Welcome back to Crossland, and welcome to our virtual classroom! This will be a place for you to contact me any time of the day, and a place where we can continue our classroom discussions outside of the classroom. If you have questions or concerns about an assignment, you can reach me here or via email. Every week I will post a blog related to something we're doing in the classroom. Once a week you will be required to respond to the question for a weekly Blog homework assignment.
Week one blog assignment: Tell me about one powerful experience you had over the summer. Using as much description as possible, tell me why this experience had such an impact on you. Did the experience help you grow as an individual? Was it positive or negative? In your response, after your FULL NAME (first and last, no nick names please!) please write the period/day you have me for English class (2A, 3A, 2B, or 3B)!
Again, welcome to a new school year! I look forward to working with you face-to-face in room 222, and I look forward to communicating here in our virtual classroom!
William Martin 2B
ReplyDeleteDuring the course of my summer camp heading into thursday we were going to take a trip to the local church and be of auxiliary during the food drive. Apprehension evolved into an insipid disposition for I had no interest in helping out these ostensible "hobos". My camp counselor Ben encouraged me to help out, reluctantly I assisted one old woman by storing her car with the goods in minutes one old woman turned into two, then an oldman, then four more people, I was helping! The experience was positive for me because I was shedding my distant shell and aiding the needy. I can definetly say I grew as a person by learning to extend a helping hand rather than holding two hostage to my selfishness.
On a side note i'm proud to have the first entry for the 2011-2012 schoolyear and look foward to any other stories entered.
Nekia Williams 2B
ReplyDeleteDuring the summer, one powerful experience I had was helping my church feed the homeless. At first I didnt want to go because I thought I would be rude and laugh. I actually made it through the day an in the end, I think i became a better person. You never know how fortunate you are unless so see how unfortunate another person is. Going through this made me wanna do better with my life.
I Really Didn't do anything this summer. I did travel to six states, flew on a plane, rode in an RV, hang with friends, and see wild animals. I got to help my grandparents knowing they are up in age. While I ws down in Florida I had a neighbor that had a mental illness. So I had a chance to see how they struggle through everyday life. So besically that was my summer.
ReplyDelete-Ja'Kia Hamilton
Kenya Lorick 2B
ReplyDeleteThis summer, one powerful experience I had was when I was at the mall and this woman asked me for a dollar, I gave her one and she started talking about her life. I actually listened instaed of walking away and she told me about all her problems she faced over the summer. That made me think of alot of things and made me grateful for my life.
Brandon Miller 2B
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I guess my most powerful experience was going to Richmond VA with my Dad and some of our friends.It really gave me some real time to spend with him and helped me to appreciate how fortunate I am to have a father who chooses to spend time with me instead of feeling obligated to do it or just not do it at all.Me and my Dad now have open conversations about almost anything and don't argue as much anymore.
Earl Childress 2B
ReplyDeleteThroughout the 2011 my most powerful experience would have to be the 4th of July. It allowed me to see family members i don't really get to see for once clothes the way i talked and what i laughed at didn't matter. It was nice to spend quality time with family, i had the chance to catch up with them and here what they been up to. Now after that day me and most of my cousin's talk almost 3 times a week. It was also nice to here words of encouragement from aunts and uncles. Im looking forward to next years 4th of july :).
Kiera Jones 2B
ReplyDeleteI would say that the one powerful experience I had this summer was getting the opportunity to go to Howard University to earn community service hours with my neighbor. I bascially was there to help assist anyone if needed, such as stuffing and labeling envelopes or filing documents in alphabetical order. This experience not only helped me to earn hours but it also gave me a feeling for howard, since I'm considering going to that college once I graduate.
Thanks, William, for being the first to respond, and for sharing your story about helping the elderly.
ReplyDeleteNekia, I agree with you - helping the homeless can be a very moving experience indeed. I'm glad you stepped out of your comfort zone to do this!
Jakia, wow! It sounds like you had a very dense, emotionally-charged summer. Where did you travel in your RV? My dream is to home school my kids in an RV on the road! Yes, being around people who might have emotional stability issues can be a humbling experience, I agree.
Kenya, I bet you didn't bargain for such an experience when you gave that woman a dollar. You see, she gave you more than money can buy - her story, which helped you realize how fortunate you are compared to someone else's troubles. It's all relative. Thanks for sharing!
Brandon, I'm so glad you got to spend some quality time with your father. This is so important. Keep this up, and keep the lines of communication between him and you open. Bravo!
Earl, I'm glad you got to spend time with some of your cousins you don't see often on the 4th!
Kiera, Thanks for sharking your experience at Howard University. I'm glad you got to explore a college you may be interested in attending in a few years.
