Jack's English Blog / 2025-2026

  Prompt Response:  A conversation that changed me was a few months back. I was talking to my dad about what was going on in my life at the moment and that I wasn't sure what I wanted to do after high school. He gave me some solid advice on his journey and how he came about to where he is today. It really changed my perspective on life and got me thinking differently. This is a conversation that changed me.  Summary: Today we worked on the Writing Evidence assignment. Reflection:  I learned how to cite evidence from the text to back up my claim. 

  Prompt Response:  Something I believed as a child was something very strange. My parents tended to go out of town every now and then. I would then go stay with my aunt who lives downtown. She'd take me into the park later in the evening and tell me about "trolls that hide in the area in a nearby sewer system." It would always be a game to see if we could find said trolls and catch them. My aunt even made up that they had a smell even though it was just the huge nearby trash can. This is something I believed as a child.  Summary: Today we did the vocabulary lesson two work sheet. Reflection:  I learned about new vocabulary today from lesson two. 

  Prompt Response:  A fear I have overcome is stage fright. I started music when I was young and it frightened me to play in front of others that were not my family. As I played more and more in front of people overtime I gained confidence. It still kind of scares me today when playing on stage in front of people but very rarely. I'm actually more nervous playing for small groups of people, rather than large groups. This is a fear I have overcome.  Summary: Today we did the Identifying claims assignment.   Reflection:  I learned about different topics in a claim. 

     Prompt Response: As I grow older and face new experiences, the topic I stand up and debate most often is politics. I never talk about politics with people besides my family because I personally think it's a very private topic. I don't like spreading my opinions everywhere due to me not wanting conflict. Sometimes I have to talk about it in class or when someone just says something outrageous. 95% I just keep to myself, talk to family, and close friends. This is a topic I stand up and debate most often as I grow older.  Summary:  Today we did Claim notes. Reflection:  I learned about Value, Fact, & Policy. 

    Prompt Response: A truth I was afraid to accept is when my great grandmother passed away. I couldn't comprehend her passing when I was told. She lived up to 97 years old and I really thought she was going to make it to 100. I didn't get upset, make a scene, or anything. It was very hard to realize that she was gone. This was a truth I was afraid to accept.  Summary: Today we worked on Argument notes.  Reflection: I learned about Logos, Ethos, & Pathos.

   Prompt Response: A time where I was judged unfairly was during middle school. I was going through a conflict with some of my friends at the time. There were two sides that involved me and another person. There had been history of this other person being the most liked in the group. My reasoning had facts and valuable information. Due to the other person being more popular than I was, everyone believed them. This was a time where I was judged unfairly.  Summary:  Today we worked on a CommonLit passage.  Reflection:  I learned what fear can teach us through the passage I read today. 

  Prompt Response:  If I was learning about Hispanic/Latino heritage for the very first time I would want to learn about the food. All of my life I have always been a huge fan of Latino food and culture. I have many friends in Mazatlan, Mexico that I consider family. I'm always wanting to find new dishes to try and explore. This is what I would learn about if I was learning about Hispanic/Latino heritage.   Summary: Today we worked on nailing clusters.  Reflection:  I learned about clustering today. 

  Prompt Response:   What I enjoyed about viewing my classmates poem posters was seeing the amount of variety. Everyone has a different view and way of writing when It comes to assignments. It was entertaining to see what each person was going to write about. I saw some people write about religion, sports, feelings, etc. This is something I enjoyed about viewing my classmates poem posters.  Summary: Today we worked on presenting our posters and doing notes.  Reflection:  I learned about the steps in the writing process. 

  Prompt Response:  A time I felt like an interloper was a few years ago. It was summer after 3rd grade and I had been going to a rock climbing camp for a few weeks. My one friend at the camp didn't show up due to him having a sickness. I had to hang out with a crowd I wasn't usually used to or comfortable with. This resulted into me not having fun in camp for the rest of the week and dreading on going day by day. This is a time I felt like an interloper.  Summary: Today we worked on “The Interlopers” in CommonLit. Reflection:  I learned about the story of “The Interlopers.”

