Nates English blog

 Prompt Response: I have had one experience where I really appreciated nature a couple of years ago when I visited Rainer National Park. It's located outside of Seattle, Washington, and it is truly astonishing. It was a place where I had experienced things that I had never experienced before in my life. The mountains were large and sharp, the leaves were green as ever, and the flowers were blooming. The beauty of nature made me reflect and understand how grateful I am to have experienced the scenes. It made me change my perspective, as something about nature made me self-reflect and made me feel like I could be a better person, and in a way, motivated me to become a better person to the people around me.  Summary: In class, we read and annotated new poems and started a one-pager on one of them. Reflection: I learned how to create a one-pager about a poem.

 Prompt Response: I had to set a boundary on my friend seven. I set a boundary on him because he only talks about 67 which is a trendy meme. I set a boundary by telling him that I didn't like when he constantly says 67 as it made me uncomfortable. I'm glad I set a boundary because in my eyes it allows us to continue and build a better friendship, without all the 67 nonsense. This is why setting boundaries are important because they allow relationships to flourish. Summary: Today we completed our questions on the poem and completed a commonlit. Reflection: I learned how to answer questions straight from the poems.

 Prompt Response: When I was in elementary school, I learned from my parents that we were going to be moving to a new home. It was a new neighborhood, but it was only 20 minutes away, so it wasn't a big change. Though we were only moving across town, it felt like I was moving to a different state. I was leaving all the friends I had made, all the neighbors that I had shared childhood memories with, and all the days I spent biking around the neighborhood. The whole process of knowing that we had bought a new house and that we were going to move soon felt like it went by so fast. It felt like my whole childhood was disappearing overnight. After the move, I was lonely and started at a new school very quickly, so I only knew one person at first. I began to make friends and really fit in, and looking back on it now, it might have been the best thing to happen to me. Summary: We read 2 new poems and analyzed one as a class and one in our groups. Reflection: I learned how to analyze poems...

 Prompt Response: My favorite word is chimerical because it sounds magical and creative. I love that it means something imaginary or fantastic. I don’t use it every day, but I like to drop it into conversations or writing when I want to describe ideas that are whimsical or almost impossible. It makes talking about imagination feel more exciting and vivid. I enjoyed saying it in front of my friends the other day and seeing the puzzled looks on their faces. Whenever I hear it sparks my curiosity and makes me imagine the magical things that are stored in your brain. Chimerical has quickly become my favorite word for anything that feels imaginative, or larger than life Summary: We continued to work on our project. Reflection: I learned how to connect the text to personal experiences through the project.

 Prompt Response: Imagination plays a big role in helping me cope with challenges, boredom, and stress. When life feels overwhelming, I like to picture different scenarios or escape into my thoughts. It allows me to take a break from reality for a little while and see things from a fresh perspective. Even when I’m bored, imagining new adventures or possibilities keeps my mind active and entertained. It also helps me process difficult emotions by providing a space to think. Overall, imagination makes life more flexible and enjoyable and allows me to handle stress. Summary: We turned in our comic and continuing working on ongoing assignments. Reflection: I learned more about Birches and how Robert Frost thought.

 Prompt Response: One time recently that I faced a high-pressure situation that required my complete focus was last week at basketball tryouts. During tryouts, I had not been playing my best basketball, and I felt like I might have been on the brink of getting cut. The last day of tryouts arrived I knew that I had to do everything in my power to overcome adversity to make varsity. I had gone into tryouts that day with a different mentality, and it paid off. I ended up playing very well and impressed the coaches. I still had my doubts that night as the teams were coming out. I was wondering if my prior bad performances would overrule my one good performance. In the end, I did end up making the team, and it was one time I was proud of myself for performing under high-pressure situations.  Summary: We read and annotated a new poem by Robert Frost. Reflection: I learned how to annotate and read the text for the deeper meaning.

 Prompt Response: I toured a couple of colleges over fall break and learned more about what it takes to get into certain colleges. First, I toured the University of Kentucky in Lexington. I enjoyed it and thought that the actual campus was nice, but outside of the campus, there isn't much else to do. I also toured the University of Tennessee. I really enjoyed the University, and I think I would rather go to Tennessee than Kentucky, as I liked the atmosphere, and the academics are better than Kentucky. Summary:  In class the internet was out but we started to create a comic strip on the new vocabuakry words. Reflection: I learned new vocabulary words

 Prompt Response: Even when I’m super busy, I try to find little moments to enjoy my day. Listening to music always helps me relax, whether I’m doing homework or driving to school. If I have time after school, I’ll go hit a few golf balls at the range—it helps me clear my mind. I also love spending a few minutes playing with my dog when I get home, no matter how much I have going on. Those small things make my day feel less overwhelming and give me something to look forward to. Summary: Today, we completed our argumentative paragraph. Reflection: I learned how to construct an argumentative paragraph.

