Jillianenglishblog

Prompt: Write about a conversation that changed you. Prompt Response:  A conversation that changed me was definitely talking to my birth mom. I have never met her and I talked to her for the first time a few months ago. I have learned that we have so many similarities and her mental health issues have explained a lot of mine. I think it changed me in very good ways because it shows me where I come from and how I act. Summary: Today in class we read more of our book. Reflection:  I am still really enjoying this class and I hope to continue to enjoy it. 

Prompt:  Write about something that you believed as a child. Prompt Response:  As a child I believed in rules and really followed them. I thought why would rules be in place if they are not a good thing. But as I have grew up and learned past rules and how rules have changed and are still changing, I think they are dumb. They were rules that were made to protect women and now they are being reversed. I think that you should do the right thing but that doesn't mean the rules are the right thing. I believe now that I will do what I want to extend no matter the rules. I believe that some rules are worth breaking. Summary: In class today we read more of the book that we have been reading and I think so far it is interesting and a good read. We also filled out a sheet about our dreams. Reflection: In all I think that reading books in English classes can be good if it is interesting and not boring. So far I am actually inclined to read the book we have been reading.

Prompt: Write about a truth you were afraid to accept. Prompt Response:  A truth that I am super scared to accept is death. The one thing that is for sure in everyone's life is death. Everyone and everything living dies on this earth at some point. I do not believe in a god or a heaven/ hell. I really believe that we are just a bunch of organs and that the organs give you a certain amount for time until its to late. I have thought about death a lot this year and how I have really lived one Fourth of my life already. It's a scary feeling but I will have to except It some point in my life.  Summary: In class today we started reading the book, "Fences." We also answered three questions prior to reading. Reflection:  I like that we are reading and doing a play now, but It is a little uncomfortable to see the very explicit words. I'm trying to be comfortable with maybe reading but I am not sure. 

Prompt:  Write about a time when you were judged unfairly. Prompt Response:  When I used to go to church I did not wear the "proper" clothing. I usually would want to wear a skirt and top because that was the "most least respectable" thing I could wear. I would have preferred to wear baggy jeans with a loose top, but that was not "acceptable to my mom." I think that if church is supposed to be an accepting place that I should be allowed to wear what I want without being judged. This is another reason why I am not sure if I believe in Christianity or not. I want to believe in something but there are a lot of things that I am super unsure about.  Summary: In class today I answered common lit questions and did my blog post.  Reflection:  I like the common lits and I think the stories are interesting. Usually I hate reading, but if it is something that I find interesting, than I do not mind it. 

After hearing your classmates’ storymap presentations, choose one classmate’s story that stood out to you. Write about what you liked or learned from their journey and explain why it was meaningful to you. Prompt Response:  I really liked Everest's. I liked how him and other people were not scared to talk about their personal issues they have had. He was super open about being emotional, which in our society can be frowned upon. I think it made him really brave to get up in front of people and say how he genuinely was. I think the information about his dad was interesting. It made me want to learn more about how he was raised and what type of family is dad came from. I also liked how he talked about coming home to an empty house. My parents are also gone a lot and my mom travels at least once a month.It was super meaningful because It showed me that you really do not know what people are going through.  Summary: I really enjoyed hearing everyone's different stories and ways of...

Reflect on a time when you discovered a new perspective that completely changed how you viewed a person, group, or place. How did your previous “single story” shape your thoughts or actions? Prompt Response:  My mom has always been a Democrat. She says she is definitely a liberal and my dad and her have had some issues at the beginning of my life. My dad has never been republican but he has not always agreed with my moms views. Me and my dad have always gotten along much more than me and my mom. My mom came from a messed up family and my dad came from an amazing family. Growing up I always believed my mom's beliefs, but I did not realize how extreme she was. I decided to hear my dad's side and my moms. My dad is a middle ground person. He does not want to be on a specific political side and he has beliefs from both sides of the parties. Not until I started listening to what my dad was saying that I realized I liked my dads views more. I like how he is not quick to judge and wan...

It’s Homecoming Week! 🎉 What do you love most about being part of the Lakeside community? How do you show off your school spirit? What is your favorite Homecoming tradition or event? Prompt Response:  I love how there are so many different people. You can be in any class and there is always someone different from you. I think having differences among the classrooms is important so that there are more ideas, thoughts, and opinions. I show off my school spirit by dressing up with the themes, like neon day I wore a neon shirt. I also show school spirit by going to the football games. My favorite Homecoming tradition is the after parties. There is always a theme and it's super fun celebrating with friends.   Summary: I really like homecoming and other dances because it give a nice break in the beginning of the school year. Reflection:  In class we started our presentations but did not finish them. 

Recall a specific incident when someone’s words offended you. Describe what was said, how it made you feel, and what actions you took in response. Reflect on whether your response helped resolve the situation or changed how you think about communication. Prompt Response:  When I was in 7th grade I went to St.Martins episcopal school. The kids there were pretty stuck up and did not care about others as much as they should have. During recess we would play four square. Some people would cut in line or say offensive things to make people feel bad and not want to play. The boys there were super offensive towards the girls. One boy said to me, "you are a girl so you need to get to the back of the line." I did not agree with that so I talked back to him and said no. People would get mad at me and tell me to just listen but I knew it was wrong. It made me feel like I had no way to fix the issue, especially when the teachers did not care. I think me talking helped the situation, but ...

