This is my poster for my final
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As the first semester comes to an end, take time to reflect on your learning and growth in this course. In a well-developed response, explain what you enjoyed most about the class, identify the project or assignment you found most engaging, and discuss which aspect of the course you connected with the most (such as poetry, fiction, writing, or discussion). Finally, reflect on one area where you feel you need additional support or improvement as we move into the spring semester.
Response: I have definitly found this semester really interesting. I have learned a lot about many different poems and stories and such. I found our poetry units quite engaging, I had never known much about Emily Dickinson or Robert Frost before this class and I am really glad I did. I found all the poems we read interesting and I think the one that stood out to me the most was the one about writing poetry being like walking a trapeze. All the anecdotes and class discussions really helped me understand all of the material from literary devices to the short stories we read. I am really excited to see what next year will bring. Summary: N/A Reflection: N/A
Many holidays center around traditions. Describe one tradition that is important to you or your family and explain why it still matters (or why it no longer does).
Response: One of my family's traditions has been setting up the tree every year. We have had the same artificial tree since I can remember that we always set up during christmas time. We also have two or so boxes of various ornaments we have collected over time. There are a few that my parents had before I was born and some that we bought just that summer to add to the tree. I know some people set up their trees with matching ornaments all placed for a nice aesthetic look but we just have a lot of random mis-match on our tree and I love spending an afternoon placing them all on the tree. Summary: N/A Reflection: N/A
How have the holidays changed as you have grown older? Compare your experiences of the holidays during childhood with how you experience them now, focusing on shifts in perspective, responsibilities, or emotional meaning.
Response: As I have gotten older the holidays have seemed to mean less to my family. When I was younger there was so much magic and fantastical excitement for things like Elf On the Shelf, setting up our tree, opening presents, etc. As I have gotten older a lot of gifts lost their mystic and shifted toward more fewer and more practical gifts, which while fair enough, they lose their magic, especially without the mystery of Santa to bring them. As a family we aren't super into traditions and stuff so we just haven't done as much as we did when I was younger. I was really upset to learn that we weren't even putting up the tree this year. The winter has generally just lost some of its magic and fun but I do still try to hold onto that joy though. Summary: We did vocab lesson 6 Reflection: The vocab words for lesson 6 were pretty interesting, I already knew about most of them so I didnt worry about them too much.
Write about something you’ve outgrown but still miss
Response: I have outgrown playgrounds a bit, especially ones in restaurants but I still sorely miss them. I remember the many times I would go to McDonalds or Chick-fil-a and see that they had a playground and get super excited. Sometimes I would forget about my meal completely and run over to the playground to run around in the tubes, take the slides, play with the abacus or whatever they had and hide out in the set. I really miss the thrill of seeing a restaurant playground when on road trips and how sad I was when the Chick-fil-a near us closed its playground. I wish I could go back to a time when I was younger and was able to run around care free, unaware of the germs and how quickly I would grow up. Summary: We took our vocab test today. Reflection: I am really glad I studied for this final. I definitely have gotten a better grasp of a bunch of new words and I am only sort of annoyed I got one question wrong.
Write about something that you can't stop thinking about.
Response: I can't stop thinking about the Persona soundtrack. I recently got persuaded to buy and start playing persona 4 and had been thinking of it. Kamari and Beckett have talked about Persona, especially its sound track. When I was bored I decided to pull up a general persona playlist and it sucked me in. I have been listening to persona nonstop since and have been talking about it to my friends. Summary: We chose our classes for next year. Reflection: Im really hoping to get a good set of classes for my senior year. I am still kind of on the fence about what I may do next year but I will figure it out later.
This is my Mask
Summary: We presented our masks. Reflection: I found the presentations today really fun. It was cool to learn so much about all my classmates and even some new stuff I didnt know about my friends.
Write about the best gift you have received.
Response: The best gift I have received that I can currently think of was a weighted blanket I got for Christmas a year or so ago. I had been asking for one for a few months and when I opened the really heavy box I was really excited. I find the blanket really comfortable and it has definitely become one of my most used gifts from Christmas in the past few years I can remember. I really treasure this blanket and Im really thankful to my parents for getting it for me. Summary: We did some Vocab Lesson 4 and worked on our culture masks. Reflection: I found the culture masks project fairly difficult. I also found the new vocab pretty interesting.
After watching the short film Identity, write a blog post reflecting on how the masks in the film represent the pressure to fit in and the struggle to discover who you really are. Choose one moment from the film that stood out to you and explain why. Then, connect the film’s message to Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too” and to the mask you are creating in class. What part of your identity do you want your mask to reveal?
Response: I found the part where a girl is walking down the hall and removes her mask to reveal a new red one underneath to talk to a group of other red mask people pretty interesting. I think it exemplified how fake we can act to be liked within a group. The person obviously had a lot of experience changing masks to easily fit into a new group. I also think there is some interesting symbolism in the fact she had a really intricate and unique mask but shed it for a much more simple one. Summary: We read I, Too and started our masks Reflection: I found the poem pretty interesting and our analysis of what makes an american was pretty insightful.
In “I, Too,” the speaker expresses pride in his identity and his rightful place in America. Reflect on your own life: What aspect of your cultural identity are you most proud of, and why?
Response: I am culturally queer and my favorite part of being queer is probably how connected our community is. As the LGBTQIA+ community has been a pretty repressed minority for a long time we have had to create our own community and connection. I have met so many lovely queer people that I have been able to meet and relate to. A lot of my very close friends are also queer and we have formed a small community within lakeside that really makes the world feel a lot more safe and kind. Summary: We worked on Dissect the We worksheet. Reflection: I found the work a bit difficult which honestly really helped me. The pager had me really thinking about the poem more thoughtfully than before.
In “We Real Cool,” the speakers make choices that seem exciting, bold, and rebellious, even though those choices lead to consequences. Write about a moment in your own life when you followed what looked cool or fun, only to realize afterwards that it wasn’t the smart or responsible path. What influenced your decision, and how did your perspective change later?
Response: Once when I was in like fourth grade I thought swearing was the coolest thing you could do. I would swear like a sailor with my friends a lot. We had this one particular sub that was kind of strict and I remember once just cussing her out behind her back with my friends and it made us all cackle. Looking back I cringe because honestly that teacher was actually pretty nice and I was being a huge jerk. Also cursing for the sake of cursing just seems so cringe and pretty pathetic now. I grew up and I'm glad my humor got at least a little bit better. Summary: We read and analyzed We Real Cool. Reflection: I found the poem really interesting, it had a lot more depth than I had thought. Analyzing it with the class really helped me understand it more.
What did you do over Thanksgiving Break?
Response: I really enjoyed my Thanksgiving break. First day of break I did go to my friends birthday party. We went to Ikea for some new furniture a while ago and I took the break to finally build it all up, which my mom was really relieved about. I did spend most of the first half just chilling though. I mostly slept a lot and stayed at home. For actual thanksgiving my mom was out of town so my dad and I went up to visit my Mema and she made our Thanksgiving dinner and it was nice to see her. Lastly, at the end of the week, I watched The Outsiders at the Fox and it has become one of my favorite musicals ever. Summary: We did vocab lesson 5. Reflection: Found these new words a bit more difficult than before and it really made me think a lot more thoroughly about the words.