 Prompt Response: One time during golf practice, my coach saw me getting frustrated and said, “You’re not going to hit every shot perfectly, just focus on the next one.” I had just messed up a few holes in a row and was ready to give up on the round. What he said helped me calm down and get back into the game. Since then, I’ve started using that mindset not just in golf, but in other parts of life too. It reminded me that one mistake doesn’t define the whole day. It also taught me to stay calm because previously I would get really angry and wouldn't play well. Those words really stuck with me and changed me for the better. Summary: We started are argumentative paragraph about Ambush. Reflection: I learned how to construct an argumentative paragraph.

 Prompt Response: I had to step out of my comfort zone when I switched elementary schools. I didn't know hardly anyone, and I felt like an outsider. On the first day, I was so nervous, and I was way out of my comfort zone because I had never gone to a public school. I remember missing my old teachers and my friends. Eventually, I made friends and started to flourish there, and it was then that I realized that stepping out of your comfort zone can be good.  Summary: We read the story Ambush by Tim O'Brian. Reflection: I learned about the book Ambush.

Prompt Response: A particularly vivid dream experience was when I was at the beach. I was sleeping, and all I could remember was me turning into an avocado. I remember waking up in my dream as an avocado and not knowing what to do. I went outside to a world full of avocados and potatoes fighting each other. I went to war with my avocado brothers, and we fought off all of the potatoes, and that was a dream that I felt like I was a part of. Summary: In class, we talked about cancel culture and how to argue and create claims, evidence, and reasoning. Reflection: I learned how to use argumentative claims.  

 Prompt Response: Something I've always been curious about is living in space. Growing up, I would wonder how astronauts sleep, eat, and even walk around in space since it lacks gravity. I've watched them floating around in the space station on videos, and it just doesn't seem real. I imagine looking out the window and seeing Earth from above, and it would probably feel both amazing and a little scary. I’ve always thought about how different life would be up there and what it would feel like to leave everything behind and explore the unknown. It’s something that has always stuck in my mind and made me want to learn more about space. Summary: We completed a paragraph to argue for our claim that we made on Wednesday using evidence and reasoning. Reflection: I learned how to format a argumentative paragraph.

Prompt Response: The best present that I've ever received is my very first baseball glove. I got it on my birthday when I was a young child, and I still recall how excited I was opening the package. It wasn't just any glove it was just the kind that I had wanted all year. I spent the entire day playing catch with my dad, breaking it in and pretending I was in the big leagues. That glove went to every game and practice with me, and even just when we played ball in the back yard. It wasn't just a gift it was part of my childhood and helped me fall in love with the game that I once loved. Summary: We were assigned a unpopular opinion and were told to take a side and make a claim about it. Reflection: I learned how to form a claim.

 Prompt Response: One of the talks that really changed me was one I had with my coach after a tough game. I played one of the worst games of my entire career and was beating myself up mentally for every mistake. After everyone left, he sat me down and told me that one poor game doesn't define the type of player I am. He told me that the most vital thing is how I respond and learn from it. Learning that actually resonated with me because I'd always thought that failing meant I couldn't do it. That conversation made me realize failure is part of the process, and it challenged me to stop quitting on myself so quickly. I walked out of that conversation feeling differently, like I actually thought I could do better. Summary: We made claims and backed it up with evidence on certain topics. Reflection: I learned how to properly argue for your claim and back it up with evidence.

 Prompt Response: One thing I really believed as a kid was that my dad could fix anything. If a toy broke, something leaked, or the car was acting up, I always thought that my dad would fix it. I’d watch him grab his toolbox and work like he had superpowers. No matter what the problem was, I felt like he had it under control. I never worried about things breaking because I trusted he’d make it right. As I got older, I started to realize there are things he can’t fix, no matter how hard he tries. Some problems are just too big. It’s weird accepting that he’s not invincible, but it makes me appreciate all the times he did try even more. Summary: We started to do our vocabulary on some new words and used an image to define and describe how the photo relates to the word. Reflection: I learned new vocabulary words.