Kimberly's English Blog

 Prompt: Which learning method do you enjoy the most? Class discussions, worksheet work, or hands-on activities. Select one and tell why.  Prompt Response: I enjoy class discussions most. I get to see the strong emotions and personal experiences people have gone through that influenced their answer and justify their reasoning. I like to hear from their point of view, as to be educated, you must understand what a minority group has to deal with. Besides, if we continue doing this, it'll make the whole class comfortable talking with each other. I would like to hear them talk more, so I can be more understanding.  Summary: In class, we read "The Myth of the Latin Woman" by Judith Ortiz Cofer and wrote down the stereotypes that affect Latin women like her.  Reflection: In the text, I liked how she talked about how Latin women are subjected to being seen as the "hot tamale." It is something that should be changed in society. You are harming the person you are dating ...

 Prompt: Write about an experience when someone assumed something about you because of a stereotype. What was the situation, and what did you do? Prompt Response: One time someone assumed something about me because of a stereotype was in elementary school. Apparently, the person controlling my schedule believed that I needed ESOL. So I was randomly taken out of my class to practice English. The ESOL teacher was very nice, but I knew that I wasn't supposed to be here. I knew that I was a fluent English speaker. My mother did too, so she made sure that I was taken out, it took a few times. But I remained quiet, as I knew that this wasn't permanent.  Summary: Today in class, we watched a TED Talk about a girl who was held back academically because stereotypes led the school to believe she needed more help than others.  Reflection: It made me sympathize with her, as she said that these stereotypes affected her mentally, for example, just because of her race, people think that...

 Prompt: In “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, the mother provides her daughter with numerous expectations about how a girl should behave. Reflect on a specific gender expectation within your culture that has been challenging for you to navigate. Then describe one clear example of this expectation and explain why it has been difficult for you. Keep your response concise, vivid, and focused on your personal experience. Prompt Response: A specific gender expectation in my culture that has been challenging for me to navigate is that when you're a girl, you must always respect your father's wishes. One clear example of this expectation is that after walking Stone Mountain, my father treated the family to IHOP. Everything seemed well, the waitress had given us our meals. But my father allowed my sister to grab a piece from my dish without acknowledging my opinion. It was difficult for me because, despite always giving the basic courtesy to ask for permission for things that they owned, my ...

Prompt: Take a clear picture of your “I, Too” poem and post it to your blog. To upload the picture, click the image icon within the blog post, and it will allow you to upload your photo. Prompt Response: The inspiration for my poem came from my friend. It was near the end of junior year, and I was finished with my homework. But one of my friends was still occupied with work. Despite my insistence that I could lend a hand with their Spanish homework, they dismissed me. There was this embarrassment in myself. I want to be seen as dependable to the people I care about. Especially those who helped me out in the past. So I wrote about how I can reciprocate and be reliable too.  Summary: In class, we read and discussed "Why I Want a Wife" by Judy Brady. Reflection: The process of composing my poem was a struggle. At first, I wanted to humanize myself to the audience. So I picked intelligence, I  addressed that I too can be dense with other topics outside of school. Since I can ...

 Prompt: Write about a time when you did something out of the norm. What was it and how did others react? Prompt Response: A time when I did something out of the norm was when I kept an appointment secret. Of course, to me it was just my routine, to go to the orthodontist, but to them it was as if, on a random weekday, I just vanished. They were surprised by my sudden disappearance and asked where I went. I always gave them a heads-up whenever I left! But for some reason, I was secretive about it. They pestered for a while, until they gave up, because I kept quiet, I couldn't help it, it was too funny.  Summary: In class, we had to answer questions about gender roles and culture. We also discussed whether nature vs nurture affects gender roles in culture.  Reflection: In my opinion, nurture is the reason why gender roles are affected in culture. In my Hispanic household, my father is more present at work, while my mom has to maintain the household alone. 

 Prompt: Describe a time when you felt completely lost. Prompt Response: When I was in junior year, I took AP Lang. It seemed exciting at first, but it was a very difficult class, all because of the teaching. Even worse, the teacher admitted herself that she was quite the rambler. So, whenever she spoke, it sounded gibberish to me. I had to keep enduring, despite feeling behind in the class. In the end, by staying after school and asking questions, I was graced with a common B.  Summary: Today in class, we learned about gender roles in our culture.  Reflection: In my culture, women do the cooking and cleaning, meanwhile men go to work.