Thursday, September 27, 2012

Vocab list 1

Adumbrate: To Report or represent an outline; Indicate faintly; Foreshadow or symbolize; Overshadow

Apotheosis: The highest point of something, Climax

Ascetic: Characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence.

Bauble: A small, showy trinket or decoration. Something of no importance or worth

Beguile: Charm or Enchant. Trick

Burgeon: To grow or increase rapidly

Complement: A thing that completes or brings to perfection

Contumacious: Stubbornly or willfully disobedient to authority

Curmudgeon: A bad-tempered or surly person

Didactic: Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.

What I expect from this class

I am taking this class this year because I struggled with all the work in honors English first semester last year and didn't want to take AP English this year. What I expect from this class is the obvious, to pass it. I love English. I've always had a passion for reading and writing. So naturally, I hope to also grow from this class. I think the blog is a great way for us to learn and stay connected. However, blogging was my main struggle and complaint before I switched out of Honors English. I have a respect for Dr. Preston and enjoy the way he words things. I've really lagged with my blog posts. I haven't started many of them and left several unfinished in my drafts folder but I expect to put more effort in from here on out.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Aha moment.

My "aha" moment? Shoot. In all honesty, this class kicks my ass. The journal writes as well as the questions just asked by Dr. Preston are absolutely brilliant. Leaves me struggling for words and my mind wandering; however, more often than not I can't seem to gather up all my thoughts and put them to paper. My "aha" moment would have to be the day we were assigned the journal write for how we might explain our favorite music to a deaf person. Later that day I had an encounter with a girl roughly my age who happened to be deaf.( I explained all this in my comment on that journal write for whoever may be reading this and is curious as to what I'm so vaguely explaining.) As soon as I connected with that moment I started jotting down notes on a piece of scratch paper that I ended up filling to staple into my journal later. Which I am looking forward to finding because I can't seem to remember what I did with it but I'll post that on my blog once I do. There have been several other interesting subjects and words spoken that have lingered in the back of my mind and opened my eyes. This stuck out in particular though because I really connected with it. I found my train of thought and trailed it all through out my paper. It made me realize what Dr. Preston was expecting for us to take from this class and how satisfying it feels to really challenge yourself with a thought and complete it to the best of your ability.