We have reached the halfway point in the semester. I always feel it is important to take a second and reflect upon any learning opportunity with which one engages. In our case, let's take a second to reflect upon the first half of English III.
We have accomplished so much already. We read one play, two novels, numerous short stories, blogs, essays, articles, and even one sermon (Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"). You have engaged in the writing process almost every day for the past nine weeks. You have learned tips for the SAT, ACT, and college admissions. Hopefully, your vocabulary has expanded, and you are now impressing all the right people with big words :). You have created a wiki, and shared stories, ideas, values, and theories with your classmates. And, perhaps the most important thing you have learned during the past nine weeks is to never, ever, place a burning branch in your zipper.
This week I would like to get some feedback from all of you about your experiences in the class so far. What did you enjoy? What could you live without? What would you like to learn during the second half of the class?
I am curious to see these responses...
23 comments:
I think that at the end of the year, we should have a Harry Potter discussion. But aside from that I would like to read more novels and watch interesting movies based on the novels or pertaining to the novels.
This class has been way different from all my other English classes. It is the most serious and the one I have learned the most. I thank you for that. One of the things I have enjoyed the most is the short amount time we had to listen to your stories. I loved story time. I wished you could go on telling us. Something else I enjoyed was learning tips for the SAT and ACT. It has taught me a lot and I am sure that it will definitely show on my test scores when I use the tips you have given us. I really appreciate that you have taken your time to help us through those tips and making us feel better when we have to take the test. Something else I like is the vocabulary words. They really do help to figure other words out and I really think it’s a good idea to teach us that.
Something that I can definitely live without is the projects. Some of them are really fun and I love it that we get time to do it in class so we don’t have to take it home but I just get really frustrated and stressed. I don’t know why but they stress me out : p. Some things that I would like to learn next semester is how to get better at my writing, and ways to keep concentrated when studying, specially for the SATS. I really hope that I get better in my writing and learn how to put my thoughts down in an organize matter.
In overall, I really love your class and I think you are a great teacher. I am really learning from you a lot and I hope I can get you again as a teacher some day.
I love this class so far. It has vastly helped me through my second semester of my junior year as well as the SAT and college preparation. I think that the media and amount of technology present in this course helped me be more technically proficient as well as add to benefits for college. I enjoyed the literature we have read and i feel ready for the 4th quarter and my senior year ahead.
Since the first day of English II last year, I knew I would like your class; and I really have seen myself mature so much in my writing and I've really become a lot smarter! I always look forward to third period, I don't feel like I'm in an English class. I think being in your class really showed me how much I enjoy English. I mean, I've always been one to write a short story in my free time, but your class has really ignited the writer in me. The only thing I don't like is the blogs. I mean, I like the idea of them, but I don't like how we have to have two posts, two responses, and a response to you. But I'm just a lazy person, so it makes sense.
So far I basically love your class. I can't really tell if I am your favorite student or most hated but either way I think we get along pretty well. I do like the books we are reading so even if I don't do the reading know that its not because we are reading boring books. One thing that I love and continue to look forward to every Thursday is the SAT ACT days. I feel that these days help tremendously. I am also excited for our college essays because I doubt my parents still remember how to write one.
And the advice about not to put the burning branch in the zipper is definitely something to hold on to.
-max
Well, I guess I'll be the first one to give my opinion. I know that you probably want an honest answer, so I'm not going to lie about what I've felt about this quarter.
Personally, I hated the group project that we had to do about an author, because it was really time consuming and I found it a little pointless. I could have gone without that assignment. The same is true for the project that we are doing now in class: I really don't like it. I feel as though it is unecessary. I would much rather use the time for SAT practices or other more productive activities.
However, as much as I despised the projects that we had to do, I am actually pretty happy with the rest of the class. I like the fact that we have vocabulary quizes every week, as it helps prepare me for the SAT. For the same reason, I actually enjoy SAT practices in class. I also like the weekly blogs, becasue it helps me learn some quick, interesting facts sometimes, and also because it helps with my grade. My only major complain with the blogs is that we are only allowed to post two blogs per day, although I do understand that it is trying to teach consistency. As for the books we have read, I don't have a problem with them, though the Crucible was by far the worst of the three.
I loved this class. At first I freaked out because all the work. After a while I got used to it and now I like the challenge. I could have done with out reading the great gatsby.
