2nd Quarter Reflections

In English Language Arts I think I made my biggest improvement with annotating and being able to explain my thoughts out loud. For example, I improved a lot on the Socratic seminars for Of Mice and Men, which deal a lot with this skill. Last year when I did Socratic seminars I only contributed to the conversation once or possibly twice. But this quarter, I talked four or five times during the seminars. This is an improvement that I planned out as a goal for myself. I worked at getting my thoughts together in a way that would make it easy for me to push them into the conversation. I met my goal and improved with the Socratic seminar itself, as well as my grade for it. To do this I had to have more thorough annotations in my book. I improved with the quality of the annotations in my book. When I think of the annotations I made last year, they seem like they were slightly vague and didn’t have much to do with the blogs that we wrote about the book later. But this year it seems like I dug deeper into my reading and understood my book further. I could tell that I improved when I was writing my blogs. Previously I would have to reread parts to find the information that I needed, but this year I could flip to the spot and there would likely be an annotation giving me the information or an idea that I needed. This likely helped me additionally improve on my blogs, but I mainly improved on my annotations.

        The most challenging part of 2nd Quarter was probably writing essays and blogs. I would always sit or zone out because I couldn’t think of what to write. When I did this I would likely need to do these for homework and I also procrastinated with that too. But, I started making sure that I was in a quiet place when I did my work so that I could focus and be able to do my best work. This ended up working and I have been able to get all of my work done.

       There have been many different strategies that have benefited me for different things. One strategy has been annotating in all my books. Even when I am reading a personal reading book that isn’t being checked and I’m not going to have to write something about, I have found myself annotating just so I have a better understanding. With doing this, I don’t need to reread parts and I have a better overall understanding of what I’m reading. Another strategy that has helped me is asking other people for their thoughts on what I have written. This helps me see another point of view on my writing and be able to make improvements on it. My final strategy that I have been using is asking the person sitting next to me for help when I need it. Whether it’s an instruction that I’m confused about or a certain word I can’t remember, asking the person next to me helps a lot. In the past I have just sat silently being confused, but now I always know what to do.

I commented on Delilah’s blog, Ava’s blog, and Yolihuani’s blog.

Exploring Nonfiction Reader Response- The Diary of a Young Girl

In June 1942 Anne Frank began writing a diary about her life as a Jew during The Holocaust. In her diary she talks to Kitty, an imaginary friend about what is happening in her life and what she is experiencing. As the foreword of The Diary of a Young Girl says, “Initially, she wrote it strictly for herself. Then one day in 1944, Gerrit Bollestein… announced on a radio broadcast from London that after the war he hoped to collect eyewitness accounts of the suffering of the Dutch people under the German occupation.” Anne decided to do this which eventually made it possible for readers to follow the sufferings of The Holocaust Anne experienced. Anne watches as her life is turned upside down when she had to go into hiding to avoid being possibly sent to a death camp. But even before the call, life for Jews had been becoming increasingly worse for the past two years. Nazi’s anti- Jewish laws restricted them from being in cars, owning bicycles, being out after 8pm, or going to any form of entertainment. Now in their hiding place in The Secret Annex hidden by a door and a bookcase they must be as careful as possible to not be seen.

The whole of Anne Frank’s diary I have found interesting so far. It’s weird to think of someone actually having to go through these treacherous things as a child. One of the passages that has a large impact on me is when Anne’s friend Hello left and was going to come back later. Anne was waiting for him as the book says, “At three o’ clock ... the doorbell rang… I was out on the balcony, lazily reading in the sun. A little while later Margot appeared in the kitchen doorway looking very agitated. ‘Father has received a call up notice from the SS.” This passage of the diary shows how suddenly things could change for people during The Holocaust. One minute a thirteen year old girl could be sitting in the sun reading peacefully waiting for her friend to come over. The next minute she could be hurriedly packing up her favorite belongings to flee the fate of going to a concentration camp. This is why I find this passage interesting. I can feel myself start to step into the shoes of all of the people who suffered during The Holocaust.

