Daylin's English Blog

Prompt response: As I grow older and face new experiences,one topic I think I´ll have to stand up for is my belief in God and faith. My faith helps me choose the right decisions and be strong in harsh or lonely times. It shows me how much someone actually cares for me and opens up new opportunities. As I meet new people, they will have different points of view or think that my faith is unnecessary, so I´ll have to explain why my faith is important to me and how it shaped me.  Summary: Today we learned the 3 different types of claims: claim of facts, claim of value, and claim of policy.  Reflection: Many people will have different points of view in different concepts and it should be respected. As I grow older I´ll have different types of experience and I should be able to explain my points of view in a respectful and non-forcing way. 

Prompt Response:   A fear that I have overcome is the fear of presentations. In middle school, I remember being nervous whenever the teacher asked to read something or when we did a presentation. My body would be tense, I could sense sweat in my face and hands, and my voice would crack. I was scared to speak up and was just a very quiet kid. I was scared at all the eyes that looked at me. As I got older, however, I got used to the presentation and my self-esteem boosted. I realized that nobody cares about you because they are only thinking about themselves. Now I don't feel any nervousness when I do a presentation, instead I go with the flow of speaking.  Summary: Today we finished the claims worksheet and started reading an article to identify the different types of claims.  Reflection:  I realized that nobody cares about my action as much as I do, so I should just be myself. This experience also taught me that confidence builds up over time with much time and ...

  Prompt Response:   A time when I was judged unfairly  wasn't from a stranger or a family member but it was from myself. All through 9th grade or 10th, I kept telling myself I wasn't smart enough with most school work. I judged myself before I could even try to do the assignments. Looking back, most of the work for me was easy and very doable and perhaps I was smart. For any writing assignments, I always thought my writing was not academic or below average, so I was stressed or overthinking. However, I just need time to think and let the words flow. I realized I convinced myself I was someone I  wasn't and that every time I write is some progress made to my writing improvement.  Summary: Today we read a Common Lit assessment about fear. Reflection: Fear makes us create a story about a future we are not aware of yet. We should learn from fear and face them that way we don´t make irrational decisions but think rationally. 

  Prompt : I have always known that as long as I am here, in the U.S, I will not be able to see my family back in Guatemala. I have been here for about 9 and a half unable to go anywhere else but the U.S.. The sad truth is that I won´t be able to have memories with my family which was something I didn't want to accept. I want to see my grandparents age, my younger cousins grow, and see our crops grow. I long to hug my grandparents before they pass  away and be able to laugh with them. Although my village is very dangerous, I want to learn self defense to protect myself and my family before traveling there. Once I am there, I want to feel the breeze in my hair, the earthy smell, and the rustling sound of the leaves at the top of a mountain. I am afraid to accept the truth that I won´t be able to make memories in Guatemala with my family.  Summary : Today we took notes on argumentation and reviewed the rhetorical appeals.  Reflection : I am very afraid to accept a trut...

  Prompt Response: If I were to be learning about Hispanic/Latino heritage for the very first time, I would wonder how traditions and celebration, foods, and music differ across the region. For traditions, I would wonder why are quiceaneras celebrated and does north and central america celebrate it or what are the biggest traditions celebrated in different  Hispanic/Latino countries. For food, I would wonder what is the story behind tamales, empanadas, or arepas and what are some traditional drinks.  For music, I would wonder what are the different styles of music across Latin countries and where do they originate. Another question I would wonder is how do indigenous, African, Spanish influence their culture.   Summary: Today we kept learning about the writing process and had a class discussion about topics that are overrated. Reflection:  How to create clusters is very important for writing. The middle of the cluster is the main concept of the prompt while...

  Prompt Response:  One presentation that caught my attention was the poem that told his walk with God. I enjoyed how his poem gave the theme of whether through good or bad seasons, the Lord is there with you. Often times I get lonely through bad times, but I always try to remind myself that God is there even when I don´t feel it. I also liked how he emphasizes the part of  ” Lord, will you carry me? ”  because it reflects a part of me that asks the same to God because he is the only true father figure in my life. The part that talks about the showing perseverance when the flesh is trying to tempt you is also something that I relate to because there will always be temptation around you, but you have to endure to see the beauty at the end. Overall, I enjoyed the message of his poem.  Summary: Today we presented our poem posters and we were taught the steps for the writing process Reflection:  The writing process is crucial to make a good essay. Pre-writing, ...

