Josiah’s English Blog

Prompt Response:  Some time  ago, I finished dinner and went to take out the trash. Once I got outside, I felt euphoric and decided to take a slow, scenic walk through my neighborhood.  I disconnected from my phone, took a break from the constant movement in the house, and just enjoyed the blissfulness of nature and its beauty. Instead of going back home, I kept walking when I reached my house. I hardly ever walked in the opposite direction, and decided that today would be a nice day to stroll. Summary: Today, we had an assembly for Hispanic Heritage Month. Reflection: It was a nice assembly. The music was great, and so were the dances. I just don't understand what the shark was for.

Prompt Response:  I had a classmate who would "borrow" my finished work so they could complete theirs. For a while, I didn't mind it and just let it happen. Occasionally, if I got an answer wrong, they would get mad at me, so I decided to gatekeep my work. I told them if they didn't like my work, they should do it themself. Afterward, they stopped stealing my work and barely passed the class. Summary: Today, Mr.Rease was absent. Reflection: Because of Mr.Rease's absence, we had a CommonLit. The poem we read was slightly confusing and took a few reads to figure out. After reading it over a few times, I started to understand it more.

Prompt Response:  One evening, I went to the mall with my mom and one of her friends. While we were walking around, she asked me if I wanted to get my ear pierced. Confused, I said, 'Sure.' So, I got my ear pierced. Later, when my dad came to pick me up, he saw my piercing and asked my mom why she didn't ask him first. While they were arguing in the rain, with my stuff in my hands, I walked toward my dad's car. He followed, and we drove away. After that, the co-parenting schedule continued to change. I used to spend equal time at both houses, but now I live with my dad.  Summary: Today, we read "Nothing Gold can stay" and "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. Reflection: I enjoyed both poems, especially "The Road Not Taken". I've read the poem in the past, but reading it now and truly understanding it gives a better "perspective". The poem is relatable and applies to everyday life. There will always be more than one decision, ...

Prompt Response:   In all honesty, I don't have a favorite word at the moment. There are a lot of words I use often, but nothing really sticks out to me.  Summary: Today, we continued to work on our projects Reflection:  I might not finish my project on time because my weekend is busy. I've made good progress in my other classes, but I'll try to complete it before Sunday at midnight. 

Prompt Response:  Imagination helps me step back and see things from a different perspective. If I'm ever bored, I'll start drawing on my paper and think of a background or story to whatever I drew. Whenever I'm stressed or have a challenge, I'll imagine everything from someone else's perspective. I wonder how they would see and perceive things. Doing that allows me to get new ideas, \ Summary: Today, we started our projects. Reflection:  I think this project is going to be fun because I get to look back on some things that I haven't done in a while. 

Prompt Response:  In my freshman year, I took "Intro to Engineering". The class was great, and I'm taking the second part now. Back then, we had a project where we had to create a city model that could sustain a small community. One part of the project involved cutting wood, cardstock, and some PVC pipe. Because everyone had to use the materials, we had to make them last. While I was cutting the PVC pipe, I had to stay focused on what was going on in front of me. If I slipped up in any way, not only would I lose materials, but I would also lose a finger. Summary: Today, we read the poem "Out, Out" by Robert Frost Reflection:  The poem was fascinating. With the poem starting off with the saw running, then describing the calm atmosphere, it gave a feeling of dread and anticipation. While the boy was working, the text explained how he wanted to be done after working through the uneventful day. But, because he had to keep working, he ended up getting his hand cut of...

  Prompt Response:  During the break, I flew to Cincinnati, Ohio, to see my mom. It wasn't the most pleasing trip but at least I got out of the house. Summary: Today, we illustrated a comic strip with fifteen of our new vocabulary words. Reflection:  I liked working on this because I got to draw a funny comic with the new words we went over. We also didn't have to take the test which was great.

Prompt Response:  Typically, when I have a lot to do, I find small things that make my day better. For example, when I have a lot of homework, I watch something while I'm working. Another example, if I have to clean up a lot, I listen to music while doing so.  Finally, if I have papers that I need to do, I just doodle on the corners and blank spaces to add a bit of joy to the work. Summary: Today, we finished our Ambush paragraphs Reflection:  I completed it, and Mr. Rease helped me revise it. Doing that passage and reading that story definitely helped improve my writing, especially in that form.

Prompt Response:  A while ago, I was going through a rough time. I felt like I was just floating through the weeks with nothing to look forward to. Everything was monotone and bland. One day, I was talking to my best friend, nothing out of the ordinary. He asked me if I wanted to get on the game, and I responded with "I guess". Confused, he questioned my response. I told him I didnt really care what we did, and he asked why. "What's the point? We don't get anything from it." I said. He looked at me crazy and said, "Uhh, the point is to have fun?? We might not get anything from it now or ever, but the latter doesn't matter. We're in the now. If you ponder  the future too much, you won't be able to focus on the now."  Summary: Today, we continued writing our paragraph for "Ambush" by Tim O'Brien. Reflection:  I got a good amount of work done, but finding good evidence took some time.

Prompt Response:  In my band class, when we have concerts, someone has to introduce each piece (the music we play). I was picked to introduce a piece, and public speaking is one of my biggest fears. At first, we practiced speaking during class when we ran the concert, and I was still nervous. After I took the reading home and read through it a few times, I remembered what to say. The night of the concert, it was my turn to go up and read. I was nervous and my hands were shaking, but I did it. I didnt stutter, I spoke clearly and audibly. Summary: We didn't have class today due to the PSAT Reflection:  Spending 4-plus hours in our home room was not pleasant. I forgot to bring my hoodie to school, so I could not take a nap. Instead, I decided to play on my Nintendo Switch. I lost track of time and was playing for at least three hours. Afterward, I got a headache and my eyes ached horribly, but it was time to go to our fourth period.

Prompt Response:  I "wake up" on a tropical island. Walking with a group of people around me, some older, others the same age. Our tour guide was walking us through soft, coarse sand as we came across a little shop on risers. Stepping inside, the shop owner greets us. I look through the array of snacks and drinks, then something in the corner catches my eye. I look up from the shelves to see a pixelated dinosaur sign in the back of the store. My heart begins to race as I step towards the back door. I grab the door handle and open it. "Flash," Behind the door is Digimon everything. Toys, snacks, games, clothes. As I go to pick something up, a growing melody plays. I blink and im awake. Summary: Today, we got more vocabulary words and then worked on a Newsela passage on cancel culture. Reflection:  The work today was light; I knew most of the words, and others were easy.  As for Newsela, it was somewhat confusing, but after rereading it, I started to understand it mor...

Prompt Response:  The best gift I have ever received is life. Yes, this is a generic answer, but it makes sense. If I hadn't been born, I wouldn't experience the good and bad parts of being human. I wouldn't know what love or suffering is. Being human has its many down points, but theres always a high after, something to look forward to. Summary: Today, we started our argumentative essays on unpopular opinions. Reflection:  We started the class with some notes and watched two videos on OJ simpson that showed why evidence is needed and how we should bend evidence in our favour. Afterwards, we started writing our claims for unpopular opinions, but I got checked out for a dentist appointment before we really got into it.