I have learned many things about The Holocaust through the life of Anne Frank. Some of these things will stick with my for the time being due to them being either horrific or being something that allows me to put myself in their shoes and get a hint at what they were facing. One of the passages in Anne’s story stands out so far more than others. The text states, “It’s sweltering… I have to walk everywhere. Only now do I realize how pleasant a streetcars is, but we Jews are no longer allowed to make use of this luxury.” In my own life I think about if I wasn’t allowed to be in a car and it seems like it would be very difficult to do. It’s absurd that Jews wouldn’t be able to drive a car or even get a ride from others when the weather is bad.This is another reason why it will stick with me. Something else from Anne’s life that will stick with me is how early Anne’s parents started moving their furniture to The Secret Annex and how the parents hid their planned move for so long. I never really thought about this before reading this book and now I have been thinking about it recently. The facts and information I got from The Diary of a Young Girl will stick with me for a while.

Conflict in ‘Of Mice and Men’

One conflict that I would like to elaborate on from Of Mice and Men is about Carlson insisting on shooting Candy’s dog. There was a conflict with Candy against the rest of the men in The Bunkhouse prior to the old dog finally getting shot, but I think the afterword problem is far more important to the plot. After Candy’s old dog was brought outside to be shot by Carlson, the text says, “Candy lay rigidly on his bed staring at the ceiling” Once Candy’s dog is killed, Candy is all alone. The old dog was his only family, since most people during this time seemed to lose touch with their family as soon as they went to find a job. Candy also feels useless since he is old and is missing a hand. As he lays on his bed, feeling empty inside, he knows that he will probably be fired soon, with nobody to be with him and nowhere to go. After Candy lay on his bed some more, listening to George tell Lennie once again about their dream, Candy says, “ ‘… Tell you what——‘ He leaned forward eagerly. ‘S’pose I went in with you guys… ‘“ Due to the old dog getting shot, Candy was all alone, which caused him to want to help Lennie and George fulfill their dream, as long as he could be in on it with them. Candy then offered to help them by putting in his three hundred and fifty dollars, which would have taken Lennie and George such a long time to get on their own. Now that Candy offered to help, Lennie and George’s dream started to become more and more real. So, the conflict with Candy, Carlson and the old dog actually had a positive effect on the plot.

Another conflict that had a large impact on the plot is with Curley. Curley thinks he is superior to all of the other men on the ranch because he is the boss’ son. He wants people to know that he is stronger than them and feels threatened by people just because he thinks that they might be stronger than them. In the beginning of the book, when Curley first meets Lennie, he dislikes him a lot. We then learn from Slim that this is because Lennie is big. Curley hates big people because he is a smaller man, and feels like they think that they are better than him, even if they don’t. This part was the beginning of the conflict which would have an impact on the plot. On page 62, directly after Lennie, George, and Candy had been talking about their dream life, the author says, “Lennie was smiling with delight of the memory of the ranch. Curly stepped over to Lennie like a terrier. ‘What the hell you laughin’ at?’ Lennie looked blankly at him. ‘Huh?’ Then Curley’s rage exploded …” The building up anger towards Lennie, only because he’s larger than him is the conflict that Lennie and Curley have. This one smile of Lennie was the last straw for Curley, even though Lennie didn’t direct it towards him. This anger that is filling Curley finally blows and Curley starts fighting Lennie, which ends with Lennie crushing Curley’s hand with his massive strength. Due to Lennie crushing Curley’s hand, Curley’s wife likes Lennie even more. I predict that this will cause an effect on the plot in the future, but in regards to the effect that it has on the plot so far, there is something. Now, Curley knows that he can be beat and it brings his power down a little. This is how this conflict between Lennie and Curley affect the plot.

Of Mice and Men Chapter 2

Describe the atmosphere of the ranch and bunkhouse. Be sure to include characteristics of different characters that were formally or informally introduced to us in this chapter. Support your choice with textual evidence and interpretation.