It does not seem like nine weeks already! But I guess it has been. This class has taught me a lot, the first week I contemplated switching out because I wanted an easy class because I have always had extremely hard classes and struggled for the grades I wanted to achieve. I decided to stick it out because I heard you were a great teacher and when I heard what we would come out of the class with there was no way I could pass it all up. You are one of the only teachers I know that help their kids with SAT and ACT practice, which I think is one of the most important aspects of our junior year. I love that you are not a fan of busy work and only assign work that will help up not just waste our time. I definitely love to hear everything sugar coated, even the worst news, but its good to have a change and not hear everything so sugar coated. I think you are a great teacher, and one of the classes I have gotten the most out of during high school.
When you talked to me about my SAT essay, I told you that I’ve always had easy English teachers. They would never really teach me anything, but this class was a turnover! For me this class is a challenging class. The one thing I really enjoy the most is having college discussions. When I come home, the first thing I do is tell my parents about it and tell them what I learned that day in class. I like that we read books and have discussions about them. I like the projects because they help my grade a little. What I’m looking forward to in the next quarter is the college applications and hopefully the scholarship application. It would motivate me to apply for more.
Before this class I was really freaked out by SAT, ACT, college, scholarsship. I really appreciate that fact that you put time aside to enlighten us on the system and tips. Also with a new range of vobulary words I feel more confident taking these state test.
Also in the beginning of this semester I was "computer challeged", and with these projects(even though I dont really like them to much) I feel like now I can access information and new ideas quicker.
Throughout the past nine weeks I have felt every emotion there is to feel towards your class and your assignments. I absolutely despise writing essays because I'm honestly not good at them but I adored the challenge you posed with the ones you assigned. They gave me half a head of gray hair, I swear, I cried and stomped for hours before I finally understood and wrote them and in the end they weren't nearly as bad as I'd imagined. I never realized that I'd gotten so used to not having to think that I had to reintroduce myself to the concept.
Literature has to be one of my absolute favorite things and I have enjoyed the literature that you've assigned very much although I have to admit that I was very disappointed in some of the class. I understand when a person doesn't understand text but when they refuse to read quality literature and call it boredom is disgusting. I do not believe in spark notes and never thought that anyone actually used it until I entered this class and realized that there is a total lack of motivation with some of the students. This is so upsetting that I refuse to continue on the subject.
Your class has been exactly what I've been craving for the past two years, something where I learn real information. I have been enlightened in your class and i regret that I could not have had quality teachers such as yourself throughout high school. At this point I have to look forward to a teacher next year that will probably misinterpret "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka and a class that could very well despise the book, not understanding the true beauty in Gregor Samsa's grotesque form. *sigh* I'll end my rant here. Maybe I'll re-comment some other time and finish up my thoughts.
I feel as if this English class is the one I have learned the most in. My previous English classes did not seem as advanced. One thing I enjoy about the class is the SAT, ACT, college admission tips that you give us, along with the vocabulary we are assigned. Having quizzes motivates me to actually learn the words and expand my vocabulary. One thing I can live without and don't enjoy are the group projects that we don't get to choose our group for. I believe I work better with someone I am comfortable with and someone who shares the same perspective on academics. Overall, I really enjoy this class, even though English is one of my least favorite subjects.
I love your class! It has got to be one of my favorite classes from high school. We learn a lot more and can speak openly about the subject. I have actually ejoyed reading the novels and plays that we have read so far and learned to look at things in a different perspective. So far, there is nothing abou the class that I dislike. Keep up the good work.
I really have enjoyed your class. Unlike other English classes I have had in the past, I feel that yours has made me really focus more on SAT and the ACT. Out of all the activities we do daily my favorite would have to be the vocabulary and college review day. It really has helped me key in a little more on what exactly I should be doing to prepare. I love doing the practice writing essays and I enjoy being able to now break down words to understand the roots and " plug in" more words within all of my essays and even other classes.
I also think you are very funny and entertaining! I love all of your stories that you share! The only thing I probably can live without would be the projects. I like individual work rather than depending on others.
Overall, I really do enjoy coming to class because I actually feel like I am learning and getting something out of it, unlike other classes I have taken in the past. Thanks for being a great teacher!
