Final Reflection

1- What are the three most important things you learned this year?

     I've learned so many things this year, it's hard to pick three. I would have to say that the AOW's have taught me a lot throughout the year. Last year, I learned what I wanted to learn through the AOW's, but with the gallery walks I've learned what other people wanted to learn. This not only improved my knowledge of the world, but also in the people presenting it. They shared not only what the article was about, but their opinion. Which brings me to the butterfly project, we got to view people's opinions on different poems. I, personally, don't analyze poems very well, so it was interesting to see how other people did this. I was actually able to improve the way I analyze things, like poems and songs, through my peers. The socratic seminars also played an important role this year, even though we didn't have a lot of them. I feel it's important to share your thoughts on things, including books, so I think the socratic seminars were a great way to share each others opinions. 

2- What is something we did this year that you think you will remember for the rest of your life?

     I believe that the To Kill a Mockingbird feast is something that I won't forget. I was able to try many different types of foods that I would have never known existed. I feel like the feast was able to connect us with the characters in the book more than just discussing it. I also thought it was kind of funny how we put the tables together like a Thanksgiving feast (even though when we brought food in for Thanksgiving, we ate separately). To me, it felt like we were a family from different branches of life. Which, in a way, connects to the book, because Atticus accepted everyone's opinions even if they were from a different background. The one moment I will remember forever from the feast is the different faces people made after trying sardines. I will always replay Emily's cringeworthy face after she bit into a sardine. Priceless!

3- What was the nicest thing someone in our class did for you this year?

     Many people have been extremely nice to me this year, and if I don't thank you here, I want you to know that I do thank you. Anyway, some specific examples are people helping me with my homework or just helping me understand something I didn't understand. Maria has always been there for me, helping me understand certain things on my AOW's and blogs. Gustavo has also helped me out by proof-reading my essay. Abdiel has always helped me catch up on note/work when I was absent. This are just few of many that have helped me throughout the school year.

4- What is something you taught your teacher or classmates this year?

     I would like to think that I taught my peers to always have a good time and enjoy yourself. I've experienced a lot of stress this year and I've always tried to still have a good time. I don't know if my peers have caught on to this, but I always try to make people's days. I enjoy seeing people laugh and have a good time, because it makes me laugh and have a good time. I wanted to teach my peers that it's great to laugh and to help others laugh if they are having a bad day.

5- In what area do you feel you made your biggest improvements? What is something you accomplished this year that you are proud of?

     I feel like I majorly improved in my writing skills. We did many essay which is probably want helped the most, but the blogs and AOW write-ups helped too. The frequent writing, in general, helped a lot, and even though I still can't spell every well, I am able to use correct grammar, which is probably one of the things I am proud of this year. Knowing that I can correct people's error makes feel happy on the inside, I guess. I also am proud of the To Kill a Mockingbird thematic essay that we work on for a while. I feel like I did really well on it, adding textual evidence when needed, and interpreting it extremely well. 

6- What was the most challenging part of this year for you?

     The most challenging part this year would have to be my hardships with procrastinating. Well, I guess they wouldn't be hardships, but I'll just call them that. Anyway, porcrastinating is something that is so easy to do, but kind of hard to say no to. There was this little devil on my shoulder that somehow always found a way to make me think it was fine to do this later, or that later. If I were to give advice to next year's kids, it'll have to be to not procrastinate. Many of us had trouble this year and I think that the incoming kids shouldn't listen to that little devil on thier shoulder. 

7- What was the best piece of writing that you did this year? Why do you think it is your best?

     I believe that my best piece of writing this year would have to be the Blackfish/SeaWorld argumentative essay. We spent so much time on it; gathering information and then making sure we knew how to cite it correcting. The only problem with the essay were some framer errors that I'm trying to work on. Not only do I think this is my best essay, but I also learned a lot and know that I will maintain ths information for the rest of my life. 

8- Of the books you read this year, which was your favorite? Why?

     My favorite book of the year would have to be Forget Me. I find it kind of funny that I would not have even known this book existed if I didn't get bored and decide to steal one of my sister's book. Anyway, I really liked this book because it had mystery and romance. I don't like a book when it's all about romance, but all mystery I'm all for it. Forget Me got me really engaged and I couldn't stop reading it. The end was kind of a twist and really shocked me. There were many good books this year, since I expanded my genres.

Aphorism Drawing

"Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live." This was one of many famous aphorisms made by Morrie Schwartz. In Tuesdays with Morrie, Morrie tries to get Mitch to fully understand the meaning of this aphorism: "'I'm going to say it again,' he said. 'Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.' He smiled, and I realized what he was doing. He was making sure I absorbed this point, without embarrassing me by asking." Now, I think that this can be interpreted in many ways, but to me, I think it is talking about how we take many things for granted. I think that when you learn how to die, you start to realize the little things in life; making you learn how to live life to the fullest; taking risks every now and then. I believe that this was Morrie's main message from this aphorism. That people who haven't welcomed death, don't truly know how to not take things for granted.

I found this aphorism to relate not really to a historical event, but rather a historical person; Martin Luther King Jr.. You see, this aphorism is mainly about taking risk and facing death, but also not taking things for granted, Martin Luther King Jr. does all of this. He preaches and protests even though he knew there was a target on his back. He knew that if he kept protesting, he would eventually die, but he took that risk to help others. I suppose you can say that he didn't take his own life for granted. He put others before himself and he died for others. He didn't just get killed in a robbery, he got assassinated for helping others. Martin Luther King Jr., to me, is one of the best examples for this aphorism.

I couldn't agree more with this aphorism. Well, I guess if I'm actually dying and I know how it feels to die, I would get this sort of "Ah, ha." moment; making me understand it even more. The point is that I do agree with what this aphorism is trying to say. I believed that no one could not take anything for granted, but that all changed after I read Tuesday with Morrie. Morrie made me see that when someone is dying, they truly view life as a gift, hence, "Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live." I honestly, don't know how someone could not agree with this aphorism. I don't know how someone could think that a person who only experienced life can know everything.