The atmosphere or mood that I get from the bunkhouse and the ranch is hopelessness. I see this in the text even before George and Lennie arrive there. On page 17, as George and Lennie are still on their way to the bunkhouse, the text says, “The bunkhouse was a long, rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed, floor unpainted… small, square windows… solid door with a wooden latch.” These few descriptions show the uninviting feel the place has, with no paint, little sunlight, plain white walls. This bunkhouse is a prison, being locked into the job, never knowing if you will ever leave. George and Lennie often talk about their dream of one day owning a farm of their own, and this job may be one of their only chances.

The characters that appear in Of Mice and Men also affect the atmosphere of the ranch. For instance, when a character that is friendly to Lennie and George, like Slim is, the atmosphere seems lighter and happier. There seems to be some hope when there is someone that they George can talk to and trust. “‘Course he ain’t mean… he gets in trouble… Like what happened in Weed—-‘ He stopped, stopped in the middle of turning a card. He looked alarmed and peered over at Slim. ‘You wouldn’t tell nobody?’... ‘You wouldn’t tell?... No, ‘course you wouldn’t.’ ” At this section George puts some of his greatest trust on Slim, this character that he just met. This trust brightens the mood and makes the ranch seem like a trustable place. But, the same thing can happen the opposite way. There are some characters that are not trustable, like Curley. Curly makes it clear that he doesn’t like George and Lennie, which makes a darker and less happy atmosphere of the ranch. These characteristics and other help to strengthen the atmosphere, one way or another.



Why doesn't Curley's wife have a name? What message, if anything, is John Steinbeck trying to send by not giving her a first name? Support your choice with textual evidence and interpretation.


Steinbeck might’ve chosen to not give Curley's wife a name to show how she is just an object to people. When men see her, they see her how she looks, not how her personality is. When George and Lennie first sees her, she asks them if they’ve seen Curley, thrusts her body forward to them, wearing tons of makeup and a cotton dress. According to the novella, “ Lennie still stared at the doorway where she had been. “ Gosh, she was purty.” He smiles admirably.” Steinbeck knew that if there was a woman who seemed to care only about looks, most people wouldn’t care about her name. Also, since the 1930’s was a time when women’s rights were changing, Steinbeck probably knew that there were still men who considered women as their property, and not having a name is a great way to dehumanize someone, so he gave Curley’s wife no name. Another instance where Curley’s wife is thought poorly of and talked about as if her looks were everything is on page 51. The text says, “ ‘Seen the new kid yet?’ He asked. ‘What kid?’ George asked. ‘Why, Curley’s new wife.’ ‘Yeah, I seen her.’ ‘Well, ain’t she a looloo?’”. A “Looloo” is an attractive woman. In this conversation, Whit starts it out by references Curly’s wife as “the new kid.” This seems like a term that is bringing someone down, not thinking of them as an adult. Then, they think of only her attractiveness and that is all Whit has to say about her. These may not have been Steinbeck’s intentions, but these are relevant anyways.


What are your overall impressions of Of Mice and Men thus far? Support your choice with a proper explanation.

Overall I am enjoying Of Mice and Men thus far. I have anticipated reading it for a year now, and I can barely stop myself from reading ahead. Of Mice and Men tells about a fictional journey of two men during The Great Depression in Salina, California. This novella is interesting because it tells you about how life was like during that time, but at the same time it also keeps you wanting to know what will happen next. Of Mice and Men tells about two men, George and Lennie, who are migrant workers during The Great Depression. migrant workers were a big part of The Great Depression, so it was a good idea for Steinbeck to include this. Steinbeck also gives small hints about other aspects of The Great Depression, such as lack of food, etc. This small way that he does it gives me a good overall impression of the book.

Morrie Aphorism blog

An aphorism from Tuesdays With Morrie is “... Love is how you stay alive, even after your gone.” This aphorism is saying that love is how we stay alive, even if you are just a memory of love. Morrie was saying that love is what we revolve around and if people love you, you will always be in their memories and they will always love you. And, when your memory is there, you are there. So, if you were loved when you were living, you will be loved once you are dead. Because, being loved is being alive. This aphorism may not just be talking about death, though. When you are loved, you are in the thoughts of your loved ones every time you are not with them. If you are just not home, or if you are on vacation, your loved ones will be thinking of you and loving you, and in a way, you are there.

