Kimberly's English Blog

 In Countee Cullen’s “Incident,” a brief encounter and a few words have a lasting impact on the speaker. Sometimes, a single conversation, whether positive, negative, encouraging, or difficult, can stay with us and change the way we think, feel, or see ourselves.  Prompt: Write about a conversation that changed you. What was said, and why did that conversation have such a lasting impact on you? Prompt Response: A conversation that changed me was when I first started ROTC. As a first year, it felt pretty intimidating, especially perceiving the military atmosphere as strict and alarming. But, with the persuasion of my friends, I joined. The best part, every stressor and lonely feeling melted away once Sergeant Williams arrived with his booming enthusiasm and determined nature. He said that we all had the chance to be great leaders and be successful in our future. It really inspired me to be more active in ROTC and help others because by helping in my community, I could help in t...

 Prompt: Write about something that you believed as a child. Prompt Response: Something that I believed as a child was Santa Claus. I remember vividly that once winter break was over, we all got to talk about what presents we got at Christmas. Then, once I got the opportunity to talk about the gifts I got, Jamal told me Santa Claus wasn’t real. We were all in elementary school, so nobody knew the truth at the time. But since I respected Santa Claus, I defended his existence strongly. In the end, I was confidently wrong.  Summary: In class, we did the Fences test. Reflection: I realized that I should stop second guessing myself, as if I drift away from my certain answer and pick another option during testing, it could be the wrong one and lower my grade.

Prompt:  Troy’s complaint about the unfair job system shows his frustration with racial discrimination. How did this conversation make you think about fairness and opportunity in society today? If you were in Troy’s position, what would you do? Prompt Response: This conversation makes me think that there  is validity to Troy’s claim and how we still have it in this generation, just more subtly. As when we apply for jobs, our names and the race option choice that we pick out makes job employers easily discriminate against minorities. As online, someone had admitted that when they clicked the “white” option on the job application, they were able to have a job interview with less hastle. If I was in Troy’s position I would have to be my own Boss and be welcoming to those of any ethic background. As the reason why the U.S. is very popular and successful is because it’s a melting pot of different people with great ideas. As long as I have a good product to sell  with reliable ...

Prompt: Now that we have finished reading Fences and you are completing your final project, reflect on your overall understanding of the play. Which character, conflict, or theme has stood out to you the most, and why? Explain how your project represents what you learned about the play. Prompt Response: The character that stood out to me the most was Cory. As despite being influenced from the pessimistic mindset from his father to not expect to succeed as a black boy due to systemic racism, he still tries to peruse football. Even though he fears his father, he still argues back, for a chance to follow his dream. But, due to Troy being stubborn to sign the permission papers of the college recruiter, Cory has to depend on the U.S. Marine Corps, so now he may never play football. My project represents what I learned from the play, as I showed what Cory wanted, football, showing a football poster and a mouth guard, to what Cory got in the end once he became apart of the marine corps, as I ...

 Prompt: Now that we have finished reading Fences and you are completing your final project, reflect on your overall understanding of the play. Which character, conflict, or theme has stood out to you the most, and why? Explain how your project represents what you learned about the play. Prompt Response: The conflict that stood out to me the most was between Cory and Troy. As Troy and Cory both had similar wants. Troy wanted to play baseball and play in the major leagues. While Cory wanted to play football and have a successful future. But, due to Troy’s bitterness, Cory could never fulfill his dream because his father sabotaged his future. Troy did not try to understand his wrong doing as didn’t he feel the same thing when he used to play his favorite sport? I was very immersed, it relates to my project, as my project about items in the trash, I show that Troy and Cory go hand in hand. As from what I learned from the play, I made sure to include their favorite sports and show thei...

