An introduction to the transience of life Most classes that students are forced to take teach us for the year, until the knowledge seeps out to make room more information. The vast majority of classes are like that, still, nobody can say that they haven’t had at least one enlightening class that they’ll never forget. A class that, like so few others, truly teaches them about life, or in my case, mortality. Mr. Vindetti was my English teacher in junior high. Cultured and highly insightful, he was an educator who expected the absolute best from his students. Trying to remember what I did in my regular junior high school classes is impossible; I can hardly arouse any memories of what I was taught in my other classes throughout the years, but I’m still able to recall numerous lessons from Mr. Vindetti. The lesson that I most clearly recall is the one that had the most influence on my literacy. The central component of the lesson involved a sheet of paper. This sheet held two compelling, but somewhat perplexing poems, including one that would become the single most thought about piece of literature that I’ve ever read One day, after my grueling math class and my absurdly uninteresting history class, it was finally time for the one class I genuinely enjoyed, Advanced English. I walked into class, as usual, and sat down next to Mara, my brilliantly sarcastic desk neighbor. Mr. Vindetti was sitting at his desk and walked to the front of the classroom to explain that
Kim Brooks, we know has been “teaching composition at state universities and liberal art colleges and community colleges as well,” (Brooks 2) however what makes her truly passionate about the situation is her love for literature since she was a teenager. “Like so many, depressive, creative, extremely lazy high-school students, I was saved by english class” (1). Brooks demonstrates through these quotes her credibility, not only because she’s a teacher but because she truly loves writing and believes others should receive the education which she was fortunate enough to get. She was not apart of any clubs or extracurriculars, she wasn’t interested in other academic classes, so she knows how beneficial having the skills to converse, to write and to properly articulate one's self are. Brooks shares this personal anecdote, otherwise known as pathos, to relate to those reading, most specifically high school students like she once was. While focusing this piece mainly on English it can also be associated with other classes in high school as well. She is trying to illustrate how one can use what is learned in high school in their life if given the proper tools and taught skills which can be applied
Robert Frost and William Shakespeare have been celebrated by many people because of their ability to express themselves through the written word. Here we are years after their deaths analyzing these fascinating poems about life and death. It’s clear they had similar thoughts about this subject at the time of these writings, even though their characters could not have been more opposite. For both poets, life is too
Lavenders’ ESL class, she decided that it was time for me to attend regular classes. I was so afraid, not because I would not be competent in the classes, but because I did not think I was ready for a full emergent in the language. I was competent and knowledgeable on the subjects assigned, Geography, Math, Science, but English? I was just completely in a mortified stage. Would I understand the teacher, classmates? Would I be able to speak clearly enough, so they would understand me? That weekend, before I was to report to my first all-English class on Monday, I did not sleep nor could I eat anything thinking about that moment. Monday morning I walked into Mr. Garfield English classroom. Mr. Garret was aware of me been assigned to his class; he was standing right at the door. When I came in, the first thing Mr. Garret did, was to ask the class to be quiet for a minute. He then proceeded to introduce me to them. I had never felt such a panic as I did at that moment. I was sweating, quivering; I felt a thousand eyes just staring at me. Mr. Garret quickly noticed my somber demeanor and immediately asked me to have a seat. I am sure he thought I was going to have a panic attack, and I’m not sure if I wouldn’t have if he did not step in quickly and asked me to have a
The fresh faces of the 2016-2017 sophomore AP English class looked up at Mrs. Belles, some expectantly, some apprehensively. Among those faces is Francine Lamasko, a girl of 15 years of age, newly refreshed from summer and carrying her completed summer work. Decidedly, she thinks to herself, this will be a meaningful year of learning, of growth, and of fun. She is ready.
Throughout history, people encounter a stage in their lives where they feel the necessity to assert their independence and challenge their abilities and self-worth. In the book, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, the author shares his understanding and kinship with the main character, Chris McCandless, a young man who thrusts himself into a life of solitude and a harsh environment during his search for meaning to his life. Krakauer depicts himself and McCandless as modern day transcendentalists with an abundance of competency, resourcefulness and skills as naturalists. Although McCandless chose to experience a life of solitude and face the hazards that nature presents, his lack of preparedness prevented him from completing his endeavor successfully.
The classes that have been observed and that will be analyzed in this essay are the English Honors and AP English courses which took place at Cerritos High School during the second semester of the academic year 2015/2016. This analysis will focus on the instructor of said classes, David Hind, and on their curriculum, specifically on how the assessment of the students’ learning took place.
