Reflection

When my friends that are younger ask me about my opinions in certain classes, I usually know exactly what to say. My mom joked that I should start a business in helping mothers of 8th grade students decide what classes to take for their freshman year. When sophomores ask me about APUSH, I tell them that Matthew Crooks will become their greatest nemesis next year. AP Lang, however, gets a different response. Yes, there is a lot of writing and in class work, there is no denying it. Nonetheless, the overall impact that this course has played on my writing abilities is monumental. After getting a pathetic 2 on "The Poisonwood Bible" Essay test, I knew that something needed to change. I thought my narrative at the beginning of the year  about my trip to Israel  was one of the greatest things I have written. I was "lucky" enough to be selected as the class guinea pig and have my essay edited and revised by my peers. My face turned bright red as I was so embarrassed by my naive style compared to the other geniuses in my class. I realized my mistakes and how I could make it better. I have finally learned how to write- Show, not tell; strong verbs; and an overall newly found passion for writing. 

There are some assignments that have truly helped me with my writing skills. The first journal project from last semester taught me how to express my feelings in a clear way onto paper with a limited amount of time. It was a great stress reliever and helped me to think quickly about writing, rather than over-analyzing everything. Another activity that benefited me was working with my classmates on "fire drill" essays. Learning how they would write an essay helped me think about my own style and how I could improve it. I am still very shaky on the rhetorical analysis, but I'm sure with all of the practice we are doing this week in class, I will be ready for the AP  Exam next week.

APLang has been a fun and memorable class. I will always remember "The Crucible" adaptation from the beginning of the year when I won "Best Actress" for climbing on top of a desk and being the unfortunate, rumored class slut. Of course, another one of my favorite projects was the satire project. On the internet, there is a satirical website about teenage pregnancy advice. Let's hope no one finds it. In five years, I will be able to go back onto Facebook and see my Crucible video or search the web for "If the Stork came too early..." and see my website.

Thank you Mrs. Smith for an amazing year! <3