Reflective & Memory Essay

The Vagaries of Memory!

Some fun TED talks to get us headed in the right direction.
1. Becci Manson (10 mins)
2. Joshua Prager (18 mins)

Essay prompt

Some inspiration ....

1982: Apparently I lost a tooth and loved the hotcycle.

My first trophy. I won the 25 fly. I was big time! Still have the trophy. I was wearing a Smurfette suit.

Good thing this King Kong wasn't dangerous.

Why do parents dress children in outfits like this?

Remember the drawbridge story? This was that day .... earlier. Who doesn't love a stuffed Seagull named Seymour?

Weekly Post #10: Back to diction

Let's get back to vocabulary! I was reading a piece in Newsweek and a fabulous word popped out of an article: shoal. Shoal is a shallow patch of water or a large number of people/fish, and a favorite word of mine that Macbeth uses in one of this great soliloquies. It's an older word, one used less often these days, but its presence in the article made me keep reading. So, look for some awesome vocabulary, a word or two or three that really zing from the page.

This blog post isn't due until December 2 (the Monday after Thanksgiving break). We will have two most posts to close out the semester. If there's something you'd love to have everyone look at and write about, let me know.

Weekly Post #9: Dear Writer

You've looked at opening and closing lines. You've looked for patterns, things you dislike, and fun sentences. You know your writer well. So well I want you to write a brief little note to your writer. The note should include some praise, what you like/dislike about the work, and at least one piece of constructive criticism. What could this writer improve upon? Is there an issue the writer should take up? Do you have any questions for your writer? This would be the time to ask.

Weekly Post #8: the closer

Let's look for awesome closing (or near the end) lines. How does the author tie everything together? share an a-ha moment? conclude? make a call to action? Does the author come back to something mentioned at the start? Or maybe the author ends with a completely new idea? Share what works and what did not.

Inspiration Day 2: Lists and then essays

The Essay Topic and Rubric

Now, let's get thinking about what inspires us. No better way than by making a list. Some things to consider when making this list:

1. We often have many different people who inspire us. Make sure you can pinpoint 2-3 things about each person that truly inspires you. For example: I am inspired by Madonna. It's true. A pseudo fan might think she's just super cool and in fabulous shape, but she inspires me because she has always guided her own career and she always did things her way, even if that meant less success or money. While I disagree with her recent botox choice, she is a woman who has defined herself rather than a woman defined by society. I know, maybe this is too much for Madonna, but I don't think so.

2. Move beyond the obvious. You're making this list for you and no one else. Don't make the list to impress; rather, make the list to reflect what you really think.

3. No deed is too small to inspire. Sometimes we are inspired by the car in front of us that paid our toll and sometimes it's the person who asked you if you needed help when your hands were full. Think big and small, but don't undercut any act that inspires.

The tasks:
1. 10 people who inspire you (no more than 2 people can be family). For each person on the list, please write 2-3 sentences about WHY/HOW this person inspires you.
2. 10 objects that inspire you