  Prompt Response:  The three I think I will use the most in my speaking and writing this semester will be aesthetic, ambiguous, and affinity. I use the word aesthetic all the time when it comes to a vibe of a event or even musical sense. I'd use affinity the same way I'd use fond or interest in something heavily. I've seen the word ambiguous a lot and I understand that it means when someone is being unclear. These are three vocabulary words I think I will use the most in my speaking and writing this semester.  Summary: Today we worked on Lesson One in our American Lit book. Reflection:  I learned new vocabulary today.

  Prompt Response:  What I love the most about being part of the Lakeside community is the diversity of people & culture. I show off my school spirit by doing my best at school and expressing myself of who I am. A big part of who I am is music/style culture. I'm influenced mainly by 70's/80's/90's music. My favorite Homecoming tradition is taking pictures before going to the dance. I love meeting up with friends and hanging out before going to school.  Summary: We did a test today on a poem. Reflection:  I learned about the poem I read about in class today. 

  Prompt Response:  The learning method I enjoy the most is hands-on activities and group learning. I've always done better when I'm using my hands or if i'm in a group. In any activity I do better with others due to conversations about the work. Hands-on gives me a drive to do my work since I wouldn't be stuck at a desk all day. This is the learning method I enjoy the most.  Summary: We worked on our Poem Posters. Reflection:  I learned how to do a voice-over on an animated character for my project. 

  Prompt Response:  The aspect of creating a poem that I enjoy the most is the theme of the poem. I've always loved writing and listening to lyrics. The base of a poem or song has always been very interesting to me. I love finding out what the writer feels and means by their words. I'm not the best at writing about specific topics due to that I'm always writing randomly. This is the aspect of creating a poem that I enjoy the most.  Summary: We worked on our poems. Reflection:  I learned what to do in order to get a good grade on my poem assignment. 

  Prompt Response:   A specific incident that felt ridiculously bold or foolish was a few months back at my work. I was working on a Saturday and it was packed in the whole entire restaurant. A lady called asking if we could take a reservation for 11. I told her that we don't do reservations but we could try our best to hold something but if nothing turns out, there's nothing we can do. She came later that night with her 10 other friends and yelled at me for not having the space when I clearly told her the specifics early. This was a specific incident that felt ridiculously bold or foolish.  Summary: We read and broke down a poem.  Reflection:  I was out due to a doctors appointment. 

  Prompt Response:  If I chose a song to describe my life right now it would be Come Down by Toad the Wet Sprocket. This song talks about not being certain what you want in life at the moment. I definitely feel the exact same way at the moment. I'm not sure what I want to do and how I need it to happen. This is what song I chose to describe my life right now.   Summary: We did a test today. Reflection:  I learned that we were not doing the secondary assignment. 

  Prompt Response:  If I were to compose a poem about one aspect of my life I would choose music. Music since I was little always spoke to me. I started listening to music at age 3 and later when I turned 7 became a musician. Music shapes my personality completely. My overall life's message is a way to express yourself emotionally, relieve stress, and make you overall have good feelings.  Summary: We made a 5 track song list for Dickinson's poems.  Reflection:  I learned what the theme for " I Heard a Fly Buzz—When I Died" is.

  Prompt Response:  I've been in American Literature for 4.5 weeks and i'm feeling pretty good about it. I've enjoyed all of the subjects we have done so far and I'm excited for more to come. The only thing that trips me up is annotating. I'm never the best at knowing what lines of poetry or lyrics say, due to me being very straight forward. I have enjoyed all the literature/art history we have been learning about so far. This is how I feel about my American Literature class so far.  Summary: We annotated "Because I could not stop for Death."  Reflection:  I learned what "no concept of time" meant.