I can relate this aphorism to a personal experience of mine, as can practically everyone since it is so relevant in life all the time. My personal experience may be different from other people’s, but the idea is still the same with this aphorism. A few months ago, I had a pet die. I loved her so dearly and was devastated when she was gone. But, through my love with her, I can feel her still alive in my mind and in my heart. This shows how this aphorism is relevant and true. With love, even if someone is gone, they are still alive. This aphorism shows how if your love is true, you will keep that love with you forever.

I agree with the aphorism “... love is how you stay alive, even after you’re gone.” because I can relate it to my everyday life. I can relate it to I being the one that remembers the people who are gone, because of love. If I didn’t love someone and now they are gone, they become extinguished from my memory and they are no longer alive to me. But, if I love someone, I remember them in my mind and I know they are alive in my heart and alive in my mind, even if they are dead. I can also relate this with how I treat others. I want to make people love me, so that once I am gone, I am still there in their hearts. This aphorism shows a phenomenon of everyday life, for everyone. If someone does good things in the world, and make people love them, they will be remembered daily because love makes people alive.

“All humans have one thing in common; that they are human” is my aphorism that I have made regarding to life. This aphorism is basically saying that everyone makes mistakes and I think it really summarizes life in general. People might feel sad because they think they are different than everyone else or because someone made them feel bad, but this aphorism would show them that they aren’t that much different from everyone else. And, just like they aren’t perfect, no one else is either.

End of The Year Reflections

As I sit here and reflect on my ELA class this past year, my brain fills with information, memories, and other nostalgic thoughts that I will cherish forever. I ponder about what was the most important, though, and my mind goes blank. Every piece of information, every word that was read is important to know and I almost cannot choose. But, I can narrow it down to the important things for life, since some of it just gives me a good laugh. The number one important thing I learned to do this year that will help me in the future, is annotating. Before this year, I never annotated. I’m not sure I had even heard of the concept. But, after many long chapters annotated to the fullest, I can honestly say that I know how to annotate. I have even found myself annotating books read on my free time, not even realizing it until it’s done. I know I will find myself annotating books in the future, just to fully understand the words being read. Annotating is a skill that I will hold on to forever.

I cannot tell what the future will hold, but I can predict what might happen, and what I will remember. One thing that I think that I will remember, for possibly the rest of my life, is the To Kill A Mockingbird unit. This unit included the most annotating I have done in my life, the reading of a complex book, the making of many tedious socratic seminars, and a feast. The feast was probably the most memorable event to me, since it was the finale to the unit. And, we all brought food and ate together, which was a very rare event I will probably remember this for a long time. All of these events were interesting to me, and gave me many stories to tell and memories to think about.

This class was, in general, very nice to me and other classmates. I remember countless times where a classmate filled me in on something I missed or explained something to me that I didn’t understand. It would be unfair of me to prioritize any of these everyday kind gestures. So, I do not have a “nicest thing someone in our class did”, due to there being so many nice gestures and so many nice people.

I would like to think that I have taught someone in my classroom something this year, but I don’t know because I haven’t heard anyone mention it. I’m sure that I have taught my classmates small things, like how to do an essay if they needed clarification or what to annotate about if they didn’t know. But, I haven’t taught anyone anything major, or I would certainly know about it. Honestly, I don’t think I have ever taught anyone a life lesson or anything major like that. But, I am fine with that because I do what I can and I try to always try my best.

As I look back on this past year, I can see many aspects that I improved in. I improved in my writing, my reading, my annotating, and even my social skills somewhat. But, I think the biggest improvement I made was in my reading and annotating. Now, I can fully understand the text being read, through my annotating, which is an improvement in both of the reading and the annotating aspect. In a way, these aspects are connected because they affect each other. So, it makes sense that these would be the two areas that I improve in. I have improved in annotating from all of the practice I have gotten from To Kill A Mockingbird, Night, and Of Beetles And Angels. Now, I have noticed that I am annotating in my free choice reading books not even thinking about it. This is something that I am proud of.

This year, I experienced the perfect amount of challenges in my ELA class. I wasn’t overwhelmed by all the challenges, but I also wasn’t bored by the lack of challenges. But, even with all these challenges there was probably one challenge that stood out among the rest. This challenge is referred to as “Socratic Seminars”. Socratic seminars were really stressful to me and I always just couldn’t do them right. Since I typically tend to be a quiet person, having a conversation with the entire class is difficult to me. I always found myself unable to talk even when I had something to say. But, after many of these socratic seminars, I had my best socratic seminar of the year, which happened to be the last one with Mrs.Larson present. I talked about four times during this particular socratic seminar, which is good compared to my average of one or two times. I feel like next year, this concept of socratic seminars will be less of a challenge for me.

I did lots of writing this year, through blogs, essays, stories, etc. When I look back, it is almost unbelievable how many words I actually wrote. So, I cannot say which was my “best” piece of the year. But, in this passage I will determine which of these pieces of writing isn’t the best. By doing this, I will find out which is one of the best. As I sit here and think about my writing, I realize that the passages I wrote in the beginning of the year were not the best. I had almost no experience with writing when I began this year. I recall not knowing what I was doing, and therefore rushing through them, not doing my best. I grimace when I reread my first writings of the year, noticing so many more mistakes, and so much more I could have done. So, I have to say that my recent writing has got to be my best, since I’ve had much more experience and have learned so much more things.

Most of the books I have read this year were enjoyable to me and I cannot possibly decide which of these was my overall favorite. But, I can say that one that I would consider a favorite was To Kill a Mockingbird. I liked this book a lot because it had a perfect proportion of fiction to history. In the reading of this book, I heard an interesting story, and also learned useful facts. I also learned about the events of The Great Depression, which I found interesting. Plus, I got to read about the classic story of Scout, Jem, and Atticus, which I had been waiting to read.

Now that I have almost completed my ELA class of the 2018-2019 school year, I have so much more experience, I am so much more wise, and I am so much better at things than I used to be. So, I must give the future students of Mrs.Larson’s ELA class some advice. The first advice I would give them would be to just try your best and you will do great. I would tell them to have faith that you will do good, and you will do good. Also, check your work again and again to make sure you did you best work. And, finally, I would tell them that less is sometimes more.

Tuesdays With Morrie Blog

“The Fifth Tuesday: We Talk about Family” was the most impactful on me because I could relate to it the most. It is important to talk about family because family is always there for you and they should be the closest people in the world to you. Family is who we rely on and family is the reason we live the way we do. Our family is who impacts our lives the most and makes us become the people we become. As Morrie said, “The fact is, there is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand if it isn’t the family.” Family is typically who keeps you through life, and if it isn’t for your family, you will fall. Throughout this chapter of Tuesdays With Morrie, Morrie explains to Mitch that if it wasn’t for his loving, caring family, he would fall, and let his sickness take over him. “Love each other or perish”, Morrie explained. I can relate to these words, because if I feel like I am not loved, and I would surely feel like I am dying, because love is how we keep going on in life. Even through just reading these sentences, I am impacted by the words of it. I become thankful for my family and for all the love that I have. I also develop empathy for those who have no love, or have no family. This is most likely what Morrie felt as he said these words many, many years ago.

Another point Morrie brings up is how wonderful it is to make a family. He says, “There is no experience like having children.” This aspect of this chapter doesn’t relate to me very much, since at this point in my life, I am a child myself. But, the ending part of it impacted me, Morrie says, “Even though there is a price you have to pay… Because I’ll be leaving them soon.” I worry about my family leaving me in this way, or I leaving them. The fact that someone else feels this way makes me feel better in a way. I know that I have to love them and appreciate them while I can, as Morrie told Mitch in this chapter. While Mitch is talking to Morrie about family, he starts to reflect back on his own family. He thinks about his siblings, his parents, and in particular, his brother. He reflects on how his relationship with his brother isn’t what he wants it to be. While reading this, I started to reflect on my own family. I thought about my own younger brother. We fight sometimes but we know that we love each other. As Morrie said, “Without love, we are birds with broken wings.” I feel like I know what Mitch went through because my brother and I have gone through that too at times. I am just glad that I have love, or ai would not be able to live.