Avery's English Blog

Response: The part of creating my presentation that required the most creativity was adding the pictures to all my slides. This is because it was kind of difficult to find images that I thought accurately represented what I put on my slides. Choices that I have made to communicate my understanding of the story are to chose ominous-looking images. This helps convey the suspicion surrounding Mr. Shiftlet's character. I also analyzed the story rather than just summarizing to demonstrate my understanding. Summary: We continued working on our character powerpoint project from "The Life you save may be your own." Reflection: I thought that this project was fun and different from traditional assignments. I also think that because I did this project I understand the story a lot better.

  Response: I think that creating a presentation like this does help my understanding of the character better than traditional worksheets. I think this because by focusing on one specific character rather than multiple, you are able to more deeply analyze the actions of this character as well as bigger themes in the story that may not have been noticed. The structure of these presentations also requires critical thinking rather than just copying down details from the story. Adding visuals also enhances understanding of the story because you and other are able to connect with certain aspects of the story. Making a presentation about a character also requires you to put yourself in the character's shoes to explain why they made certain choices.  Summary: We began a power point presentation on a given character from "The Life You Save May Be Your Own." Reflection: I didn't finish my presentation but what I have done so far helped me deeper understand the message of trust...

Response: A time when helping someone else taught me something was when I volunteered for a food donation. I had to help package and sort food to get sent to less privileged kids. This really changed my perspective because I didn't realize how much of my life I take for granted. Seeing how big of a difference one meal can make in someone's life was really a reality check. From this experience I learned to be more grateful for the things I have. Summary: We finished reading and analyzing the short story "The Life You Save May Be Your Own." Reflection: I thought that the story was really interesting and there were a lot of different interpretations and messages that were hidden.

  Response: Yes I have made a first impression of someone that turned out to be wrong. I made that first impression because that person was considered trustworthy by others, but I realized that they lied a lot even though other people still believed them. My first impression of Mr. Shiflet was that he is a homeless man who is not a threat. This is because he seems genuine in his asking for work, and only has one arm. However some of his stories about himself do not seem believable. Summary: We started reading "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" and filled out a graphic organizer. Reflection: I'm intrigued by where the story may be going. Especially by the daughter.

  Response:  Three items someone could find in my trash today are clothing tags, coffee cups, and scrap paper. I usually have lots of clothing or item tags in my trash because I love shopping and buying new things. I also usually have empty coffee cups in my trash because I get coffee almost every day. Scrap paper typically only gets used for classes like math where I like to do the work myself on paper. This helps me better understand what I'm doing. Summary: We finished our worksheet based on our assigned character. My assignment was to list items that might be found in John's trashcan. Reflection: I thought that this activity was kind of fun because I got to be creative and it helped me better understand the characters.

Response: If someone were using the STEAL method to describe me I think I would be described as reserved but not shy. For speech, I talk a lot when I'm around people that I'm comfortable with, however in other situations I'm usually not very talkative. For Thoughts I am very observant and pick up on other people's feelings quickly. For effect on others I'm not entirely sure, I like to think that I make my friends feel comfortable and have a good time. For Actions I'm typically strong willed and will do anything I set my mind to; however I'm also very stubborn. For looks I usually look the same day to day unless I'm going to an important event. Summary: Today we learned about the different types of characterization and how we can infer from the text. Reflection: I thought that this lesson was interesting because it gave me a new perspective on some of the characters.

Response: I feel that in my family me and my brother are treated very differently. This is because we are practically polar opposites. Where he gets mad, I usually cry. I try to avoid confrontation where he starts lots of arguments. Because of this, my parents usually treated him more harshly than they treated me because I was seen as more fragile. I think that to some extent this treatment was fair because I give my parents lots of respect whereas my brother was always angry with them. Absent

Response: A time where curiosity or temptation caused me to ignore a warning or rule was when I wouldn't wear my sling despite orders from my doctor. I really didn't like wearing my sling so I often wouldn't wear it whenever I wasn't around my parents. Nothing bad happened, however my parents found out. When we went to the doctor my parents told them I hadn't been wearing my sling as instructed and they warned me of the risks. After that I realized how important it was to wear it for my recovery. Summary:  Today we read The Rockpile by James Baldwin. Reflection: I thought that the story was a little confusing, but very intriguing. I also found it kind of sad.

  Response: Experiencing  the COVID-19 pandemic is similar to the shock and societal shift that occurred after September 11th. For example, daily life was halted during Covid because lockdowns and safety restrictions were put in place. We were no longer able to go to school, work, or public space regularly. There was also constant anxiety about what would happen next. New public protocols became mandatory, changing how people traveled, worked, and got together. This connects to 9/11 because people experienced a lot of the same shock and societal shifts. Summary:  Today we took our test/quiz on "a rose for Emily." Reflection: I thought that the quiz was a little difficult but still manageable.

Response: I think some people have a hard time accepting loss or change because they don't want to feel their grief. Similar to Emily, sometimes I meet parents who still act like teenagers. For example, they engage with their children's gossip and treat their friends immaturely. To me it seems as though they don't want to accept the fact that they are grown up and they want to keep pretending that they are a teenager. These parents also usually fit a certain stereotype for how they were back in high school. Summary: We finished reading "a rose for Emily" and answered the corresponding questions. Reflection: I thought that the story was really interesting, and I liked the movie adaptation because it helped me visualize the scenes from the story.

  Response: A place that holds special memories for me is my camp. It is placed on the lake and there are lots of trees and wooden cabins. I have some of my happiest memories at this camp. I can remember it back to when I was really little. I always looked up to the older girls there, and camp is where I have made some of my closest friends. It also feels so special to me because it's away from home and feels like I'm in my own world. Summary: In today's lesson we finished reading "A rose for Emily." Then we completed the questions and watched the movie adaptation. Reflection: I thought that the story was really interesting and that there was a lot to interpret about it.

Response: A time I felt like I truly belonged is at camp. I love camp because I don't think about my problems at home. I feel so present and in the moment. I feel like I belong specifically at camp because I feel so comfortable there and the people have similar goals as me. I feel at home when I'm at camp and the people and the environment make it feel so special. Summary: We did a common lit on Tracy Brower's "Missing Your People." Then we completed assessment questions. Reflection:  I thought that the passage was really interesting.

  Response: A fear I have overcome is my fear of talking to people I don't know. When I was younger I was really shy and didn't like meeting new people. After I started going to therapy I began working on being able to tolerate and even initiate situations that may be uncomfortable. It's been a few years since I set this goal for myself and I am now much more outgoing. I still would not consider myself an extrovert, but I don't feel uncomfortable introducing myself to someone new or talking to a worker at a store.