Prompt Response:  I've always felt like an interloper. Getting in between already made friendships that I don't have the chance of fitting in. I meet people but they are not strong friendships where you tell each other secrets, rather it's just a passing friendship. They already have their own friend group, and if I am there, it feels like a puzzle piece trying to match with the wrong or somewhat wrong piece. One example of this is when I talked to a passing friend for a while. She and I talked about work among other stuff. This year, we have class together, she also has friends there as well; but when she talks to them, I see a whole new version of her with her friend group. I  don’t try to force your way into groups but instead wait to find your own. Summary: Today we did a Common Lit reading. Reflection:   Like Ulrich and Georg in “The Interlopers” , I’ve felt what it’s like to be on the outside looking in. However;  if I am patient enough, I will eventually find ...

  Prompt Response:   Out of the 15 words we were introduced, I think animosity, ambiguous, and aesthetic, are the words that we are going to be using this semester. Animosity because there is a lot of hatred in the world and topics that have hatred in them. Ambiguous because there are many concepts where there is the need for more than one interpretation. Finally, aesthetics because just as there is a lot of hatred in the world, there is also beauty in the world; therefore, concepts that have beauty.  Summary: Today we learned 15 vocabulary words and wrote 15 sentences for each word. Reflection:  I realize that I should expand my vocabulary because it's important to know big vocabulary for different occasions. For example, at a presentation, you should use clear language and speech to emit a clear message. 

  Prompt Response:  What I like most about the Lakeside community is that you get to have fun if you participate in activities. I try to show off my school spirit sometimes when I can, but not always. I do it by wearing the theme if possible. I like the Pep- Rallies we do for the games because classes are short and it feels like a fast day. But I also get to be with my friends and have fun.  Summary: We did a 20 question quiz about the poem, Constantly Risking Absurdity. Reflection: Sometimes, I won´t be able to have fun due to many circumstances. If you really want to do something, figure out a way to do it while being considerate of the people around you too.   

  Prompt Response:  I like hands-on activities because I get to use my creativity and my hands. I have always found it fun to do things with my own hands because I like the way that each piece goes together to make something I imagined. Although, sometimes I make mistakes, I get to improve on those mistakes to make it better. Sometimes I imagine something that might look good only to see that it doesn´t in the end but I eventually change it. The slow process of changing is also something I like.  Summary: Today we finished our poems and we started on a poster for our poem. Reflection:  I realized learning from your mistakes during hands-on activities is good. Creativity is a slow process to learn from and constant repetition and error to acquire better results.  

  Prompt Response:  I don´t really like to write and read poems unless they have a clear message and are easy to understand. However, what I like about poems is the emotions that can be created through writing and the similes. I like how they compare things and emphasize a part of the poem that is really important to the author. When I understand a poem's message, I can tell how much emotion they have put in it. I feel fulfilled when I understand the authors message.  Summary: Today in class we started our own poems and did a quick review on types of figurative language Reflection:   I realize that poems are hard to write when you don´t have a source of emotion that you want to express. Poems are a way to express yourself and let your emotions come out. 

Prompt Response: My most absurd personal experience is when I went to Six Flag in 8th grade. Back in 8th grade, I was so excited to go to Six Flags as it was my first time. Looking at the giant big rides with people that screamed made me re-think my decision making, however, I knew that this was going to be the first ever fun experience at Six Flags. I was struggling with which ride to go on first and eventually picked the Drop Down. One of my eighth grade teachers was also going to ride it, and as we got closer to the line, I wanted to go back. My teacher said " Why not do it? It's only a few seconds of fear and then you won ´ t have to do it again ¨ He also mentioned that I was chickening out. So, to prove him wrong and for my personal achievement, I did it. While the ride was going a few meters high, my heart was pounding as fast as possible and my body felt like a tense. But when it went down, it was nice and I did not want it to end. Surprisingly, I liked the down feeling...

  Prompt Response:   The class has been good for the 4.5 weeks now. I am learning how to be more creative with my writing. Before I did not write as much as I do now with the blogs. The blogs make me think more about what I write; although, sometimes it's hard to come up with the right word choice, I am able to think carefully and complete it. I believe over the years my writing will become better and I will be able to think more creatively. This is very important to me because it's a very essential skill to have in life.  Summary: Today we read an Emily Dickeson poem and analyzed it, discussing the meaning of it.  Reflection: The heart takes its time to forget warm memories. Sometimes doing the right thing can be hard to do even if they are good for you because you may hold a lot of attachments.