the black race. Reading the lines, I felt as though I transversed through history on a raft amongst the rivers, smoothly traveling with time! There was a reason behind reading this poem, to learn about ethnicity, nationality, and race. I, unfortunately, have little clue of my true roots other than assuming I am of African descent, and I had little idea of ethnicity as a whole. It is something I wish to look into more, so I will not contaminate anyone with my naivety.

Do not mind this, this is an assignment I did today, just trying to get credit for it. Carry on~

Test Wild

I would make this entry longer with embellishment, but all I did today in class was take a test on Wild. I am very grateful that we could choose which chapter of the book the class was tested on at least, as I could not finish the final assigned chapter. With the amount of assignments in my other classes, reading has unfortunately become a chore when I have to cram chapters in before a test because I was, and still am, too busy to actively read. If Wild had been uninteresting, I would have burned the book a long time ago! Not really, please do not arrest me.

Thesis Statements

I was familiar with the typical three-pronged thesis statement, but today I was smacked in the face by what I was also unfamiliar with. Have I ever heard of the umbrella thesis statement, or the fact that a thesis and a thesis statement are different things? The answer to that question is a thick, fat no. I received insight that the umbrella thesis is useful for using more than three points, which is greatly needed in college when I must type twenty or so pages. Instead of being direct, it alludes to what the author is trying to establish, usually summarized in one word in its implications. I still need assistance with that as a whole, but I am glad to learn from it. The next was the thesis alone. I just blindly thought a thesis and a statement were the same, but it turns out the thesis is more or less in the statement, not the statement itself. For example, let's say a thesis like... tea is a healthy beverage. That is a thesis. Tea is a healthy beverage because it relieves stress, provides vitamin C, and prevents the risk of heart attacks if drinked casually is a thesis statement. That is what I gathered from today's lesson, and I hope to understand it more in the future. Essay writing, here I come! 

Wild Test

Friday at last, truly the day of freedom! I took a test on chapters three and four of Wild, which took up a good portion of class. As in, more than half of it. I was perfectly content with that. After an hour or so, Mr. Rease went over the acceptable answers, and by then it was time to escape go home. It was an easier day than most, which was greatly appreciated at the end of the day. Compared to my previous teacher's method of tests, this day fared far better for me.

Wild Critical Thinking

With chapter one of Wild more or less done in class, today a good half of the agenda was filled with students asking their three critical questions they were assigned to think of for homework. It was mildly fun, I could say! One of my questions asked why Cheryl was so defensive of her mother's condition, and it was neat having my peers answer. After the questions, I was able briefly go into chapter two with the class, jumping through paragraphs and pointing out certain key things. The title of the second chapter is "Splitting" and within it Cheryl stated she was splitting in two. Reading about a woman having multiple affairs with my morals in place is... somewhat disturbing to say the least, but I greatly enjoy the text nonetheless! It is unadulterated, it is almost raunchy, each sentence is almost like a slap to the face when you think things cannot get any worse. Oh boy, I wonder what the next chapters will hold. Besides heroin.

American't, Is This A Rant?

This day marks both a dark and united day of American history, the day the Twin Towers fell and many lost their lives. The lesson for today was meant to delve into that, perhaps watch a video or write a reflection, but the class got sidetracked. Worry not, we were on topic the entire block! The teacher asked questions such as what it meant to be an American, who is my American hero, what does it mean to be a hero, and things of that caliber. With the class each having something to say along with their reasons, the actual lesson for today ran out of the window and got a career in reality television. I was alright with that. Though regarding those questions, it was somewhat difficult to answer -- I have no true hero, I have no true way to answer what it means to be American, not without making an ironic joke about always having a gun and bald eagle in our pocket. It was nice hearing everyone's answers (even if most included rappers and had me confused for a bit) and learn about America in different American's eyes.

Discussing The Wild Side

My beloved teacher returned for this day, so the schedule was back to normal, oh joy! The class quickly went to work in taking out Wild and discussing both the prologue and the first chapter. Before that, however, we watched the movie prologue of the book that was beautifully portrayed by Reese Witherspoon! Alright, back to the lack of theatrics. Over the course of reading, the class took note of certain quotes with deeper meaning as well as asked questions about the text. Was it fun hearing my esteemed teacher say the swear words in the text? Oh yes. Yes it was.

My Rease's Cups Are Gone

My beloved teacher was not here today, so there was no true assignment. If there was, the class and I sure did not see it! Fret not, we all occupied ourselves by collectively reading from the first chapter of Wild by Cheryl Strayed, decided that was horrid, and later allowed one leader to play the audio book. The class discussed, took notes, and highlighted things within the book together. It sure was a treat seeing swear words in the book, and even more so when the audiobook narrator said them; the day was peaceful with everyone relaxing and reading in leisure together without stress. Like a book club!

