Aalim's English Blog

 Today we went over another reading. This time we were doing the exercise to prepare for the test after we get back from Spring Break. In the test, we have to do two essays. Unfortunately, Mr. Rease has not taught any lessons on essays or assigned any essays to write throughout the semester. My classmate Raeshawn also shared the same concern. We read about student debt and how it affects US citizens. We then answered the questions as a group.

 Today my headphones broke again. I had to get a replacement part built but Mr. Bowman was not in class that day. In class, we did a vocabulary exercise. Mr. Rease was not in class so we had Ms. Cook and another substitute teacher monitoring us. For the rest of the class period, I spent my time socializing with my classmates.

 Today we submitted the poems we worked on yesterday. Then we did a reading exercise. We read about self-driving cars. I remembered watching a video in middle school on self-driving cars. Here we are in 2023, and people are sleeping behind the wheel in their Teslas. I learned about the pros and cons of self-driving cars, and come to the conclusion that self-driving cars would be good for those with a disability but unnecessary as a luxury flex.

 Today we worked on a website called "Common App". This site helps students apply to colleges faster. As a class we set up our accounts, picked our colleges of interest then worked on our essays. The essay had to be at least 250 words and a max of 650. In my essay, I answered the question, what was an accomplishment that I made that sparked a period of growth? 

 Today we made a poem in class. This is my poem. 

      Today we took a test on fences. Both the multiple-choice and essay portion was pretty straightforward. For the multiple-choice, I used the process of elimination. For the essay portion, I remembered the scene relating to the essay question. Overall, the test was pretty easy.

 Today was a chill day. Ms. Cook never got to read the short story, so we worked on vocabulary words. I guess I'd say I learned some new words, but most likely not use them. 

Today we did an online exercise in class. I was looking forward to reading the short story with Ms. Cook. While in the first period, my headphones broke. I had to build a new part to replace the part that broke using the school's 3D printer. Here is how it came out:

 Today we watched the rest of the movie, Fences. Directed by Denzel Washington, this film is truly a cinematic masterpiece. My favorite scene in the movie was when Troy was confronting Cory on why he does not like him. Troy does not say it, but he loves him. Love is the nurturing of something to help it reach its full potential. Like is merely validation. The problem with modern society is that people live off validation through social media. 

     Today we watched the movie Fences. Denzel Washington did an excellent job directing the film and portraying the actor, Troy. I enjoyed seeing how the actors were able to bring the characters to life through emotion and articulation. While watching the movie, we did an exercise. It consisted of a few questions about the story.

 Today we finished the book. Troy dies of a heart attack while practicing his baseball swings. Raynell is now seven years old. Cory comes back from the Marines to visit his family. He does not want to go to Troy's funeral because he didn't see eye to eye with his father.

 Today we continued reading Fences. The main character Troy has a fisticuff with his son Cory. Consequently, Cory is kicked out of the house. All he had to do was say “excuse me” to his father so he could go up the steps to the house. His ignorance got the best of him. Cory joins the Marines to stay off the streets.

 Today we continued reading Fences. The main character Troy produced a baby with a woman he was seeing at Taylor’s. Unfortunately she died while giving birth to the baby. As a result, Rose had to care for the child which they named, Raynell. He also built the fence around the house that would protect him physically and mentally.

 Today, we continued to read Fences. The year is 1957, and Troy and his friend Bono work a sanitation job. Troy complains about not being able to drive the truck instead of dumping the trash from the heavy cans. He comes home to his wife rose and his son Cory who joins his high school football team. Troy, will only allow Cory to play football as long as he maintains his job and does his chores.

 Today we started reading Fences; a screenplay by August Wilson. We are introduced to  Troy, a father with large hands and black-like features. Bono is a follower of Troy and has been friends with him for a long time. Rose is Troy's wife. Lyons is Troy's first son from a previous marriage. He is 34 years old and is pursuing a career in music.

 Today we did a benchmark test for the current unit. It was pretty straightforward. Read the passage and answer the questions. In between answering the questions, I would observe the class. Some classmates were napping, and others played video games or scrolling on social media. I was able to finish the test a few minutes before the bell rang and felt pretty confident about my answer choices. There was one question that I wasn't so sure about. Overall, I did well.

 Today we did a poem about the life cycle and how all good things come to an end. Good things do come to an end but then they come back. Not the same as last time. They may be better or worse. Overall, they come back.

  Today I was not in class because I have a cold.

 Today I was not in class because I have a cold.

 Today we watched our classmates give their analysis presentations for the short story, "Ambush". During presentations, the basketball team was paraded out of the school. We exited the classroom briefly to view the parade. While outside the classroom, I saw some of my classmates and we dapped each other up in the hallway. After the parade, we went back to class to view the rest of the presentations.

Today, my group and I presented our analysis for the short story called "Ambush". It's a fictional short story about a soldier in the Vietnam war who experienced his first kill. The story shows how killing someone can affect one mind. After presenting our project, we listened to our other classmates who barely managed to complete theirs. After the presentation, we answered additional questions about the story.

 Today we did an analysis of the short story we read yesterday. It's a fictional short story about a soldier in the Vietnam war who experienced his first kill. The story shows how killing someone can affect one's mind. I was tasked with finding quotes from the story and finding the meaning of each quote. Tomorrow, I am going to present my project to my classmates along with my group members.