This is a "fantastic" class as you would say Mrs.Stoklosa! I love the wiki project, using a totally different network to work on was totally unique and fun! SAT and ACT tips really help I'm starting to really use them while I study for these two tests. The college tips are a huge, they help me determine which colleges is the best for me. I did enjoy the novels, but sometimes I could not focus on the text because of the amount of difficult vocabulary it contained. But, I did learn new vocabulary which is the good side of reading a higher level novel. Love the fact that we are doing a large project this week, I'm dedicating.
So far I've really liked this class. Compared to my other English classes from previous years, yours have been the most helpful. I love that you dedicate Thursdays to helping us prepare for the SAT and college and that you give us the vocabulary quizzes. The only things I don't really like are some of the projects (Except the Gatsby one, I'm really liking making a children's book) and the Socratic seminars, I can never stay focused. I also don't like that we have to do two blog postings, I'm fine with posting comments on other peoples blogs but I sometimes get a little stressed out because I don't have time to do my postings.
Some things that I would like to do for the second half of the class is to watch movies that relate to the novels we read. I thought it was really interesting to see comparisons between The Crucible and V for Vendetta. It would also be nice to have story time on Fridays back. :)
I really feel comfortable to state my personal opinions in the class and I like how the class responds to other opinions. On the same note, I find that I learn more in your class than in any other class this semester. I guess it's because you have to think and analyze things as you read them. I really like the blogs too. It gives me a chance to see what capabilities the other students have and they let me learn about more things that I did not know of before. I also am very fond of our socratic seminars. I find them very enlightening. It really gets me going when people say things I oppose and I don't have to raise my hand to argue with them. The socratic seminars also open my eyes to subjects that I didn't realize before. Your SAT reviews really helped me while taking my test. I ended up using the strategies you put up on the board to help me. I am very confident that this class will strengthen me in English and in thinking. Keep doing what your doing because I really like this class.
I never thought I was actually going to enjoy an English class as much as I have enjoyed this one. Even though I don't have an A in the class, I love it and would re-take it a couple times, unlike chemistry.
It has been a really good learning experience. I liked the most learning about college preparation on Thursdays, writing the blogs, and working a lot with computers instead of a textbook. Some of the reading pieces, not to say a lot of them, I really didn't like but it was primarily because for me it is really hard to understand the English people used back then.
in the second half of the semester I would love to focus more on college preparation, like two a week instead of one, and read more up-to-date pieces of literature.
I think your teaching techniques are different from other, in a good way of course. I love the fact that we use many different mediums to learn different concepts. I look forward to learning in different ways because in most English classes I taken we have simply just read from a book everyday. You always teach us something useful that we'll actually use one day instead of useless junk. You are constantly challenging us and give us just the right amount of work. The last nine weeks I would like to just keep doing what we're doing. I like the variation because it keeps me interested and engaged in the material.
Thanks for making me laugh once more by mentioning the burning branch in the zipper. I really enjoyed your class this quarter. I had never written so much in my life. I enjoyed this because it gave me the opportunity to enhance my vocabulary and organize my ideas. Your class allowed me to discover that I truly enjoy writing and may consider taking a literature class in the future. I also loved the fact that you involved the study of film with our studies. Also, I am thankful for all the tips on the SAT and ACT. All the information that I obtained from you encouraged me to take them although I'm pursuing a career in the performing arts. As a teacher, you truly pique your student's interests. Thanks Mrs.Stoklosa!
This quarter in english III ive learned a lot. You teach different than all the other teachers I've had and you are one of the few ive actually learned things from. I enjoy the challenging stories we read in class. My favorite is the SAT vocabulary weve learned. I really feel like this is going to help me next time we take the SAT and I remeber taking it ans seeing those words expect at that time I had no idea what they have ment. Im excited for a productive fourth quarter and I really want to push myself to try hard.
This class has been one of the most challenging classes I taken in High School, and I like that. This class test your potential and your work ethic, it prepares for future classes and most importantly college. One of the things I loved about this class is how you help prepare us for the SAT/ACT, in my classes this year and my prior classes my teacher had rarely even mentioned the SAT. The weekly vocab quizzes really expand your vocabulary, and unlike other vocabulary quizzes you actually remember the words because you keep seeing the over and over again. One thing I could of done without is the group projects.
This is a cool class I learn alot of vocabulary and stuff that I wouldnt have known while taking the SAT,I also learned diffrent literary techniques used in literature so overall its been a good learning experience.
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