Ashley’s English Blog

 One thing I did out of the norm was that I scored really well on my French final last year. This was different for me because I am not usually the best at speaking or writing in french, and I usually get low scores on the tests when this time I got one of the highest in the class. When I told my classmates out of surprise that I did really well, they were excited for me because they knew that I had been struggling with the language and they were proud that I was able to finally do well.  Today in class read and answered questions on an Emily Dickinson poem, and then we finished our heart projects. Today I learned about how Emily Dickinson's background information can be used to analyze her poems more.

 I would use a metaphor of a photo album for my mind. I would say this because I store a lot of memories in my brain and I can picture them. I can scroll through my mind and pictures and recollect my memories. Another metaphor I would use is a library for also storing knowledge. Which is also a good metaphor because they say you have millions of books worth of knowledge in your brain.  Today in class we read 2 poems by Emily Dickenson and started our heart project. Today I learned about finding the theme in poems that may seem unclear.

 An adventure I'd like to go on is to travel across the world through all continents and exploring different countries. This trip would ideally be a couple years and hopefully in a time in my life where I am still young, have enough savings, and have a stable job. I mostly would like to go to Africa because it's so different and unique from here in America, and I have seen many people going there who enjoyed there stay. While on my adventure across the world, I would love to stay in unique places like camping in nature and staying with people native to that country to fully be able to immerse myself in the experience.  Today in class we finished up presentations of our Origin Myths and then read a poem by Emily Dickenson. Today I learned about Emily DIckenson's life and how she was a recluse, and the themes she explores in her poems. 

 Something I will never fully understand is why bugs exist. I know that they serve a purpose in the envirment, killing other bugs and small creatures. However, certain pesky bugs like cockroaches and mosquitos seem to do nothing but annoy us and cause us harm. I also don't understand how cockroaches come from nowhere out of small cracks in the walls and spawn in my room to torment me at night. It seems like the only place I find cockroaches in my house is in my room. Today in class we presented our Origin Myth posters to the class. I learned about other people's origin Myths and the different takes on the creation of humanity. 

 

 Something I wish I had more of was energy. I feel like I'm always tired and it effects my ability to socialize, do my work, and stay focused. Whenever I have energy I am so much better at talking to people and it makes my day better. I try to go to sleep early but it never seems to be enough. I also do get a burst of energy at the end of the day which I wish was available throughout the day.  Today in class we worked on our poster for our Origin Myth. Today I learned about using Adobe Express and how to represent my story with symbols and pictures. 

 The most creative think I have ever made was a junk journal. I was inspired by a girl on TikTok, so the idea wasn't completely original but what I include in it is. I started working on this project during my freshman year of high school, and I still add to it now. The journal is plain black on the outside, but the pages are bursting with creativity. Every page is filled with cut outs from magazines, pictures, and little trinkets picked up from the ground or collected from an activity. For example, I have a page from last year's homecoming dance. I has pictures with my friends, my wristband glued down on the page, and a petal from my flowers, and decorations all over the page. I would consider this my best work because it allowed me to remember each thing that I do in my life. I get to keep physical items, such as my wristband and flower petal, to have a physical memory associated with it. This journal means so much to me and I will keep adding on to it for years to come. Toda...

 One of my burning questions about life is what happens when we die. I hope that we get reincarnated as whatever we want, and I would choose to be a housecat or a bird. I have thought about this a lot, and as a Christian, I like to believe that heaven means that we can do whatever will bring us joy, which for me is reincarnation. Another question I have is about how or why we exist. I do think that we were created by God, but I wonder what was the whole reason behind our creation.  Today in class we planned and created our own origin myth. I learned that origin Myths are actually fun to make because you can make up how different elements and parts of the world were created. 

 My first day at Lakeside I felt completely lost. I transfered from a different school this year, so coming here was challenging. Not only did I get lost in vast hallways and stairwells, but I felt lost and misplaced in the sea of students. I only knew a few people who I had gone to elementary school with, so I had to quickly make friends. Getting to school and getting around was quite challenging, as the numbered hallways slightly confused me and I didn't have my schedule or a map with me. Today in class we all presented out "The Jealous Father" group assignments. Today I learned how the moral message in "The Jealous Father" can be applied to real life, and how the themes are still important in today's society. 

 This week there have been a couple of challenges, like being restless and tired in class because I am used to sleeping in. I've also had a problem with completing my homework because I have volleyball after school, which makes it hard to do my homework at a good time. One strength that I have is the ability to focus on a specific task in order to get it done quickly, sometimes this is hard for me if the area I am in is crowded or loud, but listening to music helps me. One challenge I anticipate is managing my time because of my volleyball practice and games, and because I work every week. But I can overcome this by planning, using my agenda, and limiting myself to only productive tasks. Today in class we took a quiz on origin Myths, turned in our group presentations, and then I wrote this blog. Today I learned how to analyze an origin myth and how to answer questions on them, which is something I've not done before.

 When I was younger, around 9 or 10, I had a best friend who was obsessed with being better than everyone. She would always try to one-up somebody who was doing well in something or who was proud of something. One day I had gotten a new iPad and brought it to school, excited to play on it and show my friends. As soon as I pulled it out to play a new game during recess, she noticed how everyone was complimenting me for it and admiring it. She snatched it from my hands and threw it on the ground, resulting in it shattering. I was so devastated and I knew that my parents would be so angry with me for letting it break. Sadly, we were so mad with each other that we didn't talk for the rest of the school year and still haven't spoken again. Today we read a new story called "The Jealous Father," and we assembled in groups to make a presentation. Today I learned how to make a storyboard while doing my group presentation. 

 I have a small, green dreamcatcher hanging above my bed. The string still hangs despite the years of wear and tear and distress caused by my big fan near it. At night, after watching a scary movie or having a rough day, I count on the green dreamcatcher to protect my inner thoughts and I drift off for the night. This special object collects my thoughts and brings me clarity so I am able to calm and wind down peacefully. Staying strong for more than 7 years, my dream catcher never fails me. Today in class we read an origin myth and analyzed its parts, then answered discussion questions about it. Today I learned how to tell a myth from religion through analyzing its parts and words.

 I remember being a little kid and running around my big, green backyard. A certain day in the summer heat I came across an abandoned nest of baby birds. Being a young and explorative child, I took the lonely chicks into custody and cared for them as if I was their mother. Each day coming home from school, I would run through the house to my backyard where I kept the chicks to feed them their daily meal of fruits and seeds. I recall being completely submersed in caring for these babies, and I took full responsibility over their lives until one day they were nowhere to be found. Looking back, I am aware that anything could have happened to them, but at the time I was so proud to have raised baby birds to adulthood. In class we looked over and took notes about native American lit, and we reviewed vocabulary lesson 1. I learned the characteristics of Urban Legends, Myths, and Religion.

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