Wild... bears

Today Friday, the class did an assignment listening ten things that are crucial to a hike -- particularly a thru-hike, which is a hike lasting for days, weeks, or months. One of my choices was a knowledge of one's limits, which I think is crucial to prevent easily avoidable death. After discussing everyone's choices, we went on the track of describing bears, how dangerous they are, and what to do if we encountered one. I sure hope grizzlies do not enjoy a chicken bone like myself. Afterwards, we watched different videos, one on Nat Geo Wild showing how strong one grizzly was against a metal cage. The bear's name was Bruno, and I love him. Next, we watched a movie scene of a man being brutally mauled by a bear (that was painful to watch), and lastly we watched a Go Pro biker be chased by a bear. Ooh, that had me on the edge of my seat! The entire ordeal was meant as an introduction to the book I will be reading, Wild by Cheryl Strayed. That was a nice, and scary day.

Argument Issues

Arguments have more components than just the reason behind it and one person eventually submitting, there exist issues. What are these issues? It boils down to blame, values, and choice. Who ate my toaster strudel? Is it bad for me to dropkick a child? Should I do this blog now or later? These elements help steer arguments toward a proper conclusion once one recognizes which issue is happening. In retrospect, a choice issue is the best form of argument, as it rarely leads to defensive or offensive reactions. Any blame or value issue can be shifted to the more suitable by changing the tense. Tense, as in past, present, or future. It was interesting overall to learn more ways to effectively argue, but I could certainly still use help. Here is to hoping the morrow will bring said help!

Multiple Choice Extravaganza

Multiple choice questions usually give me a burst of relief because I have something to choose from rather than think of something that will probably be correct. I never know why I think this, considering multiple choice questions have the same odds, only the answer is in my face and I must figure it out. What gets me most of the time is finding the answer when the directions state to find the best answer. I always read that, but never heed that. Until today, hooray! Today, I was able to learn the aspects of most multiple choice questions and their possible answers, ranging from completely incorrect, sort of off topic, a good answer, and the best answer. How do I recognize this? By process of elimination and focusing on the best one in the end. My habit of seeing them as all fully incorrect except one singular answer definitely caused errors for me, but this lesson helped! I could still use some assistance finding a proper technique, but I am glad to be on the right track.

Arguments vs. Fights

I always thought arguments and fights were the same thing - there's a disagreement, there's a quarrel, someone ends up eventual "losing" whether by words or by fists. However, today I learned there is a fine difference between them after looking through "Thank You For Arguing" in class. Within the book, I learned how to utilize rhetoric to persuade someone, how fights differ from arguing, and how to seduce your partner with roleplay. You know, typical class things!

Test Time Oh Boy

There was not much ado about today, we only took a test. I suppose it was enjoyable trying to figure out the correct answers and practically feel my nerves at work. Like gears! The essay portion was also enjoyable, as I read a report about culture and individuality. I am just glad there was no lesson today, not because I am (very) lazy, but because I simply did not feel like listening to one today. Sorry, Mr. Rease.

Watch Your Tongue

I was lucky to read "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan, a well-known Chinese-American novelist, today. Within the essay, the author depicted the different types of English she spoke in and how it affected her every day life from how she perceives to how she was perceived. Amy speaks perfect English, unlike her mother, who speaks in what is referred to as broken or limited language. I enjoyed the outlook Amy took on her mother's quality, not seeing the fractured speak as poor, but as something unique. The fact that there is more than one type of English was a nice fact to discover. Not language wise, but in dialect. The British speak English, but their dialect is not like an American's, and an English-speaking Indian would have a different dialect than an English-speaking Russian. The lesson the essay portrayed was very enjoyable because of that insight.

Blogs, Punctuation, and Titles Galore

I am quite content with the fact that today was less demanding. For the first part of class, we made fun of critiqued the class' first blog posts in order to improve our writing skills. It seemed there was a lot of struggling with the use of proper punctuation, which prompted a refresher on them as well as the correct way to write titles from short and long works. I greatly appreciated the extra detail overall, always finding it difficult to write the titles of different works in their correct form. There would have been an entirely different lesson at play, but half of the class was called out so the following assessments had to be altered. I am not complaining, not one bit.

Reflection of Stereotypes

Today, I learned how a common trope among Latina women that is generally disrespectful towards them. What a day! I never knew about the general attire of Latina women and why they wore such revealing clothes; I figured they were just the "sexy women" of Latin America. As it turns out, their clothing is revealing not to portray a sexual innuendo, but because it is simply in their culture, as well as it merely being hot in that area. These women are seen in various types of media as eager to please and poor English speakers, which was something I, too, held in my mind whether I knew it or not. The text I read opened my eyes through the use of another's account, and I came to terms with how rude stereotypes can be if that is all one uses to define a group of people. I place stereotypes on my fellow African-Americans every day, my arrogance allowing it to pass, yet now I know the obvious faults of this. This day was an educational one, that is true!