Thanks everyone who responded to this blog so far. This summer I had a good time with my mother-in-law from Hungary. My wife is Hungarian, as I mentioned to you all in class. Her mother was recently diagnosed with cancer, but this summer she was in good spirits, and healthy. She's really fighting off the illness, and it was very moving to spend part of the summer with her before my summer job started. We take our loved ones for granted at times. This experience taught me to spend more quality time with loved ones because we never know what might take them away from us.
I'll see you all in class!
Terrell Kornegay, 2B
ReplyDeleteWell, a powerful Summer experience I've had is going through with my first job, that being a caterer in a catering company. It's not necessarily as hard as my previous teachers said having a job would be but it was definitely something I had to take seriously. Waking up early in the morning for something other than school was kind of a shock to me but after getting used to it, it fell into routine and I was ready for it every time. I've done many things so far; from loading and unloading the back of a cargo truck to being a waiter to many men and women in formal attire. (All of this being the same job, of course). I've even gotten myself into a sort of a sticky situation involving theft which I had unknowingly taken part in. My supervisor and co-worker were fired but I wasn't since I wasn't even scheduled that day and I didn't really even know what I was doing. All in all, I had obtained A LOT of experience from this job and it taught me so much. I'm glad I can still work during the school year. (Hope I didn't type too much!)
Tatiana Salazar 2B
ReplyDeleteThe most powerful expierince I had this summer was going back to Mexico. This expierince had a big impact on me because I hadn't been to Mexico since I was three and I didn't remember anything from there. My spanish isn't the best so I did have trouble reading things and understanding what my cousins were saying to me. I also had to learn how to understand the metric system, which was confusing at times especially when my mother would send me to buy groceries and it involed weighing and measuring things. I also couldn't talk to my friends back in the states because there was no internet. I think this expierince did help me grow as a person because I learned many new things it was a really positive expierince.
Alexus Unique Parker 2B
ReplyDeleteThis summer while my mother was pregnant, i had the experience of helping a pregnant person. I helped her name the baby and helped her plan the baby shower as well as helped my mother stay on track with her eating and drinking of water, as she is very stubborn. The process was very tiring and fun. It helped me grow close to my mother.
Juwan Whitaker 2B
ReplyDeleteOver the course of the summer I worked at my mom's daycare. I held a basketball clinic for the youth that attended the camp. We had pratice on Mondays and Wednesdays . Even though I didn't have to work every day throughout the week I still went to the daycare to help out. It was a great experience for me working with the youth. It taught me to have more patience and accept all childrens capabilities according to the skills they had. They really appreciated me as well for my time and effort. Many of the parents and staff commented on the teamwork skills and growth the children had learned and accomplished.
My powerful experience I had over the summer was cheerleading practice ,because I got to interact with my team more and we had a really great time. This experience did help me grow as a individual because usually I don't get along with females but I love my team. This experience was quite fun also because I made some new friends for the new school year. p.s sorry for responding late!!!!
ReplyDeleteJazmin Horton-2B
ReplyDeleteA powerful experience I had during the summer was helping plan my aunt's wedding. It had a powerful impact on me because, i got to learn something new, while also seeing another side of people that I haven't seen before. My grandmother is planning majority of it, and claims that my aunt is a "bridezilla" but I beg to differ. Although it had its up's and downs, I learned something new, and it brought us closer. Sorry for responding late!
Charles Owens 2B
ReplyDeleteA powerful experience I had during the summer was attending a basketball academy in Florida. It helped me develop my game into becoming a better player and person. They taught us life lessons that I think will help me out alot in my life. It also allowed me to do something I love which is to play basketball.
This summer I got to participate in a fashion show both walking and dancing at the intermission. The experience was impactful for me because I got to improve on my walk and meet new people. Eventhough Im on the dance team at school, modeling helps me with my stage presence because it elps me get over stage fright and dancing at the intermission helped me practice my moves and my facials. It was definately a positive experience because I got to do 2 of my favorite acivities at the same time. I hope I get another opportunity like that one.
ReplyDeleteDuring the summer I have had the chance to participate in a program called C.O.L.P (Cadet Officer Leadership Program) for ROTC. There, I learned how to become a leader, how to read maps and compasses, how to talk in front of an audience, and also learned how to drill. I have also made a new family during my week at camp. I was assigned to India flight, and my sister flight was Juliet. The food there (the delicious food...) was better than I expected. But, in the middle of the night it was always hot and that prevented me from getting any sleep the whole week I was at camp. At the end of camp, I have earned 4 ribbons for my uniform, and a certificate. I've had a good time at C.O.L.P and I am also hoping to go back and become a Training Instructor.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the new comments! I'll respond to all of you shortly! See you in class!