Consider Edna Pontellier’s decision to pursue love and desire beyond her marriage in  The Awakening . To what extent do you think the pressures of gender role expectations excuse, or fail to excuse, her affair with another man? Prompt Response:  I think that this is a very complicated questions. I understand feeling trapped and wanting to get out of a relationship, but there are certain ways to do it. Her situation is a little bit different because she is being treated terribly and does not know how to get out of the situation. I believe that if she has no way to get out that even if it's wrong, should be excused from a person in this day and age. In my opinion people should not live their lives feeling trapped or in a cage. If the only way for her to feel happy is to have an affair with another man I think she had every right to do it.  Summary: I was not in class today but reading this story really opened my eyes to how people can feel so alone and trapped in a situatio...

Which learning method do you enjoy the most? Class discussions, worksheet work, or hands-on activities. Select one and tell why.  Prompt Response:  I enjoy class discussions the most. I like these the most because when I am fully engaged into something my brain takes in the information and I learn it super efficiently. When I try to do worksheet activities my mind can wander and sometimes what I am thinking of writing does not go down onto the paper. When we discuss my mind stays focused on the topic and I do not wander onto other thoughts. Another big reason why I love discussions is because I can hear other peoples ideas and ways of thinking. I think its important to know how other people are thinking and feeling.  Summary: Today In class we had a discussion about stereotypes against women.  Reflection:  I really enjoyed today's class because I felt like everyone had good and different opinions. It's interesting hearing how different peoples parents have diffe...

Reflect on a specific gender expectation imposed by your culture that has been the most challenging to navigate. In 2-3 sentences, describe one clear example of this expectation and explain why it has been difficult for you. Ensure your response is concise, vivid, and focused on personal experience. Prompt Response:  A specific gender expectation that I have had to do over the years is looking pretty and "put together". When I was younger I did not know exactly what I liked to wear, but my mom assumed dresses were what I should wear. I like wearing shirts and pants rather than dresses. Once I got a little older I had more of a say in what I want to do and dress into. At first I would try to wear skirts and a nice top to make my mom happy but she still was a little put of by it. Then I fully pushed into what I wanted to wear even though it did not make her happy. At this time in my life I went to church but I eventually stopped going and did not have to dress up anymore all th...

You are working on your storymap which is reflection on your past. Thinking about your future, as you graduate high school, what role does the Atlanta metro area play in your life? Do you plan to stay or move away? Explain your reasoning. Prompt Response:  When I graduate high school I will either be, hopefully, at Ole Miss or Georgia Southern. If I go to Ole Miss then I will have to adapt to a new more southern way of living with not a lot around and I would not be coming back home as often to go through the Atlanta area. If I go to Georgia Southern I will also have to adapt to a more southern way of living, but I will come back home more and I will see more of Atlanta. Living in Atlanta for my whole life makes places without lots of cars, sounds, and lights feel a little weird. But whenever I go out to the country I seem to like it more and the quietness can be scary but its also refreshing. I will have to change how busy the world is around me, but besides that I think it will b...

Think about a moment when you challenged your parent(s)’ rules or expectations. How did you feel, and what was the outcome? Prompt Response:  At first going against expectations can feel wrong, but every person has different expectations. When you think about how everyone thinks different you can start to think that everything your parents say can't always be right. For instance, If my mom said I have to do my laundry because its about respecting her I would maybe be confused. I would be confused because it is my laundry and my clothes. Maybe for myself it is easier to leave my clean laundry in a basket instead of having it in a bunch of different drawers. Whenever I personally feel a different way against how my parents think it can feel wrong or make me sad I do not fully agree with them. But in the end my brain is going to think differently about things and I should not hide those things just because I am scared of an argument or disagreement. As the years have gone on my parent...

You’ve been in Multicultural Literature for about 4.5 weeks. How has the class been going for you so far? Prompt Response:  This is for sure my favorite class this year and overall as an english class. Usually in my past classes I would have to just read boring books and take quizzes and tests over material that made me bored. Since I would be bored I never full understand information and usually did poorly on tests and quizzes. Since I am finally in a class where I can engage and learn I am inclined to learn the material and work hard. I am really happy with my 100 in the class and I will keep it that way.  Summary: Today In class I started my Vocabulary project and I am enjoying it.  Reflection:  I am having a great time in this class and I hope to continue to do better. 

Write about a time when you did something out of the norm. What was it and how did others react?  Prompt Response:  Over my years of high school I have learned that people will judge you for basically anything. As a person you have to decide if you will care what others think or if you will do what you want. I used to think that having a friend group was super important and that having a good social status meant a lot. But, after having a lot of different groups of people in my life I started understanding that having individual friends and not a group is way healthier. People in groups leave certain people out, have smaller groups in a group, and also usually do not include people around them or make people uncomfortable. A lot of the people I know that are not in groups are super nice and very inclusive. The ones who are in big groups usually aren't as nice. When I decided to not have a group and have less of a social life that made me look popular people thought it was odd ...