The five-minute warning bell goes off. I rush to my first class of my junior year, eager to see my classmates, who I was going to spend the rest of the 9 months with. I find myself stumbling into a classroom plastered with decorations of Denzel Washington with a Dr. Seuss book in his hand, a t and college flags galore. My AP English 11 class suddenly seemed so appealing to me. As a beautiful, curly haired short lady stood in front of me and said “Welcome to AP English 11,” I knew that I had found a treasure so much greater than just a pretty classroom. Little did I know, that short lady was going to inspire me throughout my challenge filled second-to-last year of high school.
At the beginning of this semester, I would never have imagined that a book I was being forced to read for a Dual Credit English course would end up meaning so much to me, or touch me in the way that it did. Reading The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch touched my heart in more ways than just one and opened my mind to many new ideas. In this book, Randy finds out he is dying of cancer, and his whole world is flipped around. He comes to the realization that his time on Earth in finite and coming to a close. Randy became determined to use his last bit of time he had alive on Earth in a positive way and in a way that would leave a positive impact behind for his family, friends, coworkers and everyone in between.
Welcome back my friends to the blog that never ends. I’m so glad you could attend. Read along! Read along! There in this class is some prose that’s pretty crass. Be careful as you pass. Read along! Read along! Wow! How disappointed Emerson, Lake and Palmer must be in this sophomoric attempt at humor. Certainly, a painful finale to wonderful class. Admittedly, I have struggled to produce original and interesting content for these blogs. It wasn’t always so. In the autumn of 73, I experienced no such struggle. Ideas burst forth freely and often to form exquisite prose delighting my English professors. Indeed, the fact that I now struggle was a compelling argument to register for this class.
I was never a poetry enthusiast and being forced to recite a poem did not appeal to me. My teacher chose a poem called “Their Bodies” by David Wagoner, a solemn piece about a doctor explaining to a group of people the importance of respecting dead bodies and the story of the inhabitant’s end. Reading through the poem was monotonous and having to perform this on a stage with high schoolers (of all people), had me reluctant. Coupled with the fact that I was a freshman while most of the people in the audience were seniors, I panicked at the
As a child matures, the word “lesson” can hold two different connotations. One meaning denotes a traditional portion of a school day dedicated to a specific subject, such as a biology lesson. This lesson is based on facts that are generally gleaned from a textbook or transmitted by a teacher who has been certified in some way. Another type of lesson is that which helps the recipient either live a life of fuller satisfaction or gain some practical knowledge that can help others, either physically or emotionally. This type of lesson can be passed along by anyone, regardless of age or training. However, quite often, one associates this type of knowledge with those who have lived long enough to absorb such “life lessons.” The novel, Oral History by Lee Smith and the poem, “Fishing Among the Learned” by Nikky Finney take two distinct and separate forms, but each work is separated into individual sections and focuses on an elderly female character who fulfills the role of an all-knowing sage, relying on nature and rituals to teach younger generations the importance of a type of knowledge that cannot be learned in an academic setting.
Living like a Transcendentalist is a good idea because it would require people to change their perspective on life and that could let them have a better and a more positive future.
In my freshman year of highschool, I can without a doubt say that I have been pushed beyond my limits when it comes to writing. Not only have all of my previous English teachers ensured me of literary success, but I’ve always been rewarded in numerous ways for my writing prowess. So, it may seem odd for me to say that I very much enjoy this test of my abilities, and I greatly appreciate this opportunity to push myself to become even better. I’ve always been both physically and mentally bored with the numerous amount of teachers who have attempted to reel me into their lesson plans. Their desperate searches were in vain, for I never truly felt a tug on my mind until I stepped into Mr. Thoma’s class. The material isn’t exactly hard to grasp, but it forces your mind into a plane of insightfulness;
Prior to attending Mrs. William’s English Comp 1 class, I felt marginally confident about my writing, however, I knew I needed improvement. You visually perceive, I’ve been out of school for proximately thirty-three years and honestly, not knowing what to expect these questions arose, “Can I genuinely write”? “What type of writing will be required”? “How well will I do”? When I stepped into the classroom and gazed about the room, I felt out of my element. The students were much younger and more keenly intellective than recollections but, I was here for a reason and that was to improve my writing. During my childhood, reading was a passion of mine, reading often and reading more books than I can recollect. As I reflect, reading a great deal
“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence.” On the first day of school when I walked into this classroom, little did I how great of an impact this class would have on my life. Not only did I greatly improve my writing, reading, thinking, and speaking skills, but as a human being overall. Despite all the long, sleepless nights, I am grateful for what this class has provided me. This class has shown me that individuals always have room for improvement, and this improvement can be reached through hard work and dedication. With all the knowledge I received from this class, from individualism to the horrors of indifference, I hope to not let this information stray within my mind, but to share it amongst