ReplyDeleteMr. S
This summer there wasnt anything that I stood out to me. The most interesting thing I did was go to Six Flags of America with my family. This was interesting because we stayed until the closing time.
ReplyDeleteClifton White 2B
D'Amonte White Period2B
ReplyDeleteI can't really say that i had a powerful experience this summer. I went to Myrtle Beach,SC and it was an experience because I had never been there before. I really hated the 8 hour drive, but it was worth. I spent quality time with my family and we all had fun. If I had the option I would go back sometime.
Well, my powerful experience was when I attended an acting camp called Act Your Best. While there i made soooo many new friend tht now mean alot to me. My mentor Ms. Jamila helped me to become a better actress. The choreographers Ms. Shanice and Mr. Elrodi were huge inspirations towards my dancing. During the whole process i think everyone that participated in the program learned how to better their social skills and reall find themselves.
ReplyDeleteAnja Perry 2B
ReplyDeleteWell, my powerful experience was when I attended an acting camp called Act Your Best. While there i made soooo many new friend tht now mean alot to me. My mentor Ms. Jamila helped me to become a better actress. The choreographers Ms. Shanice and Mr. Elrodi were huge inspirations towards my dancing. During the whole process i think everyone that participated in the program learned how to better their social skills and reall find themselves
Ray Vann 2B
ReplyDeleteDuring the summer i had a recent experience that some may say is negative but to me it was positive. One sunday night i was with a group of friends and we went out to eat to see her off. After ward some went home but as for the other half of us we went to somebody house and we wanted to smoke (spark). So as we were smoking feeling good and enjoying our selves we went back in the pwople true colors started to come out and things were being said and some of those things were about me. Now to some people that would be the worst thing that they would want to hear but for me i found it funny. How is it took for someone to drink for them to actually be real about how they view me when they are suppose to be so real and so up front 24/7 cause they go hard like that? What i take from this is that no matter how you think someone feels you will never really kno until they show who they really are. I grow from this because no matter how someone feels about me i will never stop being me and if its not liked then so what its not my problem.
Fatima Ahmed 2b
ReplyDeleteover this summer, I went to rotc boot camp. It had a positive impact on me bacause it showed me discipline and how to work better. Thats all I really did over the summer, and it was fun because we had alot of activities and I learned alot from it. I also went to the beach once, and we bought all this stuff, but never got to use it.
Thanks every who responded! Job well done for the first week's blog!
ReplyDeleteMr. S
Terrell,
ReplyDeleteGreat response! No you didn’t type too much. Sounds like you learned a lot at the catering job you had. I’m glad you were able to get out of the sticky situation. Sometimes we all get in these…
Tatiana,
Glad you got to go back to Mexico! Yes, the metric system is hard to learn, tell me about it! When I lived in Europe it took me some time to adjust. I’m sure your Spanish would improve if you started using it more in the States! Good luck!
Alexus,
Sounds like you really love your mother. She must really be grateful that she has such a caring daughter to help her out during pregnancy. You must really be looking forward to your new sibling. When is the due date?
Juwan,
Being around kids in a daycare can be a humbling experience. It sounds like you grew a lot as a young man during this experience. I’m glad you were brave enough to take on such a challenge.
Christina James,
Will you be part of Crossland’s cheerleading team?
Jazmin,
How did the wedding go?
Charles,
Will you play on Crossland’s bball team?
Dominique,
Will you be on the fashion team at Crossland as well?
Tiras,
So you spent some time in India? What was this experience like during the COLP experience other than the hot weather? Tell us more about it in class!
Clifton,
Ah, we all love Six Flags, don’t we?!
D’Amonte,
I’ve always wanted to visit Myrtle Beach.
Anja,
You should really get a drama team together at Crossland. Now that we’ll have an auditorium, maybe you call can put on a play in the near future!
Ray,
Sounds like you had an intense summer. You should save the smoking and drinking for when you’re over 21, or never – all of this is bad for the human mind and body.
Fatima,
Boot camp. You survived, eh? What was the hardest thing about boot camp?
Alexia Strickland 2B
ReplyDeleteDuring the summer , one powerful moment i had was visiting a woman's shelter and helping them out. Going on the visit helped open my eyes to see how fortunate i am and how i take everything i have for granted because its a lot more people who are enduring way more trials than I am. I Helped cook , clean , and donated food / clothes to the younger children who were with their parents in the shelter. Seeing those kids made me feel sorry for them so now every couple of months I Pack up a big bag of clothes and donate them to good will just to put a smile on another person's face.