Prompt: At the end of Fences, forgiveness becomes an important part of the characters moving forward. Do you think forgiving someone means you also have to forget what they did? Why or why not? Connect your response to your own experiences or observations. Prompt Response: Forgiving someone doesn't mean you have to forget what they did. It seems harsh to say, as you can recognize the growth the person has made, but I will never change my answer. In most cases, it's usually the safest option. For example, those who are stuck in cycles of abusive relationships can forgive and forget, but if their abuser happens to relapse and hurt their partner emotionally and physically, it undermines the evidence of what happened- the toxic actions they've done in the past- by deciding to be forgiving first; it could've been avoided. So I believe that people deserve to be wary of what actions you did in the past, and give their judgment rather than blindly forgiving and forgetting. Summ...

 Prompt: Before watching the movie clips, you probably formed your own picture of the characters, their personalities, and how certain scenes would look. Choose one character or scene that appeared differently in the movie than you imagined while reading. What was different, and did the movie change how you understood that character or scene?    Prompt Response: One character that appeared differently in the movie than what I imagined was Troy. Instead of a bald head and beer belly, Troy had a head full of hair and didn't look too overweight at all. The movie changed how I understood the character, as despite having a filthy attitude, there were no overexaggerated features that could portray him as a bad guy if you ever saw him in public. That's where I give my props, as this is where Troy's voice comes into play; that booming voice was very impactful in reminding you of his character; it could scare anybody. Not only can Troy be perceived as a normal person in every...

 Prompt: Troy’s revelation changes his relationship with Rose. Do you think one major lie or betrayal can permanently change how you see someone, even if you have known and trusted that person for years? Explain your reasoning and how trust can or cannot be rebuilt. Prompt Response: A precious connection that has been built up for years can be broken by one major lie or betrayal. Imagine exposing your vunerability, like your emotions and struggles, throughout the years, possbily percieving them as your personal confidant, only for them to betray you. As they preferred to neglect honesty in your friendship. This can cause major trust issues for the victim in the future because of what you've done to their brain and heart. Friendship should never because of someone's cruel action.  Summary: In class, we read "Fences" by August Wilson and watched a clip from the movie.  Reflection: While reading, I was captivated by how Bono was defending Rose's character from Troy. ...

 Prompt: In "The Rockiple", John and Roy do not always receive the same treatment from the adults in their family. Have you ever felt that you or someone else in your family was treated differently from everyone else? What caused the difference, and do you think it was fair? Explain. Prompt Response: Despite being the youngest, I had to be the most present for my mother's services. When I come home, I hope to relax after dealing with a long drive with kids screaming on the bus and the torturous heat. But instead, I have to be the most dependable for my mother. I seem to be the most called to do errands now, but it wasn't always like that. My sister seemed to be doing the most errands in the past, but a shift happened when she became distant, disobedient sometimes, and sloppy about doing the chores. Since I was the most dependable, I was forced to take her place. It's not fair because we should be called equally to do the most chores, as I come back from school and...

 Prompt:  In Scene 4, Troy talks about his past, his responsibilities, and the choices he has made in life. Have you ever had to choose between something you wanted to do and something you needed to do? What influenced your decision, and were you satisfied with your choice? Prompt Response: Yes, I have had to make a choice between something I wanted to do and something that I needed to do. Back in elementary school, I had to choose between French immersion and regular classes. My hands were tied; French immersion was fun, and I had my friends. But I struggled a lot because my teacher spoke French as she taught math. Or, agree to be switched to a new class with none of my friends but save my grade, and in the end, I left French immersion. I was satisfied with my choice as I progressed well in math and made new friends.  Summary: In class, we read In class, we read "Fences" by August Wilson. Reflection: The mistreatment of Rose made me appreciate and immerse mysel...

 Prompt: In Fences, Troy makes it clear that he believes his main responsibility as a father is to provide for Cory, not necessarily to like him or make him happy. Do you think parents have to like their children, or is it enough for them to love, provide for, and take care of them? Explain the difference between loving someone and liking someone. Do you agree or disagree with Troy's view of parenting? Explain your response and make a personal or real-world connection. Prompt Response: I disagree with Troy's view of parenting. Parents should have to like their children and do more for them. Once born, a child is molded into who they become by the influences around them. Being given no love can affect a child's mental health and emotional regulation. A parent who is present, gentle, and loving can help a child grow into a respectable person in society. Without the love from my parents, I wouldn't be talkative or speak up for myself. My parents have the love to show me th...

Prompt: In Fences, Lyons asks his father, Troy, to lend him money. Do you think adult children should ask their parents to borrow money, or should they be expected to handle their financial problems on their own? Explain your opinion and connect it to your own experiences, observations, or beliefs about family and money. Prompt Response: Adult children should be able to ask their parents to borrow money. I'm not defending adult children mooching off their parents for money, but rather supporting adult children who are asking for money out of necessity. As in my family, my parents told me that we should all feel comfortable depending on each other. So, imagine your own child confronting their problem to you, in vulnerability, and asking you, the parent, whom you have established a sacred connection with, for help. In struggling situations like that, I would never let my child struggle alone like that. Summary: In class, we read "Fences" by August Wilson and wrote notes abo...

 Prompt: In Fences, the fence is a physical object, but it can also represent the emotional or personal barriers people create. Think about a “fence” you have built in your own life. What were you trying to keep out or protect yourself from? Did that fence help you or hold you back? Explain. Prompt Response: A "fence" that I have built in my own life is with my emotions, especially my anger. There are a lot of things that irritate me, like loud people and challenging assignments. So, throughout my day, my anger can start to rise. But I use my "fence" to help me throughout my daily life. It protected me from causing outbursts because I kept my temper in check. Summary: In class, we wrote about the surface-level knowledge of what fences do and also how they can be used metaphorically in emotional writing. We also wrote about the top 5 qualities of manhood.  Reflection: It made me recognize that we should appreciate double meanings in writing because it is a talented w...

 Prompt: After watching your classmates present their identity masks, think about how people are often more complex than what we see on the outside. What did the presentations teach you about looking beyond the surface when getting to know someone? Prompt Response: The presentations taught me to be more curious about other people. I know to never stereotype or assume anything negative about someone when I look at them on the surface. But seeing everyone so honest about themselves makes me remember that these people are human and that I should connect with them. Everyone has different interests like music, baking, and sports. So we should be more willing to connect with each other and talk about our interests with people we don't know. Summary: In class, we presented our cultural identity masks. Reflection: Seeing the variety of identities of all my classmates made me realize that, through our differences, we all impact the people around us because we see and learn about differ...

 Prompt: In “Missing Your People,” Tracy Brower explains the importance of belonging. Describe a time when you felt like you truly belonged. What created that feeling? Prompt Response: A time when I felt like I truly belonged was in elementary school. I had a recent wound, as I had to leave my friends behind since I left French immersion. I was waiting with the other kids outside my class, these new people, a new classroom. It seemed lonely until I saw the tall girl next to me, she had her hoodie on, but we connected. We bonded over art in class, and her friend branched out to me. More friends continued to join our circle, I even invited the new girl in 5th grade to our table. It felt so special, this was our group, our circle. This feeling was created because we all had the same interests, we were comfortable with each other and respectful.  Summary: In class, we read "Missing Your People" by Tracy Brown and did CommonLit questions. Reflection: Reading the text, it made ...

 Prompt: Write about a fear you have overcome. Prompt Response: A fear that I have overcome is loneliness. I always felt this paranoia that once I graduate, all my friends will leave me. But thinking logically helps me maintain a stable mindset. I have been friends with them for 3-4 years, so our connection can't be broken that easily. To add, even if we all drift apart, it is normal. As we all grow and connect with like-minded people. There are a lot of people in the world for me to be friends with anyway, so I'd rather not get emotional over it.  Summary: In class, we wrote 2 paragraphs explaining our mask design.  Reflection: By writing 2 paragraphs, it made me reflect on how to organize and detail my thought process.