Ashley’s English Blog

 I gained a new idea about how my poster is very organized and kind of basic compared to other's. I realized that I like my work and my posters to be very straight-forward and organized, while some people like to let their words and pictures fill the page in different ways. I got lots of feedback about how my pictures were very well connected to my sentences, and it made think that I am good at connecting my thoughts to visuals. When creating my poster, I learned how to connect images and descriptions to my figurative language in a way that others would understand. In class, we watched videos about AI, answered questions, and commented on each other's posters. I learned about the benefits of AI in teaching and learning.

 On my worksheet, the mental or emotional struggles topic challenged me the most. It was the hardest topic when creating my figurative language because I have had issues many times with my stress, anxiety, overthinking, and burnout. I had to to pick how I think it effects me the most and the most often. So, I decided on how it damages my sleep pattern because that is the most damaging to me. In class, we made an online poster of our figurative language.  I learned how to find good images to represent my similes and metaphors.

 The process for creating similes and metaphors about my struggles and growths allowed me to reflect on my experiences and how I persevered through the dark times. I learned that I am very resilient and that I overcome my challenges by using hope and faking confidence until I make it though. I thought about everything I have gone through and all the emotions I've felt in my life. Overall, creating these devices to describe my life allowed me to look deeper into the past and be grateful for how much I've done. In class, we wrote similes and metaphors about the challenges and growths in our lives. I learned how to create a deep metaphor about my past experiences. 

 Over the break, I went to the beach with my best friends. We stayed for three nights and stayed with my mom. We got to go out in the sun and walk around in shopping areas. When we came back, I spent the next days relaxing and catching up on work, as well as seeing other my other friends and talking on the phone. The break let me rest and reset before i had to go back to school, and it let me take time to myself. In class, we analyzed a poem about resilience and identified its similes and metaphors. I learned how to use thinking skills to find deeper metaphors. 

 I would describe how I show my love with these objects: a handwritten note, a long hug, and a personalized gift. A handwritten note applies to me because I like to express my feelings in a note so that people get the whole message and get to keep it forever. I chose a long hug because hugging is very important to me and the people I love and it is a great way to express emotion. Finally, I picked a personalized gift because I like making the people I love special gifts that they can cherish. In class, we wrote a poem to our parents. I learned how to incorporate figurative language into my writing.

 Writing this rhetorical analysis essay had given me more confidence to write more complex essays and to continue analyzing texts. I very much understood the steps and the way it was played out especially the mind map was very helpful. I also think that writing the outline helped me figure out how to write this analysis so I could see the whole setup of the essay. In class, we write our rhetorical essay. I learned how to write the whole essay in a limited time.

 The part that made the process easier to understand was the mind map. I enjoyed this part because it layed out all how the essay is going to be formatted. It also made it easier to write out the rough draft and work on my commentary. In class, we finished our prep for the essay. I learned how to use my mind map to create my rough draft.

 A perfect day spent with my mom would start off by waking up late and watching movies in bed. We would go to get Starbucks later on and grab lunch. Then we would go to the hair salon and nail salon and get put together. Finally, we would go shopping at the mall for a few hours and buy anything we wanted. In class, we started analyzing another speech. I learned dhow to find the connotation and denotation. 

 The best piece of advice that my parents have given me to not stress about little things or about friendships. They have always saw me to not deal with people who are not good for me, and they tell me that sometimes I need to put myself first. They gave me this advice when I was struggling with a friendship with somebody who was mentally damaging and not a good friend. In class, we analyzed a poem. I learned how to identify and understand an extended metaphor.

 The most challenging part about working in a group is dividing the work evenly and relying on your group members to get their parts done well and in time. this struggle was very apparent to me in a recent science project where we performed a lab and had to write a report and do a project on the subject. We decided ho we were gong to split up the work between the three of us, but one of the members did not do his part at all and left us to do it at the last minute. I learned from this that you can rely on others, but you should monitor their progress if the work is meaningful to you. In class, we read and graded rhetorical essays. i learned about the rubric for rhetorical essays.

 I once had to speak in front of an audience for a school production in middle school. I had to do the whole thing in Spanish, so I was afraid that I would forget words or slip up and say something in English. I handled these fears by practicing as much as I could and trying not to stress myself out. I would give someone advice to try to calm down and take deep breaths before, so you're less nervous and less likely to make a mistake. In class, we wrote a body paragraph.  I learned how to make my two commentaries different.

A real moment in my life that felt like the beginning of a powerful story was when I moved high schools. I transferred to Lakeside from St. Pius at the beginning of my junior year to improve my grades, my college application, and my social circle. It felt like a turning point in my life because it was a big change with a lot of challenges. I have so far succeeded through these challenges, and I have come out smarter and better. In class, we practiced commentary for a rhetorical analysis. I learned how to write commentary with transition words.