Josiah’s English Blog

Prompt Response:  The summer before my sophomore year, I went on a two-week school trip to Thailand. Most of the people there knew me as the quiet guy who just followed and observed, but one night, we went to do karaoke. I was one of the first people to sing. I was nervous, and I still can't sing to this day, but it was fun. Everyone was cheering while I sang, and afterwards, I grew out of my comfort zone. My dad and family eventually saw the video, and they were surprised too. Summary: We started our new unit today, read and analyzed "Im nobody. Who are you?" By Emily Dickinson. Reflection:  The poem was interesting. It made me think about today's society and how if everyone were different, wouldn't that technically make everybody the same? If all people are expected to "be their own person," then everyone would be the same in that manner. 

Prompt Response:   My mind is a blade stuck in a blacksmith's fire. I get heated up, hammered down, and reshaped over and over. Every hit is the stress I deal with from family, school, friends, etc. Sometimes I feel like it's too much and I'll crack under the pressure. But I never do. I keep taking hits. Growing stronger with each blow, I know it's not over yet. Im not finished. Summary: Today was a light day in class. All we had to do was some CommonLit assignments. Reflection:  Being able to relax and get some work done was comforting, and having a day like this once a week or every other week would be helpful. The current workload is manageable, but this, mixed with other classes, has grown fairly tiring.

Prompt Response:  Im not sure about an adventure I would like to go on. I would like to explore Japan and learn about the culture, but more so as a trip. I'm a curious person, but adventures aren't my thing. Summary: We had a pop quiz based on our vocabulary words that we were supposed to study. Reflection:  Yesterday, Mr.Rease told us we weren't taking the quiz because we had to move on to poetry, but we took it anyway. After the surprise quiz, he taught us to always be prepared for unanticipated things to happen. I understood the mini-lesson, and it was funny to see everyone panic when he started counting down.

Prompt Response:  Something I will never fully understand is human beings and how we got to this point. Since the beginning of humankind, people have made dumb decisions, but have also discovered outstanding things. For example, people have gone from using sticks and stones to owning multimillion-dollar companies with tools that can capture pictures in space from light-years away/back.  Summary: In class today, we presented our origin myth "posters". Reflection:  I tried to breathe and stay calm while speaking, so I could give a clear description of my story, but I felt like I was talking too fast and missed some critical details. Public speaking is something I really want to work on this year.

 

Prompt Response:  Something I wish I had more of would be money. Not just so I can buy whatever I  want, but so I, my family, and my friends don't have to worry about finances for a long time. Eventually, I would find some way to have a stable source of income while also doing what I love.  Summary: In class, we finished up our work on the origin myths. Reflection:  I was glad we weren't starting any new assignments. Last night, I had to stay up later than usual to finish my story. It did take me a while, and the ending was somewhat rushed, but im glad how it turned out in the end, although I do hope to expand on the story or create a series based on this sometime.

Prompt Response:  The most creative thing I've ever made would probably be my origin myth. I personally believe it's one of the best stories I've ever written/ set up because the story is captivating as well as emotional. One day, I would love to expand on it or branch out from it. I also cannot remember anything I've made. Summary: Today, we started working on our posters to present our origin myths. Reflection:  I think my poster is going to introduce my story nicely and get people intrigued. 

  Prompt Response:  Two of my most burning questions about life are, one, how did the Big Bang happen? How did nothing become something? This question matters to me because the universe is immense and ever-expanding, and it's the mysterious void that we inhabit. As for the second question: what is the universe? Is it some giant organism? A construct? Could there be a multiverse? We're here in this strange blob that we know hardly anything about Summary: Today, we started writing our own origin myths Reflection:  I was excited about this because I like writing stories and creating characters.

Prompt Response:  During my sophomore year, my day-to-day routine was the same. It was uniform. Nothing interesting happened, nothing new occurred, everything was static. I floated through the days with nothing to look forward to and no excitement to be had. I looked for other routes to take, but they always led to a dead end. Summary: Today, we presented our PowerPoint about "The Jealous Father". Reflection:  The presentation went well, but there were some errors where the theme wasn't presented as a theme statement.

  Prompt Response:  Throughout this week, I've had to learn how to think about things in different ways to find other answers. One strength I anticipate would be creative thinking. As for the challenge, I believe keeping up with the pace of work might stump me a bit. Summary: Today we took a test on origin/creation myths. Reflection: The test was fairly easy and an instance where I had to utilize my creative thinking skill.

Prompt Response:  Back in freshman year, I would go out with my girlfriend a lot. Over time, one of my friends grew jealous of us going out and being with each other all the time, and it caused a big argument. We tried to reason with him, but we never got through. Summary: Today in class, we read A short story titled "The Jealous Father". It told the story of Aioswe, a man who falsely accused and deserted his son after he found love marks on his wife's body.  Reflection:  This story made me think about how jealousy can be an emotion that has severe consequences.

Prompt Response:  A meaningful place in my life is my childhood home. When I was about 3 years old I moved in with my grandparents in Lexington, Kentucky from Atlanta while my parents worked through some convoluted things. I stayed with them for around 3 years and I experienced a lot of major development times.  I enjoyed living there and most of the memories I have from then are good ones that will stick with me forever. Summary: Today we talked about the Navajo Creation Myth and how the six dieties created and found worlds until they reached the fourth world and started humanity. Reflection:  This story makes me think about how the myth came to be and how it shows several allusions to other stories about the worlds creation.

Prompt Response: A few weeks ago, I finished dinner and went to take the trash out, but when I came outside, I felt euphoric and decided to take a nice scenic walk through my neighborhood.  I disconnected from my phone, took a break from the constant movement in the house, and just enjoyed the blissfullness of nature and its  Summary: We discussed how the Native Americans told stories and also differentiated myths, religion, and urban legends. Reflection: Talking about the Native Americans and their beliefs made me think about the world today and  how much different it is today. If things werent so "chaotic" and more people had a better relationship with the earth, our world would be a more better place and much nicer to live in.

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