Yay Summer!

The great thing that blogs bring to students can be explained as followed, “Self-expression must pass into communication for its fulfillment.” –Pearl S. Buck. This quote is exactly what some blogs were about for me. Over the past school year I have learned that blogs, although a seemingly tedious extra assignment to be the icing on my cupcake of projects to complete each week, can actually be very helpful as a way to express myself while also being productive and on task with school work. Unfortunately, I didn’t discover this until recently, and in my blogs it is apparent that some blogs meant more to me. I think what I liked best, is that we didn’t get feedback, so no one could tell me that my thoughts, ideas, and interpretations of anything to everything were wrong, but I still knew my peers would have access to my blog, so it made me strive for quality more. I was able to say was I thought, and not get judged on whether my opinion agreed with my peers’ or my teacher’s.

The blogs I was able to enjoy most were the ones that asked my opinion and didn’t have strict guidelines, compared to the ones that asked me to analyze something and need certain structure. Mr. Eggers sheds some light on the tremendous impact self expression can have on a student in this short passage, “The key thing is, even if you only have a couple of hours a month, those two hours shoulder-to-shoulder, next to one student, concentrated attention, shining this beam of light on their work, on their thoughts and their self-expression, is going to be absolutely transformative, because so many of the students have not had that ever before.” -Dave Eggers. Although it is a great thing to learn how to express your thoughts in a plethora of ways, including in structured writing, people need a way of self expression, but many often don’t recognize how to do so. That is why blogging could be very beneficial to a student who didn’t discover the wonderful world of writing about their own thoughts and opinions on their own.

“Olivia’s English Blog” has definitely been a good tool I could use to help me brainstorm, learn, and grow as a writer. It was also a helpful resource to look back at when typing essays. The blog not only helped me learn more interesting ways to convey my message, but I was able to take pride in my work, which helped me realize the importance of enjoying what I do, and even if I don’t enjoy doing something, making it something I am proud of. So not only did the blog help me develop, grow and absorb information as a writer, it also helped shape me as a person. There is something awesome about going back and looking at my work, being able to see my own thoughts and opinions from before, along with my writing style and, shall we say, lack of vocabulary. I have learned a lot from my first year of high school, and I am glad that I gritted my teeth and did the blogs, because it has certainly paid off in the end to be able to reflect on my progress not only in English class, but in 

other classes as well and how I have mentally aged as a person.

THE END.

Favorite assignment

There have been loads of assignments this year that I could choose my favorite one is the last blog called "A Good Experience with Poetry." Maybe it's because it is most fresh in my mind, but I thoroughly enjoyed completing this blog. The assignment was to "consider my poetry background" and "write several paragraphs on how it positively affected" my life. And then I had to share about how I feel about poetry now.
I really enjoyed this assignment because it was the first time I connected with what I was writing about, and I felt purpose when writing the blog post. One contribution to why I may have liked this particular post could be that I finished it on a Wednesday, when far too often I finish blogs on Saturdays, but I don't think that was the main reason. I really got to voice my opinion while writing and I felt like I accomplished something when I was done. I liked that I finally was able to express my own thoughts and emotions in my work, instead of what I was supposed to write about and someone else's ideas.
Another key reason that I enjoyed this assignment so much was that ever since I seem to be writing poetry far more often. Before the post I wrote a poem her and there. I was stressed out beyond belief and I felt overloaded with everything going on in my life. But now that I am writing at least a poem a day I feel much more serene. This post gave me the opportunity to find something that helps me think more clearly. I am grateful for the assignment, because finding a better way to express myself has made all the difference.

POETRY.

Shel Silverstein was basically how I was introduced to poetry. Of course when I was even younger I heard nursery rhymes, but I didn't recognize them as "poetry".  But Shel Silverstein was my gateway into the world of poets. His words were fun and silly and just made me feel better about myself. Although poetry is far too often dark and intense (and that can be a good thing) I miss reading the fun careless words of Mr. Silverstein that made me enjoy my child hood.

I was in second grade, Mrs. Ryan's class. We all lined up in the pod and everyone was "shhh"ing each other, which was only making it louder. It was everyones' favorite time of the week: time to go to the library. Along with everyone else I gathered around Mrs. People's chair scrambling to get that perfect spot on the carpet next to the bookcase and all my friends. I sat there, leaning against the book case, waiting for Mrs. Peoples to excuse us so I could go read my favorite book to cuddle up with in the library. When she let us go my best friend and I "briskly walked" over to the section by the big metal book stairs that had Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends we climbed to the top of the book tower, and plopped down, knowing we were in for twenty minutes of giggles and pure joy, soaking in the very beginning of a whole new world of poetry. 

I knew nothing of prose, allusions, iambic pentameter, or onomatopoeia. All I knew is Where the Sidewalk Ends was so popular that no one was aloud to check it out anymore. And I knew reading it just made me feel better and sent me home from school with a smile on my face. It was funny, it rhymed, and some of the poems were long (to a second grader), some were short, and some were just right, like my favorite "Spaghetti." It was funny, it rhymed, it sort of used repetition, and "pasketty" was just my favorite food. I had the page number memorized, and knew exactly where to find it. The poems in Where The Sidewalk Ends were funny, clever, and made me happy. There was a variety to choose from, each with its own individual tale and way to make me read, think, and laugh all at the same time.

I love writing poetry; on weekends, during winter break, spring break, and from 2:37pm to 8:00am on week days. Writing a cute little rhyme can be a fun way to surprise a friend, or a good way to remember something important, or it can be my way to release all of my energy and thoughts onto a piece of paper, or a napkin even. When I write a poem it is like the weight of the world is being lifted off my shoulders. It takes away all of the bad feelings inside me, and leaves me refreshed with a clear mind. But when you mix school with poetry it takes all the fun out of it for me. I don't like reading poetry if I don't personally know the author, because there isn't much I can do about their aching soul. Also one poem can have a plethora of meanings, so when a teacher says "No, Olivia, what the author is actually getting at is ______." it may open my mind to a different view of the poem, but no one can really be wrong in poems' meanings. When writing poetry in school my poems aren't very good because I don't like to share my personal expression of my thoughts and feelings with my class mates or my teacher. Poetry is a personal thing, and when you have to turn it in or assign it that takes away from the privacy of ones thoughts and emotions.