Dear Classmates

Dear Classmates,

Freshman year has come and gone and I can't believe that we are almost sophomores!  I am sad that the year is ending because I have grown so much as a student, and as a person throughout this entire year.  I actually think that I may have learned more this year than I have in all of my other nine years at EHS combined.  Going into high school, I had absolutely no idea what to expect.  I didn't know any of the teachers, what my classes would be like, how much homework I would have, and I was completely unaware of how much different it would be than middle school.  In middle school, the teachers pretty much held your hand every step of the way.  Easy points were given, the tests weren't very difficult, and we never had an excessive amount of homework.  I'm not gonna say that middle school didn't have its challenges, but it was NOTHING compared to high school.  Yes, getting a heads-up about all of the challenges and new things I would face in high school would have been nice, but I managed without it.  If I could go back in time and give myself tips about everything I would need to know about surviving high school, and what I should do to prepare myself, this is what I would say:

1.)  No matter how hard it may be, do not procrastinate.  Procrastination is something that many people struggle with, including myself, but it is just about the worst thing you can do in high school.  You are just setting yourself up for more stress, and not doing your best on assignments because you are rushing to get them done at the last minute.  Do your work ahead of time, trust me...it makes life SO much easier.

2.) Annotate your books.  It may be a pain, but it is soooo helpful when it comes to studying for tests, or just talking about the book in class.  Last year we weren't required to annotate, but this year, you have to annotate about every book you read, so be prepared for that.  Write down any questions, connections, or important things that stand out to you while you're reading.  

3.) Organization is the key to success.  Organize your time, things, and mind...ORGANIZE EVERYTHING.  I am a freak about organization, like it's crazy how overboard I go.  I always have my sticky notes open on my laptop desktop so I can immediately write down anything important that I need to remember.  Organize your time and space out when you are going to study, do homework, etc.. so you don't have a panic attack about not having enough time to finish things.  Organizing your binders will also help you to not stress because you always know where everything is, and don't have to worry about things getting lost. 

I have really enjoyed freshman english with all of y'all and am going to miss our crazy class.  I hope that we have some classes together next year!  Have a good summer! 

Class Participation- 4th Quarter

Throughout the 4th quarter of freshman year, I have been a very good participant in English class.  I consistently come to class prepared with everything I need, such as my notebook, writing utensils, homework and anything we are working on in class.  I always wait to be dismissed, and never pack up before Dr. D allows us to.  First semester, I wasn't very good about using my time between classes to go to the bathroom and to my locker, but I have definitely improved on that this semester.  If I ever have a question about something, I never hesitate to email Dr. D, using appropriate email format and etiquette.  I check the website at least once a day, if not more, so I know what is coming up in class.  I am very good about turning in assignments at the beginning of class on the day they are due, because you loose points for every day it is late, and it is never good to throw away points.  I have a positive attitude in class and cooperate with the teacher and my peers.

It is rare when I don't have a lot to say in whole class class discussions, because usually I am a very active participant in them.  I contribute helpful comments in the discussions, and try not to get the class of topic by saying something irrelevant.  When Dr. D is saying something important, or anything that could possibly show up somewhere on a test, I write it down.  It is definitely a clue that taking notes would be a good idea when she writes things on the board.  In the past, I have struggled a little with engaging in side conversations, but I've been working on it.  But, sometimes it can become difficult not to make a comment to your friends when something funny happens when we're acting out Macbeth or something like that.

My feelings about individual and group work are very different.  When I am working on something by myself, I get a lot more done than if I were in a group because there are no distractions.  I am always more focused and it is much easier to concentrate on the assignment.  I rarely ever get off task when I work individually.  In group work however, I feel like I spend more time saying "okay guys we really have to get some work done" than actually getting work done!  I am usually the one who tries to keep everyone focused, which can get annoying after a while.  I don't like when I do all the work and other people get credit for doing nothing.  I don't distract others when we do individual or group work because I want to get my work done so it doesn't pile up.  I follow instructions and always try my best.

I think my participation in English class has been very good throughout the entire year, but I definitely did my best to really engage myself and finish out strong in the 4th quarter.  Usually when school is coming to an end is when I start to slack off and get lazy because I am so excited for summer.  But, this year during the last quarter, I have been more motivated than ever.  I think that it may have something to do with the fact that exams are coming up, and I am trying to keep my quarter grades high so they won't be as stressful.  I haven't really noticed a change in my participation this year; it has been pretty consistent all year.  Next year as a sophomore, I will use some of the same strategies I used this year in English class to be successful in all of my classes!

Lady Macbeth's Perspective

All I want is to be queen.  I want to be rich, famous, and powerful.  I want to rule over all of Scotland, and I will do whatever it takes to do it.  Who cares if I have to kill a few people along the way?  All that matters is that I get what I want; and what I want is for Duncan to die so that my husband and I can take the throne for ourselves.  However I have to admit, when my husband told me that those three crazy witches told him he was going to be king, I was a bit doubtful.  Is he lying?  Maybe he's gone crazy?  Nevermind the reason, I'm still taking full advantage of the opportunity.

Now I just have to get my husband to support me in my plot to murder Duncan.  He's such a coward; he's suppost to be the man in the relationship and he's afraid to simply kill someone?  Please.  I mean, I could do it myself, but he needs to learn to toughen up and fight for what we want.  I haven't exactly thought about what we'll do after the task of killing Duncan is done, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.  Besides, all that matters is that I'm queen.

Outside Reading Reflection

It is hard to believe that freshman year is coming to an end.  It feels like it was just yesterday that the class of 2015 gathered in the chapel on orientation day to be welcomed into high school.  This year, I have learned a lot about myself as a reader, and my perspective on reading has definitely changed.  I had never really enjoyed reading that much because I never had the time/patience to make myself sit down and read.  I don't know what it was, but reading and I just didn't "click."  However, over the course of the year, I have read a variety of new and different kinds of books that have made me think differently about reading in general.

One thing that I have really developed and improved on as a reader this year is my ability to analyze writing.  I was introduced to this concept last year when we read Romeo and Juliet, but my skills have advanced so much further this year.  We analyzed 3 books this year: Lord of the Flies, Nervous Conditions, and Macbeth.  We had to annotate each of these, and identify specific things that stood out such as characterization, plot, setting, theme, etc...Doing this allowed me to look at the writing in a whole new way, and really read between the lines.  It was so interesting to me how in Lord of the Flies, everything symbolized something.  Now after so much practice, annotating comes naturally to me; it's like I know exactly what to look for.  I have enjoyed outside and class reading this year and can't wait to see what books are in store for sophomore year!

Outside Reading:

Macbeth: 1 hour

Short Story book in Dr. D